2022 Conference:
Are We Still HIP & Well???

Collaboration, Adaptability, and Global Internships: A Case Study

Megan Hull | Assistant Director – STAB

Breakout 1 – Room 202 | Collaborative Assignments and Projects; Diversity/Global Learning; Internships

The Sam M. Walton College of Business and the Office of Study Abroad at the University of Arkansas have collaborated on a signature international internship program. Hear about the planning process, current program, and future plans to support both in-person and virtual international work experiences.

Slides 202_Global Internships

Inclusive Practices for Fat Students

Magdalena Arroyo | Associate Trainer, Facilitator, and Consultant – IDEALS Institute
Amber Voigt | Academic Outreach Specialist – DVMC

Breakout 1 – Room 213 | Diversity/Global Learning; Wellness

In this session, participants will engage in meaningful dialogue on the topics of size-ism and inclusion for students at the University of Arkansas. The goal is to inform faculty and staff how size-ism ties to DEI campus objectives and how it hinders student inclusion. Presenters will share strategies and resources for programmatic/classroom implementation and further exploration.

Slides 213 Inclusive Practices for Fat Students (HIP)

Educate, Motivate, Collaborate: 5 Years of ROTH

Lauren Alter | Graduate Assistant, Marketing – UREC
Jordan Stroope | Graduate Assistant, Fitness – UREC
Sean Betts | Graduate Assistant, Outdoors – UREC

Breakout 1 – 215 | Capstone Courses and Projects; Collaborative Assignments and Projects; Common Intellectual Experiences; Service Learning, Community-Based Learning

Running of the Hogs 5k|10k just completed its 5th year on the U of A campus. This capstone project was envisioned by graduate assistants and staff from the department of University Recreation. The project’s overall charge is to collaborate on a major campus project/event that aids in graduate assistant development in the following areas: teamwork, partnership, campus community engagement, and focuses on health and wellness.

Student Employment as a High-Impact Practice

Kathryn Lammers | Instructor and Student Advocate – GRRT

Breakout 1 – Room 203 | Service Learning, Community-Based Learning

Student employment is closely related to recognized HIPs such as internships and service-learning opportunities. By creating high-impact work environments on campus through student reflection, effective supervisory feedback, and promoting campus belonging, employment practitioners can create impactful work environments that develop the whole student and address career readiness goals. Participants will learn how to design a work environment for student employees that promotes self-reflection, incorporates effective feedback processes into student employment programs, and develops employment environments that support student belonging on campus.

Slides 203 High-Impact Jobs

From Burnout to Flourishing: How to Deal with the Too-Muchness of Life

Asher Morgan | Assistant Director – UREC

Breakout 1 – Room 201 | Wellness

Learning how to live while feeling constantly overwhelmed. This session will unpack the factors that lead to burnout and how we can individually and collectively begin to heal them and then combat them in the future. The 3 goals of this session are to: Explain why fear based excellence leads to strain and burnout; Identify what leads to individual and community flourishing amidst burnout conditions; Describe a daily plan of action for mental health amidst burnout conditions.

Slides 201 HIP Burnout

Study Abroad and Service Learning as HIP

Matthew Ganio | Interim Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs – BCSS
Lisa Wood | Assistant Dean for Honors & International Programs – AFLS
Margaret Butcher | Teaching Assistant Professor – COMM
Timothy Yeager | Professor – FINN

Breakout 1 – Room 349 | Diversity/Global Learning; Service Learning, Community-Based Learning; Collaborative Assignments and Projects

Students from across the university collaborate in work and learning situations to enhance their global competency in community projects in Belize. Faculty members explore how students learn to navigate new problems and solutions in the many cultures of southern Belize and how these experiences help make students better prepared to take on the world.

