[ Music ]
>> Thank you, to all of you who've been able to join us for the Student Success Summit.
This third iteration of the event has been fantastic, so far.
And I really appreciate your attendance and your time.
This is a good lesson in what we all can do to contribute
to the success of our students at Fresno State.
The next event at the summit, is a faculty and staff panel.
We will all, I will introduce the panelists in just a moment.
But by way of quick preview, Doctor Rendon will ask three questions of the panel.
We'll ask each of the panelists to respond to each of the questions
and limit the response to two minutes each.
So, we'll have the first question.
Ask each of our panelists to state a few things limited to two minutes, please.
And then, proceed on to the next question as a way to provide a foundation for the conversation to come.
Then, we'll open up the floor to questions and answers from all of you.
We have microphones, here, at the front.
Although, the room is not necessarily too loud, so we'll be able to find a way to manage.
So, with no further ado, I'd like to say a few words about each of the panelists.
Meredith Booey currently serves as the supervising locksmith in the facility's management office.
And has been at Fresno State for 15 years.
Meredith, can you give us a quick wave?
>> Hi.
>> Thank you.
In 2010, Meredith became the first permanent female tradesperson at Fresno State.
In 2014, she was promoted to Lead Supervising Locksmith
and became the first female lead in the trade shop on campus.
She oversees keys for 178 buildings, 900 faculty offices, and hundreds of classrooms, teaching labs,
research labs, conference rooms, and athletic facilities.
That is thousands and thousands of keys.
Meredith has been instrumental in an effort to automate our key control process, in order to improve safety
and security of all students, faculty, and staff, and university property and facilities.
Gabby Encinas is the coordinator of the Dream Success Center.
Prior to this position, she served as an academic advisor with the Jordan College
of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and the college assistant migrant program, or CAMP.
Gabby is a first-generation college student and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry.
However, all work, volunteer, and leadership experiences led her
to a career in student support services.
And she is now completing her Masters in higher education and administration and leadership.
She wants to continue to dedicate her service and career to college students
to help them achieve their educational and professional goals.
Doctor Suzanna Hernandez is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership
and is the facilitator of the higher education administration and leadership graduate degree pathway.
She is currently conducting research on Hispanic serving community colleges
in California's Central Valley to understand how student affairs professionals embed Hispanic
servingness into their policies and practices.
Prior to becoming a professor, Doctor Hernandez held several student affairs positions
across multiple systems of higher education in southern California.
Doctor Marnel Niles Goins is the Associate Professor and colleague
of mine in the Department of Communication.
Doctor Niles Goins has emerged as a campus leader in the mentorship of undergraduate
and graduate students, especially students of color.
Students from across campus regularly seek her out for both academic and personal growth.
She supervises the graduate teaching associates in the Department of Communication,
who teach Comm Eight, the group discussion course.
And she has adapted that course for students
in the first-year experience program and the Discover-E tablet program.
Doctor Tony Vang is an associate professor in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development,
and coordinator for the Spanish and Hmong bilingual credential program.
And the master of multilingual and multicultural education degree program.
He was elected to three terms on the Fresno Unified School Board of Education, from 2002 to 2012,
and served two terms as its president.
Currently, he is also a member of California State Bilingual Coordinators.
Doctor Xuanning Fu is the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at California State University Fresno.
Doctor Fu obtained his Doctorate in Sociology in 1994.
And his research interests include interracial marriage,
education and social class, and the meaning of work.
Doctor Fu has taught in four U.S. universities, including the U.C. and C.S.U. systems, and also,
worked as a statistician and researcher in the field of educational outreach.
He is intimately familiar with California's systems of higher education and pathways for student success.
His recent research focused on graduation and timed degree in higher education institutions.
The moderator for our faculty and staff panel is Doctor Laura Rendon, who you met this morning.
Without further ado, I will turn the panel over to Doctor Rendon and our panelists.
Thank you all, very much.
[ Applause ]
>> All right, thanks to all of you for coming back after that wonderful lunch and opportunity to interact.
So, let's begin with question number one.
There are three questions that you should answer in no more than two minutes.
I don't know who's keeping time, here.
But I'm not.
So, I guess we can start this way, and then, the second one will come around this way.
So, the theme today, is student success.
And each of you plays a unique role on this campus contributing to student success.
So, from your unique role, your unique lens, can you share your perspective on critical factors
to support the whole student as they move toward graduation?
And your thoughts on how Fresno State, can enhance what is already happening
to support students as they move through graduation.
So, we'll begin, right here.
>> Thank you.
So, one of the things that I've adopted in my career,
particularly in student affairs and the training that I've undergone.
