New Peer Mentor Program Development and Implementation

International Peer Mentor Program/Saddleback College

Learning Domains:

Leadership	Social Advocacy and Justice	Education	Assessment and Evaluation	Personal Development
X	X	X	X

Description:

The International Student Office (ISO) applied for and was awarded an ASG grant for $2,000 to create and implement an international student peer-to-peer mentorship program for the Spring 2013 term. Through a competitive selection process, the ISO staff selected 9 mentors who are continuing international students at Saddleback College. The main purpose of the program is to provide all participants with an opportunity to feel more connected to the Saddleback campus community and to promote an exchange of intercultural differences. The mentees benefited from the program by receiving interpersonal support from a peer, whereas the mentors had a chance to develop their leadership skills by providing assistance to their mentees. During the semester, mentors and mentees attended on-campus events, corresponded through email, phone and text, and met in-person. I assumed a primary role in designing this program by placing an emphasis on holistic student development (American Council on Education, 1937) and being guided by the Knefelkam’s (1984) Practice-to-Theory- to Practice (P-T-P) model as my theoretical framework.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: Develop a new International Peer Mentor Program by applying Knefelkam’s (1984) Practice-to-Theory-to Practice (P-T-P) model to construct the program mission and design individual learning outcomes for mentors and mentees

SWIBAT: Develop a training session for peer mentors that aligns with the program mission and facilitates the intended learning outcomes

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	Applied  all steps of  P-T-P model to develop a program mission and designed individual learning outcomes for mentors and mentees that align with the program mission and coincide with relevant scholarly research	Applied  all steps of  P-T-P model to develop a program mission and designed individual learning outcomes for mentors and mentees	Applied  partial steps of P-T-P model to develop a program mission and designed individual learning outcomes for mentors and mentees	Was unable to apply any steps of  P-T-P model to develop a program mission
SLO # 2	Developed a training session that aligned with the program mission, facilitated the intended learning outcomes, and engaged students in active participation	Developed a training session that aligned with the program mission and facilitated the intended learning outcomes	Developed a training session that aligned with the program mission or facilitated the intended learning outcomes	Was unable to develop a training session that aligned with the program mission or facilitated the intended learning outcomes

Evidence:

Program Overview and Training Session

Program Flyer:

  

Peer Mentor Program Kickoff Photos:

Reflection:

To begin the program development process, I identified the existing issues faced by the international students at Saddleback College.  I was able to note that a strong degree of disconnect exists between the students’ need for connection to the Saddleback campus community and the low opportunities for co-curricular involvement currently offered by the International Student Officice (ISO). The next stage of the model included reviewing the characteristics of the student subpopulation (Knefelkamp, 1984).  By drawing on my practical knowledge working with this student subpopulation, I was able to recognize that international students typically experience linguistic challenges, issues of cultural integration, and social isolation.  In addition to reflecting on my informal knowledge, I have reviewed relevant publications that address the experiences of international students in order to gain more insight of the factors that enhance their success.  Research supports that low rates of international student interaction with other students and poor engagement in their college environment negatively affect their overall success in the U.S. higher education attainment (Bevis, 2006).  In addition to reviewing the student characteristics, the P-T-P model also requires examining the environment in which the program is developed (Knefelkamp, 1984). Since Saddleback is a 2-year public institution, it does not offer certain opportunities for student engagement, such as on campus housing, typically offered by most 4-year institutions.  Consequently, incoming international students are exposed to fewer opportunities for involvement and connection with the rest of the student body due to the structure of the institution.  The next step of the Knefelkamp’s (1984) model was identifying specific theories that shed more light on the international student experience and peer mentorship programs. For example, I found Berry’s (2005) theory of acculturation as helpful in assisting students with the process of cultural integration. In addition, Redon’s (1994) theory of validation and Astin’s (1984) theory of involvement are two college impact theories that I decided to incorporate as an attempt to facilitate more opportunities to validate new international students and encourage their participation in the program in order to promote a more meaningful college experience  . The next step was developing specific goals and learning outcomes for the program participants by identifying potential sources of challenge and support (Knefelkamp, 1984).  The primary goal of the program is to enhance student development for all participants, both the mentors and mentees. As I examined various opportunities through which students could be challenged to grow, I identified the enhancement of leadership skills as a learning outcome for the mentors.  The ISO office staff supported the mentors by providing them with intentional and culturally sensitive training session in order to facilitate their growth as student leaders.  Our staff also challenged them by asking them to apply these skills in guiding their mentees through their college experience.   The learning outcome for the mentees is to become more familiar with American cultural traditions through their ongoing interaction with their mentors.  Thus, the mentees will be challenged to develop a stronger sense of the American identity, while also receiving interpersonal support from their mentors during their first semester at Saddleback. Specific interventions to facilitate the student learning that I designed included a mentor training session, an official program kickoff event, a free movie night, and a musical play.  In addition to group events, all mentors and mentees were encouraged to meet on a weekly basis to continue establishing mutually-positive relationships.  The final steps of the Knefelkamp’s (1984) model included the process of assessment and program evaluation upon program completion at the end of the term.  I have developed two assessment surveys (one for peer mentors and one for mentees) to examine the students’ learning as well as receive their feedback for program evaluation and improvement purposes. Overall, I have found the P-T-P model to be highly useful in guiding the design and implementation of the International Peer Mentor Program.

