Smart Start

1
Smart Start Preparation for College Success 
Governors State UniversityUniversity Park,
ILPresenters LaTonya D. Holmes, Dianna
Galante, and Kerri K. Morris
2
Smart Start Preparation for College Success

• Presenters
• LaTonya D. Holmes, Cohort Advisor and Coordinator
  for New Student Programs, Governors State
  University
• Dr. Dianna Galante, Professor, Mathematics
  Coordinator
• Dr. Kerri Morris, Associate Professor,
  Coordinator of First-Year Writing

3
Smart StartPreparation for College Success 

• Many students need extra preparation and support
  in both math and writing
• Smart Start provides a two-week jump start and
  supplemental instruction (SI) for first year
  students.
• The program includes support from paid peer
  mentors and tutors.

4
Peer Mentors

• LaTonya D. Holmes
• Cohort Advisor and Coordinator
• for New Student Programs
• Governors State University

5
Peer Mentors

• Who are our Peer Mentors?
• 10 Rising Sophomores selected as Peer Mentors
• 2.75 or higher grade point averages from
  freshman year
• Trained as Orientation Leaders (knowledgeable
  about university resources)
• 2 have taken Principles of Peer Leadership
• 1 returning Peer Mentor who will serve as Student
  Coordinator (upper class student)

6
Peer Mentor Expectations

• Full time course load and grade point average
  requirements
• Peer Mentor training and further team building
• Common Reading
• Master College Faculty Assignments
• First Year Seminar Faculty Assignments
• Cohort Activity Development

7
Peer Mentor Preparation

• Intensive training as orientation leaders
  includes
• Set Expectations
• Whos Who at GSU
• Learning GSU Resources
• Student Development Theory
• Personal Commitment
• Strengths Assessment Convocation Walk Through
• Goals, communication, Emailing professors, Start
  Something That Matters, etc
• Victim Vs. Creator Presentation (mindset and
  attitude. How do you react to the things that
  happen? 3 Inner voices inner critic, inner
  defender (makes excuses, blames others), inner
  creator.Are the inner critic or inner defender
  ever right? Sometimes, what do you do about it?

8
Peer Mentor Preparation

• Intensive training as orientation leaders
  includes
• How of Happiness Presentation
• Working with your Faculty Member Communication.
• Resources Review
• Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives well
  create those as a team Share GSU vision 2020
  and discussing what they can do to help with
  those.
• Motivation/Life Lesson Introduction and
  Presentations Lion King example
• COHORT THEMES Faculty, Staff, Students, etc.

9
Mathematics Support

• Dianna Galante, PhD
• Professor
• Mathematics Coordinator

10
Available SI for Mathematics

• MATH1423 College Algebra - 2 sections
• MATH2100 Elementary Statistics 4 sections
• MATH2281 Applied Calculus 3 sections
• MATH2290 Calculus I 2 sections

11
Graduate Mathematics SI Leaders

• Three graduate mathematics students available and
  in class 20 hours per week as well as offering
  scheduled sessions in a designated classroom
  outside of class
• Each enrolled in MS in Mathematics program
• Received tuition waiver and stipend

12
Elementary Statistics

• Several strategies used to add to student success
  including group work, lab classroom
• Online homework support, calculator, and
  textbook, 24/7 tutoring available with text
• SI available 15 hours per week
• StatCrunch? used for statistical calculation
• Students were allowed to make corrections on
  tests and earn back partial points

13
Writing Support

• Kerri K. Morris, PhD
• Associate Professor
• Coordinator of First-Year Writing

14
Writing Two-week Intensive Objectives

• Responsibilitylearning to prepare for class,
  meet assignment deadlines, follow teachers
  directions, and exhibit appropriate classroom
  behavior.
• Flexibilityidentify differences among varying
  writing situations and begin to adapt to suit
  those situations, based on the expectations of
  audience and genre.
• Metacognitionreflect on writing process, written
  products, and the writing of their peers with a
  critical/analytical eye, particularly looking for
  areas of success and improvement.

15
Writing Two-week Intensive Objectives

• Self-efficacyadvocate for themselves as learners
  and citizens and build self confidence
• Technologydevelop proficiency with
• Classroom Management System
• Writing technology for blogs, presentations,
  formal papers 

16
Writing Support

• Two-week intensive
• Meet daily
• Write frequently
• Use short writing to build toward a long paper
  (4-5 pages)
• SI
• Friday meeting, 9 sections

17
What weve learned and what were changing

• Separating students out is counter-productive at
  worst and only minimally successful
• Mixing students from many classes into one
  supplemental group is confusing for students and
  instructors
• Tutors should be available to all students and
  should be integrated into the classrooms