It's All About Me, Man: 05/05/2013

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

[ItsAllAboutMeMan] Re: From Evergreen's Provost Michael Zimmerman

cripes, you people did nothing for me when I was a student, and nothing ever since, but every time I hear from you, which is often, you're either dunning me for money, or offering me a chance to come back and worship at the shrine. As if! Have you no shame? Why don't you figure out something you can do for alums, and then maybe in appreciation we'll do something for you?

On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 11:51 AM, Evergreen Alumni Programs <alumni@evergreen.edu> wrote:

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From Evergreen's Provost Michael Zimmerman

The Liberal Arts

Dear Alumni Friends,

Evergreen was created as an innovative college that promoted the value and transformative power of the liberal arts. While the College has never wavered from these core principles, we have not always been as intentional as we might be about how we approached them. The College is currently engaged in several related initiatives that embrace our shared mission and deepen our understanding of what it means to be well educated in the 21st century. I'd like to tell you about some of the actions being taken on campus and hear your thoughts.

As I mentioned to you in a previous note, last academic year the faculty overwhelmingly adopted a curricular package that included increased student advising, an enhanced student orientation program, and a requirement that students must write an annual academic statement reflecting on the educational choices they've made. Since that vote in November of 2011, we've begun the hard work of implementing all of the interlocking pieces that had been adopted. I'm delighted to say that the progress we've made has been striking and the results are exciting.

In September students experienced the first iteration of our enhanced orientation program. Two pieces of that program were most encouraging. First, over the summer every incoming student received a copy of a fabulous book written by Carlotta Walls LaNier (with Lisa Frazier Page) entitled "A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School." Carlotta was one of the "Little Rock Nine," nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in September, 1957, and her book tells her powerful story. Carlotta gave two talks during orientation, one in Olympia and one in Tacoma. Both venues were jam-packed and it was amazing to see students line up after Carlotta spoke to have a personal word with her and to get their books autographed.

Second, approximately 100 faculty members met with students in small groups during orientation. Each student/faculty group met three times, for two hours each time, and discussed Carlotta's talk and book, the nature of Evergreen's pedagogy and the meaning of a liberal arts education. Additionally, working with faculty members, students began to craft the first iteration of their academic statement.

Did these activities make a difference? There's good evidence to suggest they did. Faculty and staff members noted a palpable increase in the collective engagement of our incoming class. Even more striking, student retention for those who participated in orientation was higher than for those who didn't.

We also instituted a pilot that lowered the student/faculty ratio in interdisciplinary programs designed for first year students, hoping to build a richer learning environment and enable more concentrated work with faculty than could occur when more students are present. This change also made a difference. Not only did more faculty opt to teach first year students than had been the case in recent years but retention in those programs was increased.

Two additional activities build on this momentum. Faculty agreed to spend time in their fall quarter programs discussing how their curricular material fits into a broad liberal arts framework. Reports I've heard, from both students and faculty, indicate that these discussions were very well received by all participants. The campus also held an "All-Campus Mentoring Day" in Winter quarter – and we'll hold another one later this spring. Faculty members hosted fascinating advising sessions and hundreds of students attended. Take a look at the schedule to see the range of programs offered.

Because we are working to build a more intentional campus community that understands and celebrates the liberal arts, we've reached beyond students and faculty in this endeavor. Members of the College's Board of Trustees and of the Board of Governors for the Evergreen Foundation have agreed to write their own academic statements, explaining how their liberal arts educations served them well in their endeavors since they left college. Their statements help our students see how the educational choices they make can inform and shape their decisions later.

A good liberal arts education is about teaching students to think critically and holistically, to appreciate differences – in background, in methodology, in perspective -- and to communicate effectively. The more we focus on this bigger picture, the greater the probability that our students will understand what we value most about an Evergreen education. And that understanding will serve them well throughout their entire lives.

If you have thoughts about any of the initiatives I've described, or if you have other ideas on how we can help our students fully embrace learning, please let me know; drop me a note at provost@evergreen.edu. I very much look forward to hearing from you.

Michael

Michael Zimmerman
Vice President for Academic Affairs

Michael Zimmerman

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