GC Journeys Newsletter

"The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is a national survey which is administered by almost every college and university in the United States,” said Dr. Jordan Cofer. “It’s designed to collect data from first-year and senior students to report the quality of the undergraduate experience to faculty, administrators, researchers and others.”

The survey compares Georgia College students with peers from across the country based on several factors. Georgia College first-year students showed no significant difference when compared to other universities. However, Georgia College seniors exceeded national peers in a variety of categories including “Collaborative Learning,” “Student-Faculty Interaction,” “Supportive Environment,” “Reflective & Integrated Learning” and “Discussions with Diverse Others.”

“This means while GC first-year students enter on par with our peer groups, they leave as seniors exceeding their peer groups in several different areas,” said Cofer. “This is an important indicator of the effectiveness of the engagement and experiences that students receive during their time at GC.”

The survey highlights GC student’s high participation rates in high-impact practices, which make up part of the GC Journeys Initiative. Overall participation in high-impact practices at GC exceeds all peer groups.

Read more about GC's NSSE Results and student experiences here.

Mentored Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (MURACE) is providing a number of upcoming opportunities to support Undergraduate Research efforts at GC.

• MURACE Symposium - October 30th (from 12-3:30). Register Here.
• Research Round up- November 17th (6:15) Email Dr. Sams to volunteer. This is an opportunity to meet with students who are interested in participating in research.
• Posters at the Capitol- Submissions due November 20th
• NCUR (National Conference for Undergraduate Research)- Submissions due Dec 1

The MURACE Symposium seeks to open up dialogue about undergraduate research at GC, and provide resources for faculty leading these experiences. For more information, visit the MURACE Symposium website.

WELCOME & OVERVIEW
Noon – 1:00 p.m.

MURACE: Within the GC Journey-

• Visions for the Future of MURACE at GCSU & AURA Updates -Presented by Associate Provost Jordan Cofer & Dr. Dee Sams

• Undergraduate Student Research (USR) Circle

Presented by Catherine Boyd, Circle Chair & Lillian Daniel, Vice Chair

• Conference & Funding Opportunities

Presented by MURACE Faculty Coordinator, Dr. Doreen (Dee) Sams

• Posters at The Georgia State Capitol

Presented by GURC Posters Co-Chair Robin Lewis

• Detailed Updates on New Journal: How Can You Get Involved?

Presented by Dr. Kelly Massey, Editor and Chief

SESSION I: MASKING UP FOR RESEARCH DURING A PANDEMIC
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. -- Panel Chair: Dr. Karen Berman
Presented by Dr. Brent Evans, Economics; Dr. Hasitha Mahabaduge, Physics; and
Dr. Jeff Turner, Outdoor Education

SESSION II: SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATIONS
1:35 – 2:00 p.m.
Presented by Katie Brashear - Mentored by Dr. Jeff Turner, Outdoor Education and William Achi - Mentored by Dr. Brent Evans, Economics

SESSIONS III: PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS

Pick Three (Sessions Rotate Every 20 Minutes) 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

​How to Navigate the IRB with Successful Outcomes
Presented by Dr. Kevin Hunt (Breakout Room 1)

How to Navigate the Summer Undergraduate Research Funding Application Process
Presented by Dr. Brent Evans and Dr. Jeff Turner (Breakout Room 2)

Sharing Successes - Why share your students' successes with MURACE?
Presented by CUR Councilor, Physics Division, Dr. Hasitha Mahabaduge (Breakout Room 3)

Why Should Faculty, Students, and Staff Join CUR?
Presented by CUR Councilor, Psychology Division, Tsu-Ming Chiang (Breakout Room 4)

What is a CUR Councilor and How are They Selected?
Presented by CUR Councilor, Health Science, Dr. Kelly Massey (Breakout Room 5)

Everything You Need to Know About GC’s Library Resources
Dr. Shaundra Walker (Breakout Room 6)

SESSIONS IV: WRAP-UP -- 3:00 – 3:15 p.m.

If you need additional information before registering, please email urace@gcsu.edu or call Dr. Doreen (Dee) Sams at 478-445-0966 and leave a message.

This week, October 28th-November 3rd, is GC Journeys week in the First Year Academic Seminars. Advisors will be introducing students to transformative experiences in GC Journeys, and students will complete a GC Journeys assignment. Additionally, we will be offering GC Journeys Info sessions for students to talk more about transformative experiences.

2020-2021 GC Journeys Transformative Experiences Mini Grant

Are you leading a transformative learning experience (whether virtual or online) and need a little money to complete it? Apply for the 2020-2021 GC Journeys Transformative Experiences Mini-Grant.

Overview:

These small mini-grants, offered on a rolling basis, can be used to complete/fund transformative learning experiences (First Year Experience, Capstone, Undergraduate Research, Leadership, Community based Engaged Learning) that you are leading.

Restrictions:

These are state funds, so there are limits on how it can be spent and must be expended by June 2021. A committee made up of faculty and staff will review the applications monthly and make the awards.

To apply:

Fill out the application here.

GC Journeys is working with the Student Opportunity Center to create a centralized portal to track student engagement in GC Journeys. The goal is that the Student Opportunity Center can become a central hub for GC Journeys student activity.

The GC Journeys Annual Report is now available on the GC Journeys webpage. The annual report includes participation information, highlights and news stories, as well as assessments for GC Journeys. The Annual Report can be found here.

Email: journeys@gcsu.edu
Website: https://www.gcsu.edu/gcjourneys
Location: Carl Vinson House