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Dalton State College 2023

The mission of Dalton State College is to provide a diverse student population with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to attain affordable baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees and certificates and to reach their personal and professional goals. Through challenging academics and rich collegiate experiences, the College promotes lifelong learning, active leadership and positive contributions in Northwest Georgia and beyond.

In pursuit of that goal, Dalton State offers targeted four-year and two-year degrees and career certificate programs, along with a wide variety of activities that engage students in local community businesses and industries. Each of the College’s four schools (the School of Arts and Sciences, the Wright School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Health Professions) forges important partnerships to inspire students to be active members within their professions and communities.

Dalton State is Georgia’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and is currently only one of two such institutions in the state. The percentage of Hispanic/Latinx students continues to increase, reaching 35.7% (1,620) of the student population in Fall 2022 and 37% (1,829) in Fall 2023. Fall 2022’s number is 0.9% higher than Fall 2021 (34.8%; 1,578) and 2.4% higher than Fall 2020 (33.3%; 1,597). In terms of other ethnicities, 54.5% (2,473) of the Dalton State student population was white in Fall 2022, 3.2% (147) was African American, 2.3% (105) was Asian, 1.7% (76) was multiracial, 0.4% (17) was American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.0% (2) was Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 2.1% (95) did not disclose. The majority—96% (4,352)—were Georgia residents, while 2.8% (126) were from out of state and 1.3% (57) were from out of country.

Just over 61% of Dalton State’s student population was female in Fall 2022 (2,776) and 38.8% (1,759) was male. The majority of students were aged 18 to 24 (78.3%; 3,548); 17.3% (783) were 25 or older, and 4.5% (204) were under 18. One percent (44) were members of the military or were veterans, 2.4% (111) were student athletes, and 4.5% (203) were ESL students.

 

 

The percentage of Dalton State students seeking Associate Degrees in Fall 2022 (30.4%; 1,382) increased 3.4% from Fall 2021 (27%; 1,223). This corresponds to a 2% decrease in undeclared students from Fall 2021 (7.9%; 357) to Fall 2022 (5.9%; 267). The percentage of students seeking Bachelor’s Degrees also decreased by 1.3% from Fall 2021 (63.7%; 2,891) to Fall 2022 (62.4%; 2,829). Career certificate students, however, remained consistent at 1% (47 Fall 2022; 45 Fall 2021).

 

Overall enrollment at Dalton State remained static from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022, with 4,535 students enrolled both terms. However, the Fall 2023 numbers show that enrollment is up 8.22% (4,908) from Fall 2022. This is the first increase since 2016.

Full-time equivalent enrollment (FTE) in Fall 2022 was 3,879 and in Fall 2021 FTE was 3,839. In Fall 2023, however, FTE saw a 5.4% increase, with FTE being 4,090 that term. The number of full-time students also remains relatively steady, with 61% (2,767) of students enrolled full-time in Fall 2022 compared to 59.6% (2,705) in Fall 2021. Likewise, part-time enrollment (less than 12 credit hours) was 39% (1,768) in Fall 2022 compared to 40.4% (1,830) in Fall 2021.

The number of first-generation attendees continues to be around half of the student population. In Fall 2020, 49.7% (2,385) of students were first-generation. In Fall 2021 and Fall 2022, that figure was 49.8% (2,258) and 51.6% (2,338) respectively. Nearly 50% (2,262) of students also received Pell Grants in Fall 2022, which is a difference of 9 students from Fall 2021 (2,253).

As Dalton State’s mission is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to attain a degree or certificate, the institution has identified the key priority of researching the use of StudentLingo. StudentLingo offers a series of online student success workshops designed to assist students in the areas of academic achievement, career goal exploration, and personal wellness. Each workshop contains personalized lesson/action plans and additional resources to assist with student success. Currently, StudentLingo is being used in the first-year seminar course, called Perspectives (PRSP), but a subcommittee is also researching which other courses would be appropriate for StudentLingo use. Dalton State believes that adding StudentLingo as a course supplement/academic resource will assist students in completing their degrees, producing lifelong learners, active leaders, and positive contributors to Northwest Georgia and beyond.

Perspectives (PRSP) itself is another key priority at Dalton State. PRSP is a focus of Dalton State’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which was piloted in 2022-2023. All AA, AS, and bachelor’s-seeking students with fewer than 30 hours entering in Fall 2022, and succeeding Spring semesters, will be enrolled in the PRSP class and will experience similar interventions, such as advising and experiential learning. This course and its objectives align with Dalton State’s mission of providing opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills, while providing challenging academics and rich collegiate experiences that will lead students to achieve their degrees and personal and professional goals.

Dalton State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is another key priority. CETL continues to host the Roadrunner Faculty Academy, a year-long program for new full-time faculty regardless of previous teaching experience. Faculty participants meet monthly and discuss evidence-based teaching techniques that provide engaging, challenging, and rich classroom experiences to students. CETL also offers two faculty fellows programs—the Inclusive Teaching Fellows program for STEM faculty and the CETL Fellows program. The former is a cohort of faculty seeking to modify the content and delivery of introductory STEM courses to provide student success for first-year students in gateway courses. The latter involves faculty fellows offering programming, such as workshops, faculty learning communities, peer observations, etc., to promote student success for all students on campus.

Another way in which CETL is seeking to provide students with positive collegiate experiences that support student persistence and retention is by working with Enrollment Services and Advising and Student Success to investigate implementing a Relentless Welcome at Dalton State. Discussions around this initiative have led to an expansion of the project to include capturing the stories and experiences of Dalton State students in order to develop an understanding of our culture and how it impacts teaching and learning. Once this is accomplished, CETL will work to develop strategies to remove barriers to student success.

Dalton State has identified fifteen comparator and aspirant institutions, which are used by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to provide comparative data between institutions. The fifteen institutions are:

  • College of Coastal Georgia (Brunswick, GA)
  • CUNY Medgar Evers College (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Georgia Gwinnett College (Lawrenceville, GA)
  • Gordon State College (Barnesville, GA)
  • Indiana University—Kokomo (Kokomo, IN)
  • Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, ID)
  • Missouri Southern State University (Joplin, MO)
  • Nevada State College (Henderson, NV)
  • Northwest Florida State College (Niceville, FL)
  • Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport, PA)
  • Rogers State University (Claremore, OK)
  • SUNY College of Technology at Canton (Canton, NY)
  • University of Arkansas—Fort Smith (Fort Smith, AR)
  • Utah Tech University (St. George, UT)
  • West Virginia University at Parkersburg (Parkersburg, WV)

The NCES’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Data Feedback Report 2022 indicates that Dalton State’s full-time undergraduate enrollment (unduplicated headcount) was 3,164, in Fall 2021 while the comparison group’s figure was 2,874. Part-time undergraduate enrollment (unduplicated headcount) was more comparable, with Dalton State at 2,349 and the comparators at 2,286. These higher numbers for Dalton State may be influenced by the College’s affordable tuition and fees, which IPEDS reported as $3,683 in 2021-2022 compared to the comparison group’s $6,075.

The demographics of Dalton State are consistent with those of an access institution with a significant proportion of first-generation college students. As mentioned, Dalton State’s first-generation population was 51.6% in Fall 2022; many of the College’s peer and aspirant institutions are likewise over 30.0%. Missouri Southern University’s population is more than a third first-generation. Indiana University—Kokomo’s population is approximately 34.0% first-generation, Georgia Gwinnett College’s is 35.0%, and SUNY College of Technology at Canton is 39.0%. The Pennsylvania College of Technology, the University of Arkansas—Fort Smith, Rogers State University, and Lewis-Clark State College also report student populations of at least 50% first-generation.

Being the State of Georgia’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, Dalton State has a higher proportion of Hispanic/Latinx students than these peer and aspirant institutions. According to IPEDS, the College’s Hispanic/Latinx population in Fall 2021 was 34%--significantly more than the comparison group’s 8%. Dalton State’s white student population was somewhat less than the comparison group’s figure, with Dalton State being 56% and the comparators being 65%. Dalton State’s African American population (3%) was also lower than the comparison group (7%). Other races were relatively similar in percent representation, with the exception of students of two or more races, for which Dalton State reported 1% and the comparison groups reported 4%. In terms of gender, Dalton State’s percentage of female students in Fall 2021 was equal to those in the comparison group (62%).

Success Inventory

Incorporate Academic Resources into Courses in the 1st Year – Student Lingo (Dalton State College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Incorporate Academic Resources into Courses in the 1st Year – Student Lingo
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Mindset
Category: 
Mindset
Student engagement
Tracking Student Success
Career/Major Exploration
Strategy/Project Description: 

Incorporate the use of StudentLingo as a course supplement/academic resource.

Activity Status: 
Initiating
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Evaluation Plan and measures:

  • Student use of StudentLingo will be monitored via the progress function in GeorgiaView.
  • Students will be surveyed to assess their satisfaction with the StudentLingo program. The StudentLingo subcommittee will meet at specific times in the academic year to determine necessary changes needed to improve student usage and success.
  • Faculty using StudentLingo will be surveyed to assess their satisfaction with the use of StudentLingo in their classes. The StudentLingo subcommittee will meet at specific times in the academic year to determine necessary changes needed to improve usage and success.

