I love practical tips … and I love lists, especially short ones.
I couldn’t resist sharing this story from the Chronicle of Higher Education, which I’m constantly reading for grant ideas:
The 5 Tips for Student Success That a Longtime Instructor Swears By
The tips are from Tony Holland of the Alabama Community College System, a former dean of instruction who taught chemistry for almost 30 years. During the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in Dallas, Holland said his I-CAN approach (improvement, constant and never ending) increased associate degree completions by 67% and retention rates by 27%, with the greatest improvements shown by minority students.
Here’s the quick list, as they appeared in the Chronicle story:
1. Pass out course evaluations early in the semester
2. Set clear learning objectives for each unit
3. Create 10-minute videos for each objective
4. Give frequent quizzes, essays and group work
5. Provide early, intrusive interventions
What would you add to the list? I’d love to compile some tips from our own faculty. Even if you have just one excellent tip, please do share. Who knows … it might inspire your colleagues …. or an entire grant project. Email sseagle@virginiawestern.edu.
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.