Institutionalizing a Sense of Belonging through the First Year Experience
Preferred Delivery
In-Person
Length of Presentation
50 minutes
Start Date
20-10-2023 2:00 PM
End Date
20-10-2023 2:50 PM
Document Type
Presentation
Abstract
Building a sense of belonging amongst students is every college and university’s priority. Not only does this lead to more successful students, but it also means higher retention rates and better semester-to-semester persistence. In order to capture this goal early, Illinois College has centered belonging as the primary outcome in the First Year Experience. With a number of connected programs and experiences, the First Year Experience at Illinois College is focused on building a sense of belonging not only on campus, but also off campus through connected experiences. This session will highlight some of the key components to Illinois College’s First Year Experience, including outcomes, takeaways, and lessons learned.
Description
The transition to college can be a challenging, but rewarding time for incoming first-year students. That adjustment period is an opportunity for colleges to introduce incoming students to the culture of the institution, ensure students know where to find resources and feel comfortable reaching out, and build opportunities for students to connect with their peers for the first time. If done well, it’s the first opportunity to demonstrate to incoming students that they belong at the institution. Through a carefully constructed First Year Experience, Illinois College has centered the concept of belonging in order to help students adjust to college life, as well as ensure they are successful and will persist to the next semester. Among these carefully constructed strategies include a shared first-year seminar, a welcome week experience, a common reading, a college success workshop series, and opportunities to connect with support staff. Additionally, as an embedded experience to the first-year seminar, students participate in the Hilltop Service Program, which is focused on building a sense of belonging in the local community. The First Year Experience also embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion practices into programming with the state of Illinois’ culturally responsive teaching standards being used to better help students feel included and celebrated as part of our community, and to guide conversations going forward to ensure our students perpetuate inclusive communities of belonging when they enter the global workforce.
During this presentation, we will highlight some of the key components to Illinois College’s First Year Experience, including outcomes, takeaways, and lessons learned. Building quality student programming is an iterative process that requires continual evaluation and modifications. We hope attendees will take what they learn in this session and analyze their own institution’s first year programs in order to build better, more belongingness-driven experiences for their own incoming students.
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Institutionalizing a Sense of Belonging through the First Year Experience
Building a sense of belonging amongst students is every college and university’s priority. Not only does this lead to more successful students, but it also means higher retention rates and better semester-to-semester persistence. In order to capture this goal early, Illinois College has centered belonging as the primary outcome in the First Year Experience. With a number of connected programs and experiences, the First Year Experience at Illinois College is focused on building a sense of belonging not only on campus, but also off campus through connected experiences. This session will highlight some of the key components to Illinois College’s First Year Experience, including outcomes, takeaways, and lessons learned.
Speaker Information
Dr. Jessica Doak Flynn is a student affairs professional and retired college athlete originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has a bachelor’s of science in Biology/ Pre-Veterinary Medicine and a master’s of education in Athletic & Activities Administration from William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. She also holds a doctor of education in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. After starting in college housing and residential life, Jessica moved on to assist college students in finding a sense of belonging through student activities and new student orientation. Today, she directs Illinois College’s leadership program and assists students in career pathway development. Jessica is a member of numerous professional organizations, and serves as core competency committee member for NODA (Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention).
Ryan Flynn is the Director of Civic Engagement and Public Service Pathways at Illinois College. He holds a BA in history & political science from Illinois College and an MA in public service, with a nonprofit administration concentration. His work is focused on helping engage students in the democratic process, coordinating volunteer service programs, and organizing alternative breaks. His research interests include service-learning, civic identity development, and misinformation education. Ryan is also active in his local community, having served on several nonprofit boards including the Prairieland United Way.
Dr. Gwendolyn Gillson is Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Illinois College in the History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religion Department. She is the editor of the digital textbook Buddhism: The Basics and section co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s “Religion and the Body” Unit. In 2022, she won the highest award for service to the college for her faculty workshop on anti-racist pedagogy. She currently serves as the Academic Director of the First Year Seminar Program where she coordinates and supervises faculty and student leaders, acts as a bridge between faculty and staff, and organizes the curriculum for the entire First Year Seminar course. She has taught her First Year Seminar, “Living and Dying in East Asia” for the past four years.