References

American Council on Education Studies. (1937). The student personnel point of view: A report of a conference on the philosophy and development of student personnel work in college and university. Washington, DC: Author.

Bevis, B. B. (2006). International students. In  L. Gohn  & G. Albin, (Eds.), Understanding student subpopulations: A guide for student affairs professionals (pp. 267-288). Washington, DC: NASPA.

Knefelkamp, L. L. (1984). Translating student development theory into practice for student affairs professions: The use of the Knefelkamp-Golec-Wells P-T-T model: An introduction. Unpublished manuscript, University of Maryland.

2013 New Student Orientation Evaluation

Saddleback College International Program

Learning Domains:

Leadership	Social Advocacy and Justice	Education	Assessment and Evaluation	Personal Development
		X	X

Description:

Every semester the International Program at Saddleback College holds a New Student Orientation for incoming international students.  The purpose of the New Student Orientation is to introduce new international students to the U.S. higher education system, connect them to the Saddleback College campus, and inform them on important federal immigration requirements that they need to comply with during their studies in the United States. This entry describes my learning as it relates to evaluating the effectiveness of the Spring 2013 New Student Orientation by developing a survey, analyzing the survey responses, and making appropriate recommendation informed by the evaluation analysis.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT:  Develop a survey form to evaluate the effectiveness of the New Student Orientation by incorporating appropriate quantitative and qualitative survey items

SWiBAT:  Analyze the survey responses using appropriate educational research measures and summarize the findings into a written report

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	Developed a comprehensive survey consisting of quantitative and qualitative items and administered it to the participants	Developed a solid survey consisting of quantitative and qualitative items	Developed an acceptable survey consisting of either  quantitative or qualitative items	Was unable to developed a survey consisting either quantitative or qualitative items
SLO # 2	Analyzed the survey findings using appropriate educational research measures, summarized the findings into a written report and provided future recommendations	Analyzed the survey findings using appropriate educational research measures and summarized the findings into a written report	Analyzed the survey findings using some appropriate educational research measures but not all and summarized the findings into a written report	Was unable to analyze the survey findings using appropriate educational research measures

Evidence:

Orientation Schedule:

Survey Form Copy

Visual Summary of Responses
 

Final Survey Analysis Report

Reflection:

Initially, the development of the survey involved examining which elements of the orientation needed to be evaluated.  The orientation consisted of a number of sessions that ranged in information including an icebreaker activity, an immigration workshop, campus safety, learning assistance resources, academic advising, class registration, transfer center resources, and a student panel with questions and answers. My primary goal was to evaluate the usefulness of each of the offered orientation sessions.  Therefore, I created a comprehensive survey that consisted of 10 quantitative items (yes or no and 5-point-likert scale questions) that assessed whether the students found each of the sessions helpful with numerical values.  In addition, the survey consisted of three qualitative questions, which assessed what information students were able to take away from the orientation through open-ended questions and asked for feedback to determine if any information was missing.  To disseminate the survey, I e-mailed it to the orientation participants 2 days after the event as an online form.  Out of the 29 total attendees, only 12 students actually completed the survey. Reflecting on this outcome, I would recommend to administer the survey during the orientation next time because online surveys tend to produce very low response rates (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle , 2010). My analysis of the survey responses consisted of looking at basic descriptive statistics for the qualitative items and coding for themes in open-ended responses (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle , 2010). For instance, I obtained the mean values for the 5-point scale questions, which asked the participants to rate how helpful each of orientation sessions was. To analyze the qualitative student responses, I was able to identify several themes that relate to specific knowledge areas in which the students were able to gain more understanding.  For example, some students became more aware of the American college system in general.  A few others became more familiar with the campus police and transfer center resources. Lastly, I was also able to identify a few potential areas for future improvements as some students provided input about the information they would have liked to have that was not provided. Overall, I found this project very helpful in allowing me to learn more about program evaluation and improvement.

