Digital Program

In this lecture presentation, staff from the Twin Cities Office of Admissions will introduce the concept of admissions yield (the percent of admitted students that ultimately enroll on campus).

The session will give an overview of current yield efforts and how data is used to track and support students as they move through the enrollment funnel. We will describe the steps of the admissions funnel, how enrollment targets are set and the ways yield rates can be used to ensure these enrollment targets are met. Specific recruitment tactics and efforts to collaborate with campus partners will be highlighted.

Reference Materials

• Sarah Ruhland, Strategic Enrollment Analyst | Office of Admissions
• Keri Risic, Executive Director | Office of Admissions
• Lizette Rebolledo, Director | Orientation & Transition Experiences

Finances are one of the biggest stressors of undergraduate students. Financial Aid is complicated with many regulations dictating student aid, many different kinds of aid, and considering how enrollment affects student finances. Awareness of nuances of Financial Aid is crucial to student success. This session dives into how Financial Aid and enrollment interact and when it is no longer an issue of financial aid, but one of financial wellness. 

Reference Materials

• Erin Anderson, One Stop Counselor | Academic Support Resources/One Stop
• Amanda Temple, Student Finance Counselor | Academic Support Resources/Office of Student Finance

Do you work with queer and trans students in STEM and want to explore how to best support them when navigating challenges throughout their academic career and beyond? Come share your experiences and knowledge and learn from others about how to support students in the classroom, navigating their academic choices, during their job search, and preparing for their first job.

Alisa (she/her) and Max (he/they) will be sharing their experiences working with queer and trans students in STEM and guiding the conversation based on the priorities and interests you share as a participant. 

Alisa is an Academic Advisor in CLA who advises the STEM student organization, works with students across STEM disciplines, has attended multiple Lesbians Who Tech Summits, and has advised LGBT2QIA+ student organizations at multiple institutions. Max is a career coach in CLA who works specifically with students interested in pursuing careers in STEM and has a degree in Computer Science. Before working at the U, Max worked in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Vermont and advised their oSTEM student organization.

Reference Materials

• Alisa Dean, Academic Advisor | College of Liberal Arts
• Max Cordes Galbraith, Career Coach | College of Liberal Arts

Attend this session to learn about the amazing work of the projects enhancing international student success. These projects are funded by the University International Academic Enhancement fee. Project leaders will highlight their work and discuss the many positive impacts to improve international student experiences on the Twin Cities campus. Projects include: work with student support in writing, career development, intercultural training with staff, language support, faculty resources to improve classroom climate and enhance student interactions, and advising support. Participants will have the opportunity to share insights on gaps in this work from their perspective.

Panelists

• Kirsten Jamsen | Center for Writing
• Alex Cleberg | Intercultural Trainer, ISSS
• Ann Smith | Global Programs and Strategy Alliance
• Andrea Barnwell | ISSS Academic Counseling
   

Presentation Materials

• Barbara Kappler, Assistant Dean & Director | International Student & Scholar Services
• Beth Lingren Clark, Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Initiatives | Office of Undergraduate Education

Student development theory has evolved with the student affairs profession. Today, critical perspectives that foreground systems of oppression have begun to take root in our field. This change is important to student affairs as we move away from placing the responsibility for development solely on students without centering contexts shaped by systemic oppression. This session will provide an overview of critical perspectives on student development theory and share ideas for application to practice. Opportunities to share ideas with other participants will be provided.

Presentation Materials

• Jessica Gunzburger, Coordinator of Residential Life | Housing & Residential Life

Like for many of you, the last few years has changed the work of the Office for Community Standards (OCS) in many ways. The rise in popularity of online cheating sites and artificial intelligence has ushered in new ways that students are engaging in scholastic dishonesty. The return to campus and in-person learning has seen an increase in reports of disruptive student behavior in and out of classrooms. Additionally, the Student Conduct Code was recently amended in June 2022 with new additions and many changes. Come and find out what is trending in student conduct—both on campus and nationally—as well as what you need to know about the recent changes to the conduct code. 

