Welcome to 2024! It’s hard to believe we are only a few weeks into the spring semester. As I write this, I have just come from visiting the second day of our spring All Majors Career Fair hosted by our amazing Career Center, where we had 145 employers and approximately 3558 students attend. As we look ahead to the rest of the semester, I am excited about what’s to come. The array of innovative programs and initiatives are all aimed at enhancing student success, fostering inclusivity, and transforming the learning experience.
OUE Strategic Alignment Planning & Spring Town Hall
On February 29, OUE will hold its annual Spring Town Hall, which will focus on Strategic Alignment Planning and Staff Appreciation. The Town Hall will provide all staff an opportunity to learn about the progress of our Strategic Alignment Plan and provide input and feedback to Greenway Consulting on this continuing work. In addition to this important work, the Spring Town Hall will include a celebration and appreciation of all OUE staff. The Town Hall will be held on February 29 from 12:00pm-2:00pm in the Alumni House. All staff are expected to attend in person.
Clough Commons Renovation Open House
At the end of the fall semester, the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) completed a renovation of its spaces in Clough 205 and 283, which began in August 2023. The renovation provides a more dynamic and efficient hub for undergraduate students and staff and houses all faculty and staff in Academic Success and Advising (ASA) and Experiential and Engaged Learning (E2L). OUE will be hosting an open house on February 14 from 3:00pm-4:30pm. Please stop by and see the new ASA and E2L spaces and say hello to OUE colleagues! There will be a brief presentation at 3:45pm and refreshments will be provided.
Community-Based Learning/Experiential Education Stipend
The Ethelyn and Albert Daniel endowment, managed jointly by the Office of Experiential and Engaged Learning (Community-Based Learning) and the Career Center, provides stipends for undergraduate students who seek to gain knowledge about career opportunities in their major through unpaid internships with non-profit and community service organizations. It allows students to gain important hands-on learning opportunities that they may not be able to afford to take on otherwise, supporting the Institute’s strategic priorities of expanding access and amplifying impact.
Jacket Job Ready Challenge
Highlighting Georgia Tech’s commitment to ensuring all students have the opportunity to engage in career-focused learning, the Career Center’s Jacket Job Ready Challenge continues in Spring 2023, offering students the opportunity to learn job readiness skills and gain insight into what it takes to secure the internship, co-op, or full-time job opportunity they want. Because every student has unique career needs and interests, the Jacket Job Ready Challenge provides maximum flexibility to increase student participation. Students who participate can earn benefits such as early access to career fairs, Career Center swag, and other perks.
Professional Development for GT 1000 & 2000 Instructors
The Office of Engaged and Experiential Learning (E2L) will offer continued professional development for GT 1000 & 2000 instructors and Team Leaders. These opportunities will focus on creating inclusive classroom experiences and promoting sense of belonging. Professional development activities include a continuation of professional development workshops for instructional staff and Reading Circles reading groups, as well as the official launch of the Belonging Bonus challenge, which encourages instructors to develop and implement belonging-promoting activities or efforts, in and out of the classroom.
Georgia Tech & ACC InVenture Prize
The Office of Experiential and Engaged Learning (E2L) will host the 2024 Georgia Tech InVenture on March 13. The annual student innovation competition provides Georgia Tech students and recent graduates with the opportunity to present their inventions to a panel of experts. This competition will be followed by the ACC InVenture Prize, hosted by Florida State University (FSU) on March 27. In support of Georgia Tech’s commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement, OUE will send a delegation of senior leadership to attend the ACC InVenture Prize and tour FSU student success facilities.
Honors Program External Review
The Honors Program will undergo its first external program review since its founding in 2006. Three reviewers from the National Collegiate Honors Council will visit Georgia Tech from February 14 - 16, 2024 to meet with faculty, staff, students, and campus stakeholders involved in the Honors Program. The visitors are provided with a self-study and will generate an evaluation of the Honors Program and suggestions for its future direction. The program review will offer essential insights on the strengths of the Honors Program, as well as provide opportunities for future growth and improvement.
Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Development: Leadership in Progress and Service
With the selection of QEP Faculty Co-Directors Chad Slieper and Kate Williams in fall 2023, OUE will continue to support the development and implementation of the 2025 QEP: Leadership in Progress and Service. OUE’s Undergraduate Curriculum unit will engage in broad campus outreach to students, alumni, faculty, and staff throughout the coming spring semester for input and feedback into the development and planning of the QEP. In support of Georgia Tech’s strategic priority to expand access, an important aspect of the development and implementation will be a focus on students who may be less likely to participate in existing high-impact practices: under-resourced, income-limited, and first-generation students.
Expansion of Knack Tutoring
Recognizing the importance of expanding access to academic support services for all students, Academic Success and Advising (ASA) is expanding Knack, an online tutoring software that allows Georgia Tech students to receive on-demand, individual tutoring services. In spring 2024, students will be able to access tutoring services for 175 unique courses. All Knack tutors are Georgia Tech students who have been trained by ASA.
Virtual Student Success Summit
Academic Success and Advising (ASA) will host the Spring 2024 Virtual Student Success Summit, a semester-long enrichment opportunity available to all undergraduate students. The Success Summit will offer self-paced online modules designed to provide undergraduate students with the tools and practical resources they need to succeed at Georgia Tech. The Summit supports the Georgia Tech strategic focus areas of expanding access for all students and strengthening our culture of well-being and creating a holistic learning environment for our students.
OUE’s spring 2024 semester promises to be one of innovation, engagement, and growth. The upcoming months are filled with opportunities to continue Georgia Tech’s commitment to making students our top priority.