We all play a part in student success.

• Personalize your BlackBoard course materials so your personality comes through. Digital Education and Instructional Support (DEIS) can help you. Email teaching@cscc.edu or call 614-287-5991.
• Consider adding video messages to your announcements. It's a simple process using Kaltura. Find information and instructional videos here.
• In the first class, ask students to introduce themselves and share why they are in the course or something else about themselves. Consider posting this as an early assignment using the Discussion Board in BlackBoard.
• Start class by taking attendance. This helps connect student names and faces (and reinforces the expectation of students coming to class, which is a critical factor in success!).
• Strive to learn students’ names. Make notes about each student to help you remember personal aspects. Make a point to use their names in subsequent classes.
• Share something about yourself and your passion for your discipline and the course content.
• Encourage students to tell you about specific concerns they have. You could do this by creating an assignment or including a syllabus statement that lets students know you are interested in them and able to connect them to additional resources.
• Encourage your students to meet with you one-on-one during your office hours or by scheduling a virtual meeting. Students are often reluctant to reach out for help – and research shows that is one of the top factors in students who don’t succeed in college. Let them know that you’re there to help, and let them know they can find information on office hours, or how to schedule a one-on-one meeting, in the course syllabus or your welcome message.

Active Learning

• Communicate the “why” behind assignments to help students connect with the big picture for the course.
• Perform at least one Classroom Assessment Technique (CAT) every week, such as minute paper or muddiest point. 
• Engage students in at least one active learning strategy every week. Ideas include link-pair-share, QR code creation, clickers, jigsaws, magic moment or service learning. 
• Consider a syllabus quiz, small group discussion, polleverywhere.com, or other activities to engage students.
• As we continue to operate remotely, connecting with students virtually becomes an important part of helping to ensure their success. Be sure to let your students know about virtual or in-person office hours, or how to set up a one-on-one appointment with you. Post this information your Blackboard course and add it to your syllabus. Another great idea is to add the information to your email signature, so students have a quick reminder each time they receive an email or response from you.

Technology

• Many students are new to online learning or may be struggling to manage the ins and outs of the virtual student experience at Columbus State. Direct them to cscc.edu/online101 to find all the resources they need to make the most of their online course experience.
• Take note when students are not accessing BlackBoard regularly. Email them to make sure they are comfortable with the technology, and ask if you can be of assistance.
• Always demonstrate any new technology or skill that will be used in the class as part of an assignment.
• Upload/add Blackboard’s “how-to” YouTube videos to your course. 
• Create an early assignment that asks students to log into BlackBoard, as well as update their contact information on CougarWeb.
• Let students know the importance of having up-to-date email, phone, and address information on file. (Remind them that you can’t help them if you can’t reach them!)
• Acquaint students with the IT Support Center at (614) 287-5050, where they can get in-person technical assistance.

• Keep the mindset that your goal is to help students learn, and that assessments, assignments and exams are tools to help you do that.
• Always incorporate positive feedback on graded materials, beyond check marks, deductions, and final score.
• Create rubrics that clearly define grading criteria for each assignment and provide these to your students when giving the assignment. In a virtual course, be sure to tell studnets what testing/assessment expectations are for your class as they may differ across the college.
• Early feedback is important, so strive to return graded papers quickly, especially in the early weeks.
• Discuss what students need to do to be successful in YOUR course. Let students know that you have high expectations—and that you believe in their ability to meet them.
• In the first week, have students complete a short writing assignment or class quiz worth very few (or no) points. As you grade it, include helpful suggestions on how to improve performance.
• Celebrate the good stuff and share inspiring stories! Focus on progress. Congratulate students who make significant progress in their work.
• Share your path to higher education to inspire them. It is important that students know you struggled too.
• Build opportunities for students to reflect on their learning. For example, ask students, “What were your biggest challenges with this assignment?”
• Inspire students with the story of your journey through college and the ups and downs you had.

