November 1, 2017 Edition

2nd Annual Fresh Check Day

Fresh Check Day, an initiative aimed at raising awareness of mental illness and preventing suicide, will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Sculpture Garden at the Mendenhall Student Center.

ECU, in conjunction with the Jordan Porco Foundation, is one of three universities in North Carolina participating in Fresh Check Day this year. The Porco family started the foundation in 2011 following the death of their son Jordan due to suicide.

ECU was presented with the 2016 Outstanding Fresh Check Day Campus Award in March 2017, which goes to a college campus for their outstanding planning, promotion, implementation, outstanding engagement, impactful messaging at interactive booths, and high student attendance.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults between the ages of 15-24 in the United States. According to Centers for Disease Control, more than 2 million college students (out of 20 million total) contemplate suicide, and about 1.2 million high school students (out of 14.9 million total) attempt suicide each year. The numbers are frightening but a lot is being done to connect students to mental health resources so that they can get the help they need.

Fresh Check Day is a celebratory fair-like event that includes interactive expo booths, music, free food, exciting prizes and giveaways. Capitalizing on the research-supported peer-to-peer messaging model, Fresh Check Day utilizes peer groups to staff interactive booths that deliver mental health and resource messaging in a fun and engaging way.

Since the first Fresh Check Day in 2012, the Porco Foundation has connected with more than 75 colleges and universities nationwide to bring attention to mental health and suicide prevention.

The event is free to all ECU faculty, staff and students, with a rain location of the Student Recreation Center. Sponsors of ECU Fresh Check Day include the Center for Counseling and Student Development, Campus Recreation and Wellness, Campus Living, Student Activities Board, Student Government Association, Health P.I.R.A.T.E.S., Student Health and a host of other campus partners.

CLICK HERE for additional information about ECU’s Fresh Check Day.

Make a Difference Day

Article by Michael Abramowitz – Daily Reflector

“Community outreach projects occur throughout the year in Greenville and Pitt County, but Saturday was something different for ECU students Dedrick Dunton and Joshua Spears, who joined about 150 other students for an opportunity to live the university’s motto: To serve.

The students joined volunteers from across the country on Make A Difference Day, one of the largest annual nationwide days of service. Since 1992, volunteers and communities have come together on the special day of service to improve the lives of others. Make A Difference Day is supported nationally by USA Weekend magazine, the Arby’s Foundation and Points of Light.

The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at East Carolina University organized the students’ efforts. The organization collaborated with Operation InAsMuch, a network of 10 churches in the Greenville area working for community partners including Building Hope, Little Willie Center, the Pitt County Animal Shelter, RHA Howell Center and other service sites.”

Editing Your Annual Assessment Outcomes

Submitted by SA Assessment

After your outcomes assessment review feedback, it’s time to make the appropriate edits to your annual outcomes report.  Depending on your review, you may have one or a variety of areas in your report to make improvements.  This could include updates to the outcomes statement, means of assessment, criterion for success, actions taken, results, analysis of results and/or actions planned.  As you edit your outcomes, you can utilize the list of components below as a guiding checklist for each of these areas.

Outcome Statements: Student Learning, Program, or Strategic

• Describe key functions and/or services of the unit
• Utilize action verbs to clearly articulate measurable functions and/or services of the unit (e.g., support, implement, train)
• Avoid verbs not easily measured

An outcome statement includes the audience, behavior, activity, active verb, expectation and method.  Utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy for the active verb in your outcome.  A sample outcome:  Students (audience) who participate in (behavior) the alcohol program (activity) will be able to list (active verb) at least 3 out of 4 components of the responsible consumption method (expectation) as demonstrated by completing a post-program survey (method).

Means of Assessment

• Define a data collection method (i.e., annual report, surveys, audits, focus groups, document review)
• Describe the means of assessment with enough detail to show how it measures the outcome
• Attach relevant documents (i.e. protocol or instrument exemplars such as rubrics, blank survey forms)

Criterion for Success

• Describe the level of desired achievement for each means of assessment
• Should be set based on previous data or supported by the literature or, if new, a baseline should be collected

Actions Taken

• Summarize the actions (in the past tense) staff took to improve the outcome during the 2016-2017 academic year. Actions taken address the program or service improvements rather than the assessment process.
• Reference last year’s action plan and explain any modifications that were made.