*TL;DR - abbreviation for "too long; didn't read"

Presentation Materials

• Katie Koopmeiners, Associate Director | Office for Community Standards
• Sharon Dzik, Director | Office for Community Standards

Intuition often starts with a small number of anecdotes, but can become more powerful when combined with data that offers perspective on broader trends and context. This session will show you how to combine your intuition with data and analytics tools to support broader insights. We will provide an overview of the Enrollment Management Student Success Hub, with a deep dive into selected dashboards directly related to student success. There will be opportunity for discussion and sharing of ideas and insight. We'll leave you with some tips and resources to help fulfill ongoing data needs and interests.

Presentation Materials

• Katie Russell, Associate Director | Office of Undergraduate Education
• John Burczek Dreier, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Analytics | Office of Undergraduate Education
• Johan Barreiro, Analyst | Office of Undergraduate Education
• Alison Link, Student Data & Analytics | Academic Support Resources
• Pa Thao, Student Data & Analytics | Academic Support Resources

We know that international students and multilingual learners of English have so much to contribute to our campus. Yet, they are often seen from a deficit lens, or what they are lacking. In this workshop, we will reflect on the benefits of having these linguistically and globally diverse students on campus and name some of the many assets they bring. We will then consider ways we can be better prepared for teaching and interacting with students who may be studying through a learned language, studying in a different educational system, and living in a new culture. 

Presentation Materials

• LeeAnne Godfrey, ESL Teaching Specialist and Faculty Liaison | MELP (College of Continuing & Professional Studies)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on higher education. Among these impacts are changes in college attendance, academic performance, student experience, and persistence. The experiences of University of Minnesota students reflect national trends and these shifts have direct consequences for institutional goals and commitments around equity and student success. Institutional data on enrollments and student success on the Twin Cities campus will be presented and placed in state and national context.

Presentation Materials

• Peter Radcliffe, Director of Undergraduate Analytics | Office of Undergraduate Education & Institutional Analysis

With the goal to address the rising mental health and basic needs concerns of students, CFANS developed the newly designed CFANS Wellness Navigator role. This new role serves as a liaison between CFANS academic advising and various on- and off- campus units to get students connected to the resources they need, when they need it. Session attendees will learn more about the development of this role, the overall goals, and the impact it has had thus far on students and advisors as it works to create a CFANS community of care.

Presentation Materials

• Rose Simon, CFANS Wellness Navigator | CFANS Academic Advising
• Gina Brewington, CFANS Director of Academic Advising | CFANS Academic Advising

There is a need to address disparities in the underrepresented minority (URM) STEM students’ degree attainment and retention, vs. their counterparts. URM STEM students face barriers related to demographic, academic, and social-cognitive factors. The Louis Stokes North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA) has been addressing these factors and promoting URM student success in STEM disciplines for over 15 years. The current study investigates factors influencing URM STEM students’ retention and graduation, investigates LS-NSSA program effectiveness, and investigates the paths (i.e., academic integration and social integration) by which outcomes are achieved. A theory-based evaluation approach is utilized in a mixed-methods design guided by LS-NSSA’s theory of change. The results of three sub-studies suggest the importance of first-semester experience and academic outcomes for URM STEM students’ graduation and retention. Participation in LS-NSSA is associated with a higher level of first-year retention, compared to URM students not affiliated with the program. In addition, URM STEM students participating in LS-NSSA’s research mentorship programs have higher levels of confidence, interest, science identity, sense of belonging, and commitment to STEM. The current study offers evidence supporting LS-NSSA’s theory of change and informs on-campus practices of similar commitments.

