Digication Scholars Conversations

Discover practical strategies for improving student engagement to help promote an integrated learning environment. Hear Dr. David Hubert, professor of Political Science and Associate Provost of Learning Advancement at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), break it down. Including: - The real value of a college education - Improving students' engagement - The benefits of Open Education Resources (OERs) - And a lot more... Links to Dr. David Huberts' OER can be found here: https://slcc.pressbooks.pub/attenuateddemocracy/ His SLCC’s ePortfolio information is here: https://www.slcc.edu/eportfolio

As Howard Wach explains in this three part Digication Scholars Conversation with host Jeff Yan, Guttman Community College is not your typical community college. Opened in 2012 with a unique structure designed to address the high student attrition rate common in community colleges, Guttman only enrolls full-time students and was originally created without academic departments. With an established career in the CUNY system, first as a professor of history, and then as an administrator holding various dean level positions at LaGuardia and Bronx Community College, Howard has brought a wealth of experience and bold honesty to the challenging role of Vice-president of Academic Affairs and Provost at Guttman, from which he recently retired. Over the course of the conversation Jeff and Howard discuss a number of universal issues facing higher education, including decreasing enrollment and the intrusion of partisan politics, as well as challenges specific to Guttman, including the difficulties of catering to a diverse student-body from lower-income backgrounds with a campus located in the affluent borough of Manhattan. Despite the challenges, Howard reflects positively on his career with CUNY. “I had an opportunity to do a lot of different things in these different institutional spaces that I found myself in, and I feel a lot of gratitude. I feel fortunate to have been able to do that and I think made some kind of a difference in the places that I worked.”

As Howard Wach explains in this three part Digication Scholars Conversation with host Jeff Yan, Guttman Community College is not your typical community college. Opened in 2012 with a unique structure designed to address the high student attrition rate common in community colleges, Guttman only enrolls full-time students and was originally created without academic departments. With an established career in the CUNY system, first as a professor of history, and then as an administrator holding various dean level positions at LaGuardia and Bronx Community College, Howard has brought a wealth of experience and bold honesty to the challenging role of Vice-president of Academic Affairs and Provost at Guttman, from which he recently retired. Over the course of the conversation Jeff and Howard discuss a number of universal issues facing higher education, including decreasing enrollment and the intrusion of partisan politics, as well as challenges specific to Guttman, including the difficulties of catering to a diverse student-body from lower-income backgrounds with a campus located in the affluent borough of Manhattan. Despite the challenges, Howard reflects positively on his career with CUNY. “I had an opportunity to do a lot of different things in these different institutional spaces that I found myself in, and I feel a lot of gratitude. I feel fortunate to have been able to do that and I think made some kind of a difference in the places that I worked.”

As Howard Wach explains in this three part Digication Scholars Conversation with host Jeff Yan, Guttman Community College is not your typical community college. Opened in 2012 with a unique structure designed to address the high student attrition rate common in community colleges, Guttman only enrolls full-time students and was originally created without academic departments. With an established career in the CUNY system, first as a professor of history, and then as an administrator holding various dean level positions at LaGuardia and Bronx Community College, Howard has brought a wealth of experience and bold honesty to the challenging role of Vice-president of Academic Affairs and Provost at Guttman, from which he recently retired. Over the course of the conversation Jeff and Howard discuss a number of universal issues facing higher education, including decreasing enrollment and the intrusion of partisan politics, as well as challenges specific to Guttman, including the difficulties of catering to a diverse student-body from lower-income backgrounds with a campus located in the affluent borough of Manhattan. Despite the challenges, Howard reflects positively on his career with CUNY. “I had an opportunity to do a lot of different things in these different institutional spaces that I found myself in, and I feel a lot of gratitude. I feel fortunate to have been able to do that and I think made some kind of a difference in the places that I worked.”

Part 2 of 2 Alison Carson is the Associate Provost for Academic Innovation and Design Thinking and a Professor of Psychology at Manhattanville College. In this Digication Scholars Conversation, Alison describes her role in promoting awareness and appreciation for design thinking among the faculty and students of Manhattanville, and describes the school’s newly created certificate in design thinking. While acknowledging the challenges of fostering understanding and willingness to adopt new methods, her commitment to design thinking continually leads to innovative teaching and student success across an array of disciplines. Alison and host Kelly Driscoll discuss a number of these successes, including the school’s Atlas program, incorporating ePortfolio into advising, and a recent marketing capstone bringing in four female entrepreneurs to mentor students. Throughout, Alison emphasizes the importance of empathy throughout the design process. “If you’re trying to … solve a particular problem, you have to understand the problem from the point of view of the person who’s actually experiencing that problem.”