Those attending this session will:

• discuss why a service learning study abroad experience can benefit students from many disciplines
• explore how to create their own service learning opportunity
• show how to build networks and community resources abroad

ePortfolios: From Course Projects to Capstones

Ryan Calabretta-Sajder | Associate Professor of Italian and Associate Director of Gender Studies – WLLC

Breakout 1 – Room 127 | Capstone Courses and Projects; Common Intellectual Experiences; Diversity/Global Learning;ePortfolios; Internships;Undergraduate Research; Collaborative Assignments and Projects; Service Learning, Community-Based Learning; Writing-Intensive Courses

This presentation considers the adoption of ePortfolios as an assessment tool within the Italian Program at the University of Arkansas. ePortfolios serve as a means for self-, peer-, and instructor evaluation and brings together a variety of HIP practices including collaborative courses and projects, common intellectual experiences, diversity/global learning, internships, service/community-based learning, undergraduate research, and writing-intensive courses.

Slides 127_ePortfolios- From Course Projects to Capstones

Integrating Collaborative Assignments & Projects into a Degree Curriculum (with Examples)

Karl Schubert | Professor of Practice, Assoc. Director for the Data Science Program – INEG

Breakout 2 – Room 324 | Collaborative Assignments and Projects; Capstone Courses and Projects; Common Intellectual Experiences; Multi-college Interdisciplinary; First-Year Seminars and Experiences; Writing-Intensive Courses

Designing and implementing high levels of HIP into your course(s) is excellent preparation for our students graduating to internships and to industry (and more!). We chose to start in the very first year, very first courses, and continuing on each semester building on their previous experiences with HIPs and stretching them with successive courses in a coordinated fashion. We are fortunate in that, as a collaboration of three colleges, we are able to provide diverse faculty who are able to bring their views, experiences, and focus areas to the program and provide their lenses to our Program. In this presentation and discussion, we will explore the concept, the design, the implementation, and the continuous improvement as we prepare for our third cohort.

Statistically Speaking: Preparing the Modern Student via Collaborative Research

Samantha Robinson | Teaching Assistant Professor – MASC

Breakout 2B – Room 201 | Collaborative Assignments and Projects; Undergraduate Research

Often times undergraduate students pursue majors outside of statistics. However, statistics will likely be utilized in their professional and academic careers e.g., business, journalism, medicine, etc. We can strengthen the skill set of any modern student by providing further statistical (or otherwise discipline-specific) education, especially to non-majors in our introductory courses. Working on collaborative research projects during and/or after the semester accomplishes this in a mutually beneficial manner, leading to more equity-minded and responsible data use by all. Topics for discussion will include advantages for the modern non-major, best practices for assigning and/or co-directing projects, and both pros and cons for educators.

Preparing Students for Wellness in the Workplace

Sarah Lueke | Teaching Assistant Professor – WCOB
Meline Schaffer | Teaching Assistant Professor – WCOB

Breakout 2 – Room 213 | Wellness

This presentation describes how the concepts of employee wellness and well-being are incorporated into two undergraduate management classes in the Walton College of Business. The importance of supporting employee wellness has been gaining attention in the workplace, especially as organizations were forced to quickly adapt to the pandemic and then determine how to best move forward as employees return to the workplace. As faculty, we want to provide our students with knowledge and skills that will allow them to effectively create and support a culture of wellness at work, both for themselves and their employees. We’ll explain our approach to laying the foundation for workplace wellness while our students are still in college so that they enter the workforce prepared to advocate for their own and other’s well- being at work.

Using Challenge Mindset for Career and Academic Decision Making

Erica Estes | Interim Executive Director of UA Career Development Center – Career Services

Breakout 2 – Room 127 | ePortfolios; Capstone Courses and Projects; Internships

What’s in the cards for your career? The Challenge mindset is an approach to academic and career exploration focused on finding societal challenges to tackle instead of limiting oneself to a major’s traditional career paths and ever-changing job titles. This interactive card sorting experience is designed to help students find a career path based on exciting, real-world challenges that go beyond majors and job titles. This presentation includes completing the Challenge Card Sort assessment & interactive activity and suggestions for ways to incorporate the assessment into classes and programs.

Building Campus Community Resilience with Social Capital and Everyday Communication

Kaleb Turner | Assistant Director of Communications – ARSC

Breakout 2A – Room 202 | Wellness

In the same way that traditionally conceptualized communities harness communication to build resilience, this research provides evidence that micro-communities, such as the university campus, have the same potential. In particular, this research investigated the role of social capital and everyday communication in campus community resilience capacities. Focus groups with students, faculty, and staff, as well as one-on-one semi-structured interviews with students, resulted in 557 pages of single-spaced transcripts that provided rich data to understand this community resilience context. The analysis uncovered findings across five research questions that demonstrated how the university community simultaneously affirmed and contradicted existing resilience frameworks as they worked toward bouncing forward into a new normal for their community. This presentation will highlight those affirmations and contradictions while outlining practical implications for the university community.

The On Campus Student Leadership Experience: Lead Hogs

Megan Witherspoon-Evans | Associate Director for Residence Education – University Housing
Thalita Da Silva Hotz | Coordinator for Residence Education – University Housing

Breakout 2 – Room 349 | First-Year Seminars and Experiences; Service Learning, Community-Based Learning; Learning Communities

Lead Hogs is a University Housing leadership development program offered to students who live on campus. This experience is made for students who are interested in learning about leadership and involvement opportunities. Lead Hogs is a great start for every college freshman to meet new friends from across campus, get engaged in leadership learning opportunities, and service projects. Often, Lead Hogs is the first step to a path of leadership roles and involvement, that students will experience as they continue their education at the University of Arkansas. Lead Hogs members meet weekly with their own residence hall group and once a month with the other Lead Hogs across campus. The following Student Leadership Competencies are the core of the Lead Hogs experience: learning and reasoning, self-awareness and development, group dynamics, civic responsibility, interpersonal interaction, communication, strategic planning, and personal behavior.

Navigating High Stakes Conversations

Lenea Patterson-Newcomb | Coordinator for Residence Education – University Housing
Jacki Lynch | Coordinator for Residence Education – University Housing

Breakout 2 – Room 215 | Common Intellectual Experiences; Wellness

Be it noise complaints, unresponsive group project members, or unhinged uncles at the holiday dinner party, we’ve all encountered conflict via those awkward conversations. Conflict management is a natural part of life, but how can we expect our students to master these skills without first reflecting on our own experiences with conflict? Attendees will be provided the space to think critically about how they naturally address conflict based on contextual factors like learned habits, societal expectations, and how their own identity impacts the way that they are seen and heard. We’ll discuss practical tools for initiating and receiving difficult conversations based on the presenters’ combined 8 years of experience in Residence Life, as well as techniques provided in the book Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler.

Wellness/UREC Transition

Asher Morgan | Assistant Director of UARK Wellness – UREC
Becky Todd | Asst Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Executive Director of University Recreation – UREC

Breakout 2B – Room 202 | Wellness

UARK Wellness has undergone an organizational transition to University Recreation. This session aims to outline key aspects of that transition as well as wellness goals moving forward.

Industry-Driven Current Issues Course: Team-Based, Rapid Insights-Ideation-Communication

Craig Schmitt | Teaching Assistant Professor – HHPR

Breakout 2A – Room 201 | Collaborative Assignments and Projects

Industry demands young professionals collaborate effectively in a team setting. Yet, many academic “team-based” exercises result in “semester-long” projects competed in the 11th hour by one/two of the more grade conscious team members. Thus, I designed a Sport Event Management elective course to provide students with condensed, team-based “challenges” presented by eleven industry partners providing feedback in real time. Each Monday was spent learning as a class about the case. On Wednesdays, teams (two graduate students/two undergraduates, shuffled 3x over the course of the semester) worked in class to identify insights and develop solutions/strategies. Each Friday via Zoom, students pitched ideas to the partner who engaged in dialogue regarding students’ ideas. A few of our partners (challenges) included LPGA (marketing to young people), Super Bowl LV (communication), AT&T Stadium (COVID strategies), Orange Bowl Committee (staff shortages), Miami Marlins (alternative wow moments), and Experience Fayetteville (weather).