 

KPIs:

  1. Student awareness of StudentLingo and its benefits
  2. Student access to StudentLingo
  3. Student satisfaction with StudentLingo

Baseline measure (for each KPI): 

  1.  StudentLingo was implemented for use in all PRSP courses offered in Fall 2023. Eleven workshops were selected for use in the courses, although students had access to 50 workshops total. Students were to choose 3 workshops to complete as course requirements.

Current/most recent data (for each KPI):

  1.  StudentLingo was implemented for use in all PRSP courses offered in Fall 2023. Eleven workshops were selected for use in the courses, although students had access to 50 workshops total. Students were to choose 3 workshops to complete as course requirements.

 

Goal or targets (for each KPI): 

  1. Provide students with necessary information to improve academic achievement.

Assist students with career exploration.

Provide students with necessary information to improve personal wellness.

  1. Expand StudentLingo beyond 1000/2000 level courses.
  2. At the end of year 1 of usage, a minimum of 50% of faculty using StudentLingo will report that the modules selected for use in their classes were practical and useful for their students.

At the end of year 1 of usage, a minimum of 50% of students polled will indicate the StudentLingo modules were practical and useful.

Time period/duration:  TBD

Progress and Adjustments: 

Dalton State purchased the Custom StudentLingo package for use in 2023-2024. This package includes 50 workshops covering a variety of topics. To test the viability of use in other courses across disciplines, Student Lingo will be tested in PRPS courses in Fall of 2023. The following StudentLingo workshops were options in these courses:

  • Academic Integrity: The Do's and Don’ts
  • Developing Critical Thinking Skills
  • Handling Failure In & Out of the Classroom
  • Information Literacy: How to Master College Research
  • What It Takes To Be a Successful Student
  • Understanding & Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Study Tips & Note-Taking Strategies
  • Exam Preparation Tips & Test-Taking Strategies
  • 10 Habits of Mind for College Success
  • How to Recognize & Cope with Loneliness
  • We All Have Bias: How to Increase Your Awareness & Stand Up for Inclusivity

Students were required to select 3 workshops to complete during that course. In Spring 2024, data will be pulled to determine which modules students accessed, along with the success/completion rate per module. From there, the subcommittee will determine whether StudentLingo would be a viable tool for use in other courses in different academic programs.

To further assist students, the Director of Advising and Student Success and the Assistant Director of Peer Education reviewed the StudentLingo workshops and identified at least one campus resource per workshop that can provide interested students with extra information/assistance at Dalton State. The goal is to upload the campus resources alongside the StudentLingo modules in GeorgiaView so that students know where they can get in-person and on-campus support.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 
  1. Explore pricing options for the program.
    1. The custom package was purchased by the college.
  2. Poll faculty to determine which courses would be appropriate for StudentLingo use.
  3. Once courses have been identified, determine which modules are appropriate for implementation in identified courses.
    1. StudentLingo was implemented for use in all PRSP courses offered in Fall 2023. Eleven workshops were selected for use in the courses, although students had access to 50 workshops total. Students were to choose 3 workshops to complete as course requirements.
  4. Load necessary modules into respective courses via GaView course shells.
    1. The StudentLingo workshops were loaded into the respective PRPS courses offered in Fall 2023.
  5. Collect data and feedback from completed modules to determine usefulness, effectiveness, and whether changes should be implemented to courses and or the program.
    1. Proposed for Spring 2024
  6. Seek suggestions from faculty using StudentLingo to determine which modules they thought were practical for their classes and or which modules they’d like to implement into their courses. Poll students who used StudentLingo in courses taken to ask whether they thought the modules used were practical and useful.
    1. Once this is accomplished, upload the campus resources alongside the StudentLingo modules in GeorgiaView so that students know where they can get in-person and on-campus support.
Challenges and Support: 

Challenges:

  • The cost of the StudentLingo access license for the complete program. DSC currently uses an abbreviated program. The Momentum team is requesting the full access license.
    1. Dalton State has acquired the full custom license.

Buy-in from faculty using StudentLingo.

Primary Contact: 
James Wright, Assoc. Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Gina Kertulis-Tartar, Dean, School of Health Professions
Dr. Sarah Mergel, Chair, Department of Social Sciences and History
Prof. Matt Hipps, Associate Professor of Political Science

Quality Enhancement Plan, 2023-2028 (Dalton State College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Quality Enhancement Plan, 2023-2028
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Pathways
Change Management
Category: 
Advising
Change Management
Faculty Engagement
First Year Experience
High Impact Practices
Leadership
Learning Communities
Course Redesign
Student engagement
Tutoring
Tracking Student Success
Strategy/Project Description: 

Quality Enhancement Plan, 2023-2028

Activity Status: 
Initiating
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Evaluation Plan and measures:

The QEP Assessment Coordinator and the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, in consultation with the QEP Leadership, will coordinate and collect annual and semi-annual data. Assessment methodology, measures, and targets may be adjusted over the course of the Plan as deemed necessary by the Institution.