Not only as a staff member under student affairs, but also,
my graduate program in higher education leadership, is to understand the student as a whole.
And I know we've known that, those of us who've gone through Master's programs and what have you.
That is something that, you know, it's critically ingrained in us.
But how does that look like in our everyday practice?
And that's something that I try to incorporate, seeing our students as a whole.
Understanding that students, not being prescriptive when they come to our offices.
But understanding is, what is their goal?
Why are they here?
And let us embark on that journey with them.
So, when students come into my office, I try to see all their intersecting identities.
They don't just come to us as students.
But sometimes they come as parents, or they work full time trying to manage all of that.
And understanding that in really seeing that student from that perspective, instead of telling them, ''Well,
you have to adjust to this idea of being a student.'' So, really understanding where the student comes from.
And you know, helping our students since day one.
How do we help our students with goal setting and action plans?
So, it's not just making a goal, but doing that plan.
And that just doesn't come with one meeting.
Right. It's a continuous meeting throughout their journey here at Fresno State.
And something that, for instance, that can help us all in that endeavor,
is to continue providing the training.
But think about it more in the, for example, in the medical career.
They do the CME's continuing medical education.
And they all have to be continuously being trained
to have their board membership, you know, renewed and what have you.
And so, that's something.
What I learned in my program through the work in Magolda and all scholars is,
how do we become lifelong learners in the context of student affairs?
For example, in my perspective and so, providing more training to us staff members to continue with this idea
of we are continuously becoming lifelong learners for the rest of our journey.
And how do we do that?
How does that look like when we meet with our students?
>> Okay. Thank you.
So.
>> So, for me, I definitely take an asset based approach when I work with students.
And I think, you know, I use the work that Rendon shared with you a little bit earlier, about.
[ Foreign Language ]
What that looks like in practice, is that I recognize the strength that my students have.
I recognize that they come to school having worked two to three jobs.
That they are providing not only for their children, but for their parents.
When I thought of this question, I thought of Marco, who is a second-year healer,
and while his mom does not know how to support him go to college,
his mom makes him tacos de nopales every week, brings lunch and dinner for us to share as a class.
So, I know the value that his family places in education.
And they do what they can to provide in what they know how to support.
So, I recognize that.
I acknowledge her when she comes to our celebration.
I thank her for the role that she plays in supporting Marco in his life.
So, I definitely think, I don't have another view of how I look at my students.
I get very frustrated with deficit perspectives about students don't know how to write.
Well, then it's our job to teach them.
Right? And what we can do to enhance what's already happening, is.
I really believe that we're moving in this direction.
Is that we have, the responsibility has to be with the institution.
So, we are institutionally responsible for the success of our students.
And so, for me, it's not enough to just say, ''Go to the writing studio.'' I personally call Chuck
and I say, ''I have 25 healers, who you will be working with this semester.
It is a requirement that they come and see you as part of my research and education class.'' And so,
the institution becomes responsible for their success.
And then, lastly, I also hold myself personally accountable.
I wake up every day thinking, ''What am I going to do
to ensure student success?'' Whether that's a department meeting.
Whether that's an advising appointment.
What is my sphere of influence?
And what role do I play in ensuring that I am holding myself accountable to be part
of the institutional responsibility for student success at Fresno State.
>> Thank you.
That is very admirable, when I wake up, I think about what I am going to eat.
So, you need to help me.
Hi, everyone.
I am Marnel Niles Goins.
And, you know, I've been at Fresno State for 10 years, now, and when I first started,
I found it a lot easier to think about student success.
And the longer I was here, and the more common some of the problems I saw,
I saw myself almost taking a step back.
And I used to know all the students' names and now, I might know 90%.
And I've heard this story before.
And I know what this type of student is like.
because I had a very similar student years ago, who had a similar story.
So, I can just see the endgame.
I know that, I don't know, you're not going to pass this class.
And so, I've had to actually reteach myself every semester, to humanize every single student.
And so, it was quite simple when I first started.
Because I was fresh out if graduate school right into save the world.
But the longer I got here, the more I heard similar stories, the more frustrated I got.
And but, over the summer all it took was a little break and a resetting in a sense, to re-challenge myself.
And that's one thing I want to challenge each of us to do.
To humanize every single student, regardless of whether you've seen that type of student, before.
Whether you've had that student in the past.
Whether you think, and I'm going to say you, but I also mean me.
Whether we think we know what that end story is going to be.
Whether that student has had a four lateness's and it's already the second week of class.
Whether that student doesn't have a good reason for missing a, I don't know, an assignment.
I want to encourage each of us to humanize the student and understand that we're responsible,
co-responsible for the success of that student.
And I have a couple of stories later on.
