Monday, January 26, 2015

REGISTER NOW – FREE WEBINAR: Counseling and Advising Men of Color in the Community College (February 12, 2015)


I absolutely love free webinars (especially those that do not require a product endorsement). This webinar is from the Minority Male Community College Collaborative and it is focused on "Counseling and Advising Strategies" Advancing Success for Men of Color in the Community College". The webinar will be held on February 12th at 11am Pacific Time. I discovered this webinar around a month ago through a tweet.

Here's more information - http://interwork.sdsu.edu/sp/m2c3/2014/11/07/free-webinar/

Why I Am Interested...
Yes, I work for a four-year institution in Texas, but I have community college roots. I attended Panola College for dual credit courses while in high school and I attended my first year at a community college before transferring to Stephen F. Austin State University. Amazing experience! Without my community college experience while in high school, I would not have been as successful in attaining my four-year degree. I am strong advocate of dual credit courses.

Benefits of the Webinar
I think this webinar will definitely benefit professionals who are in the trenches teaching and advising students who are from underrepresented populations (and who are male). Feel free to write comments here!

Sincerely - @drjtedwardsTSU

Monday, January 19, 2015

Out-of-the-Box Ideas for Motivating College Students During Midterms and Finals


Two of my favorite times of the semester are midterms and finals. Odd, right? These are the two times students usually hear about their progress within a course (although I provide feedback more often).

To help students succeed during these key times, our area provides Midterm and Finals activities and programs for students to connect with their academic-sides! Everyone has one (or two) - perhaps a major and a minor).

While planning for the week, I have several Pinterest boards and an amazing committee. Also, we search for ideas on the web to gain insight into other university's approaches to these important time periods.

Binghamton University's Dean of Students's office connects with a wealth of offices across their campus to provide students with incentives for studying!

Here are some of their approaches:

- free group fitness classes

- therapy dogs

- chair massages

- donuts with the Dean (we have not tried this year, but sounds like a great idea)!

- one of the neatest aspects of the event is the REACH vehicle - a mobile approach to providing students with healthy tips and giveways. Here's some more information about the pink car - the mobile solution! Take a look - http://www.binghamton.edu/health/education/

- the sleep kits include sleep masks and other items you would need for a night of rest

Sincerely - @drjtedwardsTSU