Georgia Gwinnett College Campus Plan Update 2022

Activity/Project Name

Momentum Learning Communities

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

Purpose X

Pathways X

Mindset X

Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description

“Momentum Learning Communities” are highly integrated first-year learning communities associated with each academic Focus Area/major and enhanced by co-curricular content related to career readiness in an area of study.

Activity/Project Activity Status

FA21 pilot = 10 LCs

FA22 expansion = 30 LCs targeted (2 LCs needed to be broken based on enrollment patterns, resulting in 28 Momentum Learning Communities implemented).

Evaluation/Assessment plan

Evaluation Plan and measures: Continue to track retention and progression, as well as academic performance, for each learning community cohort (in conjunction with FA21 and FA22 student cohorts). Additionally, we will assess similar performance and engagement measures as we did in FA21, including engagement with co-curricular career readiness materials and demonstration of integrated learning outcomes.

Baseline measure: FA21 Outcomes

Career Readiness Module Completion: Faculty were asked to assign 2 different Career Readiness modules to students. The Career Development and Advising Center [CDAC] kept and communicated records about student completion. Of students enrolled in Momentum LCs:

• 21% of students completed 2 or more modules
• 14% of students completed 1 module
• 65% of students completed 0 modules

Other metrics:

Compared to non-Momentum LC’s (1107 students), students in Momentum LC’s (146 students):

• Registered for more credits in Fall (13.13 vs 12.64)
• Registered for more credits in spring (13.27 vs 12.58)
• Had a lower avg GPA (2.09 vs 2.42)
• Were more likely to be Pell-eligible (66.4% vs 56.6%)

Compared to non-LC students (1382 students), students in Momentum LC’s (146 students)

• Registered for more credits in Fall (13.13 vs 11.82)
• Registered for more credits in spring (13.27 vs 11.80)
• Had a lower avg GPA (2.09 vs 2.49)
• Were more likely to be Pell-eligible (66.4% vs 50.3%)
• Were more likely to need corequisite learning support courses (15.07% vs 8.32%)
• Were less likely to be White (17.1% vs. 26.3%)

Goal or targets: In Fall 2022, GGC initially prepared 30 Learning Communities designed with the same level of integration and co-curricular support as in Fall 2021 (slightly lower than our original target of 40 LCs).

Time period/duration: assessment will continue annually, with aspirations to scale to the extent resources allow.

Updates for 2022

Progress and Adjustments

Data regarding student academic performance suggests we would benefit from more investment in professional development for faculty re: integrated learning.

Plan for the year ahead

See “Big Idea” report section below.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

We need resources (time, financial, and staffing) to provide the levels of faculty pedagogical training/support that we would like;

To the extent that the system office can leverage its centrality to connect us with data about student success in highly integrated LCs at relevant USG institutions, it would help us with deciding where to lean in.

Project Lead/point of contact

Justin Jernigan, Dean of Student Success

Activity/Project Name

 SPARC: Summer Preparatory Academic Resource Camps

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

X Purpose

X Pathways

X Mindset

Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description

The Summer Preparatory Academic Resource Camps (SPARC) program aims to support growth mindset among incoming first-year students and targeted populations of returning students, with particular emphasis on the mindset elements: Sense of Belonging and Purpose and value (see: https://motivatelab.org/publications-2/2018/5/15/help-students-navigate-lifes-transitions-with-a-mindset-gps). 

Activity/Project Activity Status

SPARC was initiated in Summer 2021 and continued in its second iteration in Summer 2022. We plan to offer SPARC again in Summer 2023, though we plan to integrate it more intentionally with other summer programming at the College, such as Grizzly Orientation (GO).

Evaluation/Assessment plan

Evaluation Plan and measures: Post-event surveys of SPARC attendees; examining return rate (Fall to Spring), average GPA, and English and MATH performance of SPARC attendees. All data disaggregated to help us identify and address any equity gaps in SPARC program effectiveness.

Baseline measure: SPARC Summer 2021 results:

Total SPARC student attendees in Summer 2021 = 180.

Survey response rate of 42%.

Average overall program satisfaction rating (5-point scale) = 4.865.

Fall 2021-Spring 2022 return rate among SPARC attendees: 90% had returned to register for Spring 2022 classes, registering for an average of almost 13 credit hours.

Average GPA (end of Fall 2021 semester): 2.84.

Goal or targets: SPARC Summer 2022 targets:

Survey response rate of 45%

Return rate: 91% will have returned to register for Spring 2023 classes, registering for an average of 13 credit hours.

Average GPA (end of Fall 2022 semester): 2.85 (note the intention to recruit further among students who placed into corequisite learning support courses).

--

Progress in SPARC Summer 2022 assessment as of this Report (November 2022):

Total SPARC student attendees in Summer 2022 = 239.

Survey response rate of 41% (4% short of target, but still significant response rate for assessment).

