Success! Fall 2010

Message from the Chair Inside this I remember joining support staff. As we have awarded close to issue: colleagues on a cold launch our online $120,000 in faculty grants to January day at Trinity newsletter, that reach is promote scholarship and From the Chair 1 College some ten years evident in academic classroom pedagogies that ago. The topic, a familiar research, programs and benefit all students in a one to higher education, resources on several multicultural context. In sum, 1 Upcoming was the persistent campuses. we rely upon these collective Events challenge at selective and collaborative strategies It is also encouraging to liberal arts colleges of across institutions to move us 2 know that institutional Pedagogy Grant supporting students of in directions of building representatives to the Report from color in their quest for structurally sound support Consortium do a Trinity College excellence. Ten years later systems for underrepresented spectacular job of it is rewarding to know that, and all students. That is really Union College: 3 translating CHAS from that day-long the core of our mission. membership into concrete Utilizing the conference, a consortium academic and student life My colleagues at Vassar and CHAS Surveys was born and remains initiatives. For example, we on other campuses value the viable and active today. conducted our second role of CHAS in being a 3 The work of CHAS has Student Voices campus climate survey last catalyst for several institutional spread across our fall and schools are using initiatives. Colleagues on the campuses and has, in one Resource 4 this data to develop Steering Board also share way or another, touched responses and support great optimism in what the Sharing the lives of students, networks on campus. We next decade has in store for faculty, administrators and Review of 4 CHAS.

Humanities and UPCOMING EVENTS Edward Pittman Writing Chair, CHAS Steering Board January 21, 2011 at Wheaton College Associate Dean of the College Conference at 4 Biannual Representatives Meeting for Campus Life and Diversity, Bates College Vassar College June 3, 2011 at Smith College 10 Years of 5 STEM Faculty Forum Black and June 17, 2011 at Oberlin College Latino Males Biannual Representatives Meeting Conference June 18, 2011 at Oberlin College From the 6 Fostering Civic, Intercultural, and Ethical Learning Director

Success! Page 2

CHAS Faculty Grants Highlight Assoc. Prof. William Church Spotlight on Faculty Grants ROLE MODELS IN THE SCIENCES The importance of role models in commitment required. the academic success of students from Information for the original version under-represented groups (URG) in the of the program was obtained from a variety sciences was the focus of a CHAS of sources, including personal workshop several years ago. Following communication with prominent URG that workshop, a proposal was submitted scientists; national professional to develop and distribute to undergraduate organizations of URG scientists (i.e. faculty a software package National Society of Black of scientists from under- Engineers, National represented groups that had Organization for the made significant Professional Advancement of contributions to their Black Chemists and Chemical respective fields. This Engineers), and professional In 2005, Dr. William article describes the scientific organizations’ Church, Associate development of the software committees associated with Professor of Chemistry package and the URG (i.e. Committee on and Neuroscience at implementation of a web- Minority Affairs, American Trinity College, was based update/expansion Chemical Society; Minority awarded a CHAS Peda- capability on the CHAS Neuroscience Fellowship gogy Grant for his pro- website. Program, Society for posal: Role Models In The One way to increase the Neuroscience). Additionally, Natural Sciences. exposure of undergraduate the Internet was utilized to students to successful identify other scientists from The resulting Power Point scientists from under- Dr. Beth A. Brown, URG appropriate for the project. document was made represented groups is to Astrophysicist Individual scientists can available to CHAS faculty, highlight those scientists’ be identified by selection of the who can also contribute work at an appropriate time in the course. appropriate action buttons and a brief information on scientists Perhaps the most widely used (and description of the field of study engaged in. of color to the growing misused) technology in the college lecture This is then available to the instructor to document. Please access hall today is the PowerPoint presentation. “cut and paste” into their own PowerPoint the pedagogical tool and Just about every professor has used it at lecture presentation. Alternatively, the instructions for its use at: some level of sophistication. But to use it program can be run simultaneously with properly requires a significant time the lecture presentation and be accessed http://org.trincoll.edu/ investment. Unfortunately, time is a at the instructor’s discretion. The program chas/ commodity that most faculty find hard to can be periodically updated easily to sciencerolemodels.htm come by. A PowerPoint presentation on accommodate new Web addresses and prominent scientists from URG in the fields new scientists, as well as sub-disciplines of of Chemistry, Biology, Neuroscience, the various sciences listed on the opening Physics, Mathematics, Engineering and slide. In an effort to facilitate this process Computer Science was developed to allow and generate the most comprehensive and faculty to easily and quickly incorporate useful program, CHAS has incorporated information on URG scientists into daily the presentation onto their homepage with lectures. Utilizing the hyperlink and action the ability of users to download the button features of the PowerPoint software, program and appropriate instructions. The Web pages of selected scientists are site also allows for the submission of URG coupled to course topics. By providing this scientists for inclusion into the 2010 edition material in a PowerPoint format, faculty are of the program. able to incorporate all or any of the content into their lectures with only a small time William H. Church, Ph.D.

