Hello, Cleveland!</h1> <article> <h1>Hello, Cleveland!</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:18:30 +0000</p> <span>Hello, Cleveland!</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-10-20T11:18:30-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 20, 2020 - 11:18">Tue, 10/20/2020 - 11:18</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Now an annual feature of orientation week, <a href="/dean-of-students/initiatives/connect-cleveland">Connect Cleveland</a> invites first-year students to visit Cleveland for a day of special programming and city exploration. Among the 800 students who participated this year were the newest class of conservatory students, who received a backstage tour of the Cleveland Orchestra’s Severance Hall and visited the Music Settlement, a center for music education and therapy. </p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Students were treated to a tour of Severance Hall, home of the Cleveland Orchestra. (photo courtesy Conservatory Communications)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Guided by <a href="/node/115086">Conservatory Peer Advising Leaders</a> (ConPALs), returning students who mentor small cohorts of conservatory first-years, the young musicians started their day at Severance Hall. They spent the morning touring the historic concert hall and administration facilities, learning about internship opportunities, and participating in a Q&A with Sarah Lamb, the orchestra’s manager of community engagement.</p> <p>After visiting the orchestra, the cohorts walked to Cleveland’s nearby Music Settlement, founded by Almeda Adams in 1912 with the mission to welcome recent immigrants. With campuses in the Cleveland neighborhoods of University Circle and Ohio City, the Music Settlement provides early childhood education, music education, and music therapy services to the Cleveland area. The new Obies were greeted by alumnus Matthew Charboneau ’02, chair of the center for music, and learned about music accessibility, student mentorship, and <a href="/node/4306">Winter Term</a> opportunities.</p> <p>Following a morning of music, the students headed to the Western Reserve Historical Society for lunch and spent the afternoon exploring the rest of University Circle—a cultural center that includes the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.</p> <p>After a long day in the city, the students headed back home to �鶹��Ƶ. The newfound connections to our near neighbor of Cleveland—or our ConPALs—doesn’t end here. Year-long ConPAL programming will continue with cohort dinners, workshops, and advising sessions. In addition to the annual orientation trip, �鶹��Ƶ’s Connect Cleveland Initiative sponsors Neighborhood Crawls and special-events bus trips throughout the year. And Cleveland’s arts organizations regularly provide free and low-cost student tickets to concerts throughout the concert season!</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-09-16T12:00:00Z">Mon, 09/16/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Conservatory Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ’s annual Connect Cleveland experience helps first-year students establish ties to the region.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2565">Orientation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2385">Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy Conservatory Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Builds Partnerships in Cleveland</h1> <p>anagy — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 15:56:45 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Builds Partnerships in Cleveland</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-09-05T11:56:45-04:00" title="Thursday, September 5, 2019 - 11:56">Thu, 09/05/2019 - 11:56</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ’s Connect Cleveland program returned for a second year on August 28, bringing more than 800 first-year students to the city for a day of discovery and service work during Orientation week.</p> <p>Connect Cleveland was initiated by President Carmen Twillie Ambar as a way to strengthen ties between the college and city. The daylong experience is an opportunity for the incoming class to learn about Cleveland and greater Northeast Ohio, meet �鶹��Ƶ alumni, and identify possibilities for future internships, community engagement, and employment. </p> <p>The event is organized by the <a href="/bcsl">Bonner Center</a>, which has partnered with 35 organizations throughout greater Cleveland. In the morning, students engaged in hands-on service work at sites such as MedWish International, Rid-All Green Partnership, Ohio City Farm, and the Children’s Museum of Cleveland. Students were divided into cohorts and participated in site visits and workshops at places including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, MetroHealth Medical Center, and the Somatic Center. </p> <h3>The value of partnerships</h3> <p>�鶹��Ƶ students “bring a special energy a genuine curiosity when they visit,” said Caley Haehn, volunteer program manager for MedWish International, a not-for-profit organization that repurposes discarded medical supplies and equipment to provide humanitarian aid in developing countries. “We believe it is important for young adults in Cleveland and surrounding areas to be cognizant of the local efforts that affect change both here in town and across the globe. We hope that exposure to local organizations during orientation encourages lasting partnerships.”</p> <p>The Children’s Museum stated that it values the importance of building partnerships that allow students to learn more about their communities, develop community engagement opportunities, and provide ways for students to strengthen their interpersonal skills in a real-world setting.