Average overall program satisfaction rating (5-point scale) = 4.728.

Fall 2022-Spring 2023 return rate among SPARC attendees: To be determined. We will have this information by January 2023.

Average GPA (end of Fall 2022 semester): To be determined.

Time period/duration: June-July each Summer. Summer 2021 was the inaugural SPARC program, with Summer 2022 SPARC sessions beginning on June 23, and the final SPARC session for 2022 on July 28. SPARC sessions for new first-year students were more coordinated with corresponding Grizzly Orientation dates in Summer 2022. This level of integration will be stepped up further for Summer 2023. 

Updates for 2022

Progress and Adjustments

Summer 2021 SPARC feedback indicated strong levels of satisfaction from the attendees: About 90% of attendees responding to a post-event survey (with 42% response rate) indicated their questions were answered at SPARC; further, about 97% indicated either strong (84%) or moderate (13%) agreement with the value of the faculty-led Focus Area sessions for their own purpose and values.  A similar response was observed for Summer 2022 SPARC, with approximately 96% of survey respondents indicating they valued the faculty-led breakout sessions and about 91% of survey respondents indicating their questions were answered at the closing “LIFT Off” information session. 

Plan for the year ahead

Closer integration with Grizzly Orientation, including setting SPARC dates for new students in conjunction with GO dates. Also, in response to the students’ feedback from SPARC 2021 and SPARC 2022, we continue to prioritize more time and activities associated with the faculty-led Focus Area related sessions.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

Cross-campus communication is required for SPARC implementation to be successful and for the program to scale up each summer. Also, while the demographic makeup of SPARC attendees in Summer 2021 was largely representative of the campus, we were able to see more students in SPARC 2022 who had a learning support requirement, were first generation, and in other ways better represented the overall student population. Our goal is to continue this effort into SPARC 2023.

Project Lead/point of contact

Justin Jernigan, Dean of Student Success

Activity/Project Name

Online Advising and Mentoring Tools: Grizzly Mentor Collective and EAB Navigate

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

X Purpose

Pathways

X Mindset

Change Management

X Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description

The Grizzly Mentor Collective program links new students one-on-one with a peer mentor who has experienced many of the same challenges and gone on to succeed. GGC students who sign up for the program are paired with a peer invested in their success who can help by listening, inspiring, and helping to navigate challenges and recognize opportunities. Participants learn what to expect in school, how to approach challenges, gain career advice and valuable insights, while mentors build their networks and develop skills to become better professionals and leaders.

For more information - Grizzly Mentor Collective: https://www.ggc.edu/student-success/grizzly-mentor-collective/

GGC launched Navigate in Spring 2022. The tools that Navigate provides (e.g., early alerts, mentoring notes, tracking success) build on the GradesFirst application, which was used by GGC’s Student Success Advising Center for the previous few years. 

Activity/Project Activity Status

Grizzly Mentor Collective was launched in Fall 2020. Fall 2022 marks the third year of implementation. 

EAB Navigate was launched in February 2022. Fall 2022 will be the first full semester of implementation and includes the early alert pilot.

Evaluation/Assessment plan

Evaluation Plan and measures: Grizzly Mentor Collective success measures include participation levels among peer mentors, mentored students; and participant satisfaction with the program. 

Initial success measures for EAB Navigate include faculty adoption levels, number of appointments, students mentored or advised, and early alert utilization.

For Grizzly Mentor Collective: During the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,559 new freshmen and transfer students were matched with 351 upper-level students. During the 2021-2022 academic year, 1774 mentees were matched with 334 upper-level students and alumni. As of Fall 2022, 774 mentees are matched with 204 mentors.

Student satisfaction with the program averaged 6 out of a 7-point scale. As an additional marker of success, of the 774 mentees in Fall 2022, 272 were confirmed continuing students, and their average overall GPA was 3.059 as of mid-semester. Note that of the 492 confirmed first-year students being mentored, the vast majority do not yet have an overall GPA at the college as of this report. 

EAB Navigate: As of October 31, 2022, 225 faculty and staff made 10,328 appointments for 5,193 distinct students. Progress report campaigns were sent to Momentum Learning Community faculty during the third and seventh weeks of the fall semester. 840 reports were submitted. Students identified in the reports were contacted by student success advisors and faculty mentors to discuss strategies to get back on track. In Fall 2022, the Academic Enhancement Center (tutoring and Supplemental Instruction) staff also trained on and implemented Navigate for scheduling tutoring appointments and providing meeting notes.

Goal or targets: Grizzly Mentor collective: The goal for the 2020-2021 academic year was 1500 matches.  That goal was exceeded with 1562 matches. The goal for the 2021-2022 academic year was 2000 matches and 89% of the goal was met with 1774 matches.

Goals/Targets for the EAB Navigate will be determined after the first full academic year of implementation.

