Gulf coast student success CONFERENCE Hosted by Brazosport College Writing Center and Student Success Center

November 15, 2019 Welcome to Brazosport College

At Brazosport College, we are ‘‘ focused on student success initiatives that provide the tools for you to reach your personal goals.

Dr. Millicent Valek, President Brazosport College

Located on 156 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds in Lake Jackson, Texas, Brazosport College has served as the college of choice for students in southern Brazoria County since 1968.

In 2013 and 2015, the Aspen Institute ranked Brazosport College among the top 10 community colleges in the nation. Other awards include Safest College Campus in Texas, as well as a Top 10 Beautiful Yet Affordable College Campus in the nation.

The College’s continued commitment to student success drives initiatives to assist students in attaining their goals.

1 Conference November 15, 2019 Itinerary

TIME EVENT LOCATION

8:30-9:00 Breakfast and Conversation Gator Hall Provided by Tommy’s

9:00-9:15 Welcome Gator Hall Dr. Millicent Valek, President Brazosport College

9:15-10:15 Keynote Workshop Gator Hall Mindfulness in Peer Education: Awareness, Self-regulation, and Attunement Jared Featherstone James Madison University

10:25-11:25 Session I F.102, 103, 104, 105

11:35-12:35 Session II F.102, 103, 104, 105

12:35-2:00 Plenary Luncheon Gator Hall Maria Y. Delgado, Ph.D. Tarant Community College-Southeast

2:10-3:10 Session III F.102, 103, 104, 105

3:20-4:20 Session IV F.102, 103, 104, 105

4:45-6:15 “Event Horizon” BASF Planetarium Planetarium Show

2 jared featherstone Keynote Speaker

Writing Center Director & Associate Professor

School of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication

James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia Session: keynote

Jared Featherstone is the director of offering meditation instruction and the Writing Center and an Associate writing consultations to faculty. Professor in the School of Writing, Beyond the academy, he facilitates Rhetoric, and Technical Communication meditation workshops and classes at James Madison University. He is for organizations and individuals. His a certified mindfulness meditation guided meditations can be found on teacher for emerging adults through Insight Timer and Soundcloud. the Center for Koru Mindfulness. Studying with a variety of renowned Featherstone’s 2018 book chapter, The teachers, Featherstone has over Mindful Tutor, details the integration 20 years of experience practicing of mindfulness meditation into tutor mindfulness meditation, Tai Chi Chuan, education at the James Madison and Qigong. University Writing Center from 2012- 2017. His chapter, “Mindfulness For eight years, Featherstone was a Meditation and Service Learning: mindfulness meditation teacher for the Complementary Ways of Knowing,” Madison Meditates program at JMU and appeared in the 2013 book, Re- a founding member of the university’s envisioning Higher Education: Initiative for Contemplative Study Embodied Paths to Wisdom and Social and Practice. Additionally, he has Transformation. been a facilitator for JMU’s residential Writing and Renewal Retreats since the program’s inception,

3 dr. shana garrett Featured Speaker

Counselor, Educator, and Pure Heart Leader

President and CEO Session I: F.102

Dr. Garrett began her career in readiness, faculty issues, leadership, education by driving the successes and student success areas. of two online graduate programs for Pepperdine University in Educational Her passion for education is not Technology, which has led to limited to the interactions with faculty over twenty years of progressive and students, but also extends to her administrator experience in both the investment in the human capital that online and ground platforms. Her resides in the education experience. administrator experience is supported Her twenty years as an educational by several years of faculty experience leader has led her to develop a style in both post-secondary education she refers to as the “pure heart” institutions, as well as serving as approach. After several years of faculty at the North Texas Council of experience with developing teams, Government-Regional Police Academy talent, and turnarounds, she has been in Texas. Her business experience recognized as an organizational leader compliments her education service by and mentor to both new talent, and bringing over twenty years of program those needing a change. development, management, and transformation to her knowledge of proprietary education and over eight years of experience as a paralegal. She presents nationally and internationally on topics related to academic

4 Session I 10:25-11:25

Pure Heart Shana Garrett, Walden University Leadership Room: F.102 This session will be a combination of lecture, assessment, and conversations around recognizing and distinguishing your authentic leadership style. Discussions will focus on methods needed to evaluate your talents, identify your opportunities, and develop and/or enhance your authentic leadership legacy through a specific strategy.

Let Me Help You With Tracie Autry and Erin Hall, Your Bags: Promoting Brazosport College Room: F.103 a Focused-Learning Helping students enter into a focused learning mindset Environment by utilizing the game Thorns and Roses as a tool to both identify and table emotional situations that hinder focused learning.

Consultant and Milton De Leon, Jami Doddroe, and Student Perspectives Carolina Langner, Brazosport College Room: F.104 on Disabilities in the This presentation will discuss the research that Writing Center Consultants De Leon, Doddroe, Langner used to pursue answers to the questions: how can the Writing Center better meet the needs of students with diagnosed learning disabilities, and how can that be done while simultaneously mitigating potential shame and embarrassment?

