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Project Summary
The University of Central Arkansas is participating in the Gateways to Completion (G2C) initiative, in collaboration with the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. G2C is a three-year, evidence-based process for creating an institutional plan to improve student learning and success in high-enrollment courses that have historically resulted in high rates of Ds, Fs, Withdrawals, and Incompletes (DFWI) especially for low-income, first-generation, or historically underrepresented students. High-risk gateway courses at UCA are those with DFWI rates of 20% or higher, and/or significant achievement gaps in completion among student populations.
The G2C process at UCA began in Spring 2018. During the summer, faculty and administration selected the following four courses to be part of the first G2C cohort:
- Principles of Accounting I (ACCT 2310) [jump to course committee→]
- Psychological Statistics (PSYC 2330) [jump to course committee→]
- Principles of Sociology (SOC 1300) [jump to course committee→]
- Introduction to College Writing (WRTG 1310) [jump to course committee→]
The G2C Steering Committee and Department Course Committees (see links above) will be meeting throughout AY 2018–2019 to assess course outcomes and identify potential changes to the curriculum, pedagogy, or course support efforts geared toward improving success rates and narrowing achievement gaps in these courses. The departments will implement and assess at least one change to their courses in AY 2019–2020, and then refine and assess again in AY 2020–2021.
For more information on the G2C Process, see: https://www.jngi.org/gateways-to-completion/.
G2C Committees
Steering Committee
G2C Co-Liaisons
Julia Winden Fey, Director of the Office of Student Success
Course Committee Co-Chairs
Laura Young, Senior Lecturer, Department of Accounting
Shawn Charlton, Professor, Department of Psychology
Bill Lammers, Professor, Department of Psychology
Ed Powers, Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
Lynne Rich, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
Cristine Busser, Assistant Professor, School of Communication
Laura Niswonger, Lecturer II, School of Communication
CTE Instructional Coaches
Patty Kohler Evans, Director of the Mashburn Center of Learning and Professor, Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education
Amy Hawkins, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence
Ex Officio Members
Angela Webster, Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
G2C Advisor
ACCT 2310 Course Committee
Course Committee Co-Chairs
Laura Young, Senior Lecturer, Department of Accounting
Course Committee Members
Steven Nelson, Lecturer I, Department of Accounting
Karen Oxner, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting
Ashley Phillips, Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting
Mark Reavis, Assistant Professor of Finance, Department of Economics, Finance, Insurance and Risk Management
CTE Instructional Coach
PSYC 2330 Course Committee
Course Committee Co-Chairs
Bill Lammers, Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Course Committee Members
Darshon Anderson, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Brian Bolter, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Veda Charlton, Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Anna Park, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Shannon Reidmueller, Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Mike Scoles, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Marc Sestir, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
Ken Sobel, Professor, Department of Psychology and Counseling
CTE Instructional Coach
SOC 1300 Course Committee
Course Committee Co-Chairs
Lynne Rich, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
Course Committee Members
Doug George, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
Desmond Jones, Lecturer I, Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
Stacy Lom, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
John Toth, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
CTE Instructional Coach
WRTG 1310 Course Committee
Course Committee Co-Chairs
Laura Niswonger, Lecturer II, School of Communication
Course Committee Members
Katherine Bray, Lecturer II, School of Communication
Lanette Grate, Senior Lecturer, School of Communication
Mary Ellen Kubit, Adjunct Instructor, School of Communication
Steven Lance, Lecturer II in Writing, School of Communication
Lisa Mommsen, Lecturer II, Intensive English Program, Department of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures
Carl Olds, Resident Master, Stars Residential College at Short/Denney Hall
Jen Talbot, Associate Professor, School of Communication