Summary of Underprepared Student Initiative Learning Session, August 20, 2001
23 Faculty and Staff participated in this session and the following suggestions/strategies were offered

FIRST DAY
Opening Day Activities:
1. Walk them to office and/or other services
2. Introductory Bingo. Winner introduces all people in row
3. Ask “what they hate/like about teachers.” Frustrations of teachers
4. Allow all questions about teacher/class
5. Balloons – write something about self nobody knows – than find that person who wrote it

Icebreakers on first day of class:
1. Tell them how you want to be addressed
2. Cover syllabus
3. Name tags
4. Video to introduce topic
5. Name game to memorize student names
6. Play music
7. Dyad interviews

Opening Day:
1. Calling List (names, phone, E-mail)
2. Student introductions
3. Get to know instructor - some personal information
4. Dyads – introduce partner or groups of 4
5. Groups by state of birth… type of work they are doing

Opening Day:
1. Write fear/anxiety – rip up. Instructor share
2. Introductions – paired
3. Why taking course/major – relate to content
4. One fact about you – walk around – now introduce somebody to class
5. Assumptions about instructor

RETENTION STRATEGIES
1. “Kick ‘em in the butt and then pick ‘em up”
2. Build on previous knowledge - show how it relates to your class
3. Use of demos to reinforce concepts
4. Tie concepts into everyday life
5. Students participate in creating the “norms” of the learning environment
6. Joke of the day
7. Index cards at end of class: What they got/what’s murky

What to do for Retention
1. Do not wait until midterm! Do it in person – do it at end of class
2. Have students evaluate themselves
3. Syllabus – include page to keep track of grades as go along
4. “What can I do to help you?” Take them to resources

Strategic Retention
1. Student peer groups – exchange phone numbers
2. Students agree on a name for their group
3. Instructor initiates one-on-one
4. Students discuss “the rules” for appropriate classroom conduct
5. Students have some choice on a project/paper
6. Classroom invited to correct inventory of successful students characteristics
7. Dyads-interview each other including their academic strengths and potential barriers to success
8. Pre-tests – group students per ability

In General – What we do for Retention
1. Electronic journaling
- Anonymous
- All are able to read
2. Present final project in any form
- Utilizes all intelligences
3. Penalty-free re-writes (re-do’s)
- Arrange a meeting if haven’t taken advantage
4. Graphic/Mosaic for students to explore different parts of themselves
5. One minute essays/feedback
- I have learned
- I have enjoyed
- I am wondering
Use in next class before going on to next topic
6. After teaching skill – ask to apply in own lives and share in class afterwards
Ex. Communication techniques
Role plays-switch positions to take different perspective

MIDTERM ACTIVITIES
1. Optional, extra-credit assignments
2. Schedule one-on-one meetings
3. Personal referral to LSC
4. Pair up students to study

Mid-term Grades Class Act
1. Encourage student involvement throughout semester in terms of grading
2. Personal meetings with Faculty members
3. Study groups – LSC
4. Not end – still can succeed

Mid-term Grades
1. Class activities
2. Hook up with tutor
3. Revisit goals/habits to change
4. One-one-one with instructor lab – talk to each person
5. Give points for making corrections
6. Evaluate own percentage

BEST IDEAS
Lecture notes for each class – programmed exercise
Opening Day Major – tie to content with fear/anxiety for that class
Assumption about instruction/instructor

Mid-term
- Revisit goals – new habit
- Pass out lecture notes at beginning of each class
- Programmed work exercises do in class (mini-quiz) in each one

Opening Day Activities
- Take fear out instructor share
- Connection
- Volunteer help sessions – outside time S.I. instructor or peers