Mindfulness and the Emily Bueno, Bigger Picture Texas A&M University-Kingsville Room: F.105 The session will provide a supplemental instructor’s perspective on the importance of mindfulness and the bigger picture. A mapping-style technique will be used during the presentation, starting from square one. Attendees will be able to experience how visualizing the bigger picture can lead to higher self-confidence among students.

5 Session II 11:35-12:35

At Your Leisure: Priyank Whitley, Jamie Stoicovy, Chloe Movement and Snodgrass, and Jonathan Estrada, Brazosport College Mandalas Room: F.102 In this workshop, we trace the shifting roles of mandalas through history. We will then spend some time designing our own mandalas, and interpret their significance in small groups. The session concludes with guided chair yoga to balance our energy centers. Supplies provided.

Playing by the Rules Joseph Balderas, of Mathematics Texas A&M University-Kingsville Room: F.103 Math anxiety stems from a student’s lack of confidence in knowing the definitions, operations, and/or methods appropriate for a given problem. Learning to solve problems as a game will help streamline students’ mathematical process.

Promoting Patience Kirksey Berg and Elly Laughland, with Practical Brazosport College Room: F.104 Practice by Playing This workshop offers participants hands-on practice Dungeons and with methods for developing patience, especially when Dragons handling difficult students. Learning more patience can help us take a step towards being more mindful to our students’ needs. To achieve this look at patience, we will use Dungeons and Dragons: a tabletop roleplaying game that teaches these concepts in a fun way.

Education and Houston Glover, Brazosport College Interpretation: Room: F.105 Often, we meet students who struggle to keep up in Finding the Right lecture because they can’t understand the terminology. Words to Effectively In this workshop, I draw on my time as an SI leader to illustrate the many ways information can be presented Teach Any Audience so that any audience can take away the same key points.

6 Gulf coast student success CONFERENCE

Belonging & GCSSC 2020 Student Success

Friday, November 13, 2020

More information on page 12

7 Maria Y. Delgado, Ph.D Plenary Luncheon Speaker

Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction

Tarrant Community College Southeast

Arlington, Texas

Session: LUNCHEON

Dr. Delgado currently serves as Leading Community Colleges in Texas: Coordinator of Supplemental Navigating the Leadership Pipeline Instruction at TCC-Southeast. Prior through Mentoring and Culture to joining TCC, Dr. Delgado served as published at Community College Coordinator of Academic Programs Journal of Research and Practice” and adjunct instructor at Dallas County (2019), highlights the importance Community College. She also has the for women of color to use bicultural honor of serving as the sponsor of socialization by navigating the the Organization of Latin Americans. environment of their non-White She is founder and Chair of ELLAS culture and the environment of the (Encouraging Latinas to Lead, Achieve mainstream culture. and Succeed) Program. Maria Delgado has a Ph.D. in K-16 Dr. Maria Delgado’s research interests Educational Leadership and Policy focus on the experiences of women Studies from the University of Texas of color leading community colleges, at Arlington. She received her Master women of color pathway to higher- of Education in Higher Education ranking administrative positions, from the University of North Texas, a obstacles and opportunities for Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary women of color leading community Studies from the University of Texas colleges, and the experiences of at Arlington, and an Associate of Arts underrepresented students in in Teaching Degree from North Lake community colleges. Her article, Community College. “Case Studies of Women of Color

8 Session III2:10-3:10

The Zen of Super Mercedes Torrez, Makayla Aaron, Nia Smash Bros: Cromartie, and Shayla Rubio, Texas A&M University-San Antonio Video and Board Room: F.102 Games as a This presentation focuses on game play as a mindful Mindful Practice practice that helps learning and guides development of relevant, work-related skills which contribute to the for Success overall success of the learning center and students.

The Power of Ammar Habib, Marva Doss, and Carolina Mindfulness: Langner, Brazosport College Room: F.103 Reflections on This summer, The Brazosport College Writing Center’s Our Mindfulness consultants partook in a semester-long mindfulness Exercises project. In this panel, three consultants who participated in this project reflect back on the project.

Anything You Can Madeleine Lowery and Tabatha Rhodes, Do, I Can Do Better: Brazosport College Room: F.104 Mindful Relations This collaboration between a writing professor and between Professors writing consultant shows faculty and tutors how mindful and Tutors approaches can help them avoid frustration or judgment when working together. Presenters provide scholarly research on mindfulness, offer suggestions to follow, and facilitate an interactive role-play between a professor and a student.

Mindfulness in Beth Richards, Anna Benzaia, and Frank Anatomy & Physiology Huerta, College of the Mainland Room: F.105 Supplemental Mindfulness in Anatomy and Physiology is essential Instruction Sessions because it is a course where many students struggle. The SI Leader plays an integral role in supporting the instructor, as well as ensuring students develop the tools to become self-sufficient and the ability to anticipate.

9 Session IV 3:20-4:20

The Success of Sarah Slaughter and Kimberly Kammel, Modeling Meetings Tarrant County College-Southeast Room: F.102 as SI Sessions We all know the SI model can be difficult to grasp! Through trial and success, we found that an effective way to assist in implementing the SI model is to have Senior SI Leaders facilitate bi-weekly team meetings as if they were a SI session with opening, main, and closing activities.