KPIs:

1. Associated Competencies with PRSP course—Better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from their perspective.

2. Develop common PRSP activities (advising with reflections).

3. Develop common PRSP activities (campus resources with reflections).

4. Expand outreach from Student Success and Advising Center.

Baseline measure (for each KPI):

1. NSSE 2e: Tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective.

2. Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning Rubric (AAC&U) scoring for PRSP course (begins at conclusion of Fall 2023 semester).

3. Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning Rubric (AAC&U) scoring for PRSP course (begins at conclusion of Fall 2023 semester).

4. Transition one grant-funded position in the Student Success and Advising Center to a budgeted position. Hire an additional budgeted position in the Center.

Current/most recent data (for each KPI):

1. In “Year 0,” (2022-2023), 72% of respondents chose “often” or “very often.”

2. Common presentations and lab components pertaining to advising have been developed and administered across all sections of Perspectives. Reflections have been developed, and administration is in progress until the end of the Fall 2023 semester.

3. Common presentations and lab components pertaining to campus resources have been developed and administered across all sections of Perspectives. Reflections have been developed, and administration is in progress until the end of the Fall 2023 semester.

4. One grant-funded position in the Student Success and Advising Center has been transitioned to a budgeted position. The hire of an additional position has yet to be determined as of October 2023.

Goal or targets (for each KPI):

Among the two Student Learning Outcomes, there are actions with measurable associated competencies across each area of Dalton State’s QEP, known as PACE (Perspectives, Advising, Campus Resources, and Engagement). For example, we seek to expand outreach from the Student Success and Advising Center. One of the competencies associated with this action item is that survey data will indicate an increase in the frequency with which advisers discuss academic progress (45% of students indicate quite a bit or very much in year one and 55% in year five). There are a total of six action items, and associated competencies, that support the two student learning outcomes. Some have baseline targets with a relatively incremental increase by one percentage per year. Some targets will be established when baseline data of new strategies is collected in year one.

Time period/duration:  Five Years

Progress and Adjustments: 

During the first year of implementation, we discovered that an 8-week configuration, representing a fraction of all sections, did not provide students with ample opportunity to schedule and attend their advising appointment prior to the conclusion of the course. This issue will be exacerbated in year 2 in which additional presentations on engagement and service learning will be designed and implemented. The QEP Leadership Team decided to discontinue the 8-week configuration. Moving forward with a 16-week configuration of the course for all sections will enable students to process presentations on advising, campus resources, service learning, and engagement in a thoughtful and meaningful way, rather than being pressured to check the box, so to speak, prior to the conclusion of the course.

QEP Leadership has implemented a reporting structure in which each area coordinator will complete a triannual report. The results of these reports will facilitate conversations and modifications surrounding the Plan and will be used for further reporting to the Institution, for System initiatives, and for the Interim Report to SACSCOC.

With interest increasing around the value of conflict resolution skills, it is important to note that some Perspectives faculty members integrate conflict management assessments, literature, reflection, and activities into their PRSP courses.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

This year, the Institution will need to plan for an additional hire in Student Success and Advising. The Center will need to conduct a search and complete and onboard the new hire.

QEP Leadership, in consultation with the QEP Steering Committee and various units across campus, will need to plan the implementation of action items for Year 2:

1. Create First-year traditions, which are linked to the Perspectives course

2. Design interactions for students to understand available engagement opportunities.

3. Develop common PRSP activities (engagement with reflections)

4. Develop common PRSP activities (service learning with reflections)

Challenges and Support: 

Challenges:

  • Faculty participation in a freshman convocation at a busy time of year (beginning of the semester).
  • Faculty and administrative mindset surrounding benefits and staffing of the Perspectives course.
  • Faculty and administrative mindset surrounding content and class time dedicated to presentations on advising, campus resources, and engagement.

Support Needed:

Help tell the story of the efficacy of a freshman seminar course, especially one that has an academic subject that incorporates components that address student success. Furthermore, as we are at the launch of the Georgia Match program for undergraduate admissions, the University System of Georgia is in the position to tell the story of success that begins at the match and continues through successful completion of the first year. The strategic alignment of Georgia Match and the first-year experience elevates both of the initiatives.

Primary Contact: 
Dr. Forrest Blackbourn, Director of the QEP
Ms. Brooklyn Herrera, Associate Director of the QEP

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Momentum Support (Dalton State College-2023)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Momentum Support
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Mindset
Change Management
Category: 
Adult Learners/Non-traditional Students/GBMA
Change Management
Faculty Engagement
Course Redesign
Student engagement
Strategy/Project Description: 
  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: This is a year-long cohort program for all new full-time faculty joining Dalton State regardless of any previous teaching experience. Monthly meetings focus on evidence-based teaching techniques centered on creating an inclusive and engaging classroom experience for all students. Several aspects of this program work to support the needs of first-year students including transparency in learning and teaching, holding equitable classroom discussions, classroom assessment techniques, use of teaching and learning technologies, and inclusive course design.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows Program: The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant leadership team designed an Inclusive Teaching Fellows program for STEM faculty during the 2023-2024 academic year. The fellows will work to create an action plan to modify the content and delivery of introductory STEM courses to improve student success for first-year students in gateway courses. To support this initiative our HHMI grant will support one Assistant CETL Director to participate in the national Institute for New Educational Developers to help build sustainability for our CETL programming focused on student success. In addition, the HHMI grant will support one of the HHMI Leadership team to participate in the national AAC&U Project Kaleidoscope Future STEM Summer Leadership Institute to assist in leading the work of this grant, the CETL Fellows program, and STEM-focused curricular innovations.
  3. CETL Fellows Program: Faculty fellows offer programing to promote student success for all students on campus. Programs include workshops, faculty learning communities, online development opportunities, and peer observations.
  4. Culture & Belonging at Dalton State. This project currently led by a CETL Fellow and a Culture & Belonging committee will work to capture the stories and experiences of our students at Dalton State to explore how our culture as a community informs teaching and learning. The goal of the project is to identify and describe barriers that students face here in being successful and allow us to create development opportunities around this as well as initiatives like the Relentless Welcome in future.
Activity Status: 
Scaling
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Evaluation Plan and measures:

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: Engagement, Reflections.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows:
  • Number of faculty participating in Inclusive Excellence Programming.  
  • Status of completion of action plans to include best practices for inclusive education for STEM faculty teaching gateway courses
  • In the longer term beyond the 2023-2024 academic year, assessment of this program will include a reduction in the DFWI rates for the gateway STEM courses that are redesigned.
  1. CETL Fellows:
  • Year-end report detailing their contributions and reflections on the outcomes for faculty.
  1. Developing a plan for implementing a Relentless Welcome on Dalton State’s Campus.

KPIs:

  1. Faculty participating in Faculty Academy
  2. Faculty participating in HHMI faculty development
  3. Faculty stepping up to offer faculty development programming as a fellow
  4. Plan developed by May 2024 and attempts to fund the program made

Baseline measure (for each KPI):

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: 87% participation in 2021-2022, 100% in 2022-2023.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: 28 faculty participated the first year, 24 the second.
  3. CETL Fellows: Six fellows participating this year, covering the following areas: inclusive excellence, high impact practices, justice, equity, and diversity, rubrics and assessment, faculty resources, and teacher appreciation.
  4. Development of a plan for a Relentless Welcome.

Current/most recent data (for each KPI):

  1. Faculty Academy. Began in August with seven participants. 6 out of the 7 are participating because one was hired after the dates and times were scheduled and this faculty member is teaching.
  2. HHMI Teaching: Currently 12 faculty are participating on one group and 13 in another.
  3. CETL Fellows: Six fellows were selected from applicants and began offering program beginning August 2023
  4. CETL Committee formed in Sept 2023 to work on potential opportunities with this program.

Goal or targets (for each KPI):

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: 100% participation.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: Number of faculty participating will increase by a minimum of 10% or 30 faculty participating in the 2023-2024 academic year.
  3. CETL Fellows: Six fellows will be selected and participate during the 2023-2024 academic year, offering different areas and types of faculty development programming. Faculty participation targets will be set once baseline data are determined.
  4. Feasibility for implementation of a similar program to the Relentless Welcome at Dalton State will be established.

Time period/duration: 

  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy: Ongoing with yearly evaluation.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence Teaching Fellows: Ongoing with yearly evaluation for the remaining 4 years of this grant funding.
  3. CETL Fellows: Ongoing with yearly evaluation.
  4. Exploration in the 2023-2024 academic year with intended implementation in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Progress and Adjustments: 
  1. Roadrunner Faculty Academy. 8 New Faculty were oriented in August 2023 and so far participation is consistent with the goals and measures set in place previously.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 Grant: Two of our leaders were supported A learning community led by one of our previous facilitators is currently underway and contains 11 STEM faculty exploring external curated resources centered around effective course design for those STEM faculty who participated in the first learning community and would like to take a deeper dive. In addition, we are running majors events in STEM to help with feelings of belonging, a course redesign institute, and exploring curriculum mapping in STEM. In addition, books are being purchased with funds in support of CETL. We have run two Biology majors fairs to support feelings of belonging and inclusion to their major and provide information on all of the opportunities particularly the experiential learning we offer to them, and potential internships. These have been hugely successful and popular events and we are expanding them to STEM majors as a whole.
  3. CETL Fellows. Two CETL Fellows are being supported by the IE3 grant this year focused on Inclusive Excellence and Culture & Belonging.

