Documented Sources

1
Summit Base Camp An Innovative Community
College FYE Collaboration between Faculty and
Student Services
Dawn M. Zoni, Ph.D. Student Services Advisor CMC
Summit Campus Dillon dzoni_at_coloradomtn.edu
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Colorado Mountain College

• Comprehensive community college providing
  associate and certificate programs, basic and
  lifelong learning, and customized business
  training.
• Comprised of ten locations across 12,000 square
  miles of western Colorado
• Largest rural community college in the U.S.
• Second largest community college enrollment in
  Colorado

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Summit Base Camp

• Beginning the Adventure to Successful Experiences
  through CMCs Academic and Mentoring Programs

4
A snapshot of CMC Summit studentsSpring 2007

• Unduplicated headcount 1504
• Average age 34
• 56.32 Female 43.1 Male
• Ethnicity
• Black 1
• Native American 0.4
• Asian/Pacific Islander 1.4
• Hispanic 15.82
• White 70.41
• Did not respond 10.37
• Average student takes 1-6 credits per semester
• Average student has completed 16 credits with CMC

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Rationale for Developing a Base Camp Model for a
Commuter Campus

• Previous stand alone models were not successful
• The stand alone course became a financial burden
  rather than an opportunity to expand knowledge
  and inquiry
• Commuter students did not see the connection
  between their coursework and a stand alone FYE
  class
• Commuter students have multiple priorities
• Parental responsibilities
• Multiple jobs
• Education
• Recreation

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5 Core Values

• Develop relationships on campus and in the
  community
• Goal setting/ Mind mapping
• Self-awareness
• Enhance choice management and study skills
• Understand and appreciate diversity

7
Timeline

• February 2006 College-wide FYE meeting
• July 2006 Summit Campus selected as commuter
  site pilot
• August 2006 Met with Chief Student Development
  Officer to propose embedded value program
• September 2006 Given permission to develop
  embedded/co-curricular program
• October 2006 Adjunct faculty member hired (up to
  10 hours per week) as curriculum development
  coordinator
• November 2006 Mentor/Activities Coordinator
  hired (up to 10 hours per week)
• January 2007 Launched Summit Base Camp program

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Summit Base Camp
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Objective of Embedded Values Assignments

• In order to make transparent the underlying
  values that we expect, we used a three step
  process
• 1. Instruction
• 2. Application/Practice via an assignment
• 3. Assess/measure

The critical thinking process helped in other
courses, such as note taking in lectures."
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ENG-121 English Composition I

• Self-awareness Journaling
• Self-awareness Learning Styles Inventory
• Enhance Study Skills Critical Thinking

Journaling helps you- you use it in any class
and in life."
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ENG-122 English Composition II

• Enhancing Study Skills Research Strategies
• Goal Setting/ Mind Mapping
• Time Management

"It (goal setting time management) helped me
follow through with homework and studying being
more prepared for classes."
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SPE-115 Public Speaking

• Self-awareness Communication
• Enhance Study Skills Active Listening
• Appreciate Diversity Interpersonal Skills

I understand more Americans. I can speak in
public and write better English.
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Summit Campus Connect The Co-curricular Component

• Mentor Program
• Blackboard Site
• Planner
• Calendar of Activities

I knew that I was not alone and there is help
for me if I need it."
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Blackboard Course Menu

• Announcements
• Summit Base Camp
• Program Requirements
• Calendar of Activities
• Base Camp Resources
• Social Considerations
• Discussion Board
• Meet the Base Camp Staff
• Summit Base Camp Photos
• CMC Virtual Library
• Spring 2007 Calendar

Base Camp helped to familiarize me to the CMC
campus.
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How does this enhance learning?How do we know?

• LASSI (Learning and Study Strategies Inventory)
  Pre- and Post-test will be given to pilot and
  control groups
• Curriculum Assessment for each embedded activity
• Overall program survey qualitative and
  quantitative questions to assess curriculum,
  mentor program, blackboard, etc.
• Student survey on mentor component
• Mentor feedback survey
• Student Focus Groups

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Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)

• ANX anxiety worry about school performance
• ATT attitude and interest
• CON concentration attention to academic tasks
• INP information processing, acquiring knowledge
• MOT motivation, diligence, self-discipline
• SFT self-testing, reviewing, and preparing for
  classes
• SMI selecting main ideas recognizing
  important info
• STA use of support techniques and materials
• TMT use of time management principles
• TST test strategies and preparing for tests

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What do the LASSI scores mean?

• Below 50th Percentile
• Areas in need of improvement to help promote
  college success
• Between 50-75th Percentile
• Consider strategies and educational supports in
  these areas
• Above 75th Percentile
• This score would indicate what youre doing is
  working

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Assignment Analysis

• It is more efficacious for values to be embedded
  in courses.
• Incorporating values seems to work best rather
  than teaching in isolation.

I use the journaling techniques from my English
class in my other courses."
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Research of Literature

• Five core values represent areas of focus needed
  by students.
• Infusing values in the courses reinforces these
  skills.
• Teaching the values separately does not have the
  same positive results.
• Students develop the study habits that are needed
  for success.

Base Camp showed me areas that I needed to work
on and provided me with the necessary means to
achieve success.
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What did we learn?

• Critical Thinking Journaling
• Students practiced these vital skills in context
  of their course material.
• Students were encouraged to consider how these
  skills could help them in other classes.
• Students were graded on these skills as another
  way to emphasize their importance.

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What will Summit Communications faculty be doing
in Fall 2007?

• Beginning Fall semester, these common assignments
  will be adopted by all communications faculty.
  This will unify our instruction and offer
  consistent training across the curriculum.
• Finally, this model is exciting for faculty,
  because we are sure that we are delivering the
  instruction that our college values and that our
  students need.

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Impact on Students

• Results of the LASSI pre- post-test
• Improvement in all ten categories
• 3 of the 10 categories showed meaningful
  improvement
• Anxiety and worry about school performance
• Concentration and attention to academic tasks
• Test strategies and preparing for tests
• When comparing the Base Camp group to the
  control group, students in the Base Camp group
  showed significant improvement in use of support
  techniques and materials.

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Strengthening Base Camp

• Students are learning from embedded assignments
  and applying these skills in other classes
• Multiple priorities Additional
• on-line offerings
• Several types of mentoring
• by discipline, by course, and individual if
  self-selected
• Values embedded in all communications classes
  this fall
• Working with new FT math faculty to embed values
  in required math courses
• Redevelop and improve the Blackboard site

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Student Comments

• I like the idea of having a mentor available for
  help, even if I did not utilize it.
• Its comforting
• I really feel a part of when I correspond with
  my mentor. I like that everything is based on
  suggestions and I am not obligated to anything,
  which I appreciate.
• I dont think all students need a mentor-
  everyone learns differently and some need more
  help than others. A lot of us have jobs, other
  classes and family so many people dont have much
  time for a mentor.
• I like that in a setting like CMC the teachers
  seem to care about students as individuals.
• Base Camp is a great program. While some
  students may not utilize it, it is a great
  support that most schools will never offer.