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Mathew R Chetnik
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“About to cry because Salem State University actually cares about their students - it is very much appreciated.” – Summit 2021 Attendee
More than 150 students attended one of two Student Success Summits in January, sponsored by first-year experience, retention services, and the center for academic excellence. Designed to support first-year students who would have been on academic warning after their first semester (based on their fall grades), the summit was also open to any other student who wanted to refocus for the spring.
Keynote speaker Daphne Valcin, a certified life coach and first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Haiti, spoke to students about overcoming challenges and believing in their ability to achieve success. Students were then able to select from workshops in two separate sessions based on their interest, presented by graduate and professional staff. Session one included topics “know your why,” “building your community” and “finding motivation.” Session two included “time management and prioritizing,” “using the right resources” and “getting organized.” Session topics were selected based on data from the Salem State University Navigate system and feedback from students.
Participants also had the opportunity to hear from Salem State University faculty who shared their tips and recommendations for achieving success in the classroom. Panelists included professors Elizabeth Blood, world languages and cultures, Leslie Duhaylongsod, secondary and higher education, James Gubbins, interdisciplinary studies, Sara Moore, sociology, Kristin Pangallo, chemistry and physics, and Keja Valens, English.
Program assessment demonstrated a strong impact on participants: every session was ranked well above a 4.0 on a 1-5 scale, with 1 as "strongly disagree" and 5 as "strongly agree" when it came to session content being helpful, learning something from the session, speakers being engaging, and the session addressing concerns students had about the spring semester. The keynote speaker, faculty panel, and summit overall also received similarly high marks for the degree of motivation and sharing information that was helpful in planning for spring classes.
Student comments were equally positive (select examples):
- “I thought the summit was a great experience, thank you!”
- “I learned more than I thought I would…it really helped me feel more comfortable communicating with professors.”
- “Great presentations, very engaging!”
- “I really enjoyed the presentations this evening, and I found them to be very beneficial as I plan ahead for the upcoming spring semester.”
- “I am less nervous than I was before.”
A special thank you to Penny Lane, a graduate retention fellow in retention services, who assisted in coordinating the summit and presented, and to guest speakers Samantha Giffen in civic engagement, Rachel Frank in student life, Christine Williams in counseling and health services, Victoria Walsh and Katie Lanigan in residence life, and Abbie DeMarkey at Tufts University.
Interested in being a part of next year’s Student Success Summit? Contact Mathew Chetnik in the first year experience office. Want to learn more about the various resources in place to support student success at Salem State University? Visit the Student Success Canvas page.