• Collaborate with student support services and provide students with information and referrals to support them in their academic, career, and financial goals.
• Build your knowledge of campus resources to support student success. Use the resource sheets, on the First4Weeks website ("Printable Tips" PDF below), and the website to direct students to programs, workshops, and other resources. Remember cscc.edu/LearnOn is created to help students succeed in the remote/online environment.
• Help students connect and collaborate with one another and with the college through cscc.edu/connection.
• Integrate learning about campus resources into class assignments, for example:
  • Create an exercise that includes having students use online tutoring services,  or the Writing Center.
  • Create an exercise that connects students to Student Engagement and Leadership, Counseling Services, Career Services, the Library, etc.
• Customize a resource announcement for your course in BlackBoard that links students to campus resources. (Resource links can be found at cscc.edu/services.)

• Make each conversation friendlier:
  • Be sure to address each student by name before asking for their ID number
  • Introduce yourself to the student you’re helping, with your name and title
  • Ask students questions about themselves and how they are doing
  • Decode higher education terminology during conversations by defining terms that may be new to students
  • End conversations with motivating words of encouragement
• Listen actively. It’s easy to jump to a solution after hearing part of what someone is saying instead of listening to the entire question or situation.
• Ask the second question. New students may not know enough about Columbus State to understand what they need or who they need to talk to. Help them out by asking a follow-up question to figure out what they need to accomplish.
• When you transfer a student to another office, call ahead to make sure someone is available and understands what the student needs. 
• Verify contact information on file and explain the importance of current mailing and phone information. Help students complete updates, either on CougarWeb or by calling (614) 287-5353.
• Make sure students know how to reach you for further questions and assistance.
• Email students who miss appointments, and send email follow-ups after appointments.

• Listen, and let a student talk through a problem. Help them talk their way through to the solution that is best for them.
• When you give a student an answer, explain the process involved so that the student knows what to do the next time they encounter a similar situation. If a student asks a question that requires an answer of “no,” don’t stop there. Explain why and help them explore other ways to achieve their goal.
• When possible, let the student look up information and navigate the website while working with you, to help them build skills and a comfort level with the technology.
• Ask students to repeat important information back to you in their own words so you’re sure they understand.
• Remind students that some departments send messages only to their Columbus State email account, and remind them to check it daily.
• Acquaint students with the IT Support Center (formerly the Help Desk) at (614) 287-5050 where they can get technical assistance.
• Show students where they can find dates and deadlines related to college services.
• Remind students to sign up for RAVE alerts at cscc.edu/rave.
• Many students are new to online learning or may be struggling to manage the ins and outs of the virtual student experience at Columbus State. Direct them to cscc.edu/online101 to find all the resources they need to make the most of their online course experience.

• Help student workers understand their important role and how to better help other students.
• Encourage participation in campus groups that build leadership skills, like Women’s Connection, MAN Initiative, and discipline-specific mentoring programs. Virtual events will be added to cscc.edu/connect throughout the semester.
• Praise students for things they have accomplished. Each step forward takes them closer to their goal.
• Incorporate inspiring messages into daily interactions. End conversations with encouraging words like “You’ve got this” or “You’re going to do well here.”
• Help students develop skills to have appropriate conversations about difficult topics—role play, or discuss how conversations may go, what kinds of responses to avoid, and how to have a productive discussion.
• Encourage students to talk to professors directly. Remind them that getting to know professors on a personal level helps the learning process. Our professors are here to help students succeed!

• Build your knowledge of campus resources to support student success. Use the resource sheets, the First4Weeks Blackboard Organization, Cougar Connect and web pages cscc.edu/LearnOn and cscc.edu/connection to direct students to other resources.
• Use cscc.edu/online to connect students to resources to help them succeed in the online learning environment.
• Remember, students have many things going on outside of college, so there may be barriers to their success that we aren’t aware of. Pay attention to “red flag” statements so you can help them identify and solve problems.
• Students may be very stressed about their situations. Be calm under pressure. Be the rational one and de-escalate a situation that may be stressful for a student.
• If you can’t assist a student and need to send them “up the chain of command,” take time to help them understand why they need to follow the proper channels and help them understand how our process works.