Presentation Materials

• Yue Zhang, Internal Evaluator | The North Star STEM Alliance
• Simone Gbolo, Interim Director | The North Star STEM Alliance
• Keisha Varma, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator | Educational Psychology

In this session, participants will learn about and experience an activity called Describe, Analyze, Evaluate (DAE). The DAE is a framework for practicing one’s ability to ‘frame-shift," that is, to understand a situation from another’s point of view. This involves cultivating a critical skill-set and attitudes for interacting effectively across differences. Nam and Condon (2010) explain, this “exercise is intended to foster self-awareness of personal and cultural assumptions, promote the appreciation of cognitive complexity, and the importance of frame-shifting when encountering the unfamiliar” (p. 81).

Presentation Materials

• Ann Smith, Education Program Specialist | GPS Alliance

Listening to new international student voices is core to developing inclusive strategies for supporting their transition to the University and their overall academic success. Join us as we explore their experiences through current research, institutional data and a student panel.

Presentation Materials

• Beth Isensee, Assistant Director | International Student and Scholar Services
• Marina Uehara, Program Director for Student Engagement | International Student and Scholar Services
• Alex Cleberg, Intercultural Trainer | International Student and Scholar Services

Powerpoint presentation covering: Situated within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota (UMN), a predominately White institution (PWI), the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Advising (MLK) and President’s Emerging Scholars (PES) programs intentionally center FYE curriculum and programming on racial justice and equity. Both programs support high achieving, first-generation college, and underserved students with a holistic model of learning, instruction, advising, and leadership. MLK & PES programming, curriculum, and instruction foster an active and engaged citizenship lens with a shared equity leadership mindset in the first years of college in an effort to address systemic inequities on campus and beyond.

Recognizing the historical and exclusionary practices of higher education, specifically PWIs; practices, policies, and curriculum must be transformed in order to serve an increasingly diverse student population. MLK (MLK 1001 & 1002) and PES (CLA 1005 & 2005 ) FYE courses address this syndemic of individual, interpersonal, systemic, and institutional dynamics that synchronously occur on-campus and surrounding communities. By enlisting holistic identity development models (i.e. cultural wealth model, funds of knowledge) and exploring intersecting concepts of interculturalism and counternarratives relative to social justice, self-empowerment and self-agency.

Presentation Materials

• Evan Johnson, Senior Academic Advisor | Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Program
• Mayzong Lee, Academic Advisor | Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Program
• Oscar Diaz, Academic Advisor | CLA President's Emerging Scholars Program
• Quinn Portilla, Senior Academic Advisor | CLA President's Emerging Scholars Program

This moderated panel discussion engages undergraduate student leaders currently advancing the work of student success in the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence & Circle of Indigenous Nations. The discussion will focus on their individual perspectives and experiences working toward “success” on campus and what they believe are important considerations for campus leaders to know about student success, today. All questions will be prepared ahead of time with the opportunity for audience members to contribute questions as appropriate and as time allows.

Presentation Materials

• Fernie Rodriguez, Director | Circle of Indigenous Nations & Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence

Our poster presentation seeks to compare the transfer student experience to that of the first year students by evaluating data collected by the Analytics Team in the Office of Student Experience from 4 surveys in Fall ‘22. Currently, transfer student retention rates are lower than those for first year students, at 81.8% compared to 88.2% in 2021 respectively*, which is a cause for concern. Through our poster, we will analyze the students’ sense of belonging and comfortability engaging in the classroom, as well as how valued they feel as individuals. We will also explore how well transfer students know University resources and whether they feel comfortable handling their finances, finding off campus housing, and meeting their nutritional needs. The data from this presentation will help gauge if and how transfer students need to be more supported as a group as they transition into the University, specifically the College of Liberal Arts.

*From Institutional Data and Research UMN

Presentation Materials

• Isha Mody, Undergraduate Student & Director | Analytics Team, Office of Student Experience
• Kailey Dicks, Undergraduate Student & Team Leader | Analytics Team, Office of Student Experience
• Leo Goldblatt, Undergraduate Student & Team Leader | Analytics Team, Office of Student Experience

Can data analytics help me find potential leavers? How do I know which students might need more help to succeed at the U? The Student Success Analytics (SSA) initiative’s mission is to positively affect and support student success throughout the University of Minnesota by understanding and utilizing data and analytics. This effort has involved the creation of a near-term persistence model to help identify potential leavers. This model helps academic and student success professionals prioritize short-term outreach and other initiatives for students who are less likely to persist into the next academic term. This presentation will "look under the hood" at how this model works, and how these predictions can be leveraged in the day-to-day workflows of University staff. We will also open up conversation on additional predictive opportunities to support longer-term outreach opportunities.