Time period/duration: Grizzly Mentor Collective is in its third year of implementation.

EAB Navigate was launched in February 2022. Fall 2022 starts the first full academic year of implementation.

Updates for 2022

Progress and Adjustments

Grizzly Mentor Collective: GGC exceeded the initial goal for the 2020-2021 year and increased the number of mentees matched to 1774 during 2021-2022. Alumni mentors were engaged during the 21-22 academic year as the number of available peer mentors did not meet the demand for requested mentors. Moving forward, we need to identify ways to incentivize the program to attract more student mentors.

EAB Navigate: The transition to EAB Navigate in spring 2022 was successful.  Faculty mentors and advisors were able to use the platform for summer and fall registration. The early alert feature was piloted fall 2022 and the predictive and historical analytics functionality has been configured.

Plan for the year ahead

Grizzly Mentor Collective: We will consider providing peer mentoring support to targeted groups to alleviate the need for the large number of mentors.

EAB Navigate: Moving forward, we will train faculty, staff, and students on the platform features that are relevant to their roles.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

Grizzly Mentor Collective: The number of active peer mentors does not meet the demand of the number of potential mentees. 

EAB Navigate: We will continue to talk with other institutions to learn how they are using the tools in the platform to support academic success and improve service to students.

Project Lead/point of contact

Karen Jackson, Associate Dean for Advising Programs, Office of Student Success

Activity/Project Name

 First-Year Seminar (FYS): GGC 1000

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

X Purpose

X Pathways

X Mindset

Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description

The First-Year Seminar (FYS), GGC 1000, is a 1-credit course that aims to support and increase the academic and personal success of GGC’s first-year students. This class covers subjects such as campus resources, study skills, time management, growth mindset, and major and career exploration. For students with 30 or fewer credits, it counts towards degree requirements and can substitute for one physical education activity course.

Activity/Project Activity Status

The First-Year Seminar, GGC 1000, has been offered at GGC since 2017. It has been piloted and run successfully, with further developments in design, support, and assessment each year. The main challenge now is scaling the seminar to serve as many eligible first-year students as possible.

Evaluation/Assessment plan

Evaluation Plan and measures: Post-course surveys of GGC 1000 students; evaluating student assignment artifacts for learning outcome achievement; examining pass rates and one-year retention rates. All data disaggregated to help us identify and address any equity gaps in GGC 1000 course effectiveness.

Baseline measure: Students who remain actively engaged in their section of the First-Year Seminar, GGC 1000, in Fall 2020 and Fall 2021 had 1-year retention rates of 52.1% and 77%, respectively. ABC% pass rate for FA20 was 69% and FA21 was 74%. Pass rate for FYS sections within learning communities was 80% in FA21.

Goal or targets: Fall 2022

Target of 65% or better for 1-year retention rate, and ABC% pass rate of 75%.

Time period/duration: The course is one credit hour (one hour per week) and is offered during each Fall and Spring semester.

Updates for 2022

Progress and Adjustments

Summer 2020 a D2L template course for GGC 1000 was developed, to support new and continuing instructors teaching in multiple modalities. Fall 2021 an OER (Open Educational Resource) textbook was created, which all sections are now using at scale. This is an equity-oriented measure to promote student access and readiness on day one of the course. A first-year seminar taskforce is investigating whether a 2-credit seminar version would address student engagement and attendance challenges, as well as make more room for practicing key skills and adding further mindset and critical thinking units or other priority learning subjects.

Plan for the year ahead

As noted above, a first-year taskforce is investigating possible other credit models for the seminar, as well as how best to address challenges around increasing attendance and engagement in the continuing pandemic environment. In addition, determining viable instructor workload and compensation models and identifying or hiring a dedicated coordinator for the program are integral for successful scaling of the course beyond its current scope.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

See above—scaling the seminar further will require additional monetary resources to hire/compensate a coordinator, as well as provide funding for either teaching overloads or part-time faculty hiring that would cover whatever credits full-time faculty would be using to serve the seminar program. Consideration of where a 2+ credit seminar would sit in general education programs (e.g. Area B) is also recommended towards providing effective degree pathways from year one to graduation.

Project Lead/point of contact

Catherine Thomas, Associate Dean for Student Success Programs

Activity/Project Name

Career Readiness

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

X Purpose

Pathways

X Mindset

Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description

CDAC (now referred to as Career Services) offers all students the opportunity to receive career counseling and coaching to assist them with identifying and reaching their career readiness goals. Also, they are provided access to the Mastering Career Readiness to begin taking steps towards their career and professional development.

Activity/Project Activity Status

Students explore their career readiness through our online, self-paced Mastering Career Readiness [MCR] in D2L. We are in the process of scaling this activity to students across campus.

