Teaching:
Student Development & Advising
On this webpage, I discuss how I have fostered student development through my responsibilities as an advisor, professor, and undergraduate research mentor.
Top 11 ways I supported student development:
During this review period . . .
- I served as the faculty advisor for the Applied Communication Association and helped the e-board make the club more visible, organize community and campus-wide events, and grow their individual portfolios. This Fall Sweep video created by Fredonia Marketing and Communications does an excellent job capturing ACA's Fall community service project: Fall Sweep.
- I served as the Fredonia Democracy Initiative's faculty advisor. After we got the club up and running, I helped them navigate conflict among members of the e-board and offered ideas for how to increase their general body , identify potential e-board members, and help them organize events.
- I served as an academic advisor to over 140 communication majors and used techniques that helped students select classes, gain study skills, and achieve college success. Excellent teaching includes effective academic advising. This link takes you to a Google Form that students are expected to bring with them to the advising appointment. During each advising session, the students and I discuss how their classes are going, the challenges they're experiencing, future academic and professional goals, and how their coursework is meeting both Fredonia and department graduation requirements.
- I regularly used Fredonia's course management system, Moodle, to communicate information about campus opportunities, directions for how to become civically engaged, provided supplemental readings and materials, rubrics, chapter study guides, created discussion boards, and emailed my classes with assignment hints, updates, and reminders. This link takes you a PDF that offers a sample of what one of my OnCourse sites looks like.
- I wrote letters of recommendation for students who want to study abroad, become a peer tutor, or obtain a job or internship, entrance into graduate school, or an academic scholarship. During this review period, I wrote letters for both current and former students.
- I helped students achieve their career goals by offering feedback on students' cover letters, resumes, and electronic portfolios.
- I invited community members and experts in the field to be guest speakers who explain how they use course concepts in their professional endeavors. For instance, I brought Lori Latour to campus to speak with students taking Communication and Leadership. Ms. Latour also joined a few students for lunch before delivering a campus-wide lecture that our department sponsored. I also invited Cargill Manager Genva Anderson to speak with my Communication and Leadership students about leading a virtual team. I've also had alumni, such as Emily Barber, speak with students about the role of communication in leadership.
- I recruited students to create and distribute promotional materials for events sponsored by the ALL IN and ADP committees. The NSLVE Report data indicates that 1,781, or 41%, of Fredonia students voted in 2016. I believe this number reflects the committee’s dedication to engaging students who take an interest in the voting process and making well-informed decisions on Election Day. Here is a copy of the NSLV report.
- I organized an interdisciplinary effort to bring guest lecturer Dr. Craig Smith to Fredonia. As Dr. Smith shared his experiences and understanding of first amendment rights, I helped Fredonia achieve the ALL IN Challenge Committee's goal of engaging students in understanding the issues from all sides. Additionally, Dr. Smith’s experiences as a political communication researcher, presidential speechwriter, and CBS News consultant enabled him to provide our community with insight into the political process. To refresh your memory on his visit, I've created a PDF that includes the poster I helped design, the press release I contributed to, and the itinerary I finalized.
- I was a research mentor to 13 students who wanted to share their research studies from Rhetoric & Criticism with a larger audience.
- I created useful guides to help students be successful in their college courses; for instance, I collaborated with a colleague and designed a "tips for staying organized in online and remote learning courses" handout. It's a guide that helps students stay organized and succeed in their online or remote courses.
To help students enhance their leadership skills and become engaged in their communities,
- I maintain high expectations because doing so encourages students to rise to the occasion, realize their full potential, and be better able to identify, define, and solve problems.
- I vary my instructional techniques and ask for student feedback because every student has different learning style strengths and weaknesses, and I need to know the best way I can reach them.
- I help students network with community members and faculty who can assist them with developing the skills and knowledge they need to achieve their goals and master a body of knowledge.
- I encourage students to step outside their "comfort zone" and seek out people with different backgrounds and/or perspectives.
- I inform students about campus resources, cultural events, and leadership opportunities that can help them achieve success.
Academic Advising During the Review Period
Over the last 6 years, I have learned a lot about my advising style and my personal advising philosophy. I have advised over 140 students and advise 30-35 students per semester. As an advisor, I see my purpose as helping students navigate their academic journey by helping them become independent thinkers and learners who are able to take ownership of their educational and career goals.
