Helping Faculty Become More Culturally Responsive and Equity-Centered in Thought and Action

Students need higher education institutions to see all their identifiers in the classroom and during their interactions. For faculty and staff to see the complete student, they must examine their personal stories, biases, and practices while assessing the impact each could have on the institution's equity work. On many higher education campuses, there has been training with consultants, book studies, and professional development; moving from pedagogy to action is a challenge. However, what is the ignitor for movement from talk to action? What is an effective way to help faculty and staff become more culturally responsive and equity-centered in both thought and action?

This study will first engage in Factuality, a timed online interactive experience that simulates structural inequality in America. While participating in Factuality, participants assume the identities of specific characters encountering a series of fact-based advantages and limitations based on the intersection of their race, class, gender, faith, sexual orientation, age, and ability. Participants will read and discuss the book, From Equity Talk to Equity Walk by Tia Brown McNair, Estela Mara Bensimon, and Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux. As a culminating reflective opportunity, participants will have the option to self-report on their 21-day equity walk, where they will have the chance to demonstrate their equity practices in their learning environments.

Motivation for Doing the Study:

 

Action is an essential part of equity work, but it can be challenging because it forces us to confront and examine some of our socialization and personal biases. After experiencing several lecture-style trainings and book studies, the researchers were curious if a combination of learning experiences could ignite the action needed to move equity forward. Dr. Handy, a former Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at a private P-12 school, knows first-hand the challenges of shifting a 175-year-old institution forward on equity issues. Dr. Fitzpatrick has diverse experiences helping individuals and organizations ensure their actions are evidence of their commitment to the students, families, and communities that they serve. Together, this team wanted to explore a specific gaming experience followed by the book with an action framework to help provide faculty and staff the ignitor needed to build their capacity and fuel their equity work in thought and action.

 

Background on Researchers:

Dr. Teresa Handy

Dr. Teresa Handy is a Core Faculty member in the Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education Leadership Program in the College of Education at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Teresa has been a Turn the Tide Facilitator at UAGC, a Power of One Faculty member, and a Donna Beegle Certified Poverty Coach. She earned the Ed.D. specializing in Education Leadership and the Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Memphis, where she earned the distinction of Outstanding Leadership and Policy Studies Doctoral Student. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Chicago. Teresa completed her undergraduate work in Sociology and Education at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She has worked in public, charter, and private schools as an administrator, early childhood and elementary educator, and a learning specialist. She has also served as a diversity consultant, helping local and national organizations develop their inclusion initiatives. Her recent children's book, "There is an Elephant in my Ear," was written for children ages 3-5 to help begin courageous conversations about differences in the preschool classroom.

You may contact her at Teresa.handy@uagc.edu

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-leary-handy-ed-d-30277a4

Dr. Tamecca Fitzpatrick

Dr. Tamecca Fitzpatrick is the Program Chair for the Master of Art in Early Childhood Education Leadership in the College of Education at the University of Arizona Global Campus. She obtained her Ed.D specializing in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Texas. Her Master's degree in Education and bachelor's degree in Psychology were earned at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Her work experience includes positions as an elementary classroom teacher, a Diversity Scholar Lecturer, Professor, and Author.

What types of classroom interactions do students want and what do we think they need?

Most academic literature celebrates the benefits of student-to-student and student-to-instructor engagement, which is deeper than simple interaction. However, many students, including those at UAGC, struggle to find time and energy to devote to even the simplest classroom interactions. We plan to survey all UAGC students to discover what they think of the previous types of classroom interactions they have had in the past and what they'd like to see in the future. If they want less interaction, we might want to spend more time educating them about the value of intellectual exchange and if they want more, we might want to design future classes with more opportunities for student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction. Either way, this information will be important for us in our future course designs.

One of the most important tools UAGC is currently using is Power of One, which attempts to provide students with additional support, by working with them on deadlines and more deeply engaging with struggling students. Our research intersects with the Power of One initiative because part of that effort is designed to better know our students and the various limitations many of them face and ways we can help build their personal and intellectual skills. While we as designers of course content often believe more interaction is beneficial, with students stretched to the brink with work and family responsibilities, what ways can we create learning initiatives that acknowledge their needs, while also creating rigorous courses? This survey will help answer some of these questions.

