3. D: Student Success Planning

The pandemic has posed a significant challenge to the academic success and wellbeing of Guttman students, many of whom are themselves or have family members who are essential works and live in communities that have been hard hit. As we continue to face challenges related to distance learning, many of which raise equity issues, we are focusing on a number of student success initiatives to support our students as they seek to continue their education. These initiatives are detailed below.

Goal: Prepare and support new freshmen and online and distance learning at Guttman

Students served: approx. 500-600 Summer Bridge students

Recommended Activities:

• Advertise process for requesting technology support from Information Technology and participating in Blackboard “Are You Ready” course.
• Share Student Communications Survey/Early Alert student technology survey with faculty and assess in the first week of class.
• Online Pre-Matriculation Programs
  • Mandatory Summer Orientation delivered online via Blackboard to expose students to platform.

Mandatory Summer Bridge Program engaging students through Blackboard and Starfish Technologies. The program also introduced students to various Student Services across campus. The program also introduced students their FYE Advisor and Instructional Teams.

• Students can also request financial support for internet bills or the purchase of hotspots

All Peer Mentoring Academic Supports and Academic Success Center services are made available remotely. (All completed by Sept. 4)

Goal: Expand emergency financial supports to serve more undergraduates

Students served: 1,000 (entire student body can apply for support)

Recommended Activities:

• Developed a streamlined process for students to request financial supports from private donors, Foundations, or other grant-funded sources. (Completed)

Continue to support timely distribution of hardware and software required for distance learning, including laptops, hotspots, and other items as needed. (ongoing)

Goal: Provide all students with access and opportunity for online advisement and academic support

Students served: 1,000 (entire student body)

Recommended Activities:

Online Academic Advisement

• Utilize online services like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Blackboard Collaborate to provide advisement services remotely.
• Utilize Starfish and Starfish Connect send early alerts, raise engagement flags, make referrals, and make appointments with academic advisors. (ongoing)

Online Academic Planning Workshops

• Faculty from select majors will host meet and greets or webinars.
• Provide students with ongoing opportunities for online training to use Degree Works, CUNY First, Blackboard, and EAB Navigate. Extend IT HelpDesk hours and availability.
• Peer Mentors will host online meetings to connect and work with students throughout the semester.

Academic support centers

• One on one remote tutoring from Peer Mentoring, Academic Success Center, Office of AccessABILITY, and United Men of Color.
• Target Probation and students in High Failure Courses as needing academic support.

(All ongoing)

Goal: Strengthen curriculum design and academic support services across high fail, high impact courses.

Students served: 1,000 (approximate size of student body)

Recommended Activities:

• UGS works with faculty over the summer who teach high impact, high fail courses to improve online course design and teaching strategies to promote student engagement.
• Support development of course “dev shells” and instructional resources for highly enrolled Gen Ed courses in preparation for fall 2020 distance learning
• Tutors and supplemental instructors receive training to complement curriculum redesign.

Collaboration between faculty and tutors to create online recitations and workshops for students who are repeating a course.

Goal: Increase awareness and planning for experiential learning opportunities online

Students served: 1,000

Recommended Activities:

Fall 2020 CCPP Activities

• Onboard the entire Guttman student population into the newly launched Grizzly Jobs & Internships Portal.
• Launch a robust virtual career preparation & job readiness platform to include several career panels + individual career and skill-related workshops hosted by employers, alumni, and the CCPP team.
• Deepen our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by launching a newly created Diversity in the Workplace Series and a D&I employer recruitment campaign.
• Onboard 3 grant-funded peer leaders to the team to help prepare students this fall for competitive, paid, co-curricular virtual internships Spring I. Hire grant-funded Career Specialist to recruit employers this fall for paid virtual internships spring I.
• Deepen our efforts to help students identify part-time job opportunities during this incredibly challenging pandemic recession.
• Recruit employers this fall to host virtual academic internships for IT students (fall II) and Liberal Arts & Business students (spring I).

Partner with the Federal Work Study Program to integrate the NACE Career Readiness Competencies into the program by facilitating training workshops for FWS students and campus employers.

Goal: Develop ongoing outreach and community-building/learning opportunities for students.

Students served: 1,000

Recommended Activities:

• Various Units through the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) host events throughout the semester that can be accessed both asynchronously and synchronously.
• Reoccurring “State of the Grizz” with the VP of Student Engagement and featured guests from around campus

Student Government Association continue offering a variety ways for the student body to connect through remote engagements

Goal: Increase awareness of campus climate and engagement with equity issues.

Students served: 1,000

Recommended Activities:

• Review policies, processes, or infrastructure that support diversity, equity, and inclusion online.
• Continue the College’s EDI work.

Structure faculty workshops around EDI and trauma and other themes.