</p> <p></p> <p>First-year Gabriela Castillo was part of a cohort that volunteered at MedWish International. An intended biology major from New York City, Castillo said she found it interesting to learn about various medical supplies. “It was really cool knowing that people were going to be receiving those things.”</p> <p>Solace Porter, a first-year from Guilford, Connecticut, volunteered at Rid-All Green Partnership, an urban farm that grows and distributes fresh produce to residents and area institutions. She echoed the sentiment of other students from the day who said they enjoyed being able to bond with their <a href="/dean-of-students/pal">Peer Advising Leadership</a> (PAL) group.</p> <p>“It was nice to work together with the people in my PAL program, and we got to tour the facilities.” While urban farming wasn’t necessarily related to her educational interests, Porter said “it did spark some interest in environmental studies.”</p> <p>In addition to Connect Cleveland, students had the opportunity to engage in service work in �鶹��Ƶ and surrounding communities as part of the <a href="/bcsl/programs/cei">Community Engagement Institute</a>, held this year on August 31.</p> <p>“There are not many institutions where you have multiple days of service through your orientation,” said President Ambar. “I think it says something about �鶹��Ƶ.” </p> <p>View pictures from the Connect Cleveland orientation in our <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/albums/72157710588748883">Flickr album</a>.</p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-09-05T12:00:00Z">Thu, 09/05/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Connect Cleveland immerses the Class of 2023 in the city’s culture through site visits, workshops, and hands-on service work.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2565">Orientation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2382">Community Service</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2381">Bonner Center</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students hang out in Wade Oval during the 2019 Connect Cleveland trip.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>First-Years Get Big Welcome to Cleveland</h1> <p>anagy — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 20:42:03 +0000</p> <span>First-Years Get Big Welcome to Cleveland</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-08-23T16:42:03-04:00" title="Friday, August 23, 2019 - 16:42">Fri, 08/23/2019 - 16:42</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ's Connect Cleveland orientation program returns for its second year on Wednesday, August 28. This daylong experience is an opportunity for the entire class of 2023 to learn about Cleveland and greater Northeast Ohio, meet �鶹��Ƶ alumni, and identify possibilities for future internships, service, and employment. In the morning, students will participate in service or visits to organizations throughout the city of Cleveland in small groups. Later in the day, the class will convene to explore the University Circle area.</p> <p>Connect Cleveland was initiated by President Carmen Ambar as a way to strengthen ties between the college and city. The intent is to show students early in their academic careers possibilities for internships, and help them get to know an urban center where they can find ways to effectively apply their liberal arts education to real-world challenges.</p> <p>Organized by the <a href="/bcsl">Bonner Center</a>, the Connect Cleveland program will bring more than 800 new students from the college and conservatory, along with nearly 100 peer advising leaders (PALs) from the college and Conservatory of Music, faculty members, and �鶹��Ƶ staff members to the city on August 28 to participate in a variety of service projects with a dozen organizations. The day also will include site visits, tours, and workshops across the city.</p> <p>“We are excited to be partnering with many of the same organizations we worked with last year while also building new relationships with organizations like the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland Print Room, MetroHealth, and the Somatic Center,” says Trecia Pottinger, director of the Bonner Center. </p> <h3>Service opportunities and workshops</h3> <p>Students will be divided into cohorts and led by <a href="/dean-of-students/pal">Peer Advising Leaders </a>(PAL) and <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/saa/con-pals">ConPAL</a> student leaders. Many will engage in hands-on service projects for a variety of organizations, including MedWish International, Ohio City Bike Co-Op, Refugee Response Ohio City Farm, and Rid-All Green Partnership.</p> <p>Students will visit a number of sites including the BOP STOP, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Ideastream, and MetroHealth, with workshops being hosted at ICA Art Conservation, Praxis Fiber Workshop, and the Somatic Center, among others. </p> <p>Pottinger says that some visits and workshops will be tailored to a selection of <a href="/arts-and-sciences/resources-and-support/first-year-seminar-program">first-year seminars</a> (FYS) requested by faculty members, while other sites present an opportunity to learn about Cleveland from the perspective of an organization. “This year we sought to deepen connections between the program and first-year seminars by inviting instructors to suggest sites that would complement their courses.”</p> <p>Examples of participating FYS courses include “The Sixth Extinction” (Cleveland Botanical Gardens); “Heroes and Villains” (Cleveland Public Library); “It’s Never Aliens” (Great Lakes Science Center); and “From Renaissance Anatomy to Modern Medicine” (MetroHealth).