Presented by: Professor Jà Hon Vance, Executive Director of the QUEST Program &

1. “The QUEST Program: A Learning Community to Connect, Recruit, and Retain African American Males in Higher Education” Presented by: Professor Jà Hon Vance, Executive Director of the QUEST Program & Kathy A. Styles, Executive Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Registration For: The 6th Annual Black, Brown and College Bound Conference Hillsborough Community College Tampa, Florida 03 March 2012

2. The QUEST Executive Staff • Professor Melvin Brooks • Mrs. Sylvia Rochester • Ms. Kathy Styles • Professor Jà Hon Vance THE QUEST! “An Educational Express”

3. What are learning communities?

4. In higher education, curricular learning communities are classes that are linked or clustered during an academic term, often around an interdisciplinary theme, and enroll a common cohort of students. A variety of approaches are used to build these learning communities, with all intended to restructure the students, time, credit, and learning experiences to build community among students, between students and their teachers, and among faculty members and disciplines (JV Educational Consultants, 2007).

5. Why have learning communities? Student involved in learning communities become more intellectually mature and responsible for their own learning and develop the capacity to care about the learning of their peers.

6. Enhance Student intellectual development • Increase student retention and academic achievement • Increase student involvement and motivation • Increase degree completion

7. What do we need to know and how do we get started? Critical elements for developing learning community initiatives include: • an impetus for change • Administrative support

8. a leadership team that includes both academic and student affairs • a shared vision and comprehensive view • a strategic plan and yearly planning calendar • Inclusive planning

9. student-focused goals • faculty involvement / Training • an evaluation and assessment plan • information and resource networks

10. budget and space • incentives and rewards

11. “The QUEST” “An African American Male Learning Cohort”

12. Learning Outcomes

13. “The QUEST Journey”

14. The Executive QUEST Staff Professor Melvin E. Brooks Ms. Sylvia Rochester Ms. Kathy “Lady” Styles Professor Jà Hon Vance

15. “Taking the Journey” The Executive Promoters toured from Spring 2008 to Fall 2008 to promote the Quest Program at Baltimore City Community College.

16. Promoting QUEST in Maryland!

17. QUEST One—ScholarsSpring 2008 James W. Branch, QUEST Scholar Charles Clarke, QUEST Scholar Sylvester Conn, QUEST Scholar Malcolm Favors, QUEST Scholar Christopher Gibson, QUEST Scholar Reginald McFadden, QUEST Scholar

18. “The Learning Community has over 100 Student Scholars”

19. Quest One Scholars“100% Retention from Spring 2008 to Fall 2008”

20. “QUEST Students are treated as Royalty!”

21. “Dedicated Service Team for QUEST Scholars”

22. *Awards and Recognition Program *Blackboard Training *Book Loan *Dining Etiquette *Employment Workshops *Financial Planning *Library Research Training *Mentoring “One on One” *One Stop Shop Customer Service *Personal Grooming “Spa Treatment” *Scholarships / Books and School Supplies *Technology Workshop Training “Email” *Writing Workshop

23. What makes “QUEST Executive Staff” different from Recruiters? ---One Word!

24. Boundless Enthusiasm Insatiable “PASSION”

25. THE SECRET……. GENUINE CARE

26. How should we assess our learning communities? Over the years, learning communities have been the subject of intensive assessment using a variety of formative and summative approaches and both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. At the student level, assessments examine:

27. engagement • retention • time to degree • involvement in campus and community activities

28. QUESTIONS……

30. Reference JV Educational Consultants .(2007). “Learning communities.” West Bloomfield: JV Educational Consultants.