Meet Yvonne: A Unique Approach to Online Student Orientation and Success

Patty Milner | Assistant Vice Provost for Student Outreach and Innovation – GLBL
Charini Urteaga | Instructional Designer – GLBL

Breakout 2 – Room 203 | First-Year Seminars and Experiences

The online student orientation team, consisting of professionals across Global Campus from a variety of professional backgrounds, came together to create a unique a orienting course for undergraduate online students that utilized best practices in first year experience, technology scaffolding and self-advocacy training to build set the groundwork for success for new online undergraduate students. In this session we will share the innovative situated learning course design which uses a fictional character who provides insight and support as a fellow student learning how to navigate and succeed in their academic program and the university community and our pathway from a single program pilot to full implementation for all online undergraduate students in one year.

Undercover Undergrad: Supporting Struggling Students By Becoming One

Brian Hurley | Assistant Director for Academic Engagement – GRRT

Breakout 3A – Room 201 | Common Intellectual Experiences

For years I have been trying to find ways to support students who struggle with introductory biology and chemistry courses. In the spring of 2022, I created a one-credit seminar for students currently retaking one of these course in which we read and discussed popular science literature, and also went over strategies and content from bio and chem. In addition, I also enrolled in Principles of Biology so I could experience the course firsthand. In this presentation, I will share what I learned from working with these students as their teacher in the seminar while simultaneously being their classmate. While there is no quick fix for students who struggle with these gateway courses, I believe this type of set up (taking courses along with the students we are assisting) can be a helpful model.

Cultivating a Sense of Belonging at the U of A

Lori Lander | Assistant Vice Chancellor of Campus Life/Associate Dean of Students – ADMN
Anthony DiNicola | Inclusion Liaison/Coordinator of Cultural Communities – DVMC

Breakout 3 – Room 324 | Diversity/Global Learning; Wellness

We all have a responsibility to cultivate a sense of belonging on campus for ourselves and each other, especially our students. We will share the findings from the spring 2022 belonging survey and dialogue circles along with the belonging action toolkit. Come learn how to build on our successes and meet the needs of our students today and tomorrow by learning about their stories and how to provide the framework for them to show up, engage, and take responsibility for their sense of belonging.

UREC Outdoors Inclusion Series: Impacting ALL Through Outdoor Recreation

Katherine Miller | Coordinator, Outdoors – UREC
Mike Hoover | Associate Director – UREC

Breakout 3A – Room 202 | Common Intellectual Experiences; Diversity/Global Learning; Wellness

UREC Outdoors, a program within University Recreation has partnered with the Multicultural Center to intentionally invite traditionally underserved communities to participate in outdoor recreation pursuits. These programs are based on the belief that natural spaces, parks, and the opportunity to recreate in the out-of-doors should exist equitably for all. Four programs have been offered since the series began that allow participants to choose between backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, and hiking. Each program is designed to invite a specific identity group within our campus community (e.g. BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Indigenous People). Join this session to learn more about the participant experience, program outcomes, and success of this partnership during its first year.

An Academic Essential for Your Students’ Future Career Success: Service Learning

Carrie Nelms | Faculty – COMM

Breakout 3 – Room 203 | Service Learning, Community-Based Learning

Service learning provides opportunities to learn by allowing students to apply their academic skills toward industry practices. When we provide our students the opportunity to combine academics with industry, we provide our students with transitional learning which has endless benefits toward their future career success. This overview will answer questions about service learning courses and show how to get started in transitioning a course to service learning. The benefits of service learning for underrepresented students at the University will also be discussed.