</p> <p>In recent years, the college has ramped up its engagement in Cleveland through its <a href="/node/123236">Cleveland Immersion Program</a> and other initiatives. The <a href="/bcsl/programs/bonner-scholars">Bonner Scholars Program</a> already works with several Cleveland partners during its annual spring break service trip, in which first-years participate in service and site visits and engage in cultural and social activities.</p> <p>“The college is working to more deeply embed this outing in Cleveland in future Orientation activities and tie it more directly to coursework students may pursue during their tenure at �鶹��Ƶ,” Ambar says. “I’m really excited about building on this work.”</p> <p>View a gallery of the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/sets/72157700478907534/">2018 Connect Cleveland Orientation</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-08-23T12:00:00Z">Fri, 08/23/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Connect Cleveland Orientation brings the �鶹��Ƶ class of 2023 to the city for a day of service work and exploration.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2565">Orientation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2381">Bonner Center</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students pose in front of an installation at Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art during the Connect Cleveland orientation in 2018.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jessica Ford</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>First-Years Make Cocurricular Connections in Cleveland</h1> <p>anagy — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 19:41:30 +0000</p> <span>First-Years Make Cocurricular Connections in Cleveland</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-10-03T15:41:30-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 3, 2018 - 15:41">Wed, 10/03/2018 - 15:41</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>On August 29, the entire incoming college and conservatory class spent the day in Cleveland as part of a brand new orientation program that aims to raise students’ awareness of professional and service-oriented opportunities in the city.</p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ College President Carmen Twillie Ambar introduced the “Connect Cleveland” orientation day with the intent of connecting new students to the city and strengthening ties between �鶹��Ƶ and the greater Northeast Ohio region.</p> <p>The program brought together approximately 850 students, divided into cohorts and led by their Peer Advising Leaders (PAL) and ConPAL leaders, as well as faculty and �鶹��Ƶ staff members. Throughout the day, they participated in a variety of service projects with more than a dozen organizations, toured cultural institutions, and engaged in workshops related to their First-Year Seminar Program (FYSP) coursework.</p> <p>Assistant Professor of Mathematics Lola Thompson coordinated a two-hour class at <a href="https://praxisfiberworkshop.com/" target="_blank">Praxis Fiber Workshop</a> for her first-year seminar, Form and Formula: the Interplay Between Mathematics and the Arts. Instructors taught the group how to use a wet felting technique to create three-dimensional ‘‘vessels’’ out of dyed sheep’s wool. Thompson says the process was complex and challenging, but they each completed a felted vessel to take home.</p> <p>“Many of us were not aware of how much time and effort it takes to repeatedly press the layers of wool,” Thompson says. “For a while, our vessels just looked like mounds of wet, soapy wool, but they seemed to magically come together at the end. We will be making lots of mathematically inspired artwork over the course of the semester, so I was very glad that my students had the opportunity to get their hands wet, literally, during orientation.’’</p> <p>Peer advising leader Khalid McCalla and his cohort visited <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VelsPurpleOasisGarden/" target="_blank">Vel’s Purple Oasis</a>, an urban farm, where they built a flower bed, planted flowers, and weeded the garden. Vel Scott, a long-time entrepreneur and community leader, gave a presentation about her background in nutrition and the history of black women as gardeners. McCalla says he heard nothing but positive feedback from his peers.</p> <p>“They found it to be really enriching in addition to it being a ton of fun and a great bonding experience,” says McCalla, a second-year from Atlanta. “I think the program was successful due to the effort that was made to link the sites with first-year seminars. This allowed first-years to connect with their experience in Cleveland on a more personal level.”</p> <p><a class="view-more" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/sets/72157700478907534/" target="_blank">View the photo gallery</a></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-09-11T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/11/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Connect Cleveland Orientation brings the �鶹��Ƶ Class of 2022 to the city for a day of service work and exploration.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2565">Orientation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2381">Bonner Center</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The Cleveland script sign at North Coast Harbor.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>New Orientation Program Helps Incoming Class Explore Opportunities in Cleveland</h1> <p>anagy — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 19:33:12 +0000</p> <span>New Orientation Program Helps Incoming Class Explore Opportunities in Cleveland</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-08-20T15:33:12-04:00" title="Monday, August 20, 2018 - 15:33">Mon, 08/20/2018 - 15:33</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Orientation is a week of events designed to help first-year, international, and transfer students transition into life at �鶹��Ƶ. This year, amid the information sessions, social activities, and course advising and registration, the college is introducing a new program that will help students discover �鶹��Ƶ’s place in greater Northeast Ohio. For the first time ever, Orientation week includes a daylong outing in Cleveland that will connect students with organizations and alumni in the city.