Chair Talk #3.3 August 24, 2016

Chair Talk #3.3          Getting Off to a Good Start

What happens to students in the first few weeks of a new academic year really matters – so I’m going to focus the first part of this Chair Talk on a few things faculty can do right now that make a difference to student success.  

First and most important is to engage every student in the learning process.  Easier said than done in large classes of course.   One thing we do know is that students who access D2L more than 3 times in the first two weeks of class are 10% more likely to persist at the UA.  Assuming you use D2L to manage course content, you should make sure, very early in the semester, that all students are set up to access D2L and have actually logged in to the site.

It is also important to provide early opportunities for success, which also serve as a reality check on how a student is doing in the class.  An early quiz or two can help students recognize when they are not doing the work necessary to succeed.   Students who are in trouble should be encouraged as early as possible to seek help – there are lots of resources out there – no doubt you’ve received many emails describing them.

Finally, success should be obtainable by all our students, and that means creating inclusive classrooms, right from the outset.  Students who feel comfortable and supported in the classroom are much more likely to learn.

When we’ve taken care of our students, after a long day, where do we want to go – to a University Club of course, to meet a few colleagues and watch the sunset over the Catalinas from atop a tall building.  If all goes according to current plan doing this will become a real possibility in about 18 months – when a new suites-only hotel goes up just behind the existing Marshall Building and we inaugurate the University Club on the top glass-enclosed floor.  As many of you know, we are stoking interest in the Club, which ultimately will need to support itself, by holding University Club events during the semester, where members of the UA community come to sample either a good buffet lunch of the sort the Club will have, or a wine-and-cheese evening.

The dates and times for this semester’s free events are listed below – please join us at one of these if you’d like to hear more about the University Club project.  Just email me with your preference at:     nadel@u.arizona.edu

Lynn Nadel

University Club Dates
Weds Sept 14        lunch from 12-1   (act quickly on this one will, it will fill up fast)
Thurs Oct 6           evening wine-and-cheese from 5-7
Weds Nov 9           lunch from 12-1 
Thurs Dec 8          evening wine-and-cheese from 5-7