6th Annual
Building Connections Conference
May 21, 2014
8:30 a.m.
Ballroom
Opening Session and Keynote Address
Appreciative College Instruction: A Powerful Framework for Creating
and Delivering Your UNIV 101 Class
Dr. Jennifer Bloom, Clinical Professor, Department of Educational Leadership
and Policies, College of Education, University of South Carolina-Columbia
10:00 a.m.
Break
10:15 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions I
11:15 a.m.
Break
11:30 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions II
12:30 p.m.
Break
12:45 p.m.
Ballroom
Lunch and Presentation of the Award for Outstanding Teaching in
University 101
1:45 p.m.
Break
2:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions III
3:00 p.m.
Break
3:15 pm
Ballroom
Closing Session
4:00 p.m.
Conference Closes
Concurrent Sessions I: 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Preparing Your Class for Success by Utilizing
Student Success Center Programs
Goals are Dreams With Deadlines: Foundations for
Career and Financial Motivation
Room 203
Room 303
Thomas Sellers
Coach, Academic Coaching and Engagement, Student Success Center
Rico Reed
Assistant Director for Administration and Resource Development,
National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in
Transition
Chanelle Johnson
Cross College Advisor, Student Success Center
Alaina Vinacco
Cross College Advisor, Student Success Center
Brian Dusel
Coordinator of Academic Coaching and Engagement, Student Success
Center
This presentation will help instructors develop a better
understanding of effective student and faculty interaction through
Out-to-Lunch, academic skills through Academic Coaching and
Engagement, and registration and advisement policies through
Cross College Advising. Presenters will provide instructors with
tangible resources and assignments that can be utilized this fall.
Five Ways to Incorporate Diversity and
Multiculturalism in Your Classroom
Room 205
Sylvain Chabra
Manager of Programming Initiatives, International Student Services
Sarah Langston
Interim Director, Study Abroad Office
Gavin Weiser
Assistant Director, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
Participants will gain knowledge and be given tips on how to
introduce the concept of multiculturalism and related experiences
and skills. Presenters will share five ways that first-year students can
get acquainted with diversity early in their college careers in order
to thrive in the multicultural world in which we live.
BCC on Guidebook
Scan this QR code to download the 6th
Annual Building Connections Conference
guide for convenient access to the
conference schedule, concurrent session
descriptions, and more!
Foundations in Personal Finance challenges students’ view of money
and helps guide decisions throughout life by covering debt, savings,
budgets, insurance, investments and more. This session will explore
the use of Dave Ramsey’s Foundations curriculum along with career
exploration activities to prepare University 101 students for career
and financial success.
Promoting Critical Reflection in the First-Year
Seminar
Room 305
Dottie Weigel
Assistant Director for Student Engagement and Service-Learning,
Office of Student Engagement
As instructors, we want students to make lasting connections
between course material and real-world application. One way to
accomplish this goal is through critical reflection. Incorporating
meaningful reflection not only enhances student learning but
can also make teaching and mentoring students more enjoyable.
Participants will gain practical strategies for incorporating reflection
into the first-year seminar.
What Are You Really Teaching? Making an Impact
with Your Assignments
Room 315
Katie Hambrick
Assistant Director, Fraternity and Sorority Life
David DeWeil
Associate Principal, Capstone Scholars Program
Join two instructors, who achieved high scores on the meaningful
assignments question on the First-Year Seminar Assessment,
who have created their own recipe for success when it comes to
developing meaningful assignments. You will walk away with a
new way to approach your teaching philosophy and examples of
classroom-tested, student-approved assignments.
Concurrent Sessions II: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Engaging Information Literacy
Tips and Strategies for Planning Your Course
Room 203
Room 305
Timothy Simmons
First-Year Experience Librarian, Thomas Cooper Library
Chris Lewandowski
Residence Life Coordinator, University Housing
Conducting activities that facilitate meaningful discussion about
information literacy can be a difficult task. This session will
demonstrate activities that challenge and engage students. Through
the use of unlikely examples and interactive exercises, students will
learn about the ethical treatment of information, creating research
questions, and the evaluation of information sources.
Teaching Together: Collaborating for Student
Learning
Room 205
Alexandra Scovel
Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Morgan Edwards
Peer Leader
Tricia Kennedy
Program Coordinator for Peer Leadership, University 101 Programs
This session will provide tools to maximize the impact your Peer/
Graