Hamilton College ALEX Program (Emerson Foundation) Report

ALEX Program

FRED L. EMERSON FOUNDATION PROGRESS REPORT — SPRING 2024

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Over the past 50 years, Hamilton has built a coordinated system of advising to support students in every aspect of their educational experience. From writing to speaking, exploring new cultures, and giving back to others, Hamilton mentors our students in myriad ways outside the classroom, enabling them to build lives that embrace “meaning, purpose, and active citizenship” — everything we hope for our leaders of tomorrow.

MISSION The community of professionals in ALEX works with faculty and staff across campus to ensure all students thrive at Hamilton. Cross-campus partnerships allow for a comprehensive and collaborative team to provide advising, academic support, and experiential and global learning for all.

Advise

Learn

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ALEX Advisors

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Health Professions

•

•

Opportunity Programs

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Student Fellowships

Language Center Oral Communication Center

EXperience •

Community Outreach

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Global Learning

Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center

• •

Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning Center

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Experiential Learning

Writing Center

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HISTORY OF

ALEX OFFICES

1969

OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS (OP)

1980

ARTHUR LEVITT PUBLIC AFFAIRS CENTER (LEVITT CENTER)

1980

HEALTH PROFESSIONS ADVISING

1980

ORAL COMMUNICATION CENTER (OCC)

1982

OCC

LANGUAGE CENTER

1987

WRITING CENTER (WC)

1990

QUANTITATIVE & SYMBOLIC REASONING CENTER (QSR)

1998

FELLOWSHIP ADVISING

2009

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM (COOP)

2013

GLOBAL LEARNING

2020

ALEX INITIATIVE

2021

ALEX ADVISORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

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Advise ALEX PROGRAM

Hamilton invests in student success by providing three advisors: faculty, career, and ALEX. Over the course of their time at Hamilton, students meet multiple advisors who will mentor them in specific areas.

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ALEX Advising

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Health Professions Advising

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Fellowship Office

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Opportunity Programs Advising

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Anna Duarte ’26 “ The ALEX advising team is a very important part, for me, of this Hamilton campus. I feel like I can trust my ALEX advisor with anything and she always finds a solution for any of my questions.

I have gone to my ALEX advisor multiple times over my past two years here and always leave feeling more secure about my track.”

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ADVISE TEAM

Aaron Ray Director of Opportunity Programs

Noelle Niznik Director of ALEX Advising

Brenda C. Davis Associate Director of Opportunity Programs

Courtney Hance Director of Health Professions Advising

Lisa Grimes Student Fellowship Coordinator

Bette Ecklund Educational and Supportive Services Coordinator of Opportunity Programs

Kevin Alexander ’13 ALEX Advisor

Hannah Stubley ’12 ALEX Advisor

Melissa Law-Penrose ALEX Advisor

Logan Lyons ALEX Advisor

Carly Martin ALEX Advisor

Nicolette Lamascola Opportunity Programs Office Support 5

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SUPP ORTING STUDENTS THROUGH

ADVISING — A Deeper Dive

ALEX ADVISING ALEX Advisors employ their specialized knowledge in Appreciative Advising to assist students in honing skills to tackle challenges. They also promote collaborations across campus to link students with resources, aiding them in navigating academic and social transitions throughout their time at Hamilton.

HEALTH PROFESSIONS ADVISING Health Professions Advising strategizes with and supports students in their pursuit of professional programs in the demanding academic and collegiate environment through 1:1 advising and collaborative programming.

THE FELLOWSHIP OFFICE The Fellowship Office works with current students of all years and recent alumni to identify nationally and internationally competitive opportunities that match their goals, and provides support in the application process through individual advising, group workshops, and interview preparation.

OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS ADVISING Opportunity Programs Advising takes a student-centered approach to academic and psychosocial support that serves the student holistically. Guided by evidencebased approaches to assessment, intervention, and attention to outcome data, OP staff meet students where they are and develop strategies based on the individual student’s strengths and needs.

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ALEX Advising What do students talk about with their ALEX advisors?

