Portland, Oregon
June 23, 2024
June 23, 2024
June 26, 2024
Engineering Education Issues Relevant to Agricultural, Biological and Ecological Engineering: Part 1
Biological and Agricultural Engineering Division (BAE)
Diversity
11
10.18260/1-2--46435
https://peer.asee.org/46435
73
Dr. Deepak Keshwani is an associate professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also serves as a Faculty Fellow for Student Success in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. In addition to teaching and advising both undergraduate and graduate students, Deepak the AG futures learning community in leadership, service, and civic engagement.
Jenny Keshwani is an Associate Professor of Biological Systems Engineering and Science Literacy Specialist in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is active in promoting science and engineering education.
Over the past two years, the XYZ Department at the University of XYZ has embarked on a department-wide transformation of advising and retention practices to support undergraduate student success. The department has three undergraduate majors across two different colleges. The motivation for the transformation included rapidly changing advising systems and processes at the institutional level, institutional goals for retention and graduation rates, faculty, and staff desire to enhance student belonginess in the department, and increased faculty-staff partnership. The theoretical framework used for the transformation was the ecological validation model designed to foster student success by focusing on the strengths, needs, and experiences of students. The model is based on seven behavioral norms and is based on a longitudinal study of a scholars program at the University of XYZ A department faculty member was part of a multi-year institutional professional learning community (PLC) that explored scale-up and scale-out of this model. Based on their experience from the PLC, this model was used in the development of the department’s overall student services ethos and in the specific implementation of two initiatives: 1) hybrid advising/mentoring model, and 2) peer-mentoring program. This practice paper provides an overview of the ecological validation model and presents our approach to implement these initiatives. We also reflect on challenges and future opportunities including long-term sustainability and assessment opportunities.
Keshwani, D. R., & Keshwani, J., & Newman, L. R., & Ibach, R., & King, T. (2024, June), A Department-wide Approach to Student Success Based on Ecological Validation Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--46435
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