First Year Experience (FYE)

Piedmont College: Department of Student Engagement

Justin White

&

Ashley Clouatre

Piedmont College

April 2019
 Successful College Student

Critical Professionalism/ Career

Thinking/ Work Ethic Management
Problem
Solving

Exercises sound reasoning Demonstrates Retains, articulates personal skills,

effective work habits
Obtains, interprets and uses
and personal
knowledge, facts, and data
accountability
Demonstrates originality and
Demonstrates
inventiveness
integrity and ethical
behavior
strengths, knowledge, and experiences
Identifies areas necessary for
professional growth
Takes steps needed to pursue
professional gains and personal
opportunities

Able to learn from

mistakes

There are three competencies we believe your students are craving. These competencies are,
critical thinking/ problem solving, Professionalism/work ethic, and career management. These
are narrowed down form eight competencies decided by the NACA and adopted by the CREDO
initiative team for FYE. We believe that these skills are what makes a person successful in
college and needs to be taught in the First Year Experience (Piedmont, 2019).

These competencies were selected based on Piedmont’s students during scheduled focus groups;
Dean’s List, SAIL members, Navigators, Peer Mentors, and Team Piedmont students were all
involved in our focus groups. Students indicated they wanted more and are eager to learn. In our
focus groups students stressed that they wanted to see skills carried throughout their courses and
their course work.
Focus group participants were asked questions composed by the Dean of Student Services. These
questions were originally sent via email to all Dean’s List students. It was our recommendation
that a variety of students have an opportunity to voice their opinions. The data retrieved from
these students is rich in content.

Our data indicates students want the following:

After analyzing the data from the focus groups, we have a couple of ways to interpret it. This
will be the First Year Experience course concentrating on what the students want and need the
most. Students have indicated they are looking for more than they are currently receiving; this
tells us as consultants there is a gap in performance and training. Recent retention reports support
our findings (attached at the end of this report). Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) determine
how a person contributes to the business, in this case the college or 1101 course. KPIs can help
determine progression, retention, rewards, and benefits. KPIs are fantastic indicators of gaps in
performance.
Rumelhart and Norman say that learning has three stages, accretion, structuring and tuning. The
process of growth or measurement of increasing knowledge can be gradual; this is known as
accretion. Structuring is the formation of new concepts, which are also called schemas. Tuning is
the adjustment of knowledge through use. Rumelhart and Norman consider tuning to be the most
important part of the learning cycle, while accretion is typically the most common type. An
example of this model would be: A student learns a math problem and perfects it after practicing
it several times. Then, uses the formula on a final exam.

Tuning is missing from Piedmont’s 1101 course. There is accretion and structuring, but once the
class is over there is no type of tuning. According to the students of Piedmont College they want
more tuning. They want to see certain skills carried form one class to another. This can be
handled in several ways; students can help tune some knowledge by becoming a peer mentor on
campus.
To reiterate, three out of the eight competencies are of higher priority than others. Participants of
our focus groups indicated the following competencies: critical thinking/problem solving,
professionalism/work ethic and career management. With these competencies in mind, we have
the following suggestions that will help crate and instill these competencies to staff and students.
Simulation Training Systems is a company that specializes in training simulations that promote
personal and professional growth. There are several different simulations that are specifically
geared towards college students with post graduate qualities in mind. Here are some simulations
that fit into the three competencies identified by your students.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

From Simulation Training Systems offer many prebuilt training simulations. We see these
simulations as beneficial for staff and students. This simulation is called “The Power of
Leadership”. This simulation helps staff and students understand what it takes to be a leader as
well as how to handle a power position. As described on their website, “Participants inherit a
dysfunctional organization in which all of the power resides in the three participants who “earn”
their position as Top Performers. The other participants become “Midders” or “Greemers”
depending on how many points they earn trading. The organization also has physical and process
barriers to communication, unequal opportunities to improve and create wealth, strong in-
group/out-group identification, and a way of distributing wealth that creates distrust and allows
sabotage. After participating in one round of the simulation, the participants are given the
opportunity to change the rules and change the physical environment to make a more effective,
fairer organization. These changes are not easy to make because of the vested interests of the
three groups.” (Simulation Training Systems)

After going through this simulation, everyone will have hands on experience with critical
thinking and problems solving with real world applications. This can also help the Dean of
Student Services determine if she is staffed accordingly; do you have everyone staffed where
they belong? Simulations such as these can help you evaluate where you need strong leaders and
where you need those quiet leaders.
Professionalism and Work Ethic:

Piedmont students had a lot to say about this topic. One finding that we found interesting is,
students want accountability about their appearance. For example, students want professors that
expect professionalism. If they wear pajamas to class, they want a professor that expects more
from them. Spinning it around, students want professors who conduct themselves as
professionals, after all they do hold higher degrees. As you can see here, we have found to gaps
in training. Offering training to 1101 professors before students come to campus could be
beneficial for everyone. Once professors receive training, they can assist in training freshman
students.

Simulations and training modules for professionalism/work ethic:

Bafa’ Bafa’: Simulation Training Systems (https://www.simulationtrainingsystems.com/)

While participating in BaFa BaFa participants gain a complete understanding of how culture
effects someone’s day to day life by experiencing it themselves. This would be beneficial for
incoming students living in the dorms. Leaving home can be challenging for some students.
Piedmont College is a great place to come to experience culture, why not hold a simulation to
grow an already seeded interest? This simulation can be to help determine roommates,
clubs/organizations, even down to what foreign language to take. BaFa BaFa may be used to
help participants prepare for living and working in another culture or to learn how to work/live
with people from other disciplines, genders, races, and ages (Simulation Training Systems). We
have reached out to Simulation Training Systems with no reply at this time.

Franklin Covey Training: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Signature Edition 4.0
(https://www.amanet.org/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people-signature-edition-4-0/)

Who is this for?

“Anyone who wants to learn how to apply the power of effectiveness for greater success in their
business and personal lives and feel more satisfied with what they accomplish each day
(Franklin Covey Training).”

It is our suggestion that these simulations be used during orientation week, as a mid-term for
1101 courses, and junior year to help determine if a student is on the right track professionally.
By using these simulations students are building relationships, working as a team and making
deep connections.
References:
Culatta, R. (2019). Modes of Learning (D. Rumelhart & D. Norman). Retrieved April 12, 2019,
from https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/modes-learning/

Rumelhart, D. E., & Norman, D. A. (1976). Accretion, Tuning and Restructuring: Three Modes
of Learning. Accretion, Tuning, and Restructuring: Three Modes of Learning.
doi:10.21236/ada030406

Mager & Pipe. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2019, from http://hpt2014.weebly.com/mager--
pipe.html

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Signature Edition 4.0. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2019,
from https://www.amanet.org/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people-signature-edition-4-0/

Simulations for Schools/Charities. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2019, from

https://www.simulationtrainingsystems.com/schools-and-charities/

Yaker, K. (n.d.). Top 10 Online Fundraising KPIs You Need to Start Tracking Today. Retrieved
April 29, 2019, from https://blog.arreva.com/top-10-online-fundraising-kpis-you-need-to-start-
tracking-today