Results

• Report data collected from the means of assessment by stating the results in terms of the criterion for success.
• Include specific quantitative (e.g. numbers or percentages) or qualitative (e.g. list of important themes) data

Analysis of Results

• Summarize the relationship between actions taken by staff to improve the outcome and the results (i.e., In staff’s professional judgment, did the actions taken improve, not improve or had no impact on the outcome?).
• Report staff’s interpretation of the results and identify any area(s) for further improvement or reinforcement.
• Attach appropriate documents to support results or analysis of results.
• If changing the outcome or means of assessment, explain the reason for the change.

Actions Planned

• Collaborate with staff to develop an action plan to address the identified area for improvement or reinforcement.
• Summarize the steps in the action plan that staff will take to improve the outcome in the 2017-2018 academic year.
• If changing the outcome or means of assessment, include a draft of the new item.

LGBT Resource Office

TRUE COLORS: WE ARE FAMILY

The exhibit, a partnership between the LGBT Resource Office and the School of Art and Design, was on display in Mendenhall Student Gallery for the month of October as part of LGBT History Month.  The exhibit included more than 30 people in 20 photographs that explored the meaning of family in the LGBT community.  Participants included students, staff, faculty, parents, grandparents, and close friends.  TRUE COLORS is made possible, in part, with support from the School of Art and Design, the Dean’s Office in the College of Fine Arts and Communications, and the Office of Equity and Diversity.

LOVE WINS – Annual LGBT Resource Office Fundraiser Saturday, October 14

LOVE WINS, the annual Fall fundraising event for the LGBT Priority Fund to benefit the LGBT Resource Office, was held Saturday, October 14.  Dinners were hosted in homes across Greenville and a dessert reception for all participants was held on campus in Harvey Hall.  More than 100 people attended the event which included a Silent Auction and live music by NuClear Twins.

The LOVE WINS logo emblazoned the Dowdy Ficklen Stadium jumbotron throughout the evening and presentations included the announcement of the winners of the Fall 2017 LGBT Legacy Project, an ongoing effort to collect the stories of the lives of LGBT students via the essay form.   Student recipients of the first-ever 2017/2018 scholarships for students from the LGBT Resource Office and student from the first-ever March 2017 LGBT Resource Office Alternative Break Experience shared their thanks and their reflections with the audience.  Dr. Jesse Peel, for whom the LGBT Center in the new student center will be named, discussed the importance of the Legacy Project and Dr. Erik Kneubuehl, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Involvement and Leadership, shared emcee duties with Mark Rasdorf, Associate Director for the LGBT Resource Office.  The evening raised more than $8,100 for the LGBT Priority Fund.

First-Generation College Celebration

First-generation students are defined broadly (neither parent has completed a four-year degree) or narrowly (neither parent has any postsecondary education).  With nearly one-third of freshman cohorts across the country designated first-generation, colleges and universities are building programs and resources specific to them and their needs.  ECU is no different.

According to the 2014 Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) survey, between one-third and one-half of all first-time, full-time students entering ECU in Fall 2014 would be considered first generation students. For example, 55% of respondents to BCSSE indicated that no parent/guardian had a bachelor’s degree or higher and 33% indicated no parent had any schooling beyond high school. (Note: The 2017 BCSSE was administered during this past summer orientation).

ECU is poised to continue intentional program for first-generation students and their families in order to address the challenges and needs of these students.  We begin by joining institutions around the country in celebrating first-generation college students, faculty, and staff on our campus.

Sponsored by NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AACU), and ECU’s Division of Student Affairs, the inaugural First-Generation College Celebration is being celebrated nationally on November 8, 2017.  As a first-generation administrator, faculty, staff, and/or student, we invite you to join us in celebration.

CLICK HERE to RSVP.

