Initiatives & Projects
Seawolves F1rst!
Are you a student looking for information to Apply for Jump Start?
Incoming first-year students in the Jump Start program learn the keys to academic success, participate in pre-term workshops, meet other first-year students, and get adjusted to campus before the semester event starts. Room and board and all necessary supplies are provided to all participants.
Before the Fall 2023 semester began, 76 students participated in Sea Wolves F1rst Jump Start which included community building and academic preparation workshops, including a workshop by Dr. Saundra McGuire on metacognition and academic skill development. Dr. McGuire’s book, Teaching Yourself to Learn, was also provided for incorporation into first-yearl learning community curriculum. Our data showed that the overwhelming majority of past Jump Start participants said Jump Start helped them:
- Learned their way around campus
- Be prepared for the first day of class
- Understand how to access and use support services like tutoring and advising
- Gain confidence for communicating with professors
- Acquire effective strategies for studying and managing their time
Sonoma State’s Seawolves F1rst Initiative provides incoming first-time first-year (FTFY) students support opportunities to smoothly transition from high school to college and successfully complete their English and math coursework requirements in their first year. *This initiative replaces the previous California State University’s Early Start Program.
Goals of Seawolves F1rst!
Aim #1: Administrative and Co-curricular Support Services
- Strategic scheduling/assessments and block enrollment of students into learning cohorts comprised of English, math, and FTFY learning communities
- Coordination support for faculty teaching multi-section courses
- Academic and Student Affairs partnerships for holistic approaches to student support through integration of the Student Recreation Center, residential life, and Counseling and Psychological Services into academic activities
- Head-start community and skill building activities prior to FTFY arrival on campus and early arrival workshop opportunities focused to provide additional support for English and math
Aim #2: Professional development for faculty and peer supports
- Intentionally designed faculty learning communities focused on culturally-responsive classroom pedagogies
- Iterative course improvements through shared curriculum and co-curricular activities
- Trainings to deepen partnerships between faculty and peer mentors and/or tutors
Faculty Teaching and Learning Communities
In support of the CSU Chancellor’s Office Equity Initiatives and Seawolves F1rst, Academic Programs led four faculty Teaching and Learning Communities (TLCs) over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year.
First-year Learning Community Faculty TLC: Faculty teaching in first-year learning communities (FLCs) met monthly to discuss the background, skills, and needs of first-time first-year students in an effort to build collaboration and community across courses. The TLC was led by the Faculty Fellow for University Studies and Transition Programs, Dr. jennifer johnson (sp).
Critical Success Course TLC: Faculty teaching gateway courses that students tend to struggle in met monthly to focus on course-specific student success and equity data and inclusive curriculum and pedagogies. Faculty participants chose one course change to implement and assess for equitable student success. The TLC was led by the Faculty Fellow for Antiracist Curriculum, Dr. Sharon Fuller.
English and Math TLCs: Faculty in the English and Math TLCs gathered monthly to examine student success data across of their course and to reflect on collaborative efforts to support equitable student success across multiple sections of the same course. These TLCs were led by the Faculty Fellows for Academic Programs, Drs. Emily Asencio and Sam Cohen, respectively.
In addition to their monthly meetings, all participating faculty also attended a workshop by Dr. Saundra McGuire, author of Teaching Students to Learn.
Lunch & Learn: Canvas Data Analytics & LoboConnect for Student Success
Discover how to use Canvas Data Analytics and LoboConnect to better support students in need. This interactive session, hosted by Academic Programs, introduces practical strategies for leveraging Canvas New Analytics to track engagement trends, generate cases in LoboConnect, and enhance your ability to address student concerns. For viewers interested in participating in Spring 2025 Canvas Course Data Validation email Kyle Falbo at falbok@sonoma.edu
SSU Middle Leadership Academy Team
The Middle Leadership Academy (MLA) is a CSU-wide initiative led by the CSU Student Success Network. The Academy brings together CSU teams of middle leaders to work together across campuses to solve campus challenges related to student success and equity. The SSU Academy Team is cross-divisional and travels to meet with other CSU teams and additional home team members that participate in and support the project work.
2023-2024 MLA Team
- Emily Acosta Lewis, Professor of Communications, Team Lead
- Kyle Falbo, CTET Learning Management System administrator
- jen johnson, Associate Professor and Advisor, English/Single Subject
- Roberto Eliseo Campos, Sonoma State Student
- Ricardo Calderon, First & Second-Year Transition Programs Coordinator
- Molly Mande, Tutorial & Supplemental Instruction (SI) Coordinator
2022-2023 MLA Team
- Jennifer Whiles Lillig, Interim Associate Dean of Academic Programs, Team Lead
- Monica Lares, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Educational Policies Committee member
- Emily Acosta Lewis, Professor of Communications, Academic Planning, Assessment, and Resources Committee Chair
- Rose Calzontzi, TRIO Student Support Services Director
- Hayden Kinney, Assistant Director SSU Writing Center and graduate student
To date, the SSU Academy Team is focusing on three primary goals:
- Integration of professional growth opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators into the fabric of existing campus meeting structures to center and value equity work.
- Revision of existing campus policies (e.g. Re-appointment, Tenure, and Promotion, Periodic Evaluation of Temporary Faculty, Syllabus, and Program Review policies) to include language equity-focused language to show that we value this work in our departments, courses, and evaluation processes and to allow SSu faculty and staff to showcase their equity work through these processes.
- Convening of the Equity Culture Collective (ECC) through creation of a promotional mark and branding that participants in equity work can display to show that they are partners in this work.
Read our White Paper for more details.
Equity Culture Collective Brief