Culture & Belonging at Dalton State: This project has expanded to include a project to capture the stories and experiences of our students at Dalton State to capture our culture and explore how it impacts teaching and learning. The goal is that this will describe barriers that students face here in being successful and allow us to create development opportunities around this as well as initiatives like the Relentless Welcome in future. Currently we do not have capacity to carry out the Relentless Welcome initiative but we are exploring ways to make that feasible. We have launched a ‘Culture of T&L at Dalton State’ committee to work on both of these, headed by a CETL Fellow and supported by the President’s office.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 
  1. Roadrunner New Faculty Academy: Continuing between now and May as planned.
  2. HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 Grant: A learning community led by one of our previous facilitators is currently underway and contains 11 STEM faculty exploring external curated resources centered around effective course design for those STEM faculty who participated in the first learning community and would like to take a deeper dive. Planning for the course redesign and curriculum mapping events in May is underway.
Challenges and Support: 

Challenges:

Insufficient funding for CETL and a need for dedicated administrative support to relieve someone who currently supports all of academic affairs and some of the President’s office activities. Currently we are supplementing CETL work with HHMI-IE3 grant funds.

Primary Contact: 
Dr. Marina Smitherman, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Campus Plans Supplemental Sections

Dalton State is consistently engaged in valuable student success work. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the Office of Academic Affairs worked with Advising, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), and the Library to hold workshops for each department called Student Success Symposiums. The symposiums reminded faculty of resources available to faculty and students through Advising, CETL, and the Library. Faculty also received copies of the DFWI percentages for their departments’ classes as well as copies of Dalton State’s Faculty Care Handout, which outlines interventions for academic and non-academic issues. At each symposium, faculty were asked to identify barriers to student success and to brainstorm possible solutions to those barriers. Faculty were also encouraged to develop student persistence/retention projects using funding through Academic Affairs.

Among those projects funded by Academic Affairs was the English Department’s English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program, which launched in five ENGL 1101 classrooms in late October 2022. It continued in five ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102 (combined) classrooms, including one Honors section, in Spring 2023. In Fall 2023, there are six ETAs in six of these general education classes. ETAs work collaboratively with faculty members to support the writing workshop model that research has shown to be key to student success in writing classes. ETAs attend some classes, model student excellence, teach selected lessons, evaluate student work under faculty supervision, and help students who are working on writing projects. The program also allows for more individualized attention for students in composition courses and in developmental support classes. Research from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has demonstrated that frequent and timely feedback and an iterative process are keys to helping students become effective college writers, and to that end, the NCTE recommends class sizes of 15, with a hard cap of no more than 20 in any writing class. As Dalton State has first-year composition class sizes of 28 and developmental classes of 18-20, ETAs who can work on-to-one with students as well as read drafts and provide guidance help provide first-year students with the support they need to succeed. The program also benefits the ETAs themselves by allowing them to develop pedagogical skills, practical experience, and perspectives on learning. These opportunities will allow ETAs to explore career options and help prepare them for graduate school or work in the field.

The School of Arts and Sciences also created a student persistence/retention project following the Student Success Symposiums. They called their project the Arts & Sciences Student Mentor Initiative (SMI). Through this initiative, liaisons/mentors from the various Arts and Sciences departments participated in new student orientation during Summer 2023. They were also available throughout the summer to act as additional resources for students (serving as discipline-specific academic advisors, answering questions students may have had regarding various aspects of Dalton State and college life, and providing insight into what college life is like). Moreover, these faculty mentors assisted the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management with the Rage-istration event on July 31, 2023. The faculty mentors received a list of students who had not registered for Fall 2023 classes and actively called those students to encourage them to register.

Dalton State’s School of Education also took advantage of student persistence/retention funding from Academic Affairs to restructure their School of Education Orientation Day. Teacher candidates attend this event after admittance into the teacher preparation program, and the new structure focuses on team building, improving communication skills and modeling engaging instructional approaches. During the event, students learn about School of Education policies and procedures through interactive activities such as Kahoot and a Goose Chase scavenger hunt of Brown Hall. Elementary and Secondary candidates work together through a student-lead STEM challenge and receive explicit instruction on the communication expectations in a pre-professional program. The event culminates in a lunch, to which candidates' family members are invited. Outdoor games are made available and School of Education faculty provide tips to the family members about how to best support their loved ones. This program aims for students to feel welcomed and supported, and student feedback has reflected that is successfully accomplished. This is such an important project that three School of Education faculty and two teacher candidates presented on it at the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE) Conference in late October. A Padlet they prepared of this presentation can be found here: https://padlet.com/draimeecribbs/teaching-professionalism-for-student-success-nz5fkjw0880zl53w

