SUCCESS
Academic Support and Mentoring Quarterly Newsletter | Volume 3 Issue 2 | November 2021
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About ASM
About ASM
UMKC’s department of Academic Support and Mentoring (ASM) offers a wide range of services and programs to help students meet their academic goals. Services available through ASM include the Writing Studio, Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring, and Roo Up Seminars. ASM also provides programming and resources for Summer Bridge Scholars, Jumpstart KC, and Trustees' Scholars.
ASM’s mission is to provide innovative support services and resources to ensure educational access and personal success for every student. Our vision is that every UMKC student persists and graduates with the personal and professional skills to achieve their vision of success. Learn more about ASM on our website at umkc.edu/asm.
Contact Us
Contact Us
ASM Interim Director
Jessica Brooks (Elam)
Supplemental Instruction
Heather Miller
UMKC Tutoring
Laura King
Writing Studio
Thomas Ferrel
Summer Bridge Scholars, First Gen Roo and Roo Up Seminars
Megan Elsen
Jumpstart KC
Silvina Munita
munitas@umkc.edu
Department Updates & Highlights
Department Updates & Highlights
ASM Fall 2021 Midterm Participation Numbers
ASM Fall 2021 Midterm Participation Numbers
Leadership Change
Leadership Change
As of October 1, Julie Collins transitioned from the roles of Director of ASM and Executive Director of The International Center for Supplemental Instruction (ICSI) to become a part-time SI Associate and SI Certified Trainer; in this role, Julie is still a member of The ICSI team but on a reduced basis. We appreciate the leadership Julie has provided these past four years, and are pleased that she will remain with us in semi-retirement.
ASM is pleased to announce that Jessica Brooks (Elam) has been named Interim Director of ASM and Executive Director of The ICSI. Jess began her SI career as an SI Leader at Florida Atlantic University and joined The ICSI in 2016. Jess served first as UMKC's campus SI Program Coordinator and Certified Trainer, then as Assistant Director of SI and Lead Certified Trainer before becoming the center's Associate Director in 2020. Congratulations to Jess!
Refer-A-Friend
Refer-A-Friend
The department of Academic Support and Mentoring convenes an Advisory Council with representatives from all academic units to advise ASM on services, etc. ASM is excited to announce that this fall term we launched a “Refer-A-Friend” initiative suggested by the council last year. In October 2021, students who attended any academic support services following a referral from a friend were entered into a drawing for a bookstore gift card. The initiative was successful, with over 75 referrals for students who had not yet attended one or more of these academic support services!
ASM Student Employee Spotlight
ASM Student Employee Spotlight
Brian Ramírez is currently pursuing his Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration. He is a proud First Gen Roo! He graduated with his bachelors degree in Spanish and Health Sciences in May 2020. During his time at UMKC, he was a Henry W. Bloch Scholar, Avanzando Scholar and is now serving as a Program Support Specialist for the First Gen Roo Scholars Program. Brian is also an Assistant Residential Life Coordinator at Johnson Residential Hall.
“Working at ASM has created the nexus and support that is essential for a first-generation college student like me. I have LOVED working with Megan and ASM professional staff. They continue to support my professional and academic growth. During my time here at ASM, I have met wonderful colleagues that have created another home for me on campus.”
Program Updates
Program Updates
First Gen Roo Scholars Welcome Week Success
First Gen Roo Scholars Welcome Week Success
This year’s First Gen Roo Scholars program includes a cohort of 62 students representing over 20 unique majors and 47 different high schools. With the launch of Welcome Week on August 15, participants living on campus (53.2%) were able to move into their dorm room one week early. During this introductory week, students got to learn from peer mentors through both a student panel and peer mentor-led workshops focused on navigating college life. They began to build relationships with UMKC faculty by attending up to three professor-led academic sessions (Asking Questions, Seeing the Natural World, & How to Listen When You Disagree).
Campus also became more familiar territory through a campus scavenger hunt and a variety of resource office workshops! Finally, our cohort enjoyed the chance to get to know their fellow first gen roos during many community connection events that ranged from murder mystery games to painting parties to self-care jamborees. We were excited to spend our final day together having lunch, reflecting on the program, and offering professional headshots to all our scholars.
At the conclusion of Welcome Week, students reported significantly increased confidence in finding their campus classroom locations, tutoring services, career services, and wellness services. They also described having a stronger support system of peers and community at UMKC after taking part in the FGR Welcome Week. When asked what advice they would give to another future first-generation college student, 90% of this year’s cohort directly recommended joining the FGR program!
Below are quotes from a few of this year's First Gen Roo Scholars:
"Being first gen it is so easy to feel lost and alone but this program will reassure you that it is far from true."
"The most impactful experience I had during FGR Welcome week was getting to meet new friends, understand how to get around the UMKC campus, and getting to meet the FGR mentors."
"The workshops have allowed me to understand the resources around campus and how to utilize them wisely."
2022 Summer Bridge Scholars
2022 Summer Bridge Scholars
Recruitment is underway for the 2022 Summer Bridge Scholars cohort, with a goal of at least 40 participating students. The Summer Bridge Scholars program provides an academically rigorous summer experience to incoming first-year college students to prepare them for a successful college career at UMKC.
With the successful pilot of a hybrid program in 2021, we are excited to continue with a hybrid program for the 2022 Summer Bridge Scholars program. The hybrid model includes both virtual and on campus experiences. The first three weeks of the eight-week program will be held online as scholars participate in interactive activities to assist in building their academic skills, build connection with peers, and develop comfort accessing UMKC and community resources. After successfully completing the first three weeks of online programming, scholars will be invited to move to campus and enroll in at least four credit hours of coursework.
First Gen Living Learning Commons (LLC)
First Gen Living Learning Commons (LLC)
Fall 2022 will welcome the establishment of UMKC’s First Gen Living Learning Commons (LLC), which will be housed in Johnson Hall. The First Gen LLC will house upwards of 40 students who collectively share in being the first in their family to complete a bachelor’s degree. First Gen Roo Scholars living on campus will have the opportunity to reside in the newly created LLC. It will offer an added sense of community and targeted programming around financial wellness, resume building, and resilience training to UMKC’s incoming First Gen Roos!
The RooLearning+ app as listed in the Google Play Store.
New App for SI Has Launched!
New App for SI Has Launched!
Students can now visit the app store for IOS and Android and search for “RooLearning+” to get the new app for SI sessions. This app will be a one stop shop to see all their sessions, with up-to-date information including room changes, rescheduling, and cancellations. It will also be used to take attendance moving forward; no more hunting for links or remembering their IDs because they’ll already be signed into the app with their SSO.
We encourage students enrolled in an SI-supported course to download the app now and take a look around. If students encounter any issues or have any questions, please direct them to the RooLearning+ App Issues Form (Google Form).
Student Feedback from SI Session Survey
Student Feedback from SI Session Survey
318 responses were collected in a recent survey which asked students to rate their experience with the SI Leader in their SI session from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). The averages for each question and total average follow in the Google Sheets file linked below:
A few students' quotes from the survey:
"The best/most fun activity I've ever done in SI was a version of Heads Up. We were placed in small groups, and we took turns placing sticky notes on our heads and trying to guess what our team was explaining to us."
"I like how our leader asked us to draw a representation of an experiment in our own visual way to better understand the results."
"I enjoy the activities done during the session and it’s 100% helpful. That’s why I recommend it to every classmate who tells me that they are struggling with this class."
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