Presentation Materials

• John Burczek Dreier, Student Data & Analytics | Office of Undergraduate Education, Academic Support Resources
• Alison Link, Student Data & Analytics | Academic Support Resources
• Nate Meath, Student Data & Analytics | Academic Support Resources
• Pa Thao, Student Data & Analytics | Academic Support Resources
• Bayram Tokayev, Student Data & Analytics | Academic Support Resources

Many undergraduates who attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities are interested in getting started with faculty-sponsored research….even if they aren’t entirely sure what that means. Getting started can be overwhelming. The UMN Libraries-Twin Cities, along with campus partners, like the Office of Undergraduate Research, have been trying new ways to support students on the first steps of their research journeys.  Undergraduate research is one of the high impact practices and in the recent report, “The Equity/Excellence Imperative: A 2030 Blueprint for Undergraduate Education at U.S. Research Universities,” institutions are urged to ensure high impact practices are accessible to all students. It is in this context that the Libraries work to help undergraduates, from all colleges and backgrounds, to learn about available research options (e.g. job, volunteer, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, course credit, etc.), offer guidance on the process of finding a faculty mentor, help students to gain skills (and the confidence needed) to take the first steps, and ultimately decide whether and how to pursue undergraduate research. In this session, learn more about the challenges students face, existing services and programs and how you can support students in taking their first steps in undergraduate research.

Presentation Materials

• Kate Peterson, Undergraduate Services Librarian | UMN Libraries - Twin Cities
• Lacie McMillin, Undergraduate Outreach Coordinator | UMN Libraries - Twin Cities
• Kat Nelsen, Social Sciences Librarian | UMN Libraries - Twin Cities
• Kim Clarke, Social Sciences Librarian | UMN Libraries - Twin Cities

The presentation method will be lecture-style with time for discussion and Q&A. First we look to explore how  high school counselors and community based organizations are supporting students in their college going process and what that looks like for different sectors of students (urban, rural, suburban, private, & public). We will share some background of our freshman recruitment unit and how our teams interface with prospective students in the enrollment funnel. Finally, we will outline how partnerships are utilized in the admissions cycle and opportunities for expansion. Strong partnerships with organizations and individuals who support college access and the college search process are imperative to our success as an institution in successfully recruiting, enrolling, and retaining college students today.

Presentation Materials

• Kenzie Drexler, Assistant Director of College Access & Community Partnerships | Office of Admissions
• Maria Bakken, Associate Director of Recruitment | Office of Admissions

Part 1: Attendees' Ideas 
Attendees will be primed to think about student mental health without regard for role-based or institutional limitations. A high-level overview of design thinking will be given and attendees will be asked to rapidly (and anonymously) generate multiple ideas using a design thinking exercise. All ideas will go through a second round of “voting” to identify viable or unique potential solutions.

Part 2: Students' Ideas 
In Spring 22 and Fall 22, Success Over Stress students responded to the prompt, “describe one change your school or program could make to better support or foster positive student mental wellbeing.” Over 700 responses were collected, de-identified, and will be synthesized prior to the presentation to present themes. The session will wrap up with a discussion about where attendee ideas and student ideas differ and overlap. 

Presentation Materials

• Sarah Keene, Instructor, PubH 1001: Success Over Stress | School of Public Health

The presenters will highlight how each of them utilizes the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey results in their respective area. The presenters will begin their presentation focusing on the University-level, then transition to a collegiate perspective, and then to a specific focus area within a college. Each presenter will provide examples from their work on how the SERU results are analyzed, and how they have used the results as part of their continuous improvement process. This presentation is meant to serve as an example of how SERU results can be used in a variety of ways across the University. 