Career Services Hosts the 2017 Faculty Symposium

Submitted by Patrick Roberts, Career Services

On Wednesday, October 25, Career Services hosted over 100 faculty, staff and alumni panelists at the 2017 Faculty Symposium. This event focused on best practices by ECU faculty in making career-readiness a critical part of the classroom experience with consistently positive post-graduate outcomes for students while attracting employers who hire ECU graduates.  The program included a panel of alumni sharing specific examples of how their faculty impacted their career success.  In addition, Career Services and the Office of Institutional Planning, Assessment, and Research in partnership with Creative Services debuted the first destination data report for the 2015-2016 ECU graduates and unveiled ECU Impact initiative that provides information on ECU’s graduates’ employment outcomes within one year of graduation.

The ECU Impact launch included a graphic motion video, website with college specific career outcome reports and a link to a fully customizable dashboard for individualized reporting.

Some highlights of data include:

• 87% of ECU graduates indicated having employment or continuing their education by six months after graduation
• A 72% knowledge rate, 8% higher than the national average of similar size institutions
• 84% of employed graduates found employment prior to graduation or within 6 months of graduation
• 80% of employed graduates who used Career Services found a job within 6 months
• 8 out of 10 graduate would choose ECU again

“ECU Impact is the first step in telling our story of positive first destination outcomes and graduates’ career success to the nation,” said Leslie Rogers, interim director for ECU Career Services. “We are very proud of the work done to collect this valuable information and pleased to share with the campus community.  We believe this report will provide evidence of the value of an ECU degree to prospective students and their parents and boost ECU’s reputation nationally.”

The Faculty Symposium also featured a presentation of the first Faculty Impact Award to recipient, Brittany Thompson of the College of Fine Arts and Communication. This award recognized an outstanding faculty member who impacts student success through engagement in meaningful connections and collaborations with Career Services.  Each college within the university received one nomination and corporate sponsors for the award included Red Ventures and The Select Group.

For more information on ECU Impact and career outcomes of ECU graduates visit: firstdestination.ecu.edu

Student Affairs Making Headlines

• Willie Ehling, Jenny Gregory, Kristen Byrum, Courtney Johnson, Jalen Courts presented at NIRSA Region 2 in Ponte Verde, FL on Oct. 17th on “We Asked, They Said, We Are Closing the Loop and Communicating”.
• Lydia Hitchcock & Courtney Johnson presented the CRW Escape Room at the same NIRSA conference “Escaping the Norm of Wellness Programming”.

Student Success Conference – Call for Proposals

The Divisions of Academic and Student Affairs are sponsoring the 5thannual Student Success Conference on February 2, 2018 at the Mendenhall Student Center. The theme is “Focusing Your Lens on Success.” The purpose of the conference is to promote a sense of community among faculty, and staff that leads to opportunities for student success strategies for ECU Students.

The conference is designed to share, discuss and analyze strategies related to academic and personal growth in all student communities at ECU. These communities include, but are not limited to male students, first generation students, LGBT community, individuals with disabilities, International students, pre-professional students, athletes, transfer students, adult learners, veterans, foster care students, homeless students and any other community.

Proposals should focus on motivating factors that we can learn more about to then assist our students.

Conference Goals and Objectives:

• Become better informed about the learning environment for students at East Carolina University
• Broaden the campus conversation about data, strategies and information related to community support and student success
• Learn about advancement, involvement, barriers and performance of students at East Carolina University

Research Statement

“A college degree has replaced the high school diploma as a mainstay for economic self- sufficiency and responsible citizenship. In addition, earning a bachelor’s degree is linked to long- term cognitive, social, and economic benefits to individuals—benefits that are passed onto future generations, enhancing the quality of life of the families of college-educated persons, the communities in which they live, and the larger society.

Although many studies focus on persistence and baccalaureate degree attainment as the primary measures of student success, Braxton (2006) concluded that eight domains warrant attention: academic attainment, acquisition of general education, development of academic competence, development of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions, occupational attainment, preparation for adulthood and citizenship, personal accomplishments, and personal development. In their review of the literature conducted for the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative, Kuh et al. (2007) proposed that student success be defined broadly to include academic achievement, engagement in educationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, acquisition of desired knowledge, skills and competencies, persistence, attainment of educational objectives, and post-college performance. Student engagement represents both the time and energy students invest in educationally purposeful activities and the effort institutions de-vote to using effective educational practices.” (Kuh, 2001)

Request for Proposals:

Submissions for traditional presentations are invited on topics related to strategies for success and support for the various student communities that exist on college campuses.