Success! Page 3

UTILIZING THE CHAS STUDENT SURVEY AT UNION COLLEGE

After the initial CHAS survey Diversity and be a member of the training, LGBTQ training and annual harassment policy in 2003, Union wanted to Student Affairs Staff meetings. training which includes the topic of profiling. Under this improve our campus climate new leadership, campus safety has changed the score. The Interim President In 2009, Union decided to interaction between the students and the department. at that time developed a distribute the slightly different committee called “Building a second CHAS survey to all Our Admissions department also saw the need to Better Community” (BBC) members of the college increase the diversity of students. A year of active and whose charge was to assess community. Union College was creative recruitment allowed us to bring in 18% our campus climate delighted to see the improvement domestic African American or Latino/Hispanic community for employees in our scores, and our peer school American students; 2% black or Latino non-domestic and students. They used scores, when comparing the 2003 students and 5% international students. the CHAS report in their and 2009 survey results. Our deliberation and summary. administrators decided to use the Our Greek organizations have also taken on the The BBC report included same comparison groups used in initiative of implementing diversity programs for their suggestions for one or two 2003, analyze the strengths and students. We are providing diversity training for their administrative lines focusing weaknesses in each area of the presidents and they are sponsoring diversity and other on multiculturalism and/or survey and produce statistical programs on inclusion for their members. With diversity. analysis. After our initial analysis guidance from the we noted positive significant director of Greek Life, The Building a Better differences in certain areas – they are beginning to Community Report was used student life and partner with cultural to help develop our Strategic academic life. Campus student groups to host Plan. Our new Strategic But we also events on campus. Plan includes a section on noticed areas Climate diversity called “Small, where we could The CHAS Campus Global and Diverse”. Based improve our Survey 2009 Climate survey was on the Strategic Plan and performance in the catalyst that helped the BBC report, the new order to build a to make changes on President established two healthy our small liberal arts new positions. A Senior campus climate. We utilized these college campus, as I Director of Campus Diversity results in our Middlestates Report am sure it has with other campuses. We are would provide the goals and and in our annual Diversity Plan continuing to work on diversity initiatives for our objectives for increasing the for Academic Affairs. campus community. But it is important to note that the diversity of Union College in CHAS survey has been used in Union College’s initial order for the campus As an outcome of the CHAS assessment of student campus life and was a major community to be more survey, we are working more piece of the Building a Better Community Commission inclusive of and sensitive to closely with our faith groups to report which, therefore, helped to lay the ground work diverse and marginalized provide programming focusing on for our ten-year strategic plan and diversity goals. groups on campus; work experiences of different faiths. with Senior Staff to develop The most popular standing room Gretchel Hathaway, Ph.D. diversity initiatives and only event was a program on Senior Director of Campus Diversity plans; develop programming religious views of the LGBTQ Union College, Schenectady, NY for the campus; and assess community. Five campus religious employment and student leaders discussed their views of >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> diversity issues for the LGBTQ in their spiritual setting. It campus. The Senior was a very respectful and In 2002 the Consortium on High Achievement and Success (CHAS) conducted Director would be a member energetic discussion. The program a survey of students of color on 19 campuses to gauge the campus climate of the President’s senior was sponsored by two student for diversity and satisfaction with campus life. The survey was administered staff and report to the board organizations - our LGBTQ in February and March of 2003 with a 52% response rate. The data was used of directors. organization called Spectrum and to create an illuminating report on the range of experiences across the our Multi-faith Council. schools, and some of their apparent institutional correlates. The second position In October of 2009 CHAS fielded the 2003 survey instrument again on an established was the Director We are also working with our overlapping, but not identical, set of twenty campuses. This survey included campus safety department to of Multicultural Affairs who white students, and garnered 8395 respondents with a 41% response rate. would work with students, ensure that they are more This report compares students’ experiences and satisfaction with the climate student groups and welcoming to diverse members of for diversity in 2003 and 2009, and across ethnicities. residential life staff. This our campus community. Under person would report to the their new campus safety director,

