In last month’s column, I shared information about Dalton State College’s recent accreditation review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Part of the reaffirmation process required for all institutions includes the development of a project to improve student success. In preparation for Dalton State’s reaffirmation of accreditation, a team of faculty and staff developed the PACE program.
PACE stands for Perspectives, Advising, Campus Resources and Engagement.
Perspectives courses:
Perspectives courses are designed for first-year students to help them acclimate to college life. Courses are taught by experienced faculty who combine a variety of basic information all first-year college students should know with a subject students are interested in exploring. Examples of Perspectives course themes range from teamwork to race in America to health and wellness. Alongside the themes, students are learning about foundational college skills such as time management, overcoming setbacks and how to utilize our library for research projects. These courses engage students in subjects interesting to them while developing competencies and connections for a successful college experience.
Academic advising:
Academic advising is critical for our students to chart their academic pathways from first-semester freshmen through graduation. The academic advisor helps ensure students do not take unnecessary classes and are on track to graduate when they plan. Advisors also counsel students if they consider changing their majors or need advice on managing a challenging class.
Campus resources:
Over the years, I have found the students most likely to need additional resources are least likely to use the resources offered by a college. An important part of our job is to increase student awareness of all the resources available to them at no additional cost. We must also help students understand it is normal to need assistance. Our students who are the first in their families to attend college often feel the need for these support services is a signal they are not college material. But college campuses offer these services across all sectors of institutions because we know college students need them. I remind students they have already paid for these resources, so they should get their money’s worth.
Engagement:
The final component of PACE is engagement and/or experiential learning. These two activities are intertwined. Countless research studies show students who are involved outside the college classroom are statistically much more likely to succeed academically and persist in college through graduation. Students involved in non-academic activities often develop more friendships and campus connections than students who only attend classes. And, students with connections outside the classroom are likely to receive support, encouragement and viable suggestions for how to resolve their challenges.
Experiential learning engages students outside the classroom and enhances the college education at Dalton State. Examples include paid or unpaid internships, campus work-study, undergraduate research, community service, etc.
These experiences are invaluable, especially when they are within the student’s career field, where the student can apply what they learn in their classes and gain hands-on experience before graduation.
Not only does experiential learning deepen a student’s understanding of the information in their related career field or area of interest, but it also helps them form additional connections and relationships that function like glue to help students stick with their classes when times get tough.
At Dalton State, we know all our students are academically capable of success. And yet they don’t all succeed.
Our ongoing goal is to decrease the gap between those who begin college and those who graduate. Stay tuned for updates on the success of our PACE program.