Faculty, Staff Participate in Student Success Summit

Faculty and staff at Gordon State College came together Wednesday for a day that included inspirational talks, recognition, and training all with the goal of facilitating student success.

Dr. Tristan Denley, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and chief academic officer at the University System of Georgia delivered the key note address. His address reinforced the importance of creating clear degree pathways to success for students during their first, or “Momentum Year.”

Denley noted that a Momentum Year contributes to student success by guiding students to start college with a purposeful choice in a focus area or program. It also promotes entering college with a productive academic mindset and following a clearly sequenced map that supports success in English and math, accumilating at least nine credits in the student’s academic focus area and a goal of earning at least 30 credits in the student’s first academic year.

The Third Annual Student Success Summit carried the theme, “Giving Our Students the EDGE,” throughout the day.

The afternoon was devoted to training sessions that covered such topics as “Curriculum Mapping,” “Monday Morning Leadership,” as well as computer program training sessions and a session on how to help students find information.

“The opportunity for the faculty and staff to learn together is a key factor in creating a successful academic environment,” said Gordon President Dr. Kirk A. Nooks. “When each person can understand how they contribute to learning, inside and outside of the classroom, then Gordon State will be able to fulfill our mission to the region and state.”

The campus closed for the day to facilitate full faculty and staff participation in the Summit.

“Our goal with the Third Annual Student Success Summit was to allow our faculty and staff to come together to reinforce that The Highlander EDGE is the ethos that drives all initiatives at Gordon State College,” said Dr. Jeffery Knighton, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.  “To ensure that our students have the EDGE, it takes all of us working together, and the Summit is the perfect opportunity for us all to recommit to our mission.”