Creating a Student Success Center: Transitioning Graduate Students into an Online Community of Learners through a Collaborative Approach

Authors

Brian Wilson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Christina W. Yao, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Erica DeFrain, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Andrew Cano, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2018

Document Type

Article

Citation

Presented at Innovation in Pedagogy and Technology Symposium, University of Nebraska, May 8, 2018.

Comments

Copyright © 2018 by the authors.

Abstract

Community building and socialization are key to success in graduate education, particularly as students are facing two new realities at the start of their academic careers: shifting identity into becoming graduate students 2 and scholars, and developing online learning competency. As a way to address these challenges, the EDAD Student Success Center was created in Fall 2016 to increase interactions with faculty and peers as a way to develop a community of learners. This collaborative project included interest and effort from departmental faculty and staff, colleagues from the UNL Libraries, and current graduate students representing the EDAD Graduate Student Association (GSA). As a result, student users described the benefits of the Student Success Center as critical to their success as graduate students. By reducing feelings of isolation, we were able to provide a comprehensive site that helps students feel membership in a learning community and to have access to tools that assist in fostering their educational success. The EDAD Student Success Center was recognized with the 2017 OLC Effective Practice Award. In addition, the presenters have published findings from this collaboration in the May 22, 2017 edition of the EDUCAUSE Review.