References

Lodico, M. G., Spaulding, D. T., & Voegtle, K. H. (2010). Methods in educational research: From theory to practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

ACPA 2013 National Convention

ACPA 2013: Inspiring Communities of Well-being

Learning Domains:

Leadership	Social Advocacy and Justice	Education	Assessment and Evaluation	Personal Development
X		X		X

Description:

In March 2013 I attended a national ACPA convention: Inspiring Communities of Wellbeing, in Las Vegas, Nevada California. ACPA stands for the American College Personnel Association, one of the oldest and largest leading professional organizations in the student affairs profession. The core values of ACPA reflect holistic student development, embracement of diversity, professional development, and an exchange of relevant and practical knowledge. I took the opportunity to attend the ACPA convention in order to enhance my development as a new student affairs professional as well as gain relevant knowledge to inform my daily practice. This entry describes my experience at the conference as it relates to serving as a volunteer for ACPA, attending insightful sessions, and networking with other professionals in the field.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: identify (knowledge) 3-4 practical strategies in enhancing international student education the can be shared with other professional staff at Saddleback College

SWiBAT: effectively serve as a volunteer during the ACPA convention by relaying helpful information to the convention attendees 

SWiBAT: increase professional network by developing connections with 5 or more other student affairs professional (at least 3 who currently work in International Student Affairs). 

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	Identified 5 or more practical strategies in enhancing international student education the can be shared with other professional staff at Saddleback College	I identified 3-4 practical strategies in enhancing international student education the can be shared with other professional staff at Saddleback College	I identified 2 practical strategies in enhancing international student   education the can be shared with other professional staff at Saddleback College	I identified 1 or fewer practical strategies in enhancing international student   education the can be shared with other professional staff at Saddleback College
SLO # 2	Effectively served as a volunteer during the ACPA convention by relaying helpful information to the convention attendees	Served as a volunteer during the ACPA convention by relaying some helpful information to the convention attendees	Served as a volunteer during the ACPA convention, but did not  relay any helpful information to the convention attendees	Did not serve as a volunteer during the   ACPA convention
SLO #3	Developed connections with more than 5 other student affairs professional (at least 3 in International Student Affairs)	Developed connections with 5-4 other student affairs professional (at least 3 in International Student Affairs	Developed connections with 2-3 other student affairs professional (at least 1 in International Student Affairs)	Developed 1 or fewer connections with other student affairs professional

Evidence:

 ACPA Promising Practice: Career Services for International Students-session follow-up e-mail

Reflection:

I had a positive experience attending the ACPA convention that allowed me to gain new professional and personal knowledge that relates to the field of Student Affairs (SA).  I had a chance to attend a few sessions that address professional and personal development for new SA professional. For instance, I attended a session on strength- based interviewing that I found very helpful in preparing for the job search process after graduate school. Another session that I found highly beneficial was Job-One-Transition Issues for new Professionals in Student Affairs.  During this session, I had a chance to meet other graduate students in similar programs such as the MSHE program at California State University Fullerton and learn from their experiences that relate to finding a job or being their first professional job. This session also served as an opportunity for me to develop more professional connections by engaging in discussion topics with other graduate students. In addition to attending sessions on professional enhancement, I also identified several sessions at the convention that pertain to my professional role in the International Student Affairs. I particular enjoyed a session about career services for international students because it covered strategies on how support students on F-1 student visas with employment options.  The session presenter shared her insight on the issue by providing practical suggestions/resources that I identified as relevant to my work at Saddleback College. For example, Going Global is an online database with all U.S. employers who sponsor students on H1-B work visas. Another suggestion that I took away is that it is important to establish relationships with employers who support international student completing Optional Practical Training (OPT), as these very same employers may be open to sponsoring students once they are ready to apply for a work visa. In addition to gaining practical knowledge from this session, I was able to expand my professional network by joining a new linkedin group revolving around this topic.  Another point that I found helpful from a session on study aboard programs is that incorporating Chickering and Reisser’s (2003) theory of 7 vectors can be helpful when assisting students in a host culture by fostering opportunities that allow them to engage in and learn from new experiences.  Lastly when it comes to my experience volunteering at the convention, I feel as though I made an effective contribution by providing my assistance at the Career Central (C3) venue. Although I was not directly involved in C3 itself, I was responsible for guiding attendees to the appropriate areas, such as the conference registration, C3 orientation, interviewing sessions, and other relevant areas. Overall, the ACPA convention was very informative for my professional knowledge and engaging in respect to my personal development.