Derived from Compass Speednotes

OTHER

REFLECTION & CONNECTING THE DOTS

4% 20%

SKILL FACILITATION

43% CONNECTIONS TO CAMPUS PARTNERS •

Experiental Learning

•

Global Learning

•

Goal Setting

•

Time Management

• Academic &

Social Adjustment

33%

Percent of Class Engaged to Date

54%

70%

64%

Class of 2025

Class of 2026

Class of 2027

7

Fellowship Office

200 100

Student and alumni visits to discuss goals and related fellowship opportunities Applications submitted by individuals mentored through the process

Hamilton’s second

TRUMAN SCHOLAR

Hamilton’s first

UDALL SCHOLAR since 2008

Health Professions Advising

30+

Students and alumni advised through the medical and dental school application process which resulted in 27 completed applications and 22 acceptances

20

Small group information sessions for prospective Fulbright candidates

Spring ’24 Student Fellowships is administering a new award for international summer research

Collaborated with colleagues in Global Learning to offer workshops for the Gilman, Critical Language, Boren, and Freeman Asia Scholarships

75%

71%

Class of 2026 pre-health students advised in 2022-23 academic year

First and second year pre-health students created four-year plans

Opportunity Programs

8

100%

71%

91.4%

Retention Class of 2026

>3.0 GPA Spring 2023

Successful post-grad placement Class of 2023

Successfully launched a tutoring partnership with the QSR and the WC, leading to 1,678 hours of tutoring contact for students in OP

Learn ALEX PROGRAM

Students have access to a wide range of supportive on-campus resources and people as they explore their passions through the open curriculum and Hamilton's rigorous academic program.

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Writing Center

•

Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning Center

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Oral Communication Center

•

Language Center

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Ashley Beck ’26 “ Kevin Alexander from the ALEX program, Zack Schuman from the Levitt Center, and Amy Gaffney from the OCC have all had a really meaningful impact on me and my Hamilton experience. All three of them have really taken the time to listen to my personal and professional struggles. They have offered so many helpful resources, advice, and opportunities that have genuinely helped me in so many ways.”

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LEARN TEAM

Jennifer Ambrose Director of the NesbittJohnston Writing Center

Amy Gaffney Director of the Oral Communication Center

Mary Beth Helderle Director of Critical Language Program and Language Center

Jessica Kelly Director of the Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning Center

Laura Widman Assistant Director of the Writing Center and Multilingual Specialist

Rachel Martinie Language Center Coordinator and ALEX Technologist

Corrin Rosenstein Office Assistant of the Oral Communication Center

Riley Spellman Office Assistant of the Writing Center

Arshiya Arora Writing Center Fellow for Academic Belonging

Matt Hanrahan Office Assistant of the Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning Center

Meredith Wilf Social Science Empirical Research Specialist 11

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SUPP ORTING STUDENTS'

FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS

WRITING CENTER The Writing Center provides a recurring tutoring program to support ongoing development in writing while building student confidence and academic belonging.

QUANTITATIVE & SYMBOLIC REASONING CENTER The Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning Center offers tutoring in a variety of modalities in an effort to best meet the needs of all Hamilton students. These collaborative learning models have yielded a dramatic increase in usage.

ORAL COMMUNICATION CENTER The Oral Communication Center aims to develop students' abilities to express themselves with clarity and eloquence. Most recently, the center has added new programming supporting students speaking outside of the classroom for conference presentations.

OCC

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LANGUAGE CENTER The Language Center supports teaching and learning of languages by providing pedagogical and instructional technology support informed by current language acquisition theory and best practices. Most recently the center launched Curriculum Embedded Conversation Groups and was awarded a LITS [Library & IT Services] AI Microgrant in collaboration with language faculty.

Academic Resource Centers Unique students supported at Resource Centers

1,179 721 655 61

1,587

Total students served through tutoring

Oral Communication Center

Writing Center Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning Center Language Center

94%

82%

59%

69%

Class of 2026

Class of 2025

Class of 2024

Class of 2023

116 Peer Tutors

Research

48% Self-Identify as Multilingual

Research corroborates the relationship between selfconfidence in ability and academic outcomes. In fall 2022, the ARC (Academic Resource Centers) directors developed a system to collect student confidence data before and after each tutoring appointment. The data are tied to student demographic and appointment information, such as course level. This ongoing data collection helps us to understand the student experience of learning; we use it to adapt our tutoring models to better serve our community of learners and allow them to achieve their personal visions of academic success.