Presentation Materials

• Steven Hawks, Director of Undergraduate Assessment | Office of Undergraduate Education
• Nikki Letawsky Shultz, Assistant Dean | College of Biological Sciences
• Nick Wallace, Assistant Dean | Carlson School of Management

Non-binary students are faced with a number of challenging decision points on a daily basis, including in their journey as a student. Whether it is deciding if they will share their pronouns with peers and residence life staff in the residence halls, deciding whether or not to share their identity in interviews for jobs/internships/scholarships, or many other scenarios. This session will provide some definitions, points for reflection on your unit and yourself, and highlight the many ways that gender/pronouns may show up in the life of a student, while providing recommendations for helping your students to navigate these scenarios.

Presentation Materials

• Veronika Paprocka, Academic Advisor | Carlson School of Management
• Forest Clarke, Assistant Director for Career Development | College of Biological Sciences

Transitioning into a US higher education system can be very challenging for many international undergraduate students. Culture shock, visa regulations, new teaching methods, and loneliness all impact academic success. Some international undergraduate students are so deeply impacted by these challenges that they do very poorly in their classes and are subsequently placed on academic probation. Navigating academic probation can be very challenging and difficult for some students. From trying to understand the college requirements to understanding what negative consequences it could potentially have on their student visa status. From looking for the appropriate support services to effectively managing time. From feeling a sense of failure and shame to dealing with parents and guardians that might not be fully supportive. All these increase the level of pressure that these students feel when they are placed on academic probation. International Students and Scholar Services (ISSS) developed the Academic Counseling program to help support these international students navigating academic probation and other academic challenges. This presentation describes how the Academic Counseling program is structured, identifying key campus partners, best practice when working with international undergraduate students on academic probation, and recommendations for academic advisers.

Reference Materials

• Andrea Barnwell, Academic and Funding International Counselor | International Student and Scholar Services
• Alisa Eland, Associate Director, Head of Advising and Counseling | International Student and Scholar Services

Student Panel

• Ahmed Al Raisi
• Sanghamitra Pal

Attend this session as we pull back the curtain to understand the Twin Cities campus approach to student success and retention efforts. We will discuss how we leverage data to elevate students in need, remove institutional barriers, and enhance the student experiences. Examples of programs, outreach efforts and on-going initiatives will be shared.

Reference Materials

• Beth Lingren Clark, Associate Vice Provost | Office of Undergraduate Education
• LeeAnn Melin, Associate Vice Provost for Student Success | Office of Undergraduate Education

In this session participants will learn more about who our transfer students are, current transfer student resources and initiatives, how to identify gaps in transfer student support, and steps they can take to support transfer student success. Attendees will also spend time reflecting on their current practices and identifying tangible next steps they can take in their roles to advocate for and support transfer student success.

Reference Materials

• Carmen Kurdziel, Associate Director for Student Support & Transitions | CLA Undergraduate Education
• Sarah Ihrig, Assistant Director, Transfer Student Experience | Office of Undergraduate Education

The University of Minnesota’s Pre-Health Student Resource Center created a system-wide Health Profession Task Force in October 2018 with the long term goal to diversify the health professions in the state of Minnesota. Out of this initiative, the Health Profession Pathways Program (Pathways) was established. For the past two years, the Pathways Program has partnered with the President’s Emerging Scholars program to support marginalized students on their path to a health profession. Currently, there are 36 enrolled students, all of whom  identify as either first-generation, low-income, rural, or students of color. Throughout the program, students receive tailored support to develop an individualized plan to explore, prepare, and apply to a health profession. Examples of these services include comprehensive support from Pathways staff, current health professional student coaches, tailored workshops and courses, connections to exclusive shadowing and volunteer opportunities, and access to a community of students with shared identities and interests. 

This session will share the many lessons learned in an effort to identify barriers and the strategies to eliminate them while building a flexible program to support a diverse group of pre-health students.