International Student CSU Transfer Fair

First International Student CSU Transfer Fair/Saddleback College

Learning Domains:

Leadership	Social Advocacy and Justice	Education	Assessment and Evaluation	Personal Development
X		X	X	X

Description:

            The International Student Office at Saddleback College hosted its first CSU Transfer Fair on March 25, 2013. This fair intended to promote California State Universities to current international students studying at Saddleback College. International students from other education institutions were also invited to attend the fair, which included Intensive English Language Programs, Private High Schools, and other local Community Colleges.  The CSU representatives included 12 different institutions from the Southern and Northern California regions. The fair offered international students an opportunity to find out more about CSU institution/s of their interest by engaging in conversation with the college representatives. The International Student Office also recruited several international students who had previously completed a program at Saddleback and successfully transferred to a CSU.  Furthermore, the International Student Office recruited a few current internationals students to serve as volunteers during the event. This entry describes my learning as it relates to planning, organizing, and implementing the fair.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: Recruit 3-4 former Saddleback international students currently attending a CSU institution to represent their university at the fair in order to connect with international students at Saddleback College

SWIBAT: Employ effective marketing efforts to promote the fair to local community colleges, current F-1 international students at Saddleback College, and other local educational institutions

SWIBAT: Expand professional network in International Student Admissions by connecting with 5 or more CSU representatives, while learning 3 new facts about CSU different CSU institutions 

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	Recruited 3-4 former Saddleback international students currently attending a CSU institution to represent their university	Recruited 2 former Saddleback international students currently attending a CSU institution to represent their university	Recruited 1 former Saddleback international student currently attending a CSU institution to represent their university	Did not recruit any former Saddleback international student currently attending a CSU institution to represent their university
SLO # 2	Employed excellent marketing efforts to promote the fair to current  international Saddleback students, other community colleges, and local educational institutions	Employed effective marketing efforts to promote the fair to current  international Saddleback students, other community colleges, and local educational institutions	Employed some, but not all effective marketing efforts to promote the fair to current  international Saddleback students, other community colleges, and local educational institutions	Did not employ any effective marketing efforts to promote the fair to current  international Saddleback students, other community colleges, and local educational institutions
SLO # 3	Expanded professional network in International Student Admissions by connecting with 5 or more CSU representatives, while learning 3 new facts about different CSU institutions	Expanded professional network in International Student Admissions by connecting with 3-4 CSU representatives, while learning 2-3 new facts about different CSU institutions	Expanded professional network in International Student Admissions by connecting with 2 CSU representatives, while learning 1 new fact about a CSU institution	Expanded professional network in International Student Admissions by connecting with 1 or fewer  CSU representatives,

Evidence:

Email Template to Transferred CSU Students

CSU Representatives’ Business Cards

Reflection:

In general, the CSU Transfer Fair was a great event that benefitted the Saddleback international students and allowed the International Student Office to develop positive partnerships with different CSU institutions.  On a personal level, I found it rewarding to recruit former Saddleback students as guests to represent their current CSU’s because it added a genuine student perspective to the fair. I was able to recruit 3 student guests who served as a great addition to the event while they shared their experiences attending a CSU with other students.  When it comes to the marketing efforts, I would say that they were carried out effectively.  However, I have a few recommendations that would make the marketing process more effective in the future.  Because this was the first ever CSU Transfer Fair hosted by Saddleback College, the international student turnout was relatively low. I think it will be more effective to begin marketing the event starting in the fall semester in order to promote more awareness of the fair.  For example, we can announce the event at the new student orientation in the fall and other program events to help current international students at Saddleback learn about it early on in the academic year. We can also begin sending out save-the-date invitations to other local schools in the fall semester to provide them with more time to prepare to attend.  Furthermore, believe that this event served as an effective professional development opportunity for me by allowing me to expand my professional network in International Student Admissions. I was able to interact with almost all of the 12 CSU representatives during the fair.  During my conversations with them, I was able to find out new information about their institutions that would be enticing to international students. For example, I found out that Cal State University Northridge is known for its positive partnerships with the local entertainment industry for those interested in pursuing degrees in entertainment.  Also, San Francisco State University has a strong reputation in the field of natural sciences and pre-medicine.  Not only did I learn more about other institutions, I also had a chance to provide the CSU representatives with more information about the Saddleback International Student Program. During my interactions with the CSU representatives, I described the international students’ demographics, interests, and experiences in order to pain a better picture of our international student population at Saddleback. Overall, I hope that the CSU Transfer Fair will become an annual event hosted by the International Student Office every spring semester.

