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Wabash Provost Scholars Program

Digging Deeper into Wabash National Study Results - Engaging "Student Voices" in Institutional Assessment and Inquiry

Initially developed as a way to "dig deeper" into Wabash National Study results through student-based focus groups, the Wabash-Provost Scholars Program trains undergraduate students to conduct focus group sessions with their peers, obtain and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, develop written summary reports, and lead scholarly presentations on their work and experiences. Wabash-Provost Scholars directly contribute to the knowledge base regarding the student learning environment at NC A&T State University while developing valuable research and presentation skills.

The first cohort of 17 Wabash-Provost Scholars was trained in fall 2008. Additional cohorts were trained in fall 2009, spring 2010, and fall 2010. As of spring, 2011 there are 29 Wabash-Provost Scholars currently active in the program. Scholars earn service hours for their work, which can be used to satisfy NC A&T State University service hour graduation requirements.

   

Wabash-Provost Scholar Selection/Participation

Wabash-Provost Scholars are invited to participate in the program by the co-directors based on recommendations from faculty members and current Scholars.

Training

Prior to carrying out focus group sessions, Wabash-Provost Scholars are required to complete a three-hour focus group training session and a two-hour Institutional Review Board (IRB) informational session. All Wabash-Provost Scholar activities are carried out under IRB approval. During the focus group training session, Scholars receive background information about the Wabash National Study, review Wabash-Provost Scholar activities, and carry out a mock focus group session with a debriefing.

Data Collection

During spring 2009 the Wabash-Provost Scholars conducted 27 focus group sessions with 150 students, focusing on the factors that enhance/retard student success. These focus groups were conducted as a way to "dig deeper" into the first-year Wabash National Study results for NC A&T State University. During fall 2009, the Wabash-Provost Scholars conducted surveys related to a new Supplemental instruction (SI) project initiated that semester. The Wabash-Provost Scholars followed up with additional surveys and focus group sessions related to Supplemental Instruction in spring 2010, as well as analysis of nearly 200 student time use diaries (one week, 24 hours per day). The Scholars conducted focus group sessions on issues related to the intellectual climate on campus during fall 2010 and will conduct focus group sessions with mathematics students during spring 2011 as part of the Wabash Study 2010.

Data Analysis

Focus group data is analyzed by the Wabash-Provost Scholars in multiple data-analysis sessions coordinated by Dr. Karen Hornsby, Dr. Scott Simkins,and Dr. Galen Foresman, co-directors of the NC A&T Wabash National Study project. Preliminary reports based on the data analysis are posted in a common wiki in Blackboard, and initial editing is carried out by the Scholars. Final report editing is completed by the faculty co-directors.

Reports and Presentations

The Wabash-Provost Scholars are active participants in all phases of the research, including report-writing and presentations.

Reports. The Wabash-Provost Scholars regularly develop written reports on their institutional assessment activities. The following reports are available for public download:

• Wabash-Provost Scholars Report - April 2009. Summary of student focus group sessions conducted as a follow-up to the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education first-year results for NC A&T State University; also includes recommendations based on the focus group results.
• Wabash-Provost Scholars Report - April 2010. Summary of student focus group sessions and surveys conducted to assess the relative benefits of faculty-led and student-led Supplemental Instruction, as well as the results of student time-use diaries.
• Wabash-Provost Scholars Report - January 2011. Summary of student focus group sessions related to improvement of the intellectual climate at NC A&T; also includes recommendations based on the focus group results.

Presentations. Wabash-Provost Scholars regularly present the findings of their focus group research to top-level administrators at NC A&T State University. In addition, both the co-directors and the students have presented at regional and national meetings on the integration of students in the institutional assessment process. Recent presentations, including handouts and slides, are provided below.

[Note: ** designates presentations by/including Wabash Provost Scholars]

• **Karen Hornsby, Scott Simkins, Kristen Lee (Scholar), and Jordan Pippin (Scholar), Engaging Student Voices in Institutional Inquiry and Assessment, 2011 Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching, Greensboro, NC, February, 2011
• **Karen Hornsby, Galen Foresman, Mitchell Brown (Scholar), Porche Millington (Scholar), and Charles Blaich (Center for Inquiry at Wabash College), Engaging Student Voices in Institutional Inquiry and Assessment, 2011 AAC&U Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, January, 2011
• **Karen Hornsby, Scott Simkins, Mitchell Brown (Scholar), and Melanie Hampton (Scholar), Creating a Culture of Inquiry: Recasting Institutional “Problems” as SoTL Opportunities (That include Students in the Inquiry Process), 2010 Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching, Greensboro, NC, February, 2010
  • slides, handout - pdf format
• Karen Hornsby and Scott Simkins, Reframing Institutional Assessment Involving Faculty and Students in SoTL Efforts Focused on Institutional Objectives, 2010 International Lilly Conference on College Teaching, Oxford, OH (Miami University), November, 2009
  • slides, handout - pdf format
• **Mitchell Brown (Scholar), Factors Affecting Student Success at North Carolina A&T State University, NC Honors Association Annual Meeting, Raleigh, NC, October, 2009
  • slides - pdf format
• Karen Hornsby and Scott Simkins, Reframing Institutional Assessment Involving Faculty and Students in SoTL Efforts Focused on Institutional Objectives, 2009 International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) Conference, Bloomington, IN (Indiana Univ.), October, 2009
  • slides - pdf format
• **Karen Hornsby, Scott Simkins, Rebecca Geiger (Scholar), and Shannell Chappell (Scholar), Faculty and Student-Driven SoTL Focused on Institutional Needs, 2009 Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching, Greensboro, NC, February, 2009
  • slides - pdf format