Reference Materials

• Kayla Cory, Health Profession Pathways Assistant Manager | Pre-Health Student Resource Center
• Fatima Omar, Health Profession Pathways Manager | Pre-Health Student Resource Center

Research suggests that a sense of belonging impacts student success and retention. But, having a sense of belonging is something that needs to be nurtured, especially in diverse spaces and across cultures. In doing this work, it is often helpful to better understand ourselves. In this workshop, you will be guided through a Language and Culture Mapping activity to reflect on your linguistic and cultural self. You will then have time to connect with colleagues to debrief the impact of the activity and brainstorm ways you might use the activity in each of your contexts to foster inclusive spaces.

Reference Materials

• LeeAnne Godfrey, ESL Teaching Specialist and Faculty Liaison | Minnesota English Language Program
• Ann Smith, Education Specialist | ISAI / GPS Alliance

Carlson Undergraduate Program’s Student Engagement & Career Development Team embraced life design concepts to help students build their college experience. Through implementation of the Design Your Life course, 1:1 Engagement Coaching, and co-curricular programming, undergraduates are learning to start where they are, prototype, and try stuff. Attendees of this interactive session will gain an overview of Life Design, hear how it has been leveraged to help Carlson students connect and explore, and gain ideas for bringing life design to their own student engagement work.

Reference Materials

• Lisa Novack, Director of Student Engagement & Career Development | Carlson School of Management Undergraduate Program
• Zain Olson, Student Transition Coordinator | Carlson School of Management Undergraduate Program
• Caroline Quinn, Student Engagement Coordinator | Carlson School of Management Undergraduate Program

We are all aware of the high cost of textbooks and the barriers such expenditures can present, particularly to low-income students and those from underrepresented backgrounds. An alternative model is possible through Open Educational Resources (OER). OER refers to a diverse range of openly-licensed instructional materials, including textbooks. Research indicates that students using OER achieve equal or greater academic success compared to traditional textbooks due to guaranteed day-one course material access, and students and instructors consistently rate the quality of OER texts to be equivalent to commercial textbooks with added advantages. Instructors embracing open course materials can expand the types of learning possible in the classroom and online, as ideas like Open Pedagogy encourage student contributions to dynamic and persistent scholarly products. In this session members from University Libraries Course Materials Services will discuss OER, the opportunities of "Open," and the ongoing work to incentivize and support OER adoption and creation through the launch of Partnership for Affordable Learning Materials (PALM) grants, which award up to $10,000 to individuals and departments that develop no-cost courses.

Reference Materials

• Micah Gjeltema, Open Education & Affordable Content Librarian | University Libraries
• Shane Nackerud, Director, Course Materials Services | University Libraries

Although it cannot be argued that we receive validation when we achieve success in our academic performance, however this validation is often external vs internal. What is that "success" and how did it become defined? What happens when this “success” doesn’t happen to expectations? What does the student lose? As professionals, are we enabling this toxic self-worth through our communication? These questions will be examined during this presentation. Participants will learn how to effectively work with students who base their self-worth on their academic performance and lose sight of their internal validation. National and local data based on self-efficacy, self-esteem and academic performance will be shared. Group discussions on how this topic is experienced at the UMN will be discussed. We will examine strategies by focusing on how we communicate, utilize positive psychology methodologies, and learn tangible tools that can be utilized to empower students. 

Reference Materials

• Natasha Bellefeuille, Senior Academic Advisor | College of Biological Sciences

Our presentation will focus on how to holistically support our students who need to take chemistry for their degree or future endeavors. Utilizing Perry's Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development (1968) and Baxter Magolda's Learning Partnerships Model (2001) we will ask and unpack the following questions:

• How can office hours help our students? 
• Can advisors help alleviate student concerns or issues?
• How can we demystify the idea of office hours? 
• Any questions staff might have for faculty?

Reference Materials

• Tony Och, Senior Academic Advisor | College of Biological Services Student Services
• Dr. Angela Perkins, Associate Professor | Chemistry