2013 Educational Research Symposium

Poster Presenter on College Integration of Female Veteran Students

Learning Domains:

Leadership	Social Advocacy and Justice	Education	Assessment and Evaluation	Personal Development
X	X	X	X	X

Description:

The event description on the CSUF College of Education website is as follows:

The College of Education, the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Program (Ed.D.), and the college’s Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (C-REAL) hosted a Research Symposium on February 20, 2013. The event titled, “From Theory to Practice: Implications for Leadership, Access, and Diversity” featured 29 posters that identified solutions to educational problems based on applied research conducted by doctoral students from both the P – 12 and Community College Leadership program specializations.

The program included a poster session by Ed.D. alumni and selected Master of Science students in the Educational Leadership Department. Presentation topics concentrated on P-12 and community college issues and implications for leadership, diversity, and access. Following the poster session was a panel discussion with Ed.D. alumni, moderated by Dr. Carol Lundberg, one of the newest faculty members in the Educational Leadership Department.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: Engage in a meaningful conversation about my qualitative research project on female student veterans with at least 6 symposium attendees during the poster session

SWiBAT: Identify at least 3 relevant education trends from the panel discussion session with Ed.D alumni

SWiBAT: Expand my Community College network by connecting with at least 3 professionals 

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	Engaged in a meaningful conversation about my qualitative research project with more than 6 symposium attendees during the poster session	Engaged in a meaningful conversation about my qualitative research project with 5-6 symposium attendees during the poster session	Engaged in a meaningful conversation about my qualitative research project with 2-4 symposium attendees during the poster session	Engaged in a meaningful conversation about my qualitative research project with 1or fewer symposium attendees during the poster session
SLO # 2	Identified more than 3 relevant education trends from the panel discussion session with Ed.D alumni	Identified 3 relevant education trends from the panel discussion session with Ed.D alumni	Identified 2 relevant education trends from the panel discussion session with Ed.D alumni	Identified 1 or fewer relevant education trends from the panel discussion session with Ed.D alumni
SLO # 3	Expanded my Community College network by connecting with 3 professionals and arranged a follow-up meeting  with at least 1 of them	Expanded my Community College network by connecting with 3 professionals	Expanded my Community College network by connecting with 1-2 professionals	Did not expand my Community College network by any other professionals

Evidence:

Reflection:

The research symposium was a great opportunity for me to enhance my leadership skills by presenting during the poster session.  I had a chance to communicate information about my qualitative research project to several symposium attendees who were interested in the topic of student veterans. In addition, I gained a great deal of valuable insight on educational issues from attending the panel session with the ED.d alumni.  For instance, I learned more about how librarians can enhance student success as was discussed by April Cunningham, an ED.d alum and a Library Instruction Coordinator at Saddleback College. I also found out about the current trends in undocumented student issues that relate to Asian students and their identity development challenges experienced due to their immigrant status.  Furthermore, I received a better understanding of how K-12 educators perceive federal policy that addresses accountability by adopting it into their everyday teaching practices and internalizing it as local policy.  In terms of personal development, I connected with several professionals whom I found resourceful. I reached out to April Cunningham, in particular, in the hopes of expanding my professional network at Saddleback College. I scheduled a follow up meeting with April and my supervisor to discuss how the Saddleback Library Services can benefit international students.  During the meeting, April identified several workshops that would be beneficial for international students.  As we discussed the common cultural and adjustment issues typically experienced by international students, April was open to collaborating with our office in order to provide plagiarism-related information as a part of an academic planning course curriculum, which enrolls all new international students in their first semester of studies. Overall, the symposium was a great experience because it allowed me to develop further in all five learning domains of the MSHE program: leadership, education, social advocacy/justice, assessment/ evaluation, and personal development.

References

California State University, Fullerton (n.d). Research Symposium. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://ed.fullerton.edu/c-real/educational-programs/research-symposium/