Evaluation/Assessment plan

Evaluation Plan and measures:

Satisfaction survey to our students to receive feedback on their career counseling and coaching appointments. At this time, we do not have an evaluation measure or plan for the MCR course. This is needed.  

Baseline measure NA

Goal or targets 100% satisfaction

Time period/duration Ongoing

Updates for 2022

Progress and Adjustments

During AY 2021/2022 the Career Development and Advising center continued to offer MCR Modules through D2L to students either on their own or through faculty collaboration within their course.  Over 1500 students completed activities in Focus 2 Career, including Creation of a Clawlink account, Resume, Mock Interview, LinkedIn, Goal Setting, Employability, Career Competency and Reference Sheet.

Over 313 students participated in taking the Focus 2 Career Assessment with their top three values being Helping, Income and Stability.

Changes needed to ensure success and benefits of the self-paced modules is the creation and implementation of a sustainable assessment plan.

During AY21/22 extensive outreach was conducted to promote MCR to faculty for incorporation into their courses.

Plan for the year ahead

Continue to promote MCR, increase outreach for faculty partnerships and create a relationship with the Office of Institutional Reporting and Analysis to develop and implement a sustainable assessment plan.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

Lack of faculty support to incorporate MCR modules into their courses.

No support needed from outside institution.

Project Lead/point of contact

Sherrie Goodman, Assistant Director of Career Services

Activity/Project Name

Student Housing Living Learning Community

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

X Purpose

Pathways

X Mindset

Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description

Student Housing will begin the implementation of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) on the campus of Georgia Gwinnett College.  LLCs are named as a high-impact practice by the American Association of Colleges & Universities, due to evidence-based benefits for students who are participants. Living Learning Communities are an engaging collaboration between Student Housing/Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, where student cohorts live together in residence. These cohorts participate in residential programming or engage in a residential curriculum co-designed by residence life/housing staff and a faculty partner(s) that complement an academic curriculum. Living Learning communities at GGC, will engage the support of faculty partners who will support student cohorts around a particular subject area or topic.

Activity/Project Activity Status

Currently, Living-Learning Communities at Georgia Gwinnett College are in the studying and beginner initiating phases.

Evaluation/Assessment plan

Evaluation Plan and measures:

To be determined per the development of the initial LLC program and paired course.

Baseline measure None at this time

Goal or targets To be determined with LLC implementation

Time period/duration Initiating

Updates for 2022

Progress and Adjustments

In AY22, Georgia Gwinnett College submitted, and was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Department of Education in support of two Living Learning Communities, with a curricular and co-curricular focus on Health Sciences and Information Technology. These additional funds will assist with the full implementation of this initiative.

Plan for the year ahead

Student Housing is actively recruiting an Associate Director who will have oversight of LLCs within the department.

Currently there are consistent meetings with academic affairs constituents to begin planning and decision making for the LLC’s needs.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

The greatest challenges that may affect the progression of LLCs, are the intersections of a viable candidate pool and timeliness of completing necessary institutional processes.

Project Lead/point of contact

Ashley Dobbs, Director of Student Housing

Activity/Project Name

BeWell Workshop Series

Momentum Area
(select all that apply)

Purpose

Pathways

X Mindset

Change Management

Data & Communications

Activity/Project Overview or Description

 Virtual workshops that cultivate interpersonal and emotional awareness. Students are referred from CAPS to participate in the BeWell workshop series.

Activity/Project Activity Status

Currently, this project is under development with the goal of piloting the series in Fall 2022.

Evaluation/Assessment plan

Evaluation Plan and measures:

Diener Flourishing Scale (8-items) will be used to measure students overall psychological wellbeing

Baseline measure Healthy Minds Study from JED Campus reported 38% of GGC students indicated that they were flourishing, while 61% of GGC students did not.

Goal or targets 10% increase in the psychological wellbeing score for GGC students

Time period/duration Initiating

Updates for 2022

Progress and Adjustments

CAPS piloted a three-part workshop series in fall 2022 that focused on Stress Management, Time Management, and Sleep Hygiene. It seemed that the offered time posed many conflicts for students. For the spring semester we will adjust to a mid-day schedule to accommodate more students. We will also adjust our evaluation plan so that it is aligned with the Campus Groups platform.

Plan for the year ahead

We will review the data from the fall semester to assess for additional topics.

What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity?
What support do you need from outside your institution (e.g., the System Office or other institutions) to be successful?

With the increase in demand for mental health services we will need to consistently assess for efficiency and effectiveness. 

Project Lead/point of contact

Alesha Harris, Director of CAPS

Date

Day

Time

Location

4/21/2022

Thursday

3:30-4:45 pm

CTE Conference Room

4/25/2022

Monday

1:00-2:15 pm

CTE Conference Room

4/26/2022

Tuesday

9:00-10:15 am

CTE Conference Room

4/29/2022

Friday

10:00-11:15 am

CTE Conference Room