{"id":3212,"date":"2021-05-03T16:17:01","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T23:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/ltc\/?p=3212"},"modified":"2021-05-03T16:17:20","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T23:17:20","slug":"recast-new-directions-for-evergreen-initiative-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/ltc\/2021\/05\/recast-new-directions-for-evergreen-initiative-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Recast | New Directions for Evergreen Initiative Update"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From: <\/strong><\/a>“Geri, Laurance” <GeriL@evergreen.edu>
Date: <\/strong>Monday, May 3, 2021 at 3:02 PM
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi\nEveryone: The New\nDirections initiative continues to move forward.  Thanks to the many faculty and staff who have contributed to this effort. Over the last several weeks the project leadership team has been working with the project team leads, the project Steering Committee, the\nStudent and Academic Life Leadership Team (SALLT) and others to finalize an implementation schedule for the various elements of the\nproject.  I\u2019ll summarize below where these elements are, as some are\nstill in a design phase, others are moving toward initial implementation, and the Paths project is deep into implementation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Interim Provost David McAvity has shared in some earlier communications, the\nelements of the project we will focus on over the next several months will be\nPaths, Certificates, and Flexible Studies, or \u201cFlex.\u201d  These are the\ncornerstone elements of the initiative that offer the greatest opportunity over the next 12-15 months to help us meet the project\u2019s key goal of raising our\nenrollments.  By the end of the academic year the\nproject leadership team will complete a detailed report on the initiative that will include an updated implementation plan.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Paths <\/strong>project has made excellent progress under Amy Betz\u2019\nleadership.  On April 15th<\/sup> a key feature went \u201clive,\u201d as students\u2019 could indicate in the Academic Progress section of\ntheir My\nEvergreen account if their preferred learning approach was to design their own Path, or follow a\npre-planned Path, and if the latter to indicate what Path or Paths (up to two)\nthey intended to follow.  Students who respond (so far, 280 as of April 26th) will receive communications about specific advising opportunities, events, and\nupdates in curriculum to support them in their education.  Thanks to the hard work of many faculty members\nand the campus Web Team, we have also updated the college\u2019s Fields of Study\nwebpages and the Paths pages.  And Amy offered several advising sessions\nto faculty and staff to provide them with a detailed update on the overall\nproject.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Certificates<\/strong> team led by Sue Feldman and Abir Biswas has completed a draft certificate policy and a draft certificate\ndesign handbook that continue to be refined as they work with faculty, work force partners and the\nimplementation team to establish how the college infrastructure will support\nboth grad-applicable and non-grad-applicable credit certificates. The group is also developing a proposal for\nadministrative support for our certificates program through the School of\nProfessional Studies.  And a team is developing a college-wide policy for\nself-supporting programs such as summer school and certificates.  We are starting off Fall 2021 with a few certificate\noptions that you will be hearing about soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team\ndeveloping a proposal for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies <\/strong>completed an initial draft proposal that was shared\nwith the SALLT.  Since our intent is to rename Evergreen as a university,\nthis structure is likely to emerge as the College of Graduate and Professional\nStudies, with a Graduate School and School of Professional Studies.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A major\nfocus of New Directions over the next year will be our efforts to e<\/strong>xpand access to educational opportunities for working\nstudents, returning adults and other students wanting to complete an unfinished\ndegree, get additional credentials to support their career, or explore other\neducational interests. \nThis will entail expanding access to online and part-time pathways to degree, especially in\nareas connected to workforce development and other areas of high student\ndemand.  It\nwill also require coordination with certificates and Paths, and development of\nsensible support structures.   We are calling this effort \u201cFlex,\u201d <\/strong>short for flexible studies.  As David\nMcAvity shared\nlast week, Lori Blewett will lead this work and is working with us to pull together a team for this project, while he refines a charge and workplan for this work.  The goal is to complete a detailed Flex proposal by the end of this summer.  David provided more details on the Flex model in an\nemail this morning and will provide additional information at the faculty\nmeeting this Wednesday, May 5th<\/sup>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Capstone<\/strong> workgroup led by Stacey Davis has made\nsignificant progress, starting with the team\u2019s consensus definition of a\ncapstone project.  They agreed that the equity goal for Evergreen should be the availability\nand support for all students to make the choice to undertake capstone\nexperiences, rather than a capstone \u201crequirement.\u201d  The group will partner with the LTC to create a series of short\nvideos and documents giving examples of current (spring 2021) students\nexplaining their capstone projects\/experiences and the steps they took to\nprepare for their capstone.  The group is likely to be on hiatus during\nsummer \u201921 and return to the project in fall \u201921 should the college commit to\nimplementation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holistic Advising<\/strong> team is preparing an application for Title III funding for the project, entitled \u201cHolistic Advising:  Coordinated Services and\nTechnologies with Community\nand Career-Connected HIPs.\u201d  The proposal focuses on activities that provide robust and integrated Coordinated Technology Support, coordinated services to meet student basic needs, and build resilience and student success strategies; systematized advising practices focused on faculty\/staff partnerships and\nnavigational support; and community and  career connected learning to promote student goal\nsetting, confidence in career options, and access to high impact\ncommunity-engaged practices through Advising connections to faculty and alumni.  We anticipate an early June deadline for this grant proposal.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HAPPieR (Holistic Advising: Policy & Practices\nReview)<\/strong> team worked in sub-teams during fall and winter\nquarters to discuss and make recommendations on syllabi and credits; evaluations; and academic standing and required leave. The focus was on policies and practices that may create obstacles for students.  The group has completed a draft report which is\navailable on the New Directions website at https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/newdirections<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are continuing to work on\ndevelopment of Paths in psychology and health<\/strong>, and in business and\nentrepreneurship<\/strong>.  Elizabeth Williamson is working with the psychology\nand health faculty, and I’m working with the business and entrepreneurship\nfaculty.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m pleased to share that the team developing the Center for Climate Action and Sustainability <\/strong>completed a position description and job announcement for the\nposition of Center Director, and the search process is underway.  The group hopes to hold interviews in late May or early June with candidate selection around end of the academic year.  The candidate selected\nwill likely begin in August or September 2021.   Please share the announcement for the position widely with your colleagues and networks: https:\/\/evergreen.peopleadmin.com\/postings\/2787. <\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will be a meeting on May\n12th of faculty and staff who developed and supported the Interdisciplinary\nArts and Design <\/strong>proposal crafted last year, plus those involved in the Interdisciplinary\nComputer Science<\/strong> Big Bet proposal.  The group will explore opportunities for cross disciplinary program and Path\nplanning between visual arts, media arts, and computer science, ideas for\ncertificate programs that link design and technology, and discuss the potential\nto design a concrete proposal for funding.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally,\nseveral planned summer institutes relating to the project are being planned including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7\/12-13 SPRJ03 School of Professional Studies (Days 1\nand 2); 7\/23 (Day 3)   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7\/22-23  SP04 Holistic Advising: Supporting the Whole Student\nthrough an Equity Lens  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7\/22-23  SPRJ00\nClimate Center Launch 5  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7\/23; 7\/29-30  NTS04  Designing Certificates\n(Embedded or Stand-alone) with Support! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8\/12  TE08   Effective Capstone Experiences  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks\neveryone!   Please send any comments or suggestions to\nbigbets@evergreen.edu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larry Geri, DPA <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curriculum Dean, The Evergreen State College<\/p>\n\n\n\n

360-867-6616  geril@evergreen.edu  he\/him pronouns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Library 2017  2700 Evergreen Parkway NW  Olympia,\nWA 98505<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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