Cheri Ketchum

Cheri Ketchum is an Associate Professor at UAGC and has been working for the university since 2010. She oversees the communication and journalism programs within the Department of Education and Liberal arts and primarily teaches courses on persuasion and communication and conflict. Her research interests focus on instructor-student engagement, instructive feedback, journalism and popular culture.

Dr. Daria S. Lafave

Daria S. LaFave, PhD is an Associate Professor at UAGC. Her research interests are interpersonal communication, instructor-student relationships in online classrooms, and effective online course design. She has been teaching communication courses at UAGC since 2012. https://www.linkedin.com/in/darialafave/

Elain Phompheng

Elaine Phompheng, MA is an Associate Faculty member at UAGC, teaching courses primarily in communication and information literacy. She has been with UAGC since 2008. Her research interests include online instructor/student engagement, feedback strategies for online instructors, and organizational leadership. Elaine is in the process of completing her PhD.

 Chelsey Yeats

Chelsey Yeats, MA Associate Faculty member at UAGC, has instructed students online since 2011. Yeats primarily focuses on Communication Studies with an emphasis on critical literacy. Over recent years, Yeats has researched and explored establishing positive social presence and developing feedback literacy within the online classroom. Besides teaching and research, Yeats serves as a subject expert for course textbooks and course development.  

Live Learning – Research in Synchronous Meetings in Asynchronous Classes

Online learning provides a great pathway for students in varied circumstances to advance their education – to connect with content and engage with instructors and peers. But a predominantly asynchronous learning environment puts limits on that experience. As online instruction and distance learning platforms attempt to keep up with the advancements of technology, it is crucial that students have access to multiple learning resources to ensure success in meeting their educational goals.

One of the strategies for promoting student success and more meaningful conversations through online courses includes live chat sessions. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance the learning process so that students can gain the motivation and drive that they need to continue their online education. This, in turn, will guide the student in becoming successful in their educational journey. Implementing Live Learning sessions to all sections of a course on a weekly basis will assist students in understanding current and upcoming assessments, not only from the professor, but also from students in later weeks of the course.

The Community of Inquiry framework emphasizes the importance of social presence, which involves an inclusion of virtual office hours as an additional learning source for students. Offering weekly “live learning” video sessions as an additional resource within asynchronous online college courses will increase course satisfaction and learning of the course concepts, thereby, increasing the likelihood of student success and retention.

Since April of 2020, faculty within the Academic Engagement Center have been offering optional live learning sessions. And while the required Live Learning sessions in GEN103 were a direct result of insights and research conducted by this group, those sections are not monitored as part of this research. Data is collected and collated on a number of points – reflecting a deeper picture of the student and their needs.

The outcome will determine if weekly “live learning” sessions can positively impact student achievement and satisfaction. It will also provide insights about how course levels, sequencing, and session schedules may help students access this “live learning” opportunity.

The Professors Leading the Research:

Over the course of her career, Dr. Sonja Bethune has worn many hats in a variety of settings as an educator, administrative manager, as well as a mental health provider. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the State of California in which she has served the mentally ill population in different capacities. However, for the past 10 years, she has been a dedicated professor, course content developer, and supportive colleague for different projects, while overseeing the General Education Capstone course at the University of Arizona Global Campus (previously known as Ashford University). She has demonstrated her passion for teaching through various scholastic accomplishments in which she co-authored a book that focuses on teaching strategies for online instructors. She also co-authored and published a journal article that centers on implicit bias within the online classroom. Furthermore, she has written psychology-related articles for the UAGC Hub Newsletter that emphasize ways of improving one’s mental well-being.

Dr. Nathan Pritts is an award-winning educator, course developer, and faculty mentor with a strong focus on innovation with practical applications. He brings expertise in writing, business communication, advertising & marketing, and online user experience to the General Education classroom to maximize student learning and heighten engagement, infusing curriculum with foundational outcomes bolstered by clear ties to a student's academic and career path. He serves as Professor in the Academic Engagement Center of the University of Arizona Global Campus. Dr. Pritts is the author or co-author of twelve books including Decoherence (Indiana University Press), Film: From Watching to Seeing (3e), Essentials of Academic Writing (4e), and he served as editor and wrote the introduction for Living Online: A Digital Fluency Handbook.