Senior Director of Campus the officers now attend diversity

Success! Page 4

Resource Sharing and Networking Useful Links www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/ We are all busy and constantly bombarded with Although dated (2009), the information provided is very useful for those wishing more information than we can even browse to become familiar with the Stereotype Threat research and frameworks. through. The purpose of this section is for all www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/08/10/gaps readers to share information and links that may be Interesting discussion related to academic achievement gap. of interest to those working on diversity, inclusiveness, and academic achievement. We www.agi.harvard.edu/ encourage you to share with our readership links The achievement gap initiative at Harvard, including information on K-16. that you find useful and updates on events and www.host-collegeboard.com/advocacy/accessanddiversity/? accomplishments. Please send links, event affiliateId=rdr&bannerId=diversitycollaborative information, and professional and institutional A College Board site with current and interesting diversity related readings. recognition received to http://diverseeducation.com/home.html A very interesting and useful site. [email protected] by March 30, 2011.

Faculty Forum hosted by Bates College On June 25, 2010, fifty humanities faculty and writing centers & Economics and Director of Academic Development at professionals gathered to discuss student success in writing. Mount Holyoke College, presented the outcomes of his CHAS The conference was covered in the Bates campus paper: http:// funded pedagogy project, “Collaborative Research Project for home.bates.edu/views/2010/07/07/chas-bates/ Economics 306: Political Economy of Race in the United States.” This approach to structuring the teaching of research The conference opened with a presentation on stereotype threat methods and writings has students working collaboratively, from Valerie Purdie-Vaughns, Assistant Professor of Psychology and they “go from strangers to co-authors” as they prepare a at Columbia University. Heather Linkvist, lecturer in publishable paper. This approach allows faculty to “reimagine Anthropology at Bates, presented on “Varieties of Academic our work in the classroom as scholarship.” Engagement” and was followed by a student panel on expectations about college writing. Panelists included A faculty panel on “Strategies for Student Success in Writing” international students and first generation college students, and was composed of Elizabeth Eames, Associate Professor of they spoke to the feedback that is most valuable, the importance Anthropology and Sue Houchins, Associate Professor of of not assuming students don’t need an explanation of what is African American Studies at Bates. It was facilitated by Hillory expected, and the value of bringing students into a private space Oakes, Director of Writing & Lecturer in Writing at Bates to discuss their writing. College. The conference closed with a session designed to allow an exchange of ideas among conference participants. It After lunch Tiane Donahue, Director of the Institute for Writing was facilitated by Lavina Dhingra, Professor of English at and Rhetoric, spoke about the place of U.S. students in the Bates College. world. She discussed the internationalized and globalized context in which students are writing and suggested that The next CHAS faculty forum will invite STEM faculty to Smith American students will face marginalization if we don’t rethink College on June 3, 2011. our “supposed linguistic dominance”.

