AAA 115 Instructor Training

About

Community colleges tend to enroll more at-risk students than any other type of higher education institution.  For many of these students, the community college is their only access to higher education.  These students want to do well; however, many are not academically, socially or intellectually prepared for the transition from high school learning to college learning. 

Karp, Hughes and O’Gara (2008) researched and reviewed applicability of Tinto’s Integration Framework for community college students and found that students’ sense of attachment to the institution is related to their persistence.   Retention and persistence is the desired outcome of AAA 115 for students.  However, these are things which are not taught in the traditional sense, but rather are facilitated through the instructor, helping students get connected academically and socially to the college.  Counseling, as a field and discipline, trains practitioners in this.  Thus, this learnshop seeks to train teachers skills to become adept as well.

Objective

The purpose of this workshop is to train instructors in the teaching and facilitation of AAA 115, College Success.  This class is aimed at new, first time college students.  Because of the transition issues many students encounter upon entering college, this course is designed to serve as bridge in helping and assisting students to becoming connected to people, peers, services and resources that can assist them in accomplishing their goals.  Thus, the instructors serve not only as teachers, but as facilitators in introducing college expectations, active engagement, personal responsibility and self directed learning in helping students maneuver through their first semester. 

In this learnshop, instructors will be introduced to some of the research and best practices in facilitating college success for first time college students.  Activities and exercises will be shared including strategies to utilize to facilitate a sense of community in the class.

Participants will be able to accomplish the following:

• Articulate teaching and facilitator philosophy in the way they create community in their AAA 115 classes.
• Develop and demonstrate the strategies by which to connect students to peers, people, resources and services.
• Identify additional resources/personnel to aid them in helping students persist and achieve in the college.

Facilitator

Stephanie J. Fujii, Counseling Faculty, EMCC 

Stephanie has been with the Maricopa Community Colleges since 1996, and has been teaching college success courses for nearly seventeen years working. She has extensive experience working with under-prepared, at-risk and under-represented students. She has presented regionally and nationally on student success, diversity issues, and inclusive teaching practices.

Location