UAGC Cohort Jumpstart Research Project by Dr. Connie Lower

Dr. Connie Lower

The intention of the UAGC Cohort Jumpstart project is to increase perseverance of entry-point students through the formation and support of a learning community (as defined by George Kuh in “High-Impact Educational Practices”) in a cohort of students as they navigate their first three classes together:  ASH 101, GEN 103, and GEN 102.  Entry-point students frequently express feeling alone, overwhelmed and under supported in their first entry classes.  Placing these students into a supportive cohort with the high-impact practice of a learning community will give them a stable, supportive group for fifteen weeks, thus increasing their motivation and determination to persevere. 

This effort also incorporates the Power of One initiative to improve retention and graduation through increased student/instructor engagement and care by faculty and support services.   The components of Power of One will be used to provide flexibility for student completion of work and enhanced instructor engagement with students.

Dr. Connie Lower Bio

Dr. Connie Lower is a full-time faculty member of the Academic Engagement Center at UAGC.  She has been in an instructor role at Ashford/UAGC since 2008.  She has a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in the Instructional Process and a Superintendent’s Certification from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, as well as a Master of Science in Educational Administration and a Bachelor of Science in K-12 education from Illinois State University.  She served as a public school administrator for a number of years before transitioning to higher education. Dr. Lower has always been passionate about teaching and learning, and is deeply invested in providing opportunities for students to attain their goals, whether very young or as adults. “UAGC has students that are serious about upgrading their lives and the lives of their families,” she says, “and the UAGC faculty and staff  are all dedicated individuals who wish to give our non-traditional students every opportunity to succeed.”

UAGC Announces the 2021 University Fellows Program Winners (UFP)

 

Greetings Readers, Faculty and Students,

 We are excited to announce the grant winners of the 2021 University Fellows Program (UFP).

All full-time faculty members engage in appropriate levels of scholarly activity, and the UFP is an opportunity to acquire additional support for such work. Each year $100,000 is allocated to supporting faculty research and scholarship. This year’s UFP proposals were a competitive group that represented the collaborative efforts of University of Arizona Global Campus scholars across departments, programs, and colleges.  Proposals represented key funding priority areas of retention and student success with 25% of 2021 funding allocated towards High Impact Practices (HIPs) research.  We have again exceeded prior years’ efforts in being able to fund 15 grants. These grants will be used to support research efforts that will further improve the quality of teaching and learning here at UAGC. Opportunities to hear about progress and findings for each of these studies will be available throughout 2021, so be on the lookout for future invitations.

 Special thanks to each faculty member who submitted a proposal for the 2021 University Fellows Program.   Each proposal helps to elevate the University Fellows Program and identify it as a valuable example of UAGC’s commitment to student success. We are pleased to announce the following proposals have been selected as University Fellows Program 2021 Awardees.  Please extend your congratulations to the following researchers: 

 