But that's something that I've struggled with and I've also had to tell myself constantly to do.
Instead of acknowledging that, ''Oh.
The student is not going to pass the class.'' I see myself as being someone who is going to assist
that student and helping to pass the class.
Even though it's the student who I've kind of seen, before.
So, I want to encourage each of us to do that, as well.
>> Just a quick follow-up, briefly, unless you're going to cover this, later.
But when you say, like the fact that you're saying, ''I want to humanize.'' What exactly, does that mean?
>> Okay. Yeah.
So, when I say humanize, I don't want to just look at the student and say, ''I've seen you, before.
In 2008, I had a student just like you.'' So, instead, let me humanize that student by learning his
or her name, listening to his or her story.
And acknowledging that this student has a struggle and I play a role in helping him
or her to overcome whatever struggles those may be.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> You're welcome.
>> My name is Meredith Booey.
I'm the supervising locksmith at Fresno State, here.
I think I can best describe our contribution by saying
that you can't put on a play without the backstage crew.
It's impossible.
We make sure that the show can go on.
We have electrical risk management, financial services, HR, public safety.
You have someone here 24/7, whether it's a dispatcher or a police officer.
You also, have a custodian here, 24/7, a crew of custodians that clean.
And we're responsible for making sure that the faculty
and the administrators can continue to inspire all groups.
And anytime a new space is utilized for a new purpose.
Take, for instance, the student cupboard.
We need to be brought in for consultation on designing the room, changing the room.
There's some beat up corners of this campus.
And sometimes we have to perform miracles to make sure that those spaces are used for purposes
like the student cupboard and all the wonderful programs we have here.
We want to make sure that each and every group is inspired by their environment.
We're an arboretum, here.
We're an arboretum because we have a grounds crew.
We're the elves, the little elves that magically take out the trash and, you know, that's us.
And you don't necessarily think of the crew when you go to a play.
You think of the actors.
You think you're inspired by the performance.
And we, of course, always understand that.
In fact, the only time you're probably going to notice us is when something terrible goes wrong.
But we do care.
I know I'm on call 24/7 if there are any security breaches.
And I know there are a large number of us who are on call 24/7.
And we take those calls, because we care about students' success, so much.
Safety and health has to do with that, as well.
And the environment.
So, just know that you have a crew out there, who's always there, who cares about you.
And hopefully, that shows up in the facilities, the safety, and you feeling secure on campus.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
It's good to be here.
This question is very, touches my personal experience.
I've been here for four to five years, and I was English learners at the very first beginning.
And I went to teach at Stanislaus State in early 1992 and transferred to Fresno State in early 1990.
I always joking about my student.
Most of my student are minority students at Stanislaus State, and here, as well.
And the only way to make the student success is you have to be a service friendly campus.
Friendly campus is the key to have minority students succeed.
And you are, we as professor, is a tendency to be very arrogant and we think we can walk on water.
That's no true.
If we think that, maybe we are the wrong place at wrong time.
Go work at McDonald's, probably much better.
Is our job is to la Familia.
When the student come to you as la Familia, he trust his instructor to help him.
That's only way to make student succeeded.
I was minority.
I was very vulnerable to talk to my professor.
It's very hard, very difficult.
And [inaudible] freshman student.
The freshman student that are required
to attend a remediation courses, happen to be the minority students.
And I just started early 2005, I found out about 75% of the students happened to be African American student,
that were first year in college and required to take remediation classes.
Then about 65% is being Latino.
And 37% Asians and 37% white and 46% have been all students.
That's very sad.
What happened?
And we looked at it so that, what that is mean to us?
And where are we, now in the 21st century?
And how can we help those students succeeded?
I was English learner, myself.
I never thought I go to graduate college.
I was first year generation go to college.
I was the first one that graduate from college, too.
I was first one in my family to teach at the university.
I never thought I would be able to read and write in my lifetime.
And I can do it and we can help our student to do, as well.
If I sitting here, I tend to be arrogant.
I think I can walk on water, I've at the wrong place.
Go someplace else.
I think that's what I always thought.
When you always, I tell my student, when you with me, you like my family.
We are la Familia.
You succeeded, then I succeeded.
And sometimes, my student can walk around campus one or two year.
I say, ''Why you doing here?
I thought you were working, now.
You try, you know what you try to make more money on you, the more you spend your time here.
The more you going need money on you.'' My student say, ''Yes.
Doctor Vang, you're right.
I better finish it on time.'' I say, ''Get out of here and get a job.'' So, then my [inaudible],
to succeed is to help them in friendly way and support.
They take extra mind to come here.
Most of them are first generation students.
And they came from the very low socioeconomic family, too.
>> Thank you.
And so, we all know that the student success has multiple aspect, but its center is academic success.
And my capacity, I have been working with faculty, faculty senate, and with the support of the president
and provost and my colleagues to take a serious look at our curriculum,
academic processes, and the student progress processes.
To find ways to streamlize the student experience in taking courses
and earning units towards their degree completion.
With two simple examples, and to illustrate the collective effort.
Number one is to surgically and in class section to meet student demand.
And so, we all know, in the last five years, our freshman enrollment increased by 60%.
We had about twenty-two hundred new freshmen six years ago.
But last year, we have thirty-five hundred.
And with the increase the student on campus, our physical facilities, classrooms,
as we all know, have not really increased.
Largely due to the economic downturn we experienced.
So, we have been facing significant pressure in providing enough courses for our students.
But the key issue here, is not in total number of courses and seats are not enough.
It is the number of courses, section and seats the students desperately need may not be enough.
So, we the support of the chances of the set, and the present provost, especially faculty
and the faculty senate, we have been surgically quote unquote,
adding classes where student demand is highest.
This strategy has been relatively successful.
Last fall, and this spring semester, we added a total of over 3,000 seats in over 50 different sections.
And all of these seats are, well not all, but 99% are filled.
So, we wanted to make this one-time effort into a regular practice.
When academic units planning their course offerings, we want to shift our focus
to where students need the seats the most.
Second example is how we revised curriculum to facilitate student progress.
As of this moment, for example, GE units are still, to some extent, major related.
If you are in a special major, such as nursing,
you may have taking a GE course not met your requirement in pre-nursing major.
If you change major into a different field, and you may be asked to retake that GE.
We are considering GE policy changes that students will have met GE requirement.
Any given major will be regarded as having met GE requirement any other major,
if he or she changes out of the current major.
Because over half of our students will experience changes.
And in minor, major, or change between majors.
So, these are relatively minor effort.
But it takes all of us together, to seriously look at our offerings and curriculum
to make the more friendly to student progress.
And help them succeeding in time.
>> It's going to the second question.
This question asks if you could provide an example of a strategy that you used.
Or maybe you've seen somebody else use the strategy, to ensure the success of students.
Particularly those that are low income and first generation, here at Fresno.
An example of a strategy.
>> Well, I've been very fortunate to work in different programs, here on campus,
that utilize those high impact practices.
And something that I learned along my journey, here at Fresno State, is this advising model called,
''Intrusive Advising'', or proactive advising.
And that's something that really stuck with me.
because it forces us to do the high touch practices with our students.
So, we're not prescriptive in our advising when students come.
And sometimes, you know, I hear from my colleagues, ''Well,
how can we do that when we only have 30-minute appointments?
And we have a caseload of 800 students?'' And what have you.
And I've done that, myself.
And I feel that there's small ways that we can do that.
And so, I've adopted that model in all areas of my career in working with students,
is let me get to know you, as an essence of who are you?
What you want?
And I find that particularly, our student populations that we're talking
about is once students feel that connection with you.
And that you deeply care.
Then the door is left open.
They are willing to listen to you.
They are willing to do whatever it takes.
And become even more resilient.
And they know who to lean on.
So, that's something that I've used and if anybody's interested in learning
about proactive advising, come and talk to me.
>> Good.
>> So, one of the strategies that I utilize is to ensure
that the curriculum represents the students in the classroom.
So, I'm very intentional about the scholarship that I integrate.
That I have last names that my students can pronounce.
That my students have uncles with similar last names.
That they have aunts that represent their communities.
So, I think the scholarship I choose is critical.
But another thing I do.
And I think it's been quite fruitful.
Is that I do tend to share a lot about who I am and how I reached my role as a professor, as well.
So, I also try to see.
I see a lot of myself in my students.
And I hope that they see a lot of themselves in me.
But in addition to that, I think I also create opportunities
for the intersections of when they don't and why that is.
So, if you weren't poor, perhaps to think about why not.
If you haven't thought about what it's like to be a male, perhaps why you haven't thought about that.
And so, I also think what's been helpful is to creating uncomfortable moments,
where students actually feel that discomfort.
To really think critically about who they are, and how come we're not, we haven't connected.
How come I've never had a Doctor Hernandez in my whole undergraduate experience.
How come I've never had a pregnant professor in my five, six years of schooling?
I've never had a parent professor in my academic journey.
So, I try to, I share intentionally, in hope that students see themselves.
And then, I also think which is perhaps unique.
But I host office hours and I'm always full.
My students show up.
Then it takes a long time to meet with me.
But I really literately try to meet with all of my students.
And I not only invite them to come, but I talk to them about what it is that we talk about.
Because for many of my students, they've never been to a professor office hours.
