Troy University eTROY Colloquium April 17-18, 2012

 Dr. Hal Fulmer ◦ Associate Provost and Dean of Undergraduate and First Year Studies  Dr. Terry Anderson ◦ Associate Professor and Regional Coordinator, MPA Program, Southeast Region, Global Campus  Dr. Scout Blum ◦ Associate Professor of History, Troy Campus  Dr. Timon Paleologus ◦ Associate Professor of Reading Education, Phenix City Campus

 Goals of the Forum: ◦ Discussion of the state of reading nationally and the specific status of student reading skills ◦ Discussion of the impact, good and bad, of technological advances on reading skills ◦ Discussion of specific steps toward assisting students to become better/more engaged readers

 Questions for our discussion: ◦ What is the role of reading, nationally, today? ◦ What is the current status of our students’ reading skills and reading engagement? ◦ What is the relationship between reading and student success? ◦ How have recent technological changes improved reading skills? How have these changes adversely affected reading skills? ◦ What are the specific steps that instructors can take to help students become better/more engaged readers?

 Associate Professor of Public Administration  Joined Troy University in 1998  21 years of public sector experience prior to coming to Troy (FBI and Broward Sheriff’s Office)  Served for 11 years as a visiting professor in the Republic of Georgia in an MPA program at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs ( )

 Course-specific content reading ◦ Fail to participate in class discussions ◦ Fail to conduct thorough research  Technical reading (e.g. syllabus, instructions for assignments) ◦ Fail to follow specific instructions ◦ Fail to meet specific deadlines

 Lack of appreciation for “educational” reading vs. “job” reading  Length of reading assignments (impatient readers)  Preference for immediate response to questions  Cost of books  Laziness  Poor reading skills (self-discipline)

 Lack of reading and poor reading skills lead to ◦ Voluntary withdrawal  Confusion  Feeling of being overwhelmed  Feeling of being disconnected without help  Poor grade ◦ Involuntary withdrawal  Accumulated poor grades lead to academic probation and student fails to return

 Blackboard Content Quiz  Administrative Law – book analyses  Foundations of PA – Classics book  Case Study Analysis exams