Insights from the DABA Student Success Plan

Shanda Hood | Teaching Assistant Professor – MASC
Nama Namakshi | Teaching Assistant Professor – MASC

Breakout 3B – Room 201 | First-Year Seminars and Experiences

Since July 2018, all incoming students at the University of Arkansas have been enrolled in an onboarding program called Destination Arkansas Blackboard Activities (DABA). One of the last activities students are asked to complete is a student success plan. Students are asked to provide answers to seven open-response questions regarding a variety of topics including goals, study habits, and strategies for optimizing health and wellness. The purpose of this plan is to help students to think about what they want to accomplish during their time at the University of Arkansas, to consider how they might achieve their goals, and to help connect the students with any available campus resources. We can learn about our students from reading their individual responses, including the importance of being proactive in reaching out and making connections.

HIP & Hop: A Springboard to Success

Katie Sabo | Senior Study Abroad Coordinator – GRAD/STAB
Madison Barnes | Study Abroad Coordinator – GRAD/STAB

Breakout 3 – Room 215 | Diversity/Global Learning;Internships; Service Learning, Community-Based Learning; Undergraduate Research; Study Abroad

In this session, presenters will discuss best practices for nurturing student success by leveraging short-term international experiences as a catalyst for longer-term programs, nationally competitive awards, or advanced degrees both domestic and abroad. We will examine case studies of University of Arkansas students and alumni who have used their study abroad experience as a springboard to further personal, academic, and professional achievement. Through study abroad, which by its very nature includes high-impact practices such as internships, research, and service-learning, students chart a course to advanced degrees, prestigious national and international opportunities, and employment.

HIP Maintenance: Helping Students Build on High-Impact Practices

Rebecca Nighswonger | Administrative Assistant III/Enrollment Manager – GRAD/STAB

Breakout 3B – Room 202 | Collaborative Assignments and Projects; Diversity/Global Learning; Internships; Study Abroad

This presentation will focus on the outcomes of providing work opportunities for returned study abroad students, specifically those who are historically underrepresented. It will look at leveraging student experiences such as study abroad into professional development through training returned students in program coordination, outreach, office management, customer service, and peer mentorship. We will look at data from prior student workers in our office and present some specific examples of students whose career trajectories changed because of studying abroad and working in the office mentoring other students. The presentation will also give a brief introduction and overview of the Office of Study Abroad & International Exchange’s new program of Study Abroad Student Ambassadors (SASA), which aims to expand the opportunities for returned study abroad students to engage in further professional development.

GELO is HIP: Exploring the UA General Education Learning Outcomes Assessment Project Data and Next Steps

Deborah Korth | Teaching Professor and Director of Fulbright Student Success – ARSC

Breakout 3 – Room 127 | ePortfolios; Capstones; Common Intellectual Experiences

In May 2018, the faculty senate approved eleven general education learning outcomes (GELO) that the faculty at the University of Arkansas expect all undergraduate students to master prior to graduation. (https://catalog.uark.edu/undergraduatecatalog/gened/generaleducation/) The purpose of the General Education Learning Outcomes Assessment Project is to ascertain the level in which the students are mastering these learning outcomes on a 0-4 point scale. This data will then be used to create the university’s report to the Higher Learning Commission. During the spring 2022 semester, this project focused on collecting the level of mastery for Learning Outcomes 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1. The focus of this presentation is to explain the steps used in collecting the GELO data in spring 2022, explore the data collected, and describe the next steps of the assessment project and beyond.

