Engaging Students through Abbreviated, Focused Workshops:
How Does It Work? A Solid Foundation in Student Development Theory
Students benefit from a “translator.”
The college experience may be a cultural change for some students.
Students need to learn about the new culture and how to accomplish things in the new environment.
Tuesday Talks & Campus Conversations provide an
environment to learn about college culture.
 Help students decode information into something relevant
 Provide manageable nuggets of information
 Expose students to ideas about school, work, and life they may not have considered
Locke, D.C., & Parker, L.D. (1994). Improving multicultural competence of educators. In P. Pedersen & J.C. Carey
(Eds.) Multicultural counseling in schools (pp.39-58). Boston: Allyn-Bacon.
Empowerment increases student success.
“Empowerment: Self defining process of carefully chiseling out for the self who self is.
Indeed this process is arduous, emotionally charged, and can be marked by volatility.”
Campus Conversations & Tuesday Talks empower students.
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Integrate the college experience into “real life”
Empower students to commit to their own success
Weekly sessions provide introduction to topics and ideas
Opportunity to practice the skills are often provided
Robinson, T.L., & Howard-Hamilton, M.F. (2000). The convergence of race, ethnicity, and gender: Multiple identities
in counseling. (pp. 23) Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.
Students need to develop purpose.
“Developing purpose entails increasing ability
 to be intentional,
 to assess interests and options,
 to clarify goals,
 to make plans, and
 to persist despite obstacles.”
Tuesday Talks & Campus Conversations help students develop purpose.
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Offer a safe place to explore goals and interests
Session topics include goal setting and making plans
Encourage persistence despite obstacles
Follow up and personalized custom fit coaching provided
Chickering, A.W., & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and Identity: Second edition. (p. 50) San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Validation enriches academic and personal experiences.
Students who were validated:
 develop confidence in their ability to learn,
 experience enhanced feelings of self-worth, and
 believe they have something to offer the academic community.
Campus Conversations & Tuesday Talks validate students and their experiences.
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Invite students to invest in their success without a large time commitment
Validate students ability to engage in learning and the relevance of their experiences
Provide information that is relevant at school, home, and work
Topics encourage involvement and connection
Rendon, L.I. (1994). Validating culturally diverse students: Towards a new model of learning and students
development. Innovative Higher Education, 19, 33-51.
Students need to know they matter to someone.
Mattering: “Our belief, whether right or wrong, that we matter to someone else.”
Marginality can occur when taking on a new role, especially when there is uncertainty about new role.
Tuesday Talks & Campus Conversations let students know matter.
 Offer a safe place to connect on campus
 Provide information that is relevant at school, home, and work
 Individual assistance available
Schlossberg, N.K. (1989). Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community. In D.C. Roberts (Ed.),
Designing campus activities to foster a sense of community (New Directions for Student Services, No. 48, pp. 5-15)
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
For more information about Tuesday Talks and Campus Conversations:
Visit us on the web at http://www.pdc.edu/success
or
Contact Laura Clark lclark@pdc.edu / 757-569-6780 and Sandra Walker swalker@pdc.edu / 757-925-6326