Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) Caring Campus – Spring 2024 Newsletter

INSTITUTE FOR EVIDENCE-BASED CHANGE CARING CAMPUS

SPRING 2024 NEWSLETTER

TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE THE EXTRAORDINARY

and success for all students.

Texas A&M University – Kingsville staff learn how to create a culture of care on their campus to promote retention

A Message from the CEO

Dear Caring Campus Community,

We have seen tremendous work and dedication from our Caring Campus colleges and universities this year, with staff and faculty nationwide learning and implementing essential principles and tools to help establish cultures of care across their campuses and to help ensure that all of their students can achieve their goals.

With the launch of our two new innovative programs, the Caring Campus Network (CCN) and Caring Campus Academy (CCA), higher education institutions can bring their Caring Campus journeys to the next level.

The CCN is designed to connect Caring Campus institutions so that they can develop relationships and rapport that encourage the sharing of ideas and success stories, while the CCA seamlessly brings newly hired faculty and staff into the Caring Campus culture through a series of training sessions. These Caring Campus additions will help our colleges and universities continue to thrive and build upon the great Caring Campus work they are engaged in.

Keep an eye out for upcoming CCN and CCA webinars and roundtables that will spotlight successful Caring Campus implementation strategies and offer advice on how best to

integrate Caring Campus principles and tools into daily work.

As Caring Campus continues to make an impact on community college campuses across the country, demand for the program has begun reaching into the university sphere. Texas A&M University – Kingsville joined our Caring Campus family as our first university to adopt the program and the University of West Alabama is slated to begin their Caring Campus journey with us later in the year.

These additions and more would not be possible without the generous support and funding from ECMC Foundation and the Ascendium Education Group. We would like to thank all our current and past funders for their partnership in pursuing the vital mission of giving students a sense of belonging and connectedness. Your support has helped IEBC improve retention and persistence rates at numerous colleges and foster a sense of community that helps students succeed in higher education, and leaves a lasting impact on students, staff, and faculty alike.

Sincerely,

Brad C. Phillips, Ph.D. IEBC President/CEO

Los Angeles Pierce College Promotes Student Success Through Caring Campus

Los Angeles Pierce College is strengthening its culture of belonging for both students and staff by successfully implementing Caring Campus, which engages all educators in tactics and habits to create a more welcoming, connected environment, thereby improving student retention and success.

Caring Campus has put a magnifying glass up to our college not only in terms of our behavior and how we interact with students, but also to help us identify the gaps that exist amongst our team,” Pierce College Interim President Aracely Aguiar said. “Participating in the Caring Campus programs for both staff and faculty has helped us successfully hand off students from one area to another – from our classified staff on the front lines who help our students with big-picture items, to the faculty that interact with the students in the classroom daily.”

Pierce College, a campus with broad cultural and age diversity, focused first on implementing the Caring Campus program for all staff in spring 2022, prioritizing engagement for those who are the college’s earliest point of contact for students. The school then expanded Caring Campus to faculty, ensuring that Pierce College educators are equipped to create and support an ongoing culture of care.

“I think a real team and true Caring Campus is required to have a cohesiveness amongst everyone, and that sentiment gets picked up on by students,” Aguiar said. “Caring Campus has helped us become more intentional and responsive to the needs of our students and community members.”

Los Angeles Pierce College professionals have embraced the Caring Campus program, implementing several techniques to help strengthen student connectedness to the college.

Los Angeles Pierce College professionals de-stress and deepen connections while learning to make chunky blankets. Pierce College staff and faculty have both participated in Caring Campus, which has helped to establish a sense of community and comradery among employees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Ymgzc0zoY]

Texas A&M University

Kingsville Testimony

We were thrilled to welcome our first university, Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK), to the Caring Campus family this past winter, and are already impressed by the level of commitment the TAMUK staff has shown to establishing a campus-wide culture of care.

Our ‘north star’ at TAMUK is student success, and Caring Campus will help to ensure every aspect of our behaviors and attitudes align with this mission,” TAMUK President Dr. Robert Vela said. “Caring Campus will help us develop specific plans and priorities that staff and faculty can be all-in on to ensure students feel cared for and equipped to achieve their academic and personal goals.”

Watch Dr. Vela’s full testimony as he shares the importance of integrating Caring Campus into the university’s strategic plan, values, and mission so that students feel their school’s commitment to their wellbeing and success.

Caring Campus and Guided Pathways Create Impactful Student Experience for Diverse Learners

Caring Campus has been singled out by Dr. Robert Johnstone, a leading national voice for the Guided Pathways movement and founder of the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement, as a vital tool to help colleges and universities ensure their students feel valued and cared for on campus.

Caring Campus really goes hand-in-hand with Guided Pathways,” Dr. Johnstone said. “Caring Campus shows colleges they have the power and agency to act in ways that will make students feel valued and validated, which in turn helps students see the value in their education and helps them succeed.”

In Texas, Guided Pathways is known by the name Talent Strong Texas Pathways. Caring Campus Coach Dr. Martha Ellis helped design Talent Strong Texas Pathways in her role as senior pathway lead at the Texas Success Center, creating a framework to help improve student outcomes in higher education.

“Caring Campus brings a positivity to campus cultures that makes a huge impact at all institutions – from small, rural colleges, to the largest colleges in Texas,” Dr. Ellis said. “Caring Campus and Talent Strong Texas Pathways are married together beautifully to bring about both the policy, structural, and cultural changes that are necessary to help students thrive.”

Dr. Robert Johnstone, a leading national voice for the Guided Pathways movement and founder of the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement, cites Caring Campus as a vital tool to help colleges and universities ensure their students feel valued and cared for on campus.

Caring Campus Coach Dr. Martha Ellis (center) facilitates a Caring Campus session. In addition to her work with Caring Campus, Dr. Ellis coaches for and helped to design Talent Strong Texas Pathways.

Higher education institutions that participate in Caring Campus help students feel more connected to their college, which results in increased student retention, persistence, and success across all demographics.

Oakton College Case Study

During the academic year spanning fall 2022 to 2023, Oakton College conducted an analysis comparing students enrolled in a class integrating Caring Campus principles during their initial semester to those not enrolled in such a course. The data showed that there were significant increases in student persistence with the students enrolled in Caring Campus-centered classes.

Oakton College Fall 2022–2023 Persistence (PP = Caring Campus Persistence Project)

Asian Black LatinX White

Oakton College

Three Year Transfer and Graduation Rates – Fall 2017 Entering Cohort

Further data revealed that students enrolled in a class that incorporated Caring Campus principles in their first semester transferred and graduated from Oakton College at higher rates, emphasizing the sustainability and long-lasting effects of Caring Campus on student success.

Want to learn how your school can implement Caring Campus?

Contact IEBC Chief Operating Officer and Caring Campus Vice President Ken Sherwood at ksherwood@iebcnow.org to begin your Caring Campus journey today!