First, I believe that each student is responsible for their educational development and career attainment. Therefore, one of my main goals as an academic advisor is developing students' competence by fostering development of critical thinking, problem-solving competencies, and a sense of responsibility. Although I aim to support students and their decisions, I also encourage them to examine their academic goals, aspirations, and reflect on their decisions. I ask students to consider why they have chosen a particular career path/major, because I want to know how best to help my advisees feel a sense of purpose at college.
Second, since I see my role as an advisor as helping students develop knowledge and skills that they need to achieve their career goals, I offer suggestions on courses they should take, student organizations they should join, internship opportunities, etc. I ask advisees questions that help me understand their diverse perspectives and experiences so as to position myself as someone who can help them reach their full potential and achieve their goals. Similar to my classroom environment, as an advisor I strive to create a safe, challenging, and supporting learning environment. It is important to me to offer each advisee support they need and make them aware of resources such as the tutoring center, the health center, and campus life. I've found that developing rapport with students is the best way to foster trust to ensure success. This makes students more willing to speak with me about degree and program goals.
Third, I am a proponent of students being involved outside of the classroom because involvement outside the classroom teaches students important life skills and connects them to a larger cause or purpose. Given this, I'm a urge advisees to co-curricular involvement, such as joining ACA or FDI. I stay current with student activities and clubs on campus so that when I have conversations with my advisees I'm able to find ways to help students get involved on campus.
Academic advising is an important factor in undergraduate retention, student success, and student satisfaction. Consequently, I recognize that my advising relationships support intellectual growth and academic progress. I consider myself a relational advisor who seeks to keep students on track by fostering learning and growth. In his 2020 memo, Dean Karafa requested that I explain how I assess my advising. Responding to his prompt, during the 2020-2021 academic year, I formally sought feedback from my advisees. I asked graduating seniors to complete this Google Form and current advisees to fill out this form. Both forms included open-ended responses for qualitative analysis and quantitative questions. Regarding responses from graduating seniors, participants noted that I responded to them when we communicated outside of advising meetings and that I was able to answer their questions. Similarly, students commented that I was willing to discuss career goals and made sure they were prepared for registering for classes. One student wrote, "Thank you for being an amazing and helpful advisor! I wish you the best." Regarding the current advisees, students wrote that I answered questions, gave clear and concise answers to questions, and that I was knowledgeable about the major. Advisees' comments lead me to conclude that I am achieving my goal to help them make productive decisions about course selection and offer useful suggestions regarding a particular career path, experiential learning opportunities, and co-curricular activities. In addition to the formal feedback, I also gathered informal feedback by paying attention to advisees' nonverbals and listening to students' questions and answers to my inquiries. These actions helped me assess if something I said was unclear. If I noticed a brief hesitation or look of confusion, I then would ask a follow-up question or find a way to verify that my understanding of the student's concern was accurate.
Students matter and when we meet I want them to feel heard, understood, and supported. As their academic advisor, I try my best to remember details about students' personal and professional lives so that they feel comfortable when we meet. I know that I have made a difference when my students have accomplished an academic goal, such as completing a challenging course or studying abroad, or when I am able to help them relieve some stress or anxiety about their academic progress.
First, I believe that each student is responsible for their educational development and career attainment. Therefore, one of my main goals as an academic advisor is developing students' competence by fostering development of critical thinking, problem-solving competencies, and a sense of responsibility. Although I aim to support students and their decisions, I also encourage them to examine their academic goals, aspirations, and reflect on their decisions. I ask students to consider why they have chosen a particular career path/major, because I want to know how best to help my advisees feel a sense of purpose at college.
Second, since I see my role as an advisor as helping students develop knowledge and skills that they need to achieve their career goals, I offer suggestions on courses they should take, student organizations they should join, internship opportunities, etc. I ask advisees questions that help me understand their diverse perspectives and experiences so as to position myself as someone who can help them reach their full potential and achieve their goals. Similar to my classroom environment, as an advisor I strive to create a safe, challenging, and supporting learning environment. It is important to me to offer each advisee support they need and make them aware of resources such as the tutoring center, the health center, and campus life. I've found that developing rapport with students is the best way to foster trust to ensure success. This makes students more willing to speak with me about degree and program goals.
Third, I am a proponent of students being involved outside of the classroom because involvement outside the classroom teaches students important life skills and connects them to a larger cause or purpose. Given this, I'm a urge advisees to co-curricular involvement, such as joining ACA or FDI. I stay current with student activities and clubs on campus so that when I have conversations with my advisees I'm able to find ways to help students get involved on campus.
