At the start of the fall semester, our Graduation/Retention Specialists gathered faculty, staff and advising colleagues for a Welcome Back Students event. Enthusiasm, games, food and fun created a greater sense of belonging for new students. The event was well attended and provided a space for our students to interact with faculty and staff outside of the customary offices and classrooms. Students and faculty expressed that it was a positive experience which encouraged connection within the HHD community. The College is looking forward to hosting a spring Welcome Back Students event in February 2019! (Details coming soon.)
To keep better connections with students and to provide answers to questions--or mysteries--the Graduation/Retention Specialists implemented a Canvas page aimed specifically at HHD's fall '18 first-time freshman cohort. Canvas is a modern, open, user-friendly teaching and learning platform for faculty and students, and it provides information about study skills, time management, and test-taking strategies through different mediums. It has customized materials created by our Graduation/Retention Specialists. There is a podcast, web links, referrals to on-campus resources, announcements, and online discussions.
The use of Canvas for the fall '18 freshman cohort is part of a broader aim which seeks to improve communication between the advisement community and our freshman class. The hope is that by providing this type of information the retention of our freshman students will increase in accordance with GI 2025 goals implemented CSU wide.
Learn more about the fall 2018 welcome back event and see the photos!
F 2018
Miguel Hernanzez, Joanne Moreno