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Are we Gatekeepers or Groundskeepers? Being a good introductory STEMM instructor in a pandemic and beyond


Posted: Feb 1 2022 by

Jennifer Tsan
University of Chicago
Alice Tarun
St. Lawrence University
Tina Tao
St. Lawrence University
Rachel Renbarger
Western Michigan University
Laura Frost
Florida Gulf Coast University
Laura Frost, Florida Gulf Coast University; Rachel Renbarger, Western Michigan University; Tina Tao, St. Lawrence University; Alice Tarun, St. Lawrence University; and Jennifer Tsan, University of Chicago

Change Topics (Working Groups): Equity and Inclusion
Target Audience: Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Teaching/Learning Assistants
Program Components: Supporting Students

​​Georgia was a confident high school student. Despite the pandemic she continued to earn high marks in her science courses, motivating her to pursue a science major as she began college. She entered her first year at Perpetual University taking introductory biology and chemistry, along with participating in ROTC and community service learning. Although she had many commitments outside the classroom, she believed she could manage all her obligations on her own. But when she began failing quizzes and exams, instead of seeking out resources on campus right away, she put off reviewing her work and intended to address the concerns later. By the end of her first semester, she was facing academic suspension. In her view she felt ashamed for being in this position and couldn't bear to face the issues even though her professors, advisor, and academic support staff reached out to her and offered to help. Although Georgia was able to continue her college studies, she turned away from the science track because she could not envision success in these courses in her future. More

Shared leadership for student success at UW-Whitewater


Posted: Feb 7 2019 by
Meg Waraczynski
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Jodie Parys
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Susan Elrod
Indiana University-South Bend
Susan Elrod, Jodie Parys, and Meg Waraczynski, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Change Topics (Working Groups): Guiding Theories, Change Leaders
Target Audience: Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration, Non-tenure Track Faculty, College/University Staff
Program Components: Outreach, Supporting Students, Institutional Systems

Colleges and universities across the country are facing increasing pressure to enroll, retain and graduate more students at a time when the environment for higher education is competitive and often contentious. In order for institutions to be successful in these student success endeavors, everyone must work together. We are all familiar with shared governance as a central tenet of higher education but those processes apply primarily to policy development and decision-making. We argue that shared leadership is required as a holistic approach to goal development and implementation of strategic priorities that foster student and institutional success. In this model, both administrators and faculty/staff leaders play key roles that are essential to the long-term success and sustainability of student success initiatives. Administrators provide a framework for initiatives as they relate to the broader campus community; foster connections between individuals engaged in similar work; provide strategic support and remove barriers to progress; and hold the campus accountable for achieving shared goals. Shared leaders capitalize on their discipline expertise and commitment to student success and program outcomes to fill in the pieces of the framework. They utilize their classroom and program experience to design, test, and apply proposed solutions and also retain ownership of the initiatives and solutions. More

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