</p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ College President Carmen Twillie Ambar explains that the intent of Connect Cleveland is to connect new students to the city and strengthen ties between �鶹��Ƶ and Cleveland.</p> <p>“The visit by the Class of 2022 will vividly demonstrate that our community is just 40 minutes away from this dynamic city,” Ambar says. “Breaking the barrier that sometimes seems to exist between �鶹��Ƶ and Cleveland right at the beginning of our students’ �鶹��Ƶ careers will help them develop connections, see possibilities for internships, and get to know an urban center where they can find ways to effectively apply their liberal arts education to real-world challenges.”</p> <p>Organized by the <a href="/bcsl">Bonner Center</a>, the new Connect Cleveland program will bring approximately 850 new students from the college and conservatory, along with nearly 100 peer advising leaders (PALs), faculty members, and �鶹��Ƶ staff members to the city on August 29 to participate in a variety of service projects with more than a dozen organizations. The day also will include site visits, tours, and workshops across the city.</p> <p>“This is an opportunity for students to learn about the broader Northeast Ohio region, the context in which �鶹��Ƶ is situated, and to think about Cleveland from a lot of different perspectives including sustainability, health, education, and the arts,” says Trecia Pottinger, director of the Bonner Center. </p> <p>Students will be divided into cohorts specific to different sites and led by <a href="/dean-of-students/pal">Peer Advising Leaders (PAL)</a> and <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/saa/con-pals">ConPAL</a> student leaders. Examples of scheduled service projects include the Cleveland Book Bank, where students will sort, check, and box books for distribution to partner organizations that serve children from low-income families; Ingenuity Fest, where students can work on priming and prepping a large mural wall; Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry Workforce Development, where students will participate in food production to support the Central Kitchen’s delivery of 1,500-plus meals to area homeless shelters every day; counting donated items at Providence House crisis nursery; and composting, harvesting, and weeding with Rid-All Green Partnership.</p> <p>Among the many site visits and tours are the BOP STOP, Cleveland Orchestra, Gordon Square Arts District/Detroit Shoreway Community Development Corporation, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and a workshop with the Morgan Paper Conservatory.</p> <p>Pottinger says that some visits will correlate with the theme of <a href="/arts-and-sciences/resources-and-support/first-year-seminar-program">first-year seminars</a>, while other sites present an opportunity to learn about Cleveland from the perspective of an organization.</p> <p>As part of the program’s framework, students will be asked to review materials about the organizations in advance, and peer advising leaders will facilitate discussions to help students reflect on their experiences. “In keeping with the Bonner Center's approach, we are thinking intentionally about how to integrate orientation, experience, and reflection,” Pottinger says.</p> <p>In recent years, the college has ramped up its engagement in Cleveland through its <a href="/community-and-government-relations/cleveland-immersion-program">Cleveland Immersion Program</a> and other initiatives. The <a href="/bcsl/programs/bonner-scholars">Bonner Scholars Program</a> already works with several Cleveland partners during its annual spring break service trip, in which first-years participate in service and site visits and engage in cultural and social activities.</p> <p>“The college is working to more deeply embed this outing in Cleveland in future Orientation activities and tie it more directly to coursework students may pursue during their tenure at �鶹��Ƶ,” Ambar says. “I’m really excited about building on this work.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-08-20T12:00:00Z">Mon, 08/20/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2565">Orientation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2381">Bonner Center</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The Cleveland script sign at North Coast Harbor. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">File photo</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Obies Helping Obies</h1> <p>anagy — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:44:01 +0000</p> <span>Obies Helping Obies</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2017-09-12T15:44:01-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 12, 2017 - 15:44">Tue, 09/12/2017 - 15:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The first semester of college is rife with anticipation and uncertainties. As early as orientation week, a number of seemingly benign factors can make a big difference for a new student’s academic success: finding a welcoming community of support, selecting the right combination of classes, and even locating the right study spot.</p> <p>The revamped academic advising model launched this fall aims to transform the first-year advising experience in the College of Arts and Sciences. As part of the overhaul, advising is now administered by deans and staff members in the rebranded <a href="/aarc">Academic Advising Resource Center and Office of the Registrar</a> (AARC).</p> <p>�鶹��Ƶ’s recent strategic plan calls for the enhancement of academic advising, starting with the first-year experience. “We have high expectations for making advising at �鶹��Ƶ a leading model for liberal arts colleges,” says David Kamitsuka, senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. </p> <p>Kamitsuka explains that the redesign is informed by research conducted by an advising task force that reviewed �鶹��Ƶ students’ advising experiences and best practices at other schools. The information came from direct surveys of students and advisors and consultations with advising-related offices on campus. The task force found that although the majority of first-year students reported positive advising experiences, 94 percent of them wanted more advising support throughout the semester. The task force then set out to design a new advising model with specific learning goals and the intent of developing meaningful relationships between advisors and students.</p> <p>“One of the biggest changes from the old model is that the AARC is for both students and advisers,” says Liz Clerkin, director of the AARC and associate dean of academic advising. “We’re not simply disseminating information about policies. We’re trying to support advisors and students in the task of achieving skills necessary for integrative learning.”</p> <h2 class="h4">Every First-Year Student has a ‘PAL’</h2> <p>To meet the need for additional support throughout the semester, the task force also recommended the creation of the <a href="/node/47086">Peer Advising Leaders</a> program (PAL), which pairs groups of first-years with trained peer mentors. At the heart of the program, PAL cohorts instill a sense of community and belonging among first-years.</p> <p>This fall, the vast majority of arts and sciences and dual degree first-year students have opted to enroll in Introduction to �鶹��Ƶ Life and Learning, a one-credit, cocurricular course that builds upon Orientation week activities and is being piloted this fall. Led by peer advising leaders, the course continues throughout the semester with six required sessions coinciding with key academic dates. The sessions cover topics such as study strategies, time and semester management, academic integrity, how to prepare for winter term, mapping out the second semester, and planning for students’ meetings with their academic advisor.</p> <p>Dana Hamdan, associate dean of students and director of the PAL program, said she received an outpouring of requests from students who had previously opted out after word spread about the course during Orientation week.</p> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>First-years break the ice in a session with Peer Advising Leaders during Orientation. </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>“First-year students were able to experience why �鶹��Ƶ matters, and how they can make the most out of their educational experience, because they met advanced students who care,” Hamdan says. “I think it also helped that we tried to establish identity among the 46 different cohorts.”</p> <p>Hamdan explains that the cohorts are named after trees to recognize the unique attributes that each group brings to �鶹��Ƶ and the opportunity to experience the power of community and coalition building. “The idea is to remind us that we can reach for the stars only because we are firmly rooted in the soil.”</p> <p>Hamdan and her team invited applications for peer advising leaders last spring. Of the 120 who applied, 54 were selected. They come from a variety of majors and class years, and among them are athletes and students from underrepresented communities. In return, they develop leadership and communication skills—and true to the �鶹��Ƶ ethos, they’re helping someone along the way.</p> <p>“If you think about what it means to be an Obie, this program captures it,” Hamdan says. “It’s all about Obies helping Obies.”</p> <p>Kira Findling, a peer advising leader and third-year comparative American studies major, says she appreciates the opportunity to share her knowledge in a formal capacity.</p> <p>“Navigating advising at the beginning of college can feel overwhelming, and I think that having a peer by your side can be comforting, especially if students feel a little nervous speaking to faculty in the beginning,” says Findling, who is from Sebastopol, California. In her own experience, the older students she met during her first semester made a positive impact.</p> <p>“When they waved to me around campus or stopped to ask how I was doing, it made me feel noticed and important in this new and strange place. I want to play that role for younger students and therefore encourage a campus culture of support.”</p> <p>Being a peer leader has made her feel more connected to other students on campus.</p> <p>“PALs are helping to build a community in which all students look out for one another,” Findling says. “I'm learning so much about what it means to be an Obie through discussions with other students, and I'm becoming even more familiar with campus resources. I really believe that I'm learning as much from this process as the first-year students are.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2017-09-12T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/12/2017 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p dir="ltr">First-year students benefit from more robust academic advising and new peer mentoring program. </p> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2565">Orientation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">As part of the revamped academic advising model launched this fall, first-year students are receiving added support from the Peer Advising Leaders program.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Dana Hamdan</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>