HHPR Student Experiences with New Special Olympics Program and Grant Writing

Angie Smith-Nix | Clinical Assistant Professor – HHPR/KINS K-12
Adam Keith | Senior Student – HHPR/KINS K-12
Landon Parker | Senior Student – HHPR/KINS K-12
McKenna Saul | Junior Student – HHPR/KINS K-12

Breakout 3 – Room 213 | Collaborative Assignments and Projects; Diversity/Global Learning

The students enrolled in PHED 3413: Administration in Physical Education had two great opportunities to work with leaders of Special Olympics Arkansas (SOAR), Fayetteville Education Association and the Walton Family Foundation. Special Olympics Arkansas released a new Special Olympics Young Athletes Program and the revised Unified Physical Education Program to increase their knowledge and confidence level for working with students with intellectual disabilities. The students participated in several Zoom training session with the Director and Educational Directors of SOAR and ultimately taught online classes to classes in Central Arkansas. Students learned about the new Educational Programs, received training materials and engaged in planning session with the Directors. While it was not the same as a face-to-face option, our students still had an opportunity to teach and engage with students via Zoom. Important lessons that our students gained went beyond the ideas of simply providing lesson plans and leading activities, they coordinated sequences of activities with a team, communicated clearly with the teachers and students as to the steps and cues for each activity, and ran a class via distance education. After the teaching experience, the Directors met and provided feedback about how meaningful the experience was for everyone involved. The students wrote a reflection paper and shared these with the directors. The best part of this class activity was that our students gained confidence in working with students with intellectual disabilities and how much the teachers and students in the school valued the experience. The Fayetteville Education Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation members scored the grants and provided thorough feedback with recommendations for future applications. While these were two intensive projects, students reported on the value of these opportunities, how they motivated them, and increased their willingness to connect with related outside organizations in their communities.

Writing in Any Discipline: A Realistic Approach to Designing Writing-Intensive Courses

Dana Blair | Writing Studio Coordinator – SCCS
Michele Kilmer | Assistant Professor, DNP Projects Coordinator – EDUC/NURS

Breakout 3 – Room 349 | Capstone Courses and Projects; Writing-Intensive Courses; Interdepartmental Collaboration

Writing is a critical skill for both classroom learning and professional readiness, as writing is associated with improved critical thinking and analytical skills (Dowd et al. 2018). However, most curricula are already packed with course content, and students vary in their level of writing proficiency. Additionally, not all faculty are familiar with writing pedagogy practices. Given these legitimate concerns, how can faculty design successful writing-intensive courses?

This presentation and Q&A session will provide a proven framework for intentionally incorporating writing into university curricula. Collaborators from the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing and the Writing Studio will detail the process of designing and implementing their successful Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) initiative for Doctor of Nursing Practice courses and the program’s capstone project. The WAC format can be adapted for any program, online or in-person, and will be useful to any faculty member hoping to improve student writing outcomes.

Reducing Math Anxiety and Increasing Math Self-Efficacy

Shanda Hood | Teaching Assistant Professor – MASC
Joshua Girshner | Instructor – MASC

Poster Presentation

Math anxiety is the feeling of nervousness or fear that can create difficulty in learning or doing mathematics. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between math anxiety and math achievement. In an 8-week online course, students studied topics including math anxiety, mindset, and memory formation. These students completed a video presentation describing a real-world application of mathematics. Hence, they examined root causes of their math anxiety, strategies for dealing with these negative feelings, and explored mathematics applications. A comparison of pre- and post-course MSEAQ results showed an increase in reported self-efficacy regarding mathematics.

So, How HIP Are We? NSSE Insights

Alice Griffin | Director of Curriculum Review and Program Assessment – PROV

Poster Presentation

The National Survey of Student Engagement asks participants about their involvement in six HIPs, including service learning, learning community, research with faculty, internships, study abroad, and the culminating senior experience. This poster session is designed to provide specific information on how U of A students participate in these life changing activities.

Educational Technique: A Modular Approach to Interprofessional Concussion Education and Assessment for Athletic Training and Nursing Students

Elizabeth Parke | Teaching Clinical Assistant and Clinical Education Coordinator – HHPR

Poster Presentation

Given the on-going complexity of concussion management and the need for inter-professional collaboration, inter-professional education has been more necessary for those managing a concussion case. This inter-professional event was developed to increase and apply knowledge of professional roles and use a collaborative process to create a plan of care for a patient with a concussion. This IPE event used a modular approach by which athletic training and registered nursing students participated in two educational modules. An unfolding case scenario was used to increase the fidelity of this experience and included the engagement of various stakeholders invested in the patient outcomes. Upon the completion of the event, students reported an increase in awareness of their own professional role and the role of the other team members in concussion management.

