Group #3 Roundtable Discussion: Engagement and Discounted Dreams

October 8, 2007

Facilitator: Kerri Armstrong
Recorder: Huizhen Ren

Our discussion of “Engagement” was not only on Gatekeeper courses. It was kind of “Engagement” in general. However, most of the discussion were on the gatekeeper courses.

We started out from Question #1, but did not discuss the rest of the questions one by one by the order.

How do we define engagement?
Engagement involves both students and teachers. There should be active participation. Students should feel comfortable in class, want to participate and know the reality (What is expected, materials to be covered, etc.) There should be emotional connection.

Engagement involves all aspects of the College:
1. The College
Engagement should start before students begin their classes. They should receive respectful treatment from the services areas such as admissions and financial aid. The long lines and rude treatment from the services areas are disengaging.

Students should be taught how to navigate the system and receive adequate advising as how many courses to take and what to take.

The facilities of the College should also be engaging. Some buildings and facilities at the College need to be upgraded.

2. In the classroom
Teachers should let the students know that the class is a shared ownership between them by sharing information with students, letting students know the expectations and materials to be covered, and showing students the interrelationship of how what they are learning leads to the future.

Teacher should keep a balance of hand-holding and educating students to become independent thinkers.

Teachers can give students a survey in the first class to know factors which may affect students’ engagement or performance in class (such as, hours of working, family responsibilities, single parent,,) They can use their six hours to be mentors to help students instead of providing advising which they do not have a lot of knowledge about.


What do we do at CCP already to engage students in gatekeeper courses?

African American Men Book Club
CAP Literary Magazine
Student Clubs
ESL Magazine: New Visions
Teacher organized field trips

Suggestions:
Make the FOS (Freshmen Orientation Seminar) a mandatory course for every student.
Standardize the syllabus of gatekeeper courses.

Faculty teaching the Developmental courses should get training.

Custom services training should be provided to staff working at the services areas.

We can make a video of our students based on their experiences at the College to be shown to new students to get them prepared for the College.