Goal 1Provide Students with the Tools to Succeed
Objective A
Strive for teaching excellence in classroom and distributed instructional models
- Increased faculty and GTA workshops
- Enhanced assessment of adjunct faculty teaching effectiveness across colleges.
- Increased student satisfaction for classroom instruction.
- Over 151 faculty development events and workshops sponsored annually by the Center for Learning and Teaching to support online and face-to-face teaching/learning strategies.
- Increased use of instructional technology to support students' active engagement in learning.
- Increasing use of classroom technologies and Canvas features, such as online chats and video tutorials.
- CLT events/workshops for faculty focused on "Foundational Strategies for Online Teaching," Canvas, Adobe Connect, innovative strategies and technologies, and other pedagogical topics.
- Over ten colleges/units created new faculty development workshops. The Center for Learning and Technology established a Summer Institute on Teaching and Academic Affairs launched a "Provost's Conversations on Teaching."
- All colleges standardized assessment of adjunct faculty, incorporating peer review, portfolio assessment, and classroom visits, among other assessment tools. In 2011-12 the majority of graduating seniors reported they would choose ODU again (72%). Overall ratings slightly decreased from 75% in 2009-10 to 72% in 2011-12; there were slight changes in college ratings. In 2009-10, the highest ratings were: CoHS (84%), DCOE (80%), and BCET (73%). In 2011-12 BCET's ratings decreased from 73% in 2009-10 to 68% in 2011-12, thus ranking them 5th highest. In 2011-12, CoHS (79%) and DCOE (75%) remained the top two highest rated colleges, with CBPA (73%) ranking third.
Objective B
Improve advising and academic support services
- New Supplemental Instruction program targeting high DFWI classes.
- Enhanced effectiveness of the Student Success Center and Learning Commons.
- Advising centers in all academic colleges to promote student engagement in the majors.
- Increased student participation in tutoring and mentoring services.
- Consolidation of tutoring and academic support services.
- Establishment of a Retention Task Force aimed at assisting at-risk students; increased retention by 1 percentage point.
- Support of student-led "Finish-in-Four" initiative.
- Online services continue to be offered by the Writing Center and SmartThinking. The PEP is piloting a synchronous tutoring/mentoring delivery system using Adobe Acrobat.
- All Colleges report that professional advisors have completed the Master Advisor Certificate Program; the program is being revised to meet faculty advisor needs.
- The Student Success Center/Learning Commons (SSC/LC) opened in fall 2011. In 2012, Academic Affairs conducted a survey of faculty, the results of which indicated approximately 50% of faculty were unaware of the SSC/LC services. A new survey is being developed to ascertain 2013-14 awareness among faculty of the SSC/LC.
- All academic colleges now have a learning community or a living-learning community in existence or planned for fall 2013.
- A Satellite Campus Peer Educator Program is planned for implementation at the Higher Education Centers in FA13.
- The DFWI list was comprised of 33 courses in 2006-07. The courses are located in 4 colleges and a major theme of the lists is math competency. Since 2006-07, 16 courses continue to exceed a 30% DFWI rate, 17 courses have dropped off the list, and 8 new courses were added. Math is still a central theme among the courses.
- The Math Science Resource Center (MSRC) has expanded offerings aimed at reducing DFWI courses where math competencies were lacking. The Center showed a 20% increase in pass rates for MATH 102M students who attended Supplemental Instruction sessions as compared to those who did not receive this instruction. As a result, beginning fall 2013, all at-risk MATH102M students will be placed in newly developed Supplemental-Instruction MATH 103M courses.
- Student use of Academic Enhancement's tutoring and mentoring services increased 265% from 2010-11 (898 students) to 2012-13 (3285+ students). The Peer Educators Program (PEP) and Writing Center report positive student responses and increased performance for students utilizing their services. The Peer Educators Program offered Supplemental Instruction sessions, resulting in 20-30% higher pass rates for participants than for students who did not attend. Beginning fall 2013, the Peer Educators Program will offer supplemental instruction for all high DFWI courses in CBPA.
- In 2011, the Math and Science Resource Center, the Writing Center, and the Peer Educators Program moved into the Learning Commons and Student Success Center.
Objective C
Provide attractive and effective learning environments for students
- Learning Commons-flexible spaces and collaboration rooms to support group projects and individual study.
- 100% of all university classrooms are mediated.
- CBPA opened the Trading Room, which features 24 state-of-the-art Bloomberg Terminals.
- Common Rooms and Study facilities in Residence Halls to be fully mediated.
- Wired/wireless student center at Peninsula Center.
- Learning Commons' impact on library usage: service transactions increased by 5% from FY10 to FY12, instruction sessions increased by 37%, and gate counts increased by 18%.
- Flexible study and program spaces have been constructed in residence halls and in the library, and student Collaboration Rooms are filled to capacity from 10am to midnight.
Objective D
Expand opportunities for high-achieving students to demonstrate proficiency
- Development of undergraduate research apprenticeship programs.
- Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.
- Integration of undergraduate research and undergraduate curricula.
- Increased student participation in Undergraduate Research Grant Program.
- Sevenfold increase in student participation in publishing and presenting results of their research.
- Over the past three years, 150 students participated in one of the "research sites" supported by the undergraduate research apprenticeship program.
- In spring 2013, more than 100 undergraduates gave presentations at the Undergraduate Research Symposium (a 50% increase since the inaugural spring 2009 symposium).
- CoS faculty developed senior research thesis options and expanded existing seminars to provide students with research experiences; some departments require a senior research project for all majors. The Honors College developed a senior honors thesis option and an undergraduate research apprenticeship course. DCOE students conduct action research as part of their internship course through project CARE NOW.
- The number of students participating in the undergraduate research grant program increased from 12 in 2008 to 30 students in 2011-12.
- From a base-line of 40 students in 2009, now over 300 ODU students (increase of 650%) publish or present the results of their research at conferences.
