Presented by: Professor Jà Hon Vance, Executive Director of the QUEST Program & Kathy A. Styles, Executive Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Registration For: The 6 th Annual Black, Brown and College Bound Conference Hillsborough Community College Tampa, Florida 03 March 2012

THE QUEST!“An Educational Express”  Professor Melvin Brooks  Mrs. Sylvia Rochester  Ms. Kathy Styles  Professor Jà Hon Vance

What are learning communities?

In higher education, curricular learning communities are classes that are linked or clustered during an academic term, often around an interdisciplinary theme, and enroll a common cohort of students. A variety of approaches are used to build these learning communities, with all intended to restructure the students, time, credit, and learning experiences to build community among students, between students and their teachers, and among faculty members and disciplines (JV Educational Consultants, 2007).

Student involved in learning communities become more intellectually mature and responsible for their own learning and develop the capacity to care about the learning of their peers.

 Enhance Student intellectual development  Increase student retention and academic achievement  Increase student involvement and motivation  Increase degree completion

Critical elements for developing learning community initiatives include:  an impetus for change  Administrative support

 a leadership team that includes both academic and student affairs  a shared vision and comprehensive view  a strategic plan and yearly planning calendar  Inclusive planning

 student-focused goals  faculty involvement / Training  an evaluation and assessment plan  information and resource networks

 budget and space  incentives and rewards

“An African American Male Learning Cohort”

“The QUEST Journey”

The Executive QUEST Staff Professor Melvin E. Brooks Ms. Sylvia Rochester Ms. Kathy “Lady” Styles Professor Jà Hon Vance

“Taking the Journey” The Executive Promoters toured from Spring 2008 to Fall 2008 to promote the Quest Program at Baltimore City Community College.

Promoting QUEST in Maryland!

James W. Branch, QUEST Scholar Charles Clarke, QUEST Scholar Sylvester Conn, QUEST Scholar Malcolm Favors, QUEST Scholar Christopher Gibson, QUEST Scholar Reginald McFadden, QUEST Scholar

Six Scholars 2009 Cohort One Six Scholars 2010 Cohort Two Eight Scholars 2011 Cohort Three

* Awards and Recognition Program *Blackboard Training *Book Loan *Dining Etiquette *Employment Workshops *Financial Planning *Library Research Training *Mentoring “One on One” *One Stop Shop Customer Service *Personal Grooming “Spa Treatment” *Scholarships / Books and School Supplies *Technology Workshop Training “ ” *Writing Workshop

What makes “QUEST Executive Staff” different from Recruiters? ---One Word!

Enthusiasm Insatiable Boundless “PASSION”

GENUINE CARE

Over the years, learning communities have been the subject of intensive assessment using a variety of formative and summative approaches and both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. At the student level, assessments examine:

 engagement  retention  time to degree  involvement in campus and community activities

JV Educational Consultants.(2007). “Learning communities.” West Bloomfield: JV Educational Consultants.