Academic advising is an important factor in undergraduate retention, student success, and student satisfaction. Consequently, I recognize that my advising relationships support intellectual growth and academic progress. I consider myself a relational advisor who seeks to keep students on track by fostering learning and growth. In his 2020 memo, Dean Karafa requested that I explain how I assess my advising. Responding to his prompt, during the 2020-2021 academic year, I formally sought feedback from my advisees. I asked graduating seniors to complete this Google Form and current advisees to fill out this form. Both forms included open-ended responses for qualitative analysis and quantitative questions. Regarding responses from graduating seniors, participants noted that I responded to them when we communicated outside of advising meetings and that I was able to answer their questions. Similarly, students commented that I was willing to discuss career goals and made sure they were prepared for registering for classes. One student wrote, "Thank you for being an amazing and helpful advisor! I wish you the best." Regarding the current advisees, students wrote that I answered questions, gave clear and concise answers to questions, and that I was knowledgeable about the major. Advisees' comments lead me to conclude that I am achieving my goal to help them make productive decisions about course selection and offer useful suggestions regarding a particular career path, experiential learning opportunities, and co-curricular activities. In addition to the formal feedback, I also gathered informal feedback by paying attention to advisees' nonverbals and listening to students' questions and answers to my inquiries. These actions helped me assess if something I said was unclear. If I noticed a brief hesitation or look of confusion, I then would ask a follow-up question or find a way to verify that my understanding of the student's concern was accurate.
Students matter and when we meet I want them to feel heard, understood, and supported. As their academic advisor, I try my best to remember details about students' personal and professional lives so that they feel comfortable when we meet. I know that I have made a difference when my students have accomplished an academic goal, such as completing a challenging course or studying abroad, or when I am able to help them relieve some stress or anxiety about their academic progress.
Undergraduate Research Mentor During the Review Period
During the review period, I mentored students who wanted to share their undergraduate research papers with other SUNY students and the Fredonia campus community. I helped them finesse their papers, write abstracts, and design posters to be presented at undergraduate research conferences. The students and papers listed below all originated in COMM302: Rhetoric and Criticism.
Student Research & Creativity Exposition (SUNY)
- DiBerardino, N. (2021). The rhetorical situation of the Granite Mountain hotshot’s memorial. 2021 annual meeting of the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. Old Westbury, NY. [virtual]
- Lee, J. (2021). Global climate strikes back: Bitzer’s rhetorical situation analysis. 2021 annual meeting of the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. Old Westbury, NY. [virtual]
- Packer, M. (2019). Rhetorical analysis of the Tulsa County KKK rally of 1996: Modern implications of the 1921 Tulsa race riot. 2019 annual meeting of the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. NIagara Fall, NY.
- Sepulveda, K. (2019). The state of Earth's oceans: A rhetorical analysis of "sewage surfer." 2019 annual meeting of the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. NIagara Fall, NY.
- Stabel, M. (2019). Remembering history: Using Burke's pentad to analyze the Stonewall Riots. 2019 annual meeting of the SUNY Fredonia Undergraduate Research Conference. Fredonia, NY.
- Newland, K. (2017). “Anti-rape” cloak rhetorical analysis. 2017 annual meeting of Student Research and Creativity Exposition. Fredonia, NY.
- Sheck, G. (2017). A rhetorical analysis: You have body issues. 2017 annual meeting of Student Research and Creativity Exposition. Fredonia, NY.
- Jasek, N. (2016). “Knock, knock . . . a rape joke.” 2016 annual meeting of the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference. Cobleskill, NY.
Eastern Communication Association: Undergraduate Scholars Research Conference
During the review period, I also mentored students who wanted to share their undergraduate research papers with members of the academic community by attending a regional communication conference. In COMM302: Rhetoric and Criticism, students complete a full research paper in which they use a rhetorical theory to analyze a rhetorical act. Here is a link to the assignment guidelines. In July 2017, I received correspondence from a faculty member at SUNY Brockport asking if I had students who would like to participate on a panel with her students. I said yes and recruited three students to join the panel. My students did the bulk of the work - they wrote and submitted the group's panel to the James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond Undergraduate Scholars Conference that occurred in conjunction with the Eastern Communication Association Conference. I had two other students who had told me that they planned to attend graduate school. I thought it would be good for them to present at a regional communication conference so I asked those two students to submit their rhetoric papers to the Undergraduate Scholars Conference, too. All the submissions were accepted for presentation at the conference.
