2022 ANNUAL REPORT
Organization Membership
In January, Student Life discovered that inactive students (drops and graduates) were not being removed from our organization courserooms. As a result, our membership numbers were highly inaccurate. For example, in the case of one organization, we found that only 18% of the students reported as members were still active students.
We have slowly begun the process of removing those students from current courserooms and ensuring that in the future, inactive students are removed on no less than a monthly basis. So while our data shows a downward trend in student organization membership, it is a far more accurate picture of actual student involvement at PG. Once we have established an accurate baseline, we can begin the work to move the line back in the right direction.
Please keep this in mind as you review additional data for 2021-2022 in this report.
Club Spotlight: American Red Cross Club
Mackenzie Goucher
President, American Red Cross Club
President, American Red Cross Club
Teri Immormino, secretary
Kimberly Ord, treasurer
Carla Cerra, faculty advisor
Melinda Linscott, faculty advisor
Jan Saeger, faculty advisor
Patti Pelletier, ARC representative (Northern New England chapter)
When it comes to contributing to PG's land grant mission, there is no better example from Student Life than the American Red Cross (ARC) Club. Sponsored by the Northern New England chapter of the American Red Cross, the PG ARC Club is a first-of-its-kind: a fully online student chapter that covers the entire United States (and the world)! In its first nine months, the club has already enrolled nearly 300 students from across the student body.
The ARC Club has already made an impact on the PG campus. Mackenzie Goucher, club president, presented at the inaugural Juneteenth celebration on the importance of blood donation to sickle cell anemia patients, and the club sponsored a virtual blood drive to raise additional awareness. Additionally, the club coordinated a fundraising drive to benefit the American Red Cross and was able to donate $1,170.77 to the Northern New England chapter.
To make a charitable donation to the American Red Cross, to schedule a blood donation appointment, or to learn more about volunteering for the Red Cross, visit redcross.org.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Research continues to show that particular demographics are at higher risk for non-completion, including students that are from traditionally marginalized ethnic communities and lower socioeconomic status, as well as first generation college students. One factor in retention for these students is the feeling of "belonging" to an institution, which is particularly difficult to cultivate for part-time students, employed students, students with family responsibilities, and for students whose experience requires little or no on-campus interaction (O'Keeffe, 606-7).
Clearly, many of our students check most, if not all, of these boxes. Student Life programs exist to address several of these risk factors:
Cultural associations that provide safe spaces for students of similar ethnic backgrounds or other identity factors to create community;
Interest-based clubs and organizations that create opportunities for networking and social interaction; and
Honor societies that recognize academic excellence and cross program boundaries to facilitate the development of relationships between students, as well as between students and faculty members.
Student Life is proud that our clubs and organizations closely mirror, and in some cases surpass, the diversity of our PG campus. However, we also note that we have a significant difference in reported race for our club participants. This brings up an interesting set of questions: Why is the percentage of students who did not report their race so much higher among organization participants? Is there a common thread between students who choose not to report, and those who choose to participate in student organizations? Could this commonality be related to a student's sense of identity, or their feeling of belonging within the PG community? As we seek to offer more and more equitable opportunities for our students, we will keep these questions in mind.
We continue to search for opportunities to develop the sense of belonging for our students. We anticipate the addition of two honor societies, two program-specific academic associations, and an interest-based student organization during Fall 2022, with more to come!
Honor Society Spotlight: Alpha Alpha Alpha
Student Life's newest honor society partnership shows every sign of being one of our most successful. Alpha Alpha Alpha, or Tri-Alpha, is an invitation-only group open to first generation college students, undergraduate or graduate, with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher. First offered in 2021, the group has initiated more than 1,000 students into its community.
Research demonstrates that first generation students are more likely to persist when they make connections with faculty, feel like a part of the university community, and develop meaningful relationships with faculty and other students (Hopkins et al, 52). Tri-Alpha creates exactly these opportunities, encouraging students to go beyond the classroom for valuable professional and personal networking. In their monthly meetings, members gain valuable information about topics from work-study to academic integrity, acclimating them to the university environment in an engaging and safe way.
Jacqueline Meijia
President, Alpha Alpha Alpha
President, Alpha Alpha Alpha
April Hernandez, vice president
Griselda Rodriguez, secretary
Dawn Marie Graves, treasurer
Andru Cox, historian
Dr. Misty LaCour, faculty advisor
Governance Spotlight: Student Advisory Board
Student Advisory Board (SAB) conducted a survey of students to determine areas of opportunity in student services. They were able to make recommendations to the provost's office based on their analysis of the responses, categorized into four themes:
Seminar. SAB recommended the adoption of a replacement to Bongo, as well as advanced training on whatever tool was chosen. The Board also recommended review of the Option 2 policy, with an eye to those students who are not able to attend seminars synchronously due to work or family obligations.
Academic Advisors. SAB recommended that academic advisors receive further training on all resources available to them. They also recommended the implementation of a two-question intake questionnaire to establish the expectations of both student and advisor. The Board looks forward to speaking with a member of the Advising staff about their recommendations in summer 2022.
Clinicals. Students expressed frustration with CORE-ELMS and the clinical process. SAB recommended that better CORE-ELMS training be provided, and that the requirements for clinicals be communicated earlier in students' programs to allow them more time to gather information.
Financial Aid. SAB recognized that many financial aid policies are dictated by the federal government. However, SAB recommended that Financial Aid review its communications for scheduling and content, in order to make as clear as possible the potentially confusing information for students.
Quantina White
President, Student Advisory Board
President, Student Advisory Board
Jennifer Jeffries, vice president
Stacie Gates, secretary
Jessi Eaton, faculty advisor
The introduction of Zoom as a replacement for Bongo is a welcome response to concerns expressed by students. SAB will be meeting with representatives from Advising and Financial Aid to discuss their existing processes and how to make them more student-centered.
Student Advisory Board appreciates the dialogue with the provost's office about the recommendations, and particularly appreciates the time and efforts of Dr. Harbor and Dr. Lewandowski throughout the development and delivery of these recommendations.
SAB has examined a variety of other issues, from the design of the Purdue Global diploma to privacy concerns about exam monitoring software. A crucial piece of the governance process, Student Advisory Board's role as liaison between students and administration continues to grow. Over 100 nominations were received for openings on the Board in July, an indication that our students are ready to contribute to the continuous improvement of PG processes and policies.
Feedback
Student Life welcomes your feedback regarding this report or any of our programs. We are eager to develop relationships that can support our students' success!
General inquiries: studentlife@purdueglobal.edu