Lucas Wilson, Associate Professor of African American Studies Success! Page 5

10 Years of the Black and Latino Males Conference! 2009 Conference at Skidmore College

It all began in 2001 at the campuses was also an insti- nual meeting had on their University of the South, the tutional obstacle to success undergraduate experience. first host of an annual CHAS and satisfaction. It was de- The conference went from meeting that supports the cided that one student con- Sewanee to Middlebury to leadership and academic ference would be added to Haverford to Vassar to achievement of black and our roster of meetings. Trinity to Williams to Latino male students. CHAS Ten years later, this confer- Swarthmore to Bucknell to was launched the previous ence has grown to be a vital Skidmore, growing in size year, and the founding mem- network of support for many every year. Over 100 par- bers made one exception students who can establish a ticipants were at Skidmore from their focus on institu- vision of how they fit into a in 2009, and the impact of tional change. While the larger world, beyond the lim- this event was also felt at work of CHAS is to remove its of their campus. Many Clark University in Novem- institutional obstacles to suc- students maintain the con- ber of 2010, where speak- cess, and the focus is firmly nections they make at the ers and workshop leaders on the shortcomings of our meeting throughout college addressed the theme of programs and practices (not and into their professional “Moving Forward and on perceived shortcomings lives. Some return to pre- Reaching Out: Individual of students), the relative iso- sent as alumni, and testify to Success and Community lation of male students of the positive impact the an- Engagement.” color on elite liberal arts

Recognitions (reps/institutional awards, honors, etc.

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Microsoft Publisher includes thou- sands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your Consortium on High Message From the Director We are pleased to share with you the first edition of the Consortium on High Achievement and Success Achievement and Success Newsletter. Developed by our members, the Hosted by Trinity College goal of this bi-annual publication is to disseminate the work of member 300 Summit Street, schools within CHAS and throughout the higher education community.

Hartford, CT 06106 Each issue will feature: http://org.trincoll.edu/CHAS • The work of a faculty member who has completed a project funded by Steering Board Members the CHAS Pedagogy Grants on creating inclusive classrooms • The work of a CHAS member campus in the area of improving campus Edward Pittman, Chair, Vassar College climate Rolando Arroyo-Sucre, Bucknell University • Reports on recent CHAS events, and a schedule of upcoming opportuni- Michael Brody, Reed College ties Eric Estes, Oberlin College • Resources for pursuing the creation of inclusive learning environments Leslie Hill, Bates College Sylvia Spears, Dartmouth College CHAS members have collaborated over the past ten years to develop learn- ing environments that allow all students to reach their potential. We hope that the newsletter will serve as a resource for other schools and organiza- Ex-Officio Board Members tions that share this goal. Holly Sateia, Dartmouth College Former Chair Sincerely, Karla Spurlock-Evans, Trinity College Kidan Kassahun Trinity College Liaison Director of CHAS Staff Directory Kidan Kassahun, Director [email protected], 860-297-4173 Patti Maisch, Assistant Project Coordinator [email protected], 860-297-4062

Members: Reed College Barnard College Sarah Lawrence Bates College College Bryn Mawr College Skidmore College Bucknell University Smith College Clark University SUNY at Geneseo Colby College Swarthmore Colgate University College College of the Holy Trinity College Cross Union College Dartmouth College University of the Hamilton College South Haverford College Vassar College Institutional representatives to CHAS from left: Mt. Holyoke College Wellesley College Raisa Williams, Haverford, Garikai Campbell, Swarthmore, Oberlin College Wheaton College Sue Layden, Skidmore

Pomona College

Founded in 2000, The Consortium on High Achievement and Success (CHAS) is composed of 26 select liberal arts colleges and small universities Editorial Board dedicated to promoting high achievement, leadership and personal Rolando Arroyo-Sucre, Bucknell University satisfaction of students on member campuses, with a focus on promoting Miriam Feldblum, Pomona College Natalie Gross, Sarah Lawrence College success among students of color. CHAS develops programs to support the Fatima Johnson, SUNY Geneseo whole student academically, socially and culturally. CHAS is supported by Kidan Kassahun, CHAS Raisa Williams, Haverford College its members and is hosted by Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.