Embedding Feedback in Student Employment Programs

Kathryn Lammers | Instructor and Student Advocate – GRRT
Danielle Dunn | Director for Operations and Early Action – GRRT
Erin Slayton | Graduate Assistant
Mia Moulden | Graduate Assistant

Poster Presentation

Feedback and reflection are essential tenets of High-Impact Practices. Campus employment provides opportunities for students to receive performance feedback in a developmental environment. Additionally, adding mentoring or coaching practices to the supervisory repertoire allows students to make cross-curricular connections and consider personal values, career goals, and future aspirations.

Changing Pace and Recognizing Relationships: The Pandemic and Beyond

Carole Shook | Teaching Assistant Professor – ISYS

Poster Presentation

With the variety of ways that classes are taught since Covid-19 disrupted college education, it has become more difficult for professors and students to create relationships and common intellectual experiences. Connections with faculty create better academic results for students (Rimm-Kaufman and Sandilos, 2010). Students need engagements with faculty to promote students’ deeper thinking (Sparks, 2019). Suggestions included in this session relate to the use of gathering more information from students and using class time to ask questions on how students are doing or about things students like. Creating connections can be achieved through costumes, messages that show personality, games, and additional detail and reminders in weekly emails. When the professor opens-up this creates an opportunity for students to reciprocate. The poster will discuss how to achieve common intellectual experiences through these techniques and how to continue creating relationships in a post-covid environment.

Some students actually want more work? Engaging over-prepared First-Year Engineering students

Aysa Galbraith | Teaching Associate Professor – ENGR
Leslie Massey | Instructor – ENGR

Poster Presentation

There are many efforts in College of Engineering and First-Year Engineering Program that focus on helping under-prepared students (those starting behind in the engineering math sequence), since students who are prepared mathematically for the rigors of the engineering curriculum are more successful during their first year than those who are not prepared. However, it is important to provide enough mental stimulation during the first year for these prepared (or over-prepared) students to keep them interested and engaged in the engineering curriculum. Some of these advanced students are ready to move beyond what is typically covered in the introductory course and are eager to engage in research or innovation problem solving during this first year. The Honors Experience courses are offered for students who start their first year ahead of the eight-semester degree plan in math and give them the opportunity to be involved in hands-on research or innovation projects.

Adopt A Profs: Student and Faculty Interactions in the Residence Halls

Megan Witherspoon Evans | Associate Director for Residence Education – Housing
Thalita Da Silva Hotz | Coordinator for Residence Education Hotz Hall – Housing

Poster Presentation

University Housing’s Adopt-A-Prof program was designed to increase faculty and student interactions outside the classroom. As an honorary member of the community, the faculty members interact with the residents and staff on an informal but intentional level while be fully integrated into the life of the residence hall. This type of interaction helps to connect the academic pursuits of our students with their lives outside the classroom. Whether through a floor movie night, sponsored study break, or attending a Razorback sporting event together, faculty members gain the opportunity to serve as a mentor and share their own passions, perspectives, and expertise with the residents. Additionally, University Housing also hosts two Faculty In Residence who live in the residence hall and provide active engagement opportunities with the students.

Stepping up Strategies to Promote Student Success

Kathi Jogan | Instructor – ANSC

Poster Presentation

Building a work plan for long-term projects can help students learn how to approach a project and improve completion rates. Strategies implemented in an undergraduate research poster project included sharing time estimates and exemplars, peer-assessment, self-reflection exit tickets and cognitive wrapping of assignments. When the poster project was completed, students were asked to respond anonymously to questions pertaining to the strategies implemented. Students felt that the strategies incorporated were overwhelmingly beneficial. Final posters submitted by the students had less errors, were more professional and many posters were submitted before the deadline, with only 6% of the posters submitted late.