The School of Education also seeks to provide professional development opportunities for students, and as such, in Fall 2023 Education hosted three-hour, pre-professional conferences on two different Fridays. Available sessions included GACE (Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators) workshops in the areas of teaching Reading and Math, as well as sessions on professional writing, problem-solving, time management, communication, collaboration, Emotional Intelligence, resume preparation, and interviewing skills. Participating students received conference T-shirts and virtual badges and will note their participation on future Professional Development Plans.

The School of Health Professions was also inspired by the Student Success Symposiums and created a student persistence/retention project to expand the role of their MSW intern. Traditionally, the MSW intern’s role is to meet weekly with students who are admitted to the BSW program on a probationary basis. The intern also meets with upper-division students who have a “C” in any social work class at midterm or with those whom faculty have identified as in need of assistance, holds study groups for juniors and seniors, and meets individually with any student identified by faculty or self-referring in need of mental health support (students not engaging with the counseling center), academic support, or assistance with non-academic barriers. These activities continue, but during Spring 2023, additional activities were added, including embedding the intern in SOWK 2101, SOWK 2103, and SOWK 2104 to serve as a mentor/tutor. The intern also met with students making application to the upper-division courses, and she provided outreach to declared majors to involve students in social work open house activities. In addition, the intern connected with students across lower-division courses who were not responsive to faculty outreach, held wellness/self-care group meetings, and coordinated with the BSW Program Director to maintain the Social Work food and resource bank for all declared majors.

In addition to department/school-initiated student success projects, another way in which Dalton State supports its students is through Supplemental Instruction (SI). In May 2023, the International Center for Supplemental Instruction (ICSI) granted Dalton State’s Supplemental Instruction program Accredited SI Program status. This status distinguishes programs with robust SI Leader training and observation procedures and an extensive focus on planning and continuous improvement. Recognized programs must be staffed by Certified SI Trainers and maintain a DFW rate difference between SI and non-SI groups. With accreditation, the SI program at Dalton State also receives additional guidance and mentorship from the ICSI. Dalton State is the fourth USG institution to receive the accreditation.

Also important to Dalton State is providing career and professional development support to students. Since April, Career & Professional Development has hosted the Majors Fair and the Fall Internship & Job Fair. Both were well attended and provided students with information about the majors/degrees offered at Dalton State, as well as an opportunity to meet and speak with employers who were looking to hire for internships and part-time/full-time positions. One hundred and sixty-seven students attended the Majors Fair and 222 attended the Fall Internship & Job Fair in August 2023. A survey was sent to students following the Fall Internship & Job Fair and 92% of the respondents stated they would attend and recommend a friend to attend another career event like this next semester.

Dalton State also helps students understand and explore their career options and prepare for their future opportunities through the use of SteppingBlocks, the USG Digital Career Counselor Platform. Using SteppingBlocks, students complete a profile by taking a personality test and selecting their interests, and search through a variety of career options. Students learn about education requirements, what skills are needed in certain careers, what companies are hiring those job titles, and how much salary those titles earn. Students can also explore the Alumni Outcomes tab to see real-live Dalton State Alumni data broken down by major, companies, salary, gender, and skills. Other features include a tuition calculator, interests news feed, and job board.  By utilizing SteppingBlocks, students can gather information to help them make better decisions about their career paths, professional development, and journey into the workforce.

Career & Professional Development is promoting the use of SteppingBlocks to students across Dalton State in multiple ways:

  • Class presentations
  • Weekly Job Alert Email
  • Career & Professional Development Webpage
  • Career Guide (printed and virtual flipbook)
  • One-on-one appointments
  • Flyers across campus

Additionally, Dalton State College continues to be supported by the University System of Georgia’s Mental Health Initiative to expand student mental health services. Our institution offers additional therapy services for students through third-party vendors to increase support of the counseling center. Dalton State is a JED campus and is working on developing and updating mental health policies to enhance and support the mental health needs of students. Fresh Check Day, a peer-led mental health program, has been held many times with between 100-300 students in attendance at each program. In addition, suicide prevention programs such as QPR are offered monthly for faculty, staff, and students.

Dalton State also supports its students through a financial assistance program called the Roadrunner Retention Fund. This program seeks to retain students who have small balances remaining on their student accounts for which students would normally be removed from classes. The Roadrunner Retention Fund is a payment guarantee program for qualifying students through the Dalton State Foundation. Eligible students have a financial aid file that is complete but is still being processed and there is a reasonable assumption that the student will have enough aid to cover their balance. In Fall 2023, $3,000 was used to assist two students to remain enrolled.

Observations and Next Steps

As evidenced in our Student Success Inventory and our Optional Supplemental Updates, Dalton State has a strong focus on student success. Our strategy has been to work with faculty, staff, and students to identify challenges and to empower those individuals to develop approaches to try to resolve those challenges. We have done this through the Academic Affairs Student Success Symposiums and through previous and current Momentum initiatives. Many of the previous Momentum initiatives have continued (Supplemental Instruction; Career & Professional Development; mental health services) and their success is highlighted in Section 3 above.

Continuing to develop our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), known as PACE (Perspectives, Advising, Campus Resources, and Engagement), is another of Dalton State’s important initiatives. “Perspectives” (PRSP) refers to the foundational first-year course that all first-time, degree-seeking students must successfully complete. The development of common presentations and lab components pertaining to advising and campus resources, along with the requirement that students compose reflections on these, have strengthened the course. In addition, the incorporation of StudentLingo into all PRSP courses this fall is seen as another strength. Dalton State is looking forward to assessing student satisfaction with StudentLingo and is investigating the incorporation of this resource into other 1000/2000-level courses.

While Dalton State is pleased with the development of PRSP, there has been a need to make some adjustments to the course. Originally, several sections of PRPS were taught in 8-weeks; however, during Year “0” of this initiative (2022-2023), QEP leadership discovered that 8 weeks was not enough time for students to schedule and attend advising appointments or to engage with campus resources. The decision was made to move to a 16-week configuration, which should enable students to process presentations on advising, campus resources, service learning, and engagement in a more thoughtful and meaningful way. With interest increasing around the value of conflict resolution skills, it is important to note that some PRSP faculty members have integrated conflict management assessments, literature, reflection, and activities into their PRSP courses. Also, to ensure there is regular reflection and conversation around PRSP and the QEP as a whole, QEP leadership decided to require each QEP area coordinator to complete a triannual report. These reports will not only facilitate conversation and (if needed) modification, but they will also be used for further reporting to the Institution, for System initiatives, and for Dalton State’s Interim Report to SACSCOC.

Dalton State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is also seeing success in its Momentum work. CETL’s year-long Roadrunner Faculty Academy for all new full-time faculty has been an important part of the new faculty experience. It has seen an increase in faculty participation from 87% in 2021-2022 to 100% in 2022-2023. Also, thanks to our Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant, a learning community is currently underway. It is comprised of 11 STEM faculty who are exploring resources centered around effective course design. CETL is also running majors events in STEM to help with feelings of belonging, supporting a course redesign institute, and exploring curriculum mapping in STEM. It has hosted two Biology majors fairs to support feelings of belonging and inclusion to their major and to provide information on all of the opportunities available to them, such as experiential learning and potential internships. These have been hugely successful and popular events and they are being expanded to STEM majors as a whole.

Dalton State’s CETL fellows program is another strong element of our Momentum work. This program continues to offer faculty development programming to support student success. This academic year, there are six participating fellows. Two of these fellows are supported by the HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 grant and are focusing their efforts/programming on Inclusive Excellence and Culture and Belonging.

Moreover, after learning about the University of Georgia’s Relentless Welcome, CETL also became very interested in adopting such a practice on our campus. This is still in the exploring phase at Dalton State, but our explorations have led us to expand our vision. We now hope to capture our campus culture through the stories and experiences of our students and to explore how this culture impacts teaching and learning. It is our hope that this work will help us identify barriers to student success and allow us to create development opportunities around this and around a future Relentless Welcome. To support the exploration of a campus culture and of a Relentless Welcome, we have created a Culture of T&L at Dalton State Committee.

In developing this year’s plan, the Dalton State Momentum Team recognized that there were several areas where things continued to go well (Supplemental Instruction; Career & Professional Development; mental health services), so we shifted our Momentum work to assisting first- and second-year students through StudentLingo. We also sought to further develop our QEP and the great things coming out of CETL. Our attention will continue to be on developing those initiatives, especially those in the initiating and piloting phases.

As we do so, Dalton State is investigating other ways to cultivate student success. The institution is planning an internal communications push in the Spring to encourage increased credit hour density. The goal is to have more students enroll in at least 15 credit hours per semester. Another initiative Dalton State is investigating is the creation of a Summer Bridge program for English and/or Math for Summer 2024. Incoming students in need of support will be identified and invited to live in the residence halls in order to receive the support they need on-campus. A similar Early Launch program is being explored for Fall 2024 in which students will move into campus housing early and spend several days acclimating themselves to campus and the expectations required of a college student.