ESL & Mindfulness: Andrea Aguirre and Ammar Habib, The Hidden Thread Brazosport College Room: F.103 This workshop will explore how mindfulness practices can be used by tutors during sessions with ESL students. We want to give tutors practical tips, and help tutors recognize the importance of active awareness and listening during ESL sessions.

Practicing Kaylla Luera and Olivia Moore, Mindfulness by Brazosport College Room: F.104 Promoting Mental This presentation will provide resources and suggest Health Awareness in strategies for working with students and coworkers Student Services struggling with mental health. Our goal is to create a community that is sensitive to the needs of those struggling with mental health, and to be prepared to offer up resources and support.

2 Girls. A Guy. And A Jorge Rosales, Angela Anderson, and Study Space Ashley Gonzalez, Brazosport College Room: F.105 Three big components to effective learning are memorization, note taking, and managing stress. As students and supplemental instruction leaders, we hope to enlighten you with some new techniques and perspectives to help you develop a study program.

10 “Event Horizon” Planetarium Show

This is what a black hole looks like. “We’ve been studying black holes so long, sometimes it’s easy to forget A world-spanning network of that none of us have actually seen telescopes, called the Event Horizon one,” France Córdova, director of the Telescope, zoomed in on the National Science Foundation, said. supermassive monster in the galaxy Seeing one “is a Herculean task.” M87 to create this first-ever picture of a black hole. “It’s been such a buildup,” Doeleman said. “It was just astonishment “We have seen what we thought and wonder… to know that you’ve was unseeable. We have seen and uncovered a part of the universe that taken a picture of a black hole,” was off limits to us.” Sheperd Doeleman, EHT Director and astrophysicist at the Harvard- This full-dome show discusses how Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in scientists created the global telescope, Cambridge, Mass., said April 10, 2019 Event Horizon, and captured the first in Washington, D.C. image of a black hole (M87).

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-first-picture-event- horizon-telescope

11 GCSSC 2020 Belonging and Student Success

The 2020 GCSSC, set to be held on perceived social support on campus, a November 13, 2020, seeks to explore feeling or sensation of connectedness, the role of belonging in our practice and the experience of mattering, as tutors, mentors, SI Leaders, and of feeling cared about, accepted, the people who direct and coordinate respected, valued by, and important these folks. We would like to provide to the campus community or others a space for presenters and attendees on campus such as faculty, staff, and to consider the ways we already make peers.” Student support services—like space for belonging in our training, Supplimental Instruction, tutoring, tutoring, and programs, as well as and student mentoring—aim to the potential that exists for us to create educational-focused campus implement belonging as part of our communities where students can practices. receive assistance and find belonging. As people who work in these spaces, In his book, College Students’ Sense we have a unique perspective from of Belonging, Terrell L. Strayhorn which to investigate the role of describes “belonging” in the following belonging to our teams and our manner: “In terms of college, sense students. of belonging refers to students’

Break-out sessions will be populated with 50 minute presentations in one of these four presentation strands:

Math Center Supplemental Instruction How do you help students embrace the How does your program create an inclusive struggle of learning math? How do you environment? How do you and your lessen intimidation of seeking tutors? program promote diversity and make space What activities and events do you host to for myriad student perspectives? How do explore and make math fun? How can we you work to overcome biases in your work create a culture of belonging? with students? Student Mentors Writing Center Are there designated spaces for peer What makes students feel like they don’t support? Does your administration training belong? How do you create space in your on inclusivity and belongingness? What sessions and center to make students feel activities or strategies helps create a safe, like they belong and ease anxiety? How do inclusive space where social and academic you build community between tutors, and growth can take place? between tutors and writers?

We’re looking for presenters (individual and/or panel): Proposals due by 11:59 p.m. on October 9, 2020

12 Presenter contact

NAME E-MAIL

Brazosport College Andrea Aguirre [email protected] Angela Anderson [email protected] Tracie Autry [email protected] Kirksey Berg [email protected] Milton De Leon [email protected] Jami Doddroe [email protected] Marva Doss [email protected] Jonathan Estrada [email protected] Houston Glover [email protected] Ashley Gonzalez [email protected] Ammar Habib [email protected] Erin Hall [email protected] Elly Laughland [email protected] Carolina Langner [email protected] Madeleine Lowery [email protected] Kaylla Luera [email protected] Olivia Moore [email protected] Tabatha Rhodes [email protected] Jorge Rosales [email protected] Chloe Snodgrass [email protected] Jamie Stocicovy [email protected] Priyank Whitley [email protected]

College of the Mainland Anna Benzaia [email protected] Frank Huerta [email protected] Beth Richards [email protected]

Tarrant Community College—Southeast Maria Y. Delgado, Ph.D. [email protected]

Texas A&M University—Kingsville Joseph Balderas [email protected] Emily Bueno [email protected]

Texas A&M University—San Antonio Makayla Aaron [email protected] Nia Cromartie [email protected] Shayla Rubio [email protected] Mercedes Torrez [email protected]

Walden University Shana Garrett [email protected]

13 conference notes

14 Brazosport College 500 College Drive Lake Jackson, TX 77566