Prior to submitting the panel, I met with the students so we could prepare their panel proposals. I also worked with the other two students so that they knew how best to revise their papers. Additionally, I held two meetings in which I explained the submission process. Here will you see the feedback I provided a student who submitted his paper to the conference and this link will take you to the panel proposal.
Once we learned that their papers and the panel were accepted, I began the process of securing funding for student conference participation. Our department generously offered to pay for the hotel rooms and a university vehicle, and the students received financial support from OSCAR. In the end, students had their entire trip covered by the university. Additionally, we began meeting 1-2 times a month so that I could speak with the students about conference norms, give them a chance to practice their presentations, and offer feedback. We also helped the student panelists design their PowerPoint and helped Tom design his poster.
While at the conference, my colleague, students, and I attended networking events, such as the undergraduate scholars reception and the undergraduate scholars luncheon, panels, and took in the city. You can view our itinerary here. All the students attended each others' panels along with other panel presentations. During the afternoon on our last day in Pittsburgh, we ventured to Senator John Heinz's History Center. The Smithsonian affiliate had 6 floors of historical exhibits, archives, and a separate sports museum that we visited. We had fun touring the museum and enjoying a delicious celebratory meal.
Hannah Grable presented her paper “Conjuring Cognizance in Public Memory: Burke’s Pentad and Puritan Panic,” and Tom Monahan shared his research paper, “Rhetoric of Guernica,” during an undergraduate poster session. While at the Undergraduate Scholars luncheon, we learned that Tom's poster won “Top Poster” honors. Partnering with two students at SUNY Brockport, Lauren Gutman, Shaunna Rospierski, and Anna Booth submitted a panel titled “Contemporary Rhetors’ Use of Media and Symbols to Persuade, Construct Americans’ Social Realities, and Encourage Civic Engagement.” Each panelist explored the rhetorical strategies that social figures used to influence the American people to become agents of change. The Undergraduate Scholars Conference recognized their panel as the “Top Undergraduate Panel.”
When we returned to Fredonia I submitted a Campus Report publicity request. The students' conference presentation also appeared in The Observer and the Jamestown Post-Journal.
Prior to submitting the panel, I met with the students so we could prepare their panel proposals. I also worked with the other two students so that they knew how best to revise their papers. Additionally, I held two meetings in which I explained the submission process. Here will you see the feedback I provided a student who submitted his paper to the conference and this link will take you to the panel proposal.
Once we learned that their papers and the panel were accepted, I began the process of securing funding for student conference participation. Our department generously offered to pay for the hotel rooms and a university vehicle, and the students received financial support from OSCAR. In the end, students had their entire trip covered by the university. Additionally, we began meeting 1-2 times a month so that I could speak with the students about conference norms, give them a chance to practice their presentations, and offer feedback. We also helped the student panelists design their PowerPoint and helped Tom design his poster.
While at the conference, my colleague, students, and I attended networking events, such as the undergraduate scholars reception and the undergraduate scholars luncheon, panels, and took in the city. You can view our itinerary here. All the students attended each others' panels along with other panel presentations. During the afternoon on our last day in Pittsburgh, we ventured to Senator John Heinz's History Center. The Smithsonian affiliate had 6 floors of historical exhibits, archives, and a separate sports museum that we visited. We had fun touring the museum and enjoying a delicious celebratory meal.
Hannah Grable presented her paper “Conjuring Cognizance in Public Memory: Burke’s Pentad and Puritan Panic,” and Tom Monahan shared his research paper, “Rhetoric of Guernica,” during an undergraduate poster session. While at the Undergraduate Scholars luncheon, we learned that Tom's poster won “Top Poster” honors. Partnering with two students at SUNY Brockport, Lauren Gutman, Shaunna Rospierski, and Anna Booth submitted a panel titled “Contemporary Rhetors’ Use of Media and Symbols to Persuade, Construct Americans’ Social Realities, and Encourage Civic Engagement.” Each panelist explored the rhetorical strategies that social figures used to influence the American people to become agents of change. The Undergraduate Scholars Conference recognized their panel as the “Top Undergraduate Panel.”
When we returned to Fredonia I submitted a Campus Report publicity request. The students' conference presentation also appeared in The Observer and the Jamestown Post-Journal.
Pictures Documenting Student Development: Student Research
Pictures Documenting Student Development: Guest Speakers
Guest speakers:
HONR228: Women in Leadership & Public Service
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Guest speakers:
COMM365: Communication & Leadership
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