Student Committee Meeting Notes 2/5/24

SEHD Student Committee

Meeting Minutes

2/5/23

 

Attending: Caron Westland, Joshua Martin, Jennifer Camacho Taylor, Sofia Chaparro, Jim Christensen, Ron Tzur, Elena Sandoval-Lucero

 

Guest: Antwan Jefferson

  1. Mentors meeting with advisees and feedback conversation (Ph.D & EdD program)
    1. We brainstormed a survey at the last meeting to send out to faculty and to facilitate program discussions. The ideal timing would have been to send it out as close to the retreat as possible. It has been in a holding pattern waiting for early in spring semester. The committee reviewed the survey again for background for our continued discussion with Antwan.
    2. Question from Antwan, “What will be done with what we learn from the survey?”
      1. The committee felt the conversation at the retreat felt incomplete.
      2. We wanted to provide an outlet for continued conversation.
      3. We wanted information to know how to use time at another retreat for this topic.
      4. We wanted a conversation with more substance.
    3. Thoughts and recommendations from Antwan
      1. Take a good quality look at what data we already collect through the office of assessment.
      2. Survey fatigue at CU Denver makes an additional survey challenging. A schoolwide survey may not be effective. Consider working with program leaders.
      3. There is a disconnect/defensiveness between the feedback that faculty say they are giving and what the students say they are receiving.
      4. Coordinate work across committees that are looking at aspects of this work (i.e., student – feedback, curriculum – syllabus, DEI – sense of belonging, and departmental conversations)
      5. Supports the creation of the right space for faculty to learn about and discuss student feedback.
    4. Thoughts on work that needs to be done on this issue.
      1. Create an institutional expectation for quality feedback across all classes and all faculty.
      2. Coordinate areas where we are already doing this work to reduce redundancy and defensiveness.
      3. What would need to be different if this were to be vital for the SEHD’s work next year?
    5. Student Committee’s Next Steps on Feedback
      1. We want this work to be formative not summative, and it is not part of our committee’s charge.
      2. Take the survey off the table and ask the program leads to have a short conversation with their faculty and get back to us with any feedback.
      3. Support asking our leadership to have a guiding focus for our work each year.
      4. Be strategic about connecting the feedback work across committee and department.
      5. Create language for the syllabus template: “In my class you can expect this kind of feedback.” Use it ourselves and encourage others to do something similar.
      6. Create infographic on feedback to share with colleagues.
  1. Infographic project status update
    1. The committee supports moving forward with this project.
    2. Create the infographic before the 2/28 faculty meeting
  1. Celebrating students
    1. https://education.ucdenver.edu/about-us/equity-diversity-inclusion
    1. Due to FERPA, student successes can’t be shared from EDI page when faculty do a shout out.
  1. Outstanding Graduate Spring 2024 Nominations
    1. Starting Early – Getting Programs ready to share
    1. Graduation Lists will be available 2/12. This gives faculty two weeks to think about this before the February faculty meeting.
    2. Advocate for 20 minutes at the February faculty meeting to have departments choose an outstanding graduate and submit the form.
    3. Ask for the form at the 2/29 faculty meeting, or not later than 3/2.
    4. Use the media from the last semester to show how great the coverage of our students was.
    5. Review the forms and select outstanding graduates at the March 4 student committee meeting.
    6. Share with Julia before spring break to give to UCOMM in plenty of time to generate media for our students.
  1. Scholarship Review (Spring Semester) – questions, updates, timelines
    1. No timeline yet. It is usually in April.
    2. Our dashboard will populate with the applications we need to review.
  2. Next Meeting, Mar 4th – Agenda Items
    1. Feedback on infographic from program leads.
    2. Outstanding graduates process
    3. Syllabus statement on feedback rough draft