1. The Florida State University College of Education
Fostering Equity and Inclusion through Self-Determination in Underprepared Community College Students
Dr. Rebecca L. Brower
Dr. Amanda N. Nix
Dr. Tamara Bertrand Jones
Dr. Shouping Hu
Center for Postsecondary Success
Florida State University

2. Dr. Rebecca Brower, Research Faculty, CPS
The Florida State University College of Education
Dr. Rebecca Brower, Research Faculty, CPS
Rebecca

3. Dr. Amanda Nix, Postdoctoral Fellow, CPS
The Florida State University College of Education
Dr. Amanda Nix, Postdoctoral Fellow, CPS
Rebecca

4. The Florida State University College of Education
CPS Mission
The mission of the Center for Postsecondary Success (CPS) is to provide support for, and foster collaboration among, those who are interested in conducting research on student success in postsecondary education, and to identify and evaluate institutional, state, and federal policies and programs that may serve to improve student success.
Rebecca

5. The Florida State University College of Education
Our Funders
The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A to Florida State University, and in part by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education, or the Gates Foundation.

6. Presentation Overview
The Florida State University College of Education
Presentation Overview
Our Study
Self-determination Framework
Three Cases:
Instruction
Advising
Academic Support
Promising Practices
Q & A
Rebecca

7. Qualitative Data Sources
The Florida State University College of Education
Qualitative Data Sources
37 site visits to 21 FCS institutions from fall 2014 to summer Data sources included:
Focus group & individual interviews with administrators, faculty, advisors, support staff, & students (over 1,100 total participants)
Institutional documents including syllabi, advising flowcharts, & other documents
Field observations from advising sessions and classroom observations of DE & gateway courses
Rebecca

8. Promoting Self-Determination for Equity
The Florida State University College of Education
Promoting Self-Determination for Equity
Competence
Relatedness
Autonomy
(Ryan & Deci, 2017)
Rebecca

9. The Florida State University College of Education
Case 1: Instruction
Consider three questions while you listen to the first case:
What is the problem in this case?
How might the faculty member and student see the situation differently?
What solutions can you offer for this issue?
Rebecca

10. The Florida State University College of Education
Case 1: Instruction
Rebecca

11. The Florida State University College of Education
Case 1: Instruction
Three questions:
What was the problem in this case?
How might the faculty member and student have seen the situation differently?
What solutions can you offer for this issue?
Rebecca

12. Promising Practices - Instruction
The Florida State University College of Education
Promising Practices - Instruction
Give students autonomy over classroom decisions.
Foster competence by:
Clearly communicating expectations.
Giving frequent feedback.
Praising mastery tasks.
Emphasizing student improvement.
Increase feelings of relatedness with students by providing opportunities for interaction outside of class time.
Rebecca

13. The Florida State University College of Education
Case 2: Advising
Consider the same three questions:
What is the problem in this case?
How might the advisors and students see the situation differently?
What solutions can you offer for this issue?
Rebecca

14. The Florida State University College of Education
Case 2: Advising
Rebecca

15. The Florida State University College of Education
Case 2: Advising
Three questions:
What was the problem in this case?
How might the advisors and students have seen the situation differently?
What solutions can you offer for this issue?
Rebecca

16. Promising Practices - Advising
The Florida State University College of Education
Promising Practices - Advising
Build autonomy by allowing students to make their own course decisions, while clearly communicating consequences
Help students identify areas of competence & align them with career aspirations.
Brainstorm “parallel pathways,” as appropriate.
Increase feelings of relatedness with students by:
Reducing the stigma of developmental education.
Learning the life circumstances of underprepared students to better advise them holistically.
Using examples and metaphors that resonate with students.
Rebecca

17. Case 3 (mini-cases): Academic Support
The Florida State University College of Education
Case 3 (mini-cases): Academic Support
Again, the three questions:
What is the problem in these cases?
How might the support staff and students see the situation differently?
What solutions can you offer for this issue?

18. Case 3 (mini-cases): Academic Support
The Florida State University College of Education
Case 3 (mini-cases): Academic Support
Rebecca

19. Case 3 (mini-cases): Academic Support
The Florida State University College of Education
Case 3 (mini-cases): Academic Support
Three questions:
What was the problem in these cases?
How might the support staff and students have seen the situation differently?
What solutions can you offer for this issue?

20. Promising Practices - Academic Support
The Florida State University College of Education
Promising Practices - Academic Support
Academic support extends beyond tutoring and a writing center.
Include all staff who interact with students in campus planning committees and professional development opportunities for learning to foster student autonomy, competence, & relatedness.
Increase competence & relatedness with students by:
Extending service hours.
Advertising academic support programs.
Supporting acquisition of technology skills.

21. Promising Practices for Specific Populations - Assess Student Needs
The Florida State University College of Education
Promising Practices for Specific Populations - Assess Student Needs
Conduct focus groups with students to identify what’s working and what isn’t (“pain points”) for specific student populations.
From focus group data, develop surveys to assess student needs across campus.
Adult Students
First-Generation College Students
Students of Color
Students with Disabilities
Veterans
English Language Learners
Parents
Rebecca

22. Promising Practices for Specific Populations - Assess Student Needs
The Florida State University College of Education
Promising Practices for Specific Populations - Assess Student Needs
3. Also, consider the needs of “invisible minorities”:
Academically Underprepared Students
Economically Disadvantaged Students
LGBTQ Students
Undocumented Students
Students with Mental Health Challenges
Homeless Students
Formerly Incarcerated Students
Students Struggling with Addiction
Student Who Have Graduated from Foster or Family Care
Rebecca

23. The Florida State University College of Education
Promising Practices for Specific Populations – Develop an Institutional Action Plan
4. Assess the barriers that affect the most students & where the needs are greatest.
5. Form working groups/committees across campus (including students) to develop action plans, which might include:
Hiring more diverse staff to role model & mentor students with whom they share identities. (Lived experience as expertise)
Creating professional development workshops for campus personnel on meeting the needs of specific student populations. (Complementary expertise)
Developing peer mentoring & tutoring programs for students to gain leadership skills & help students like them navigate college. (Horizontal mentoring)
Rebecca

24. The Florida State University College of Education
Group Activity
Please form groups with others from your institution. Choose a leader to facilitate the discussion.
Each group member will share one of your institution’s greatest needs or biggest “pain points” for students. Take a quick vote about which need is the most pressing.
Discuss initial ideas about:
a) how to study the most pressing need,
b) which staff and students across campus could participate in a working group to develop an action plan,
c) possible elements of the action plan.
4. The leader will report to the audience.
Rebecca

25. The Florida State University College of Education
Thank You!
Questions? Comments? Dr. Rebecca Brower Dr. Amanda Nix Center for Postsecondary Success