Student Success Curriculum Development
As part of my participation in Eureka College’s Title III grant focused on student retention and persistence, I have worked alongside faculty and staff colleagues on the development of a new curriculum to bolster student success, particularly among first-generation students.
This has included the development of a new Study Skills Lab course, the redesign of a Skills for College course, as well as the piloting of a new First-Year Interest Group (FIG) model.
Study Skills Lab
IDS 095L: Study Skills Lab is designed to give students a designated study time to complete their coursework and to further develop effective habits for success at Eureka College. This course will assist students in developing and executing effective time management, communication, and study habits. Emphasis will be placed on attendance, course engagement, and critical reflection.
Students who are placed into Eureka College’s new College Connect pathway (designed for incoming students in need of additional academic support) are required to enroll in Study Skills Lab for both semesters of their first two years at Eureka College. Likewise, students who are placed on academic probation or warning at mid-semester will also be enrolled. The course is also open to other interested students, space permitting.
Skills for College
IDS 100: Skills for College is a 1-credit course designed to provide students enrolled in FIGs (as well as non-FIG students in a separate section) with additional guidance and space for reflection on the core skills, practices, and perspectives necessary to succeed as a college student in 2025. Particular attention is paid to professionalism, reading habits, career reflection, exam preparation, project completion, and the selection of a program of study in a liberal arts context. Students complete regular reading and engage in seminar-style discussions.
Students who opt-in to a FIG during their first semester at Eureka College are enrolled in IDS 100. Likewise, students who are placed into Eureka’s College Connect pathway (discussed above) will complete IDS 100 (where it will work in tandem with IDS 095L).
Health Communication First-Year Seminar
Alongside Phil Duncan, Whitney Carver, and Lizzie Rassi, I have worked over the last year to develop a new model for First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs) at Eureka College. My FIG, Healthcare and Leadership, will be anchored by a new first-year seminar course focused on Health Communication.
This course, in conjunction with students’ other FIG courses in Kinesiology and Psychology, is designed to introduce students to core issues in health communication. Students enrolled in the FIG are pursuing majors in fields such as Biology, Criminal Justice, Kinesiology, Nursing, and Psychology. In support of Eureka’s Title III grant, a primary goal of both this course and FIG is to provide academic support to students who are pursuing careers in healthcare and/or who are interested in issues related to health.