Presentation (50 minutes)
Roundtable Discussion (50 minutes)
Panel Presentation (50 minutes)

The deadline for program submission is November 13, 2017. Send proposals to Turnerla@ecu.edu

Contact Dr. Lathan E. Turner, 737-5196 or turnerla@ecu.edu for additional information.

Unmasking the Effects of Student Engagement on First-Year College Grades and Persistence George D. Kuh,, Ty M. Cruce, Rick Shoup , Jillian Kinzie, Robert M. Gonyea,. The Journal of Higher Education, Volume 79, Number 5, September/October 2008, pp. 540-563 (Article)

Campus Living Room Decorating Contest

During the month of October Campus Living conducted a Best Decorated Room contest for students living on campus.  67 rooms (63 women and 3 men) entered the contest.  A winning room from each of the 16 residence halls was selected and posted to Facebook where followers were asked to “like” their favorite.  The room with the most “likes” were designated as the Best Decorated Room on campus and received a $200 bookstore voucher ($100 per roommate).  772 total votes were recorded.

Congratulations to Keely Gates and Kaylee White of Garrett Hall, who received the most votes in the contest.

Campus Recreation and Wellness

Peace.Love.Peace.Pirates Cure

The 10th Annual peace.love.pirates.cure Cancer Awareness Event was bigger and better than ever! Over 400 people participated in the event where they learned about various types of cancer, signs, symptoms, prevention, and survivorship. The first ever “Dunk Out Cancer” basketball dunk contest took place with over 10 participants. The climbing wall was opened for the first time during this event where participants could climb different routes based on certain types of cancer. Healthy food samples were provided by ECU Dining, Student Health Service Dietitians, Salsa A’Larita and Clean Eatz. The event was sponsored by CRW, SHS, and SGA.  For more information, CLICK HERE for the full story.

Pirate Invitational Lacrosse Tournament = Economic Impact

The 13th Annual Pirate Invitational Lacrosse Tournament recently took play at our North Recreational Complex from October 13th through the 15th with ECU Club Women’s Lacrosse & Club Men’s Lacrosse hosting. Each day of the tournament say an average of about 260 participants, with the 15th seeing a high of 414 participants. In total, The 13th Annual Pirate Invitational Lacrosse Tournament brought 781 people into the Greenville community for a total approximated monetary economic impact of $53,000. Despite great efforts from our Women’s Club Lacrosse Team and Men’s Club Lacrosse Team, the men’s bracket was won by North Carolina State University and the women’s bracket champion was Towson University.

Sophomore September

During the month of September, the Office of Student Transitions hosted weekly programs for native and incoming sophomore students. The goal of Sophomore September is to encourage sophomore students to stay engaged, to provide information to help them successfully transition to their sophomore year, and to introduce them to the Office of Student Transitions.

There were four information programs offered during the month of September.

• Sophomore Starbucks – Students interacted with other sophomore students, met staff from the Office of Student Transitions, and received information about the Career Fair, Veteran Services, PSAC and Study Abroad Opportunities.
• Riding the Wave to a Successful Sophomore Year- An information conference-type setting. Student attended various 30 minute concurrent presentation. Sessions included Confirming your Major led by Steven Asby, Developing Positive Personal and Professional Relationships with led by Tarrick Cox, International Exploration: Study Abroad Opportunities led by Amanda Sines, Planning Your Career led by Carol Woodruff and Jim Kraus, and Avoiding the Sophomore Slump led by Dr. Angela Marshall.
• Supermarket 101 – this was the 3rd annual presentation to of Supermarket 101. The purpose of the program is to introduce students to strategies for making healthy choices on a budget, provide tips on how to get the best bang for your buck, and what to look for when buying healthy. Students attended a 40 minute panel discussion with the Nutritionist from ARAMARK, Brandy Daniels from Office Campus Living, and Dr. Angela Marshall from the Office of Student Transitions. After the discussion 10 students were given the opportunity to attend Food Lion for a $50 healthy shopping experience.
• Consider This Sophomore Dinner – The Sophomore/Faculty Dinner provides an opportunity for students to interact with faculty, administrators and staff outside the classroom.  A leader in the ECU community shares their story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and staying the course. This year was the 6th year for the program and it continues to grow in numbers.