Part 1 of 2 Alison Carson is the Associate Provost for Academic Innovation and Design Thinking and a Professor of Psychology at Manhattanville College. In this Digication Scholars Conversation, Alison describes her role in promoting awareness and appreciation for design thinking among the faculty and students of Manhattanville, and describes the school’s newly created certificate in design thinking. While acknowledging the challenges of fostering understanding and willingness to adopt new methods, her commitment to design thinking continually leads to innovative teaching and student success across an array of disciplines. Alison and host Kelly Driscoll discuss a number of these successes, including the school’s Atlas program, incorporating ePortfolio into advising, and a recent marketing capstone bringing in four female entrepreneurs to mentor students. Throughout, Alison emphasizes the importance of empathy throughout the design process. “If you’re trying to … solve a particular problem, you have to understand the problem from the point of view of the person who’s actually experiencing that problem.”

(Part 2 of 2) Kate LaBore is the Technology and Media Professional in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. In this Digication Scholars Conversation, Kate and Digication CEO Jeff Yan discuss the challenges of implementing ePortfolio at scale in a large research institution, and the importance of integrating ePortfolio with the campus Learning Management System. While acknowledging the difficulty of promoting awareness of ePortfolio and other high impact practices among instructors, Kate, emphasizes the excitement of finding instructors that “get” ePortfolio, and stresses the potential for these instructors to lead their colleagues to a deeper level of understanding of the pedagogy. The conversation concludes with an in-depth discussion on the importance of creating accessible content and resources for students. “It’s empathy. It's being able to see the world through the eyes of someone who has a different way of being in the world than you do.”

(Part 1 of 2) Kate LaBore is the Technology and Media Professional in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. In this Digication Scholars Conversation, Kate and Digication CEO Jeff Yan discuss the challenges of implementing ePortfolio at scale in a large research institution, and the importance of integrating ePortfolio with the campus Learning Management System. While acknowledging the difficulty of promoting awareness of ePortfolio and other high impact practices among instructors, Kate, emphasizes the excitement of finding instructors that “get” ePortfolio, and stresses the potential for these instructors to lead their colleagues to a deeper level of understanding of the pedagogy. The conversation concludes with an in-depth discussion on the importance of creating accessible content and resources for students. “It’s empathy. It's being able to see the world through the eyes of someone who has a different way of being in the world than you do.”

(Part 2 of 2) Shamai Thacker is an ePortfolio strategist at University of Alaska Anchorage. In this Digication Scholars Conversation, Shamai and host, Kelly Driscoll, discuss the challenges and triumphs she encountered while receiving a master of education in teaching and learning. Now pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Alaska Native Language and Studies, Shamai shares her journey of developing a deeper connection to her Alaska Native heritage. While a family background in commercial fishing led to a complicated and at times inconsistent educational experience, Shamai has channeled these experiences into a desire to mentor and guide students coming from similar situations. “I feel a connection…and my passion for educating and for trying to be a voice and for trying to be a supportive person has not wavered… I feel that there is a lot of value in people seeing others’ journeys and what that means and how it's shaped them.”

(Part 1 of 2) Shamai Thacker is an ePortfolio strategist at University of Alaska Anchorage. In this Digication Scholars Conversation, Shamai and host, Kelly Driscoll, discuss the challenges and triumphs she encountered while receiving a master of education in teaching and learning. Now pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Alaska Native Language and Studies, Shamai shares her journey of developing a deeper connection to her Alaska Native heritage. While a family background in commercial fishing led to a complicated and at times inconsistent educational experience, Shamai has channeled these experiences into a desire to mentor and guide students coming from similar situations. “I feel a connection…and my passion for educating and for trying to be a voice and for trying to be a supportive person has not wavered… I feel that there is a lot of value in people seeing others’ journeys and what that means and how it's shaped them.”