Cross-Campus Collaborations

The WC, QSR, and OP offices created a fellow for academic belonging position, which helps to maintain structures that support sustainable recurring tutoring models.

The OCC collaborated with the Levitt Center and the Office of Experiential Learning to support students’ public presentations culminating from students’ research grants.

The multilingual specialist supports students through direct tutoring, outreach, and program development involving all Academic Resource Centers, International Student Services, the Days-Massolo Center, and student input.

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Gabi De Mendonca Gomes ’25 “ Tutoring at the Writing Center and OCC has not just allowed me to get to know a broader range of students in the Hamilton community but also infused me with a deep appreciation for the process of individualized teaching and learning that I can provide as a peer tutor. I’ve become more empathetic, a better and more caring listener, and a stronger communicator of knowledge. I appreciate every opportunity I have to interact with other students.”

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Experience ALEX PROGRAM

Students can apply their learning through various programs and opportunities designed to enhance their knowledge and skills.

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Community Outreach and Opportunity Project

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Experiential Learning

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Global Learning

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Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center

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Natalie Peng ’26 “My ALEX advisor is one of my most used advisors. I meet with Noelle 2-3 times a semester to have update meetings and share my ambitions and goals. This is important to me because it keeps me accountable for my future endeavors.

She is able to provide me with feedback and resources to guide me in the right direction which is always appreciated.”

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EXPERIENCE TEAM

Carolyn North Assistant Dean of Global Learning

Maddie Carrera Director of Experiential Learning

Chris Willemsen Administrative Director of the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center

Amy James Director of the Community Outreach and Opportunity Project

Madeleine LaCotera Assistant Director of Global Learning

Yin Zhang Administrative Director of Asia Study Abroad

Zachary Schuman Assistant Director of Community Based Learning at the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center

Taylor Burdette Study Abroad Advisor & Senior Coordinator of the Hamilton in France Program

Kelsey Gillett Study Abroad Advisor & Senior Coordinator of the Hamilton in Spain Program

Rachael Clark Programming Coordinator of the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center

Wanda Fuess Academic Office Assistant of Global Learning and Mathematics

Christina Strong Office Assistant of the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center 17

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SUPP ORTING STUDENTS IN

EXPERIENTAL LEARNING

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND OPPORTUNITY PROJECT (COOP) Students participating in the Community Outreach and Opportunity Project explore a variety of programs focused on education, poverty, local refugee populations, and discussions with faculty, invited speakers, and alumni.

OFFICE OF EXPERIENTAL LEARNINIG The Office of Experiential Learning supports field trips, U.S.-based study away, the Emerson Foundation undergraduate research program, and the semester programs in New York City and Washington, D.C.

OFFICE OF GLOBAL LEARNING The Office of Global Learning promotes and supports study abroad, international research, international field trips, and related international academic activities for our students.

ARTHUR LEVITT PUBLIC AFFAIRS CENTER At the Levitt Center, students combine academic knowledge with practical skills to engage in public affairs through research, field studies, community-engaged classes, lectures, discussions, labs, and internships.

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COOP

360 18

Students participated in COOP-sponsored activities

Community Programs

Experiential Learning

1,262 19 47

Students went on field trips

Summer ’23 Emerson Foundation research students Students in NYC and D.C. semester programs

Global Learning

Levitt Center

68% 75% 46%

197 50

Percent of students engaged by year

Class of 2024

Faculty

Students

Class of 2025

Participated in Levitt-supported courses and programs

Class of 2026

THE LEVITT CENTER SUPPORTS 15 PROGRAMS IN

ALEX advisors collaborated with colleagues in Experiential Learning and Global Learning to offer weekly joint advising drop-in meetings for any off-campusbound students before applying

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Engaged Citizenship

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Public Philosophy

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Public Scholarship

•

Social Innovation

•

Transformational Leadership

328

Students studied off campus for at least a semester

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Edwin Mensah-Boateng ’25 “When it comes to the Opportunity Programs, I can only think of the amount of support and guidance that I have been fortunate to receive from all of the members involved. Whether it is Aaron Ray as my OP advisor, or it is Brenda Davis and Bette Ecklund giving me advice when I run into an issue, all I can think about is how willing and enthusiastic they were to assist me through a tough semester, some woes about college, or celebrate my successes and triumphs.”

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Please scan for more information about the ALEX program.