Primary Investigator (PI)	Team Member(s)	Title of Project	College of PI
Connie Lower	Stacy Manning, Nathan Pritts	UAGC Cohort Jumpstart	College of Arts & Sciences
Hwangji Lu	Robert Smiles	Quality Improvement in Online Course Design: A Case Study	College of Arts & Sciences
Hwangji Lu	Robert Smiles	Collaborative Project and ePortfolio: The Impacts of High-Impact Practices on Online Learning*	College of Arts & Sciences
Sonja Bethune	Mingzhen Bao, Nathan Pritts, Marc Hyntka, Christopher Foster	Live Learning: Supplementing Asynchronous Courses with Synchronous Web Meetings*	College of Arts & Sciences
Jennifer Robinson	Stacy Manning, Diane Hilbrink, Kathryn Kleypas, Cathlene Dollar, Benjamin Sorenson	Live Learning as a requirement of asynchronous first-year experience: Themes and understandings from student responses *	College of Arts & Sciences
Dan Tinianow	Marc Hnytka	Immersive experiences for student engagement	College of Arts & Sciences
Jennie Walker	Brandy Havens, Gwendolen Stutler, Maja Zelihic	Bridging the motherhood penalty: Identifying the specific challenges working mothers face in completing their education and advancing their careers and strategies to support their success	Forbes School of Business & Technology
Peggy Sundstrom	Jennifer Robinson	Evaluating the Use of Doctoral Writing Coaches to Enhance Doctoral Student Retention and Success: A Pilot Study*	Forbes School of Business & Technology
Jennifer Zaur	Dr. Amy Johnson, Dr. Allison Rief	The Role Scaffolding Plays in Student Success and Faculty Satisfaction	College of Arts & Sciences
Cheri Ketchum	Chelsey Yeats, Daria LaFave, Elaine Phompheng	Interaction or engagement: What do our students really want?	College of Arts & Sciences
Holly Ourso		Live Learning Mathematics	College of Arts & Sciences
Stephanie Anderson	Kim Cowan, Bill Davis	Constructing CARE in the Online Setting: Perceptions and Experiences of Compassion, Acknowledgement, Respect, and Encouragement in the Classroom	College of Arts & Sciences
Teresa Handy	Dr. Tamecca Fitzpatrick	Walk the Talk	College of Arts & Sciences
Christopher Foster	Clifford Blizard	The Impact of Experiential Learning in the Asynchronous Online University Classroom*	College of Arts & Sciences
Shari Schwartz	Pamela Murphy	The Use of Digital Badges to Enhance Student Engagement and Retention	College of Arts & Sciences
Allison Rief	Teresa Kuruc, Matthew Phillips Matthew, Kim Cowan	The Power of One: Flexibility as a Specialized Need for Non-Traditional Student Success	College of Arts & Sciences
Karen Ivy	Tahereh Daneshi, Lisa Sims, Michael Hayden, Shavon Andrews, Myinn Cohen, Karrie Suess	Student Organization Involvement with Matched Mentors and Mindsets: Creating a Culture of STEM Leadership	Forbes School of Business & Technology

 

*The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship would like to thank the UAGC High Impact Practices (HIPs) Committee for their review and support of the 2021 UFP researchers. The HIPs committee endorsed the following research projects that have a direct alignment to HIPs and a clear impact on student retention through the HIPs model:

·         Collaborative Project and ePortfolio: The Impacts of High-Impact Practices on Online Learning

·         Live Learning: Supplementing Asynchronous Courses with Synchronous Web Meetings

·         Live Learning as a Requirement of Asynchronous First-year Experience: Themes and Understandings from Student Responses

·         Evaluating the Use of Doctoral Writing Coaches to Enhance Doctoral Student Retention and Success: A Pilot Study

·         The Impact of Experiential Learning in the Asynchronous Online University Classroom

 The HIPs Committee and ORCS also commend and celebrates the following HIPs faculty champions:

o   Julie-Ann Adkins,

o   Sonja Bethune (PI),

o   Clifford Blizard,

o   Cathlene Dollar,

o   Christopher Foster (PI),

o   Teresa Handy,

o   Stephanie Heald,

o   Diane Hilbrink,

o   Marc Hyntka,

o   Kathryn Kleypas,

o   Hwangji Lu (PI),

o   Stacy Manning,

o   Nathan Pritts,

o   Allison Rief,

o   Jennifer Robinson (PI),

o   Latisha Shipley,

o   Robert Smiles,

o   Benjamin Sorenson,

o   Peggy Sundstrom (PI)

o   Jessi Upshaw

 

Regards,

Dr. Iris Lafferty, Dr. Pamela Murphy, Dr. Murad Abel, Dr. Mingzhen Bao, and Dr. Newton Miller

Office of the Provost and Office of Research & Creative Scholarship

Male Allyship Influence on Gender Equality? - A Discussion Between the Center for Women's Leadership and Harvard Business Authors

 Re: Center for Women's Leadership Hosts Discussion with Harvard Business Publishing Authors on the Importance of Male Allyship for Gender Equality 

On November 16, 2021, the Center for Women’s Leadership (CWL) hosted guest speakers, Dr. David Smith and Dr. Brad Johnson, the authors of Harvard Business Publishing books Athena Rising and Good Guys. They focused on the importance of male engagement in gender equality initiatives, exploring why men are often absent from gender equity work, and why genuine equity in the workplace is good for both men and women. They said that men may incorrectly believe that they have no role to play in addressing issues and leveling the leadership playing field.   

Dr. Smith and Dr. Johnson's research debunked this thinking pattern, discussing the many roles men play in bringing about gender equality including leveraging mentorship, sponsorship, and workforce partnerships. They offered a new perspective on recognizing preconceived notions about gender behavior and expectations, promoting meaningful dialogue on gender equality in the workplace, and creating a positive corporate culture that offers all employees a viable path towards leadership and success. Gender partnership is a powerful tool in propelling next generation leadership that is diverse, inclusive, and reflective of our global society.  

Professor Bios:

Professor Brandy Havens
LinkedIn Profile

Brandy Havens is a CPA, Core Faculty in accounting at the Forbes School of Business & Technology at University of Arizona Global Campus, and a board member at the Center for Women’s Leadership.

Professor Dr. Jennie Walker
LinkedIn Profile

Dr. Jennie Walker is a SHRM-CP, Lead Faculty in Leadership at the Forbes School of Business & Technology at University of Arizona Global Campus, and Chair of the Center for Women’s Leadership. 

Professor Susan Gould Discusses Coffee, Critical Thinking, and Finance

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating information to guide belief, decision, or action. Finance students and professionals are uniquely positioned to utilize critical thinking effectively and persuasively.

To understand how critical thinking is a key element of finance, imagine it is the beginning of your work day. It’s been a busy week, you have a lot of projects you are working on, and it’s important for you to be productive today.

You think about starting work, and you consider getting a cup of coffee. What course of action will you take to get a cup of coffee, and how much will that cup of coffee cost you?

Many people will answer this query with “go to (fancy coffee shop) and it will cost $5.”  Some will say “I will go to (franchise donut shop) and it will cost me $1.50.” Others will say “I’ll brew my coffee here at home, so it will cost a few pennies.”  Still others will say “I don’t like coffee, so I will get a glass of water instead, and it won’t cost anything.”

What’s the right answer?

As with many financial decisions, there is no single ‘right’ answer. However, the process to arrive at the answer that is right for you illustrates how critical thinking is applied in finance!

In the morning coffee example, each person applied several steps to arrive at their decision. These steps involved many elements of critical thinking:

·         Creativity: what else could I drink?

·         Context and background knowledge: what does coffee cost at various places?

·         Financial acumen: is it worth it to me to spend $5 or $1.50 on a cup of coffee in this moment, and how does this impact my financial goals?

·         Ethical and social responsibility concerns: do I agree with the coffee shop’s social and environmental actions?

Once a decision is made to buy a cup of coffee, there is a financial transaction – handing over dollars and cents to the store in exchange for the product.

Many people believe that the field of finance is focused on the that last step – the financial transaction. Certainly, the exchange of money for goods, services, investments, or securities is worthy of extensive study. And, there is no doubt that finance professionals love numbers and can devote significant time and effort to analyzing numbers!

However, the field of finance is really about all the thought process that leads to the financial transaction. Additionally, the field of finance is about the long-term implications of that transaction. Thus, the ability to communicate the context of a financial decision, as well as the long-range impact of various paths considered, is a critical capability. 

Replace the morning coffee example with a company’s capital investment decision, and the process is exactly the same. Although there is (most assuredly!) quantitative analysis to consider, a manager or executive must also reflect on:

·         What other options are there?

·         What is the competitive environment, and strategic opportunity?

·         What is the cost and long-term financial impact on the company of implementing this decision?

·         Does this decision reflect the company’s mission, ethics, and values?

It is no surprise that finance professionals are experts at quantitative analysis. However, financial decisions are most successful when evaluated within the right context, and with significant consideration of alternatives and long-term impacts. Finance students and professionals are expert critical thinkers and communicators!

Professor Susan Gould Bio:

Professor Susan Gould
LinkedIn Profile

Susan Gould earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University, and a Master of Management degree with majors in finance and managerial economics from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She also holds the CFA designation from the CFA Institute.  Susan is the Lead Faculty of the BA in Finance and MS in Finance programs at UAGC.

 

Susan worked for 20 years in corporate finance, where she prepared business valuations of privately held companies in a wide variety of industries, including natural gas, printing, construction equipment manufacturing, architecture and engineering, retail, and commodities trading. Susan specialized in representing Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) from implementation and stock purchase through sale transactions.