(HUNTSVILLE) – Texas State University System (TSUS) member institutions will participate in a pilot workshop this week focused on the role of department chairs and faculty leadership in improving student success. The workshop, developed by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), will be held April 6-7 on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. TSUS was invited to assist AASCU with this national initiative due to its institutional expertise in improving student success.
More than 20 department chairs from across the System will gain insight into best practices that help students complete their first year and make timely progress toward the completion of their degrees. Speakers, who have conducted extensive research on the importance of student’s first year in college, the use of data to drive student success and other related topics, include:
• Dr. Jo Arney, program director for the Re-Imagining the First Year initiative at AASCU.
• Dr. Timothy Dale, political science and public administration chair at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
• Dr. Jillian Kinzie, associate director for postsecondary research at the National Survey of Student Engagement;
• Dr. George Mehaffy, vice president for academic leadership and change at AASCU; and
• Dr. Randy Swing, higher education consultant and former executive director of the Association for Institutional Research.
“High quality faculty and faculty leadership are critical factors in helping students succeed in college,” said Dr. John Hayek, TSUS’s vice chancellor for academic affairs. “The workshop provides an excellent opportunity for department chairs across the System to explore high impact practices, enhance their leadership skills, and share this information with other faculty members to the benefit of Texas and our students.”
AASCU has a long and rich history of working with its member institutions on national initiatives focused on improving student success, including its most recent effort entitled “Re-Imagining the First Year of College.” AASCU plans on using the lessons learned from this initiative, as well as from the TSUS pilot, to benefit faculty leadership and students across the country by providing a series of similar regional workshops over the next year.