Engaged
Across its four goals, members of the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ community have explored a variety of important activities to implement the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ's vision for an Engaged learning experience. Particular focus have been building and supporting immersive learning opportunities for our students, such as community-based learning and experiential learning. Selected metrics detailing these achievements are available at right.
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Significant Achievements:
- In 2017-18, the Division of Student Life launched a new four-part Leadership Academy training program, with over 200 students participating in the inaugural year. Strategic Initiatives (SI) funding provided additional support for the development of a Student Leadership Capstone Program for undergraduate students.
- The ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s Office of Community-Based Learning, launched in 2017, is a hub for faculty seeking to integrate this high impact practice into the curriculum. Supported by SI funding, a faculty director, multiple campus units, and a campus-wide CBL Board,
the Office launched new faculty development opportunities, including periodic seminars, an annual two-day faculty workshop, and the CBL Faculty Initiatives Fund, in 2018. - The provided 11 ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ students, selected from a competitive pool, a stipend of up to $4,000 to support their participation in a meaningful unpaid internship for the summer of 2018. In addition to this program, SI funding has supported the new Scranton Connections program, which engages students with alumni in mentoring activities.
- During the 2017-2018 academic year, 85 students participated in nine domestic service trips, and 107 students participated in 11 international service trips through Campus Ministries’ Center for Service and Social Justice and International Service program (ISP). SI Funding has made possible additional financial support to defer rising costs for students wishing to take part in domestic service trips.
- Fifteen members of The ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ's class of 2018 committed to post-graduation long-term service projects.
- From 2016 to 2017, student attendance in Campus Ministries’ faith formation programs increased by 40%.
- In 2018, the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ opened the new . A $14 million dollar, eleven-acre campus will host facilities for several NCAA Division III sports, including soccer, field hockey, and baseball. The new campus includes recreational spaces open to the local community.
The Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence (ACCE) Partnership
In fall 2018, the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ announced a regional partnership to help address service gaps for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. The new program will bring together representatives from health care, education, and philanthropic entities, including the AllOne Foundation, to build a sustainable framework and national model for addressing ASD care. The collaborative will explore initiatives related to early intervention and treatment; access to medical and behavioral health specialists; coordination of therapeutic, educational, vocational, respite, and residential services; and employment opportunities for those with ASD. This innovative initiative engages seven funding collaborators and 11 program partners. The ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ serves as the Executive Hub for the program.
Strategic Metrics
Student participation in experiential learning activities
Student participation in service learning/community based learning courses
First-year retention and four- and six-year graduation rates
Number of local students enrolled at the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ
Post-graduation outcomes: employment, education, and full-time service
Student interactions with those from different race/ethnicity or socioeconomic backgrounds (NSSE)
Students reporting their Scranton experience contributed to development in solving real-world problems (NSSE)
Students reporting that their Scranton experience contributed to being an informed and active citizen (NSSE)
Students reporting that their Scranton experience contributed to understanding of people from other backgrounds (NSSE)
Students reporting that their Scranton experience contributed to developing a personal code of ethics (NSSE)
Student satisfaction with student affairs staff (NSSE)
Click here to view selected metrics.
Writing in the Real World: Several downtown businesses and students in a journalism course taught by communication professor Kim Pavlick, Ph.D., have benefited from a project partnership with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. Students interviewed and wrote feature articles about businesses, from a new ramen shop to Electric City Escape, for the Chamber website, giving businesses more press and visibility and the students writing and real-world interviewing experience. “You can’t teach journalism in a bubble,” Dr. Pav
lick said.
Read more, here.