Student Success Liaisons: A Peer-to-peer Mentorship Program Focused on Diversity and Listening

Jackson Jennings | Assistant Director of STEAM Student Success, Clinical Assistant Professor – ARSC

Poster Presentation

This program, created in response to the George Floyd tragedy and the increasing tension and stress among marginalized students on campus, matched upper class peer mentors with freshmen who were identified by outreaches from the office of Student Success. Around 10 SSLs per semester were hired to mentor between 1 and 4 mentees throughout each semesters, for three semesters. SSLs were diverse in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, politics, etc., and their mentorship focused on listening to the needs and struggles of student mentees, which were then communicated directly to the ARSC Student Success office to help guide future student support strategies. Common issues included: stress/anxiety, mental health and wellness, time management and study habits, self-advocacy, sexuality, financial issues, and overall grit and overcoming the challenges of freshman life.

Belonging as a Skill Set

Michele Kleeman | Assistant Director for Residence Education – Housing

Poster Presentation

Belonging and shame find themselves on a spectrum. Shame is on one end belonging the other. In the university setting belonging is widely researched. However, it is not known how shame resilience effects a college’s students sense of belonging. This study tapped into shame resilience theory and self-authorship to start the conversation about shame resilience and its part in a student feeling they belong at an institution. The study looked at 23 female student leaders at one public four-year institution within San Jose, California. Respondents took part in a survey and four partook in an interview. In short, the respondents described shameful events and how shame created barriers to belonging. Respondents shared how their networks helped or hindered their ability to belong. The study helps start a conversation about how student affairs professionals should look at shame resilience as a skill set to teach students during their time in their institutions. Shame can be a powerful barrier between a student and their ability to graduate. Shame resilience can be a determining factor in a student’s ability to continue with a goal they set out.

Experiential Learning through a Fashionable Collaboration

Stephanie Hubert | Instructor – HESC
Jefferson Miller | Professor – AECT
Robert Saunders | Assistant Department Head – EE
Rachel Smith-Loerts | Instructor – ARCH

Poster Presentation

The ENCLOTHE fashion show is not only a way for students in the Bumpers College, Apparel Merchandising and Product Development (AMPD) program to showcase designs, it is a project that connects students from other departments and colleges across campus. This year’s show was presented at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and provided an experiential learning platform for students from AMPD, Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology (AECT), the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE), and the Architecture Department, as well as a student performance from the Music Department. Students from AMPD directed the show and created garments, AECT students joined in with projects in photography, article writing, and videography, students from architecture designed and built a backdrop for the event venue, and a garment collaboratively designed by AMPD and EE was shown on the runway. The project allowed students to communicate with others and showcase their talents, developing industry relevant skills.

Data from the Initial National Faculty Staff Health Assessment

Asher Morgan | Assistant Director of UARK Wellness – UREC

Poster Presentation

In the fall of 2021, UARK Wellness conducted the first ever National Faculty Staff Health Assessment through the American College Health Association. This poster will provide an overview of the data collected for faculty, staff, and graduate and teaching assistants as well as programming ideas and goals that are associated with this data.

Case Studies and Assignments for the Future of Data Science

Abby Willard | Research Assistant – Data Science

Poster Presentation

The Data Science Program at the University of Arkansas is the first of its kind in the state. With Data Science being an innovative and growing field with increasing importance, the Data Science for Arkansas (DS4A) ecosystem creates an environment of development for Data Science universities within the state. Creating case studies and assignments for participating programs within the DS4A ecosystem allows for ease of development and deployment of the Data Science curriculum through such “startup” material. Individual case studies are generally focused on introducing and strengthening the students to the elements of the Data Science process.