MY WORK

HIP Essay

I am a natural reflector, so when I was prompted to write about an experience with a high-impact practice in undergrad, I had already put much thought into how my experiences shaped my personal and professional outlook on life (see home page)

MHE 645 Free Write

The prompts for the free write activities in class gave me an opportunity to intently reflect on what I was learning that day and have a record of it to refer back to as needed. I enjoy the idea of a free write because it helps to get me in the mindset of the topic for the day before being placed in a small group to discuss the idea further.

In what ways do you see co-design as aligning with and complementing the essential characteristics of HIPs? In what ways do you see co-design as distinctly different than HIPs?

In regard to the component of integration, constructive feedback and the importance of faculty mentorship, I believe that co-design only makes sense in developing successful and powerful HIPs. In order for students to be able to find purpose and meaning in the projects they are set to embark on, there must be some aspect of agency on their part with their faculty mentor. The first HIPs that come to mind in utilizing co-design are in areas that are not always explicitly outlined in the curriculum such as learning communities (specifically LLCs) and others that I can’t think of at the moment. There are some circumstances where co-design may not be the best use of time when implementing a HIP, but as long as there is a sense of intentionality when it comes to assessment of learning outcomes and student reflection on their performance and what they gained out of the experience, then there is value. I think that co-design implies that collaboration between the student and faculty should be on the front end and does not include feedback and evaluation for future programming on the back end.

Should co-design be considered an official HIP?

No. It can be a key feature in addition to a HIP but not a HIP in and of itself.

What are the core characteristics of effective active learning? In other words, what specifically makes active learning work?

I think that active learning must include all participating parties making a conscious effort to dedicate themselves to achieving learning outcomes. A student cannot go in with zero idea of what is to be expected of them in an environment that claims to foster active learning or else it cannot be considered as such. Whoever is facilitating learning must be able to explicitly explain expectations and what they hope the student will gain so that both the student and facilitator can work together to help the student grow in whatever way is appropriate. The student also needs to be interested in whatever it is that they are to learn because if they are not invested in the topic then there is a great chance that they will not benefit from the advantages of active learning.

White Paper

This white paper, a collaborative effort with a group of my fellow MHE cohort members, highlights the curricular aspects of global learning. Throughout this process, I found myself having to "think outside the box" with regards to how global learning is defined at many institutions. Before beginning this project, study abroad was the primary form of global learning that I knew of. However, it is so much more than that. Understanding different worldviews, interacting with diverse populations, and engaging in local and global communities are all ways that students can become more globally informed, which can be done in ways that extend beyond study abroad opportunities. I am witnessing these qualities being apparent in the students I work with in the Student Professional Development Center; employers are seeking well-rounded candidates who possess a variety of skills, including leadership, collaboration, and intercultural fluency. This project has further established that it is my responsibility to advise students on recognizing how to connect non-study abroad experiences to an intercultural understanding that will appeal to employers.

Historical Issues Paper

This historical issues paper was an assignment for MHE 611: Foundations of Higher Education and discussed Black Greek involvement, specifically the transition of intiation requirements in 1990. A large portion of my work consisted of drawing upon Brofenbrenner's Ecological Theory of Development to frame the different systems that consist within Greek involvement and how it attributes to overall student development. While I am not affiliated with a Black Greek organization, I have found that involvement in such entities produce similar outcomes of student engagement that other High-Impact Practices do: a sense of community, opportunities for leadership growth, and professional development.

Policy Paper

This paper was my final written assignment in the Social Work program at WCU in 2017. The premise was that we all were to choose a policy that impacted the population we were working with in our field practicum and analyze it. That year, North Carolina implemented a new policy entitled Foster Care 18-21 that extends foster care beyond age 18 for young adults who need more support before they completely transition into adulthood. My work as an intern involved referring to this policy often, which gave me a deeper understanding of foster care and was the driving force that sparked my passion for that population.