And so, I share with them, these are the kinds of conversations we have.
This is where we maybe can talk about potential research interests or doctorial aspirations.
Or you want to learn about a career change, like, perhaps Gabby did at once upon her time in my office.
And so, I really find office hours to be a valuable tool outside of the classroom,
to support particularly low income and first generation students.
>> I've had the pleasure of working with the African American EDGE initiative on campus,
as well as the first-year experience program.
And what I found is that reaching out to students has been extremely effective.
And when I say reaching out, I don't just mean reaching out to the students who are sitting in the front
of the class and they want to be professors in the future.
Or rocket scientists.
But also, reaching out to the students who are sitting in the back of the class, giving you the side-eye
because maybe they hate you a little bit.
And that works.
For example, I had a student who, this black girl.
She just sat there and she glared at me every single class period.
And I just couldn't understand it.
And one day I just said, ''Hey.
I want to talk to you after class.'' And I said, ''That look you got, there.'' I was like,
''You got to fix that.'' And she just, she glared at me a little longer.
And then, I told her we had an exam coming up within a week, and I expect you to get a 94% or higher.
And she just, ''Doctor Niles, that's unfair.'' And I say, ''Okay.
Bye. Have a good day.'' But I spoke to her, number one,
in a way that I knew she could handle from black female to black female.
I knew she could handle that type of tough love.
And she received a 92% on the exam.
And she came into my office and was like, ''I got a 92.'' And I said, ''You owe me two points.''
And since then, she will come to my office hours, weekly.
And I say that to say two things.
One, I think it's important for us to reach out to students.
They will not always come to our office hours, especially if we do not look like them.
I've had black students come into my office asking for advising,
and they're engineering, and I cannot help you at all.
Like, you will be here in ten years.
But what I can do for them is say, ''Hey.
Let's go online together.
Let's see who your advisor is.
And then, I'll give them a task and I will hold them accountable.
I want you to email your advisor, and today is Wednesday.
I want you to follow-up with me by Friday at 9:07 a.m.'' I pick a random time.
And I say, ''By 9:07 a.m., on Friday.
I want you to email me and tell me that you sent that email and tell me the type of response that you got,
and we'll follow-up.'' So, that's number one.
We got to make sure we reach out to students, and not just the ones
who are bright-eyed and happy to see us every day.
And then, the second thing is have them follow-up with us.
Don't just encourage them, but also say, ''Well, let me know in a day or two.'' Not in a month.
They will forget and so will you.
But, ''Let me know in a day or two, what the outcome of that task I assigned you is.'' And if, you know,
they didn't receive a follow-up email, well, let's figure out what step two will be of that plan.
And that has proven to me, to be pretty effective.
Your office hours will be filled and the students won't leave.
But it also shows them that there's somebody.
I wouldn't even say somebody, a group of people on campus who really are dedicated to their success.
And this is especially for students of color.
If you don't look like them, then they will not automatically go and see you.
So, seek them out and smile.
And if you have snacks, that is always very, very helpful.
>> I know the past few years, there have been a lot of, you know,
President Castor's bold idea campaign, I think, has been really great.
Because it's reached out to people who would ordinarily not have an idea.
And a lot of those people are those who have experienced hardship in their student careers.
Or are experiencing.
So, you do have.
I mean, I'm sure the student coverage started out as an idea.
I'm sure career services offering clothing, you know, interview clothes for students
who couldn't afford them is a good idea.
And someone brought it to the table.
And I think it's been important for people to feel like those ideas are going to be a reality, at some point.
And from the administrative services lens,
a lot of times we are responsible for turning an idea into a reality.
So, that's where I'm very blessed to experience that.
And I think because people aren't afraid to have suggestions, we,
from the administrative services side, get to see these improvements.
And these, I mean, when I was a student we had the San Ramon buildings.
I don't know if anyone had experienced the San Ramon buildings.
They were the worst thing, ever.
They smelled and, you know, they're gone, now.
But you know, we're looking at a lot of these classrooms,
in permanent building, mind you, that we can improve.
And we're not afraid to improve them.
And there's all these great ideas and interactive strategies on how to make the classroom more effective.
And that's where facilities, and especially facilities, I think.
And I'm speaking from a facilities lens, at the moment.
We really get to feel like we're reaching out to the students,
even though we're not interacting with them directly.
We are contributing to their success.
And that's probably where I see the biggest inspiration, my own group is being able
to affect the learning environment for them.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
My strategy is working with student, that they are two keys.
Two important keys.
Number one, be flexible.
And number two, be friendly.
That's it.
When I talk to my student, I usually have keeping them advising lot.
And the minority student have the tendency not to talk to me, problem at the beginning, usually at the end.
They come to me and they already have problems.
So, right now, work with a lot of student actually major in different area.
Now, they want to, they know that finding a teaching job is a more easier now.
We have a high demand of teaching position available in the district.
So, they came to me and they wanted to graduate, or have graduate, or have been around her for two years.
They don't know, even know what major is going to be in.
So, they come to me about it.
I will say, ''Here is my phone number, my cellphone.
Call me anytime, but don't call after midnight.'' So, they love to have that.
I give to them, I give my cellphone to all my classroom.
I say, ''This is my cellphone.
But call only when you just really need it.
When it's no necessary, then email me.'' You make the student feel comfortable.
You become a more approachable.
And they will talk to you, anytime.
And they call you, email you.
That's my strategy.
And they'll follow-up, and sometimes say, ''Now, I need this course to graduate or to fulfill my requirement.
What do I need to do?'' I used to take that, what, two years ago.
I didn't know that.
It's on the list.
But you have to be flexible with, work with them and follow through.
Help them.
Because the minority student are very vulnerable.
They don't have anybody at home to ask.
They don't have anybody that they can lean towards, except the professor and the counselor.
If the professor and the counselor have the tendency to be very arrogant, you turn them off.
They're scared to death to come to see you.
Unless, you know, you're very friendly.
Believe me.
I was like that.
I went through like that.
That's why I know.
So, that's my strategy.
The moment they know that I'm a person, people's person,
the moment they know that I can, they can talk to me anytime.
Then they will come to me.
They know I'm going to help them.
And they going to follow through, too.
So, [inaudible] on them.
Too many student can't do that.
But you to be flexible.
But believe me, you check my student, they all have a cellphone.
And that's how I open my door.
My policy is open door.
You don't get, usually professor is not the office all the time.
But you can reach me on my cellphone, here.
My job is to help you.
You do well.
You succeeding.
You graduate.
Make me feel good.
You be fooling around here, you don't graduate.
That make me feel very sad.
That's my strategy for working with student.
You come here, you succeeded, you do well, and this, my door is open.
And got to check how you doing after you talk to me.
>> You just talked about what I call validation.
>> Thank you.
>> I give that up the whole theory.
I didn't get a chance to talk about that, today.
But that's what it is.
You're a validating agent.
>> When I was faculty, I got to see students every day and talk to them on a daily basis.
Now, at my current job, I lost and touch.
So, now I do see and contact individual students,
besides what I shared earlier with the curriculum that would work.
But when I see students these days, typically, the students will have a issue
that they cannot resolve by themselves.
Otherwise, they wouldn't come to me.
I realize that a high impact strategy, especially in serving on the representing minority students,
first generation students, and the low-income students, is to have individual of face-to-face contact.
Instead of doing email communications.
Because if we only do email communications, or write a letter, it is very impersonal.
The students wouldn't feel that they are communicating to somebody who care about them.
And they may feel scared talking, communicating to a university administrator.
So, when I work with these individual students who have issue,
that need my help, I typically text them and call them.
And ask them to call back.
And/or schedule first meeting.
And so, I can get to know more about why they have now their request, if there is a better way
to resolve what they wanted to resolve.
And better explain university policy or direct them to another office that can directly help them.
So, I find that strategy has been very effective and serve our students much better
than just doing a email communication.
>> Okay. Last question.
Can you give us an example of an innovative high impact practice that you adopted to foster success?
Or maybe you developed, as well.
One example, at least.
>> I'm not that amazing.
I haven't developed anything, but.
I like to work with the tools that the university already offers us.
And I believe, and I see my role as a champion for anything that our institution, our leaders.
When they invest in our, the money into a product that we can use for student success, I'm a champion of that.
And an example of that is utilizing my degree plan.
That is something that the university has adopted.
And you know, they have asked us, as staff members, to use that.
But so, the innovation is.
And I thought about this question when it was given to us.
And the human connection is never going to be lost.
And I think that's the most innovative thing that I could ever think about in my practice.
And so, you know, when I talk to our students and say, you know, ''We have this amazing tool, go,
and use it.'' And they want the human connection.
Teach me how to use it.
If I just expect them to, you know, you have my degree plan, go plan out your four-year map.
And you know, that's not going to happen.
They need the human connection, so we shifted our thinking and said, ''Well,
why don't we invite them all and start showing them.
And show me.
Print out your degree plan.'' In addition to that is, what does my student population really want and need?
Because I set up appointments, some show up, others don't.
And I know how to hook them.
My student population have a limited amount of funding they have available for their education.
So, let's use my degree plan to plan out your years here, at Fresno State, your semester.
And see where does your funding end.
You need to know that year one, coming in.
And so, I thought that that's part of the human connection.
So, if we can get you out in four, five years, that's great.
But if we cannot because of your intersecting identities and what you have to do, then,
year one we need to plan for year five.
Hopefully, it doesn't take us that long.
And so, those are constant conversations.
One last thought that I wanted to bring is you know, again, the human connection.
We have Zoom appointments.
I can virtually meet with students when they can't come onto campus, or they're not here during office hours.
I make myself available in the evenings sometimes, to meet with them.
And I always.
I was shocked to hear this from my students.
No, I prefer to go to you.
I will make it work.
I will have my mom drive me to campus.
Or, I will ask for time off of work to come and see you.
They want that human connection.
And I was like, oh, my goodness.
Like, yeah, like let's marry advising with technology.
But sometimes our students want that human connection.
And lastly, my job does not end at my office.
Right. My role extends to admissions.
My role extends to financial aid.
My role extends to professors.
So, I don't just tell students, ''You know, make sure you go talk to your professor or go to the windows
at the financial aid office.'' If I can pick up the phone, and call my colleagues
at the financial aid, which by the way, they're amazing.
They help us.
And all it takes is a phone call away.
So, I don't just see my role just in my office.
I am part of a community that we are all in it, together.
And I think for me, that's the most innovative thing I can think of.
>> Though, in the higher administration and leadership degree pathway,
we've adopted several high impact practices.
And what I want to highlight is collaborative assignments.
So, for the healers in the room, you're welcome.
There is a reason that we do group work, and that's because we know that it's important
for individuals to work collaboratively.
Not cooperatively, but collaboratively with our students.
But I wanted to also identify one of the earlier questions that you had, Doctor [inaudible],
was that I've integrated an art space project, or assignment in my educational leadership class.
Which is an I Am poem.
And this I Am poem is an opportunity for students to write a poem about who they are, that begins with I Am.
Right. Number one question, how long does it have to be?
How many words?
What does it need to look like?
Can I see an example?
No, Jessica.
You can't.
Right. This is about you being an artist and being,
feeling unrestricted to do some really serious reflection.
And it is a beautiful experience that we get to share, together.
In like, three weeks, for those of you in 262.
That we'll be sharing together as a collaborative.
And I think it really creates an opportunity for self-reflection,
for learning about each other, about yourself.
But I think we've also really been successful in adopting this scholar/practitioner mindset.
And so, in Heal, we really value this notion that you are a practitioner that is informed by scholarship.
But you also are a scholar.
So, our students have the option of writing a thesis or a project and also, completing a culminating exam.
And so, we really believe that our students are knowledge producers.
They are scholar/practitioners.
And I appreciate that Gabby understands that lifelong learning is a value of Heal.
Because students are going to change.
In five years, our demographics might look different.
Right. And so, you always have to remind yourself to stay current,
and to stay active in ensuring that you understand your students.
But equally important, that you understand yourself.
And so, we do a lot of self-reflection in our program.
>> Good.
>> My example is from my group communication class.
It's a lower division class.
And in the fall, I have all first-generation college students' cohort.
And what I have them do, is do a two to three-minute speech, where they introduce themselves to the class.
It should be focused.
It shouldn't just be about their favorite colors and what they want to do.
And how old they are and where they went to high school.
But it should be focused.
And in these speeches, the students share a lot of information with their class.
And the information sometimes is private, which I don't even ask for.
But what it allows them to do is to see each other as almost part of their progress.
So, because they've taken all their classes together for the first year.
Because they know a lot about each other, they now see each other as a group that needs to accomplish getting
through the first year of college, together.
At the same time, it allows me, as the instructor, to hear their stories
about how both of their parents died from overdoses.
Or how a grandparent is raising them, but he was just arrested for rape.
And these are all true stories.
So, it helps me to kind of see what students I need to really keep an eye out for.
And then, the other thing this allows me to humanize them.
It allows me to reach out to them and then, follow-up, as I mentioned.
But the last thing is, I learned this in graduate school when I was a TA.
And my TA director said, ''Don't stop the discussion.'' And I always found that to be really interesting.
And sometimes, you know, I've got a schedule.
Like, it's ten o' five, we need to be doing this part of the chapter,
and it's ten o' nine and we need to be here.
But sometimes, in some classes, we get into a discussion that ends up being so personal
and ends up being such a dynamic moment, that it's important, as you mentioned, that we are flexible.
And that sometimes we need to take a couple of extra minutes or the entire class period to just sit
and talk about how you're doing as a cohort.
A first-generation cohort.
And what we can do as your instructors to get you to have a positive experience.
Same thing with office hours.
Maybe our meeting was scheduled for 15 minutes, and I've got to run.
But you're telling me about something that's happening in one of your classes,
and you need me to spend a couple of extra minutes with you.
So, not stopping that discussion and affirming
and humanizing the student is really going to be quite effective.
And allowing them to trust us as instructors and as staff, but also,
and allowing us to see them be successful in four or five years.
>> This question is a little bit of a challenge for me, coming from the Division of Administrative Services.
Our practices don't really directly impact students in the same way that an academic practice might.
One that I've personally implemented is an electronic key request process, which is always an improvement.
But automating what we do, here, obviously enhances security and safety for students.
And that's been our goal from the lock shop angle, is to electrify entrances and automate processes.
So, that there's reporting, auditing, and you know, we'd be able to lock buildings down with a keystroke.
You know, that's our objective.
And we're constantly working toward making this place safer and more secure for students.
And that includes automated processes.
And trying to get faculty into their classrooms so they're not standing out in the hall on the first day
of school with 30 students staring at them.
I mean, I hate seeing that as I go through the campus.
So, we're constantly trying to eliminate that problem.
But the biggest impact process for us, would probably be automating and electrifying.
And our objective, of course, is to make this place safe and secure for the students who come here.
And we work very close with public safety to make sure that that happens.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
I never talked this large class like this in my entire 25 year and had the president sitting watching me.
And I want to share some of the thing that student, we have learned from class.
We talk about cross-culture competence.
Cross-culture competence is very important for all of us to understand the cross-cultures, now.
I always talk about the critical [inaudible].
And that part is coming to my students, who happen to be the first generations on campus.
I have my student to write story about their parents.
What do they do at home?
And one the student share her story about her dad and made everybody in the classroom cry.
She dad, tell me something, how do you know you prune this tree?
How you cut the branches out?
I know, which ones can have fruit, which don't.
Dad, you are scientist.
Am I? I don't even know how to read and write.
You are. And I believe that.
Every culture, every person, have the knowledge.
They don't, they do, and we don't.
I have my student bring ethnic food to the classroom.
We share. And that's bring everybody together.
Make everybody feel comfortable.
Like eat Chinese food.
Like Mexican food.
Croatian food.
We all put together, once in a while.
We do that.
Everybody love it.
Make everybody get closer together.
It's special, sometime we have a cohort group.
The student work together.
We don't have color.
We don't have an ethnic group.
Our job is our class.
And I wrote this one earlier when I did my research.
I said, ''Let's be clear.
It is no autographic or ethnic background problems.
It is our problems, our work.
That's my note from the early 2008 and I did the research
about those students who had to take remediation classes.
I think it's important when they are here and they aim higher.
But we got to help them to achieve.
The full and different ethnic group are beautiful.
The culture are beautiful.
We all like to eat.
So, that my strategy.
Working with my student as la Familia.
That's all I say.
>> I'll give you two examples of innovation.
The first, we are setting have a UP Cohort/Block Schedules in this coming fall.
Where we have 400 UP students, you know.
By definition they are primarily first generation low-income, and minority students.
They will take two classes, Communication Three, and English Five A, in cohort groups.
We have scheduled the 15 units each.
So, they can be placed in those cohorts, and without they are self-registration.
That is, before that class, they will be placed into those cohorts.
Study has shown that students who are in Block and Cohort schedules will have higher levels
of identification to the institution they are attending.
And they have better retention and better group level help.
We are going to expand into Math in the coming semesters.
So, we can better help our students who will need the most help to be more successful.
Second example is through the collaboration with my colleagues in the register's office and IT department.
We are implementing a new course substitution process.
In the past, chairs would submit a memo to replace one course with another.
And faculty and chairs often got confused what course can be substituted and what course can be articulated.
If use the course to replace another course, and also, use it as a prerequisite
and you have to articulate, not substitute.
It is pretty complicated and confusing to people who don't do it on a daily basis.
And you see some, that would be in place this fall, we eliminate all paper trails.
And everything will be done on PeopleSoft, clearly laid
out which courses can be substituted and which have to be articulated.
Students will get automatic email notification their request is approved or denied.
They can check the progress.
So, this will facilitate the timely processing of course substitution or articulation,
keep a transparent process for the student, faculty, and chairs.
We hope that those small innovations will help our student better progress to their degree.
>> Well, thank you, panelists.
I think. No, all of you can see whether you're a faculty member, in student affairs, or staff.
Everyone has a role to play to promote student success.
Some of it is, it ranges from very technical in nature to personal in nature to behind the scenes in nature.
But everything has to do with what Fresno State can do to promote student success.
And you're prime examples of that.
So, let's give them a hand and thank them for their perspectives.
[ Applause ]