Student Affairs: Planting the Seed of Critical Thinking for First Time in College (FTIC) Students

1. Student Affairs: Planting the Seed of Critical Thinking for First Time in College (FTIC) Students Presented by Barbara June Rodriguez Janice Stubbs NASPA Assessment & Persistence Conference San Antonio, Texas June 21, 2014

2. Workshop Objectives As a result of this workshop, participants will: • Discuss strategies to cultivate critical thinking in FTIC orientation/advisement sessions • Identify methods to assess critical thinking within orientation/advisement sessions • Engage in hands-on activities

3. Broward College • Offers baccalaureate and associate degrees and certificates • 49,144 credit enrolled students • 84% part-time students • 16% full-time students • 57.2% female students • 41.8% male students • 36.3% Black • 34.6% Hispanic • 21.1% White Based on 2013-2014 Broward College Data

4. Critical Thinking Conceptual Framework

5. Critical Thinking Definition Critical thinking (CT) is defined as a process of evaluating information by questioning and testing assumptions, accepting and rejecting arguments and/or perspectives, and applying reasoning to make informed decisions.

6. Critical Thinking Goal & Outcomes Goal: To enhance students’ critical thinking skills Students will be able to: • Analyzeand interpret relevant information • Explainquestions, problems, and/or issues • Evaluateinformation to determine credibility of reasoning • Generatewell-reasoned conclusions

7. New Student Orientation • Mandatory for FTIC Students • Approximately 10,000 students annually • 22 students per session • 3 hour session • Program includes: • Academic Expectations • Student Rights and Responsibilities • Overview of Student Resources • Career Exploration (FOCUS) • Financial Aid • Advising and Registration • Campus Tour

8. New Student Orientation • Academic Expectations • Syllabus, attendance, communication with faculty • Student Rights and Responsibilities • FERPA, code of conduct, complaint process, grade appeals • Student Resources • Tutoring, peer mentoring, Smarthinking, Student Life • Advising and Registration • Pre-advised for two semesters and registers for classes

9. Critical Thinking & Orientation

10. FTIC Advising Session • Review student’s Holland code and associated careers based on FOCUS Career Exploration • Are they surprised or validated? • Review specific careers relative to: • Educational Requirements • Time to degree • Laddering • Job Availability • Develop an Educational Plan

11. FTIC Advising Session • FOCUS Career Exploration • Work interest and skills assessment • Holland Code (Based on Dr. John Holland’s theory) • Interest Profile • People and work environments are classified into 6 groups: • Realistic (Doers), Investigative (Thinkers), Artistic (Creators), Social (Helpers), Enterprising, (Persuaders), Conventional (Organizers) • Example: Code of RES means most like Realistic type; somewhat less like Enterprising type and less like Social type

12. Critical Thinking & Advising Session

13. Activity Directions • Break up into teams of 2 participants • Read the question within the Think-Pair-Share Table • Complete the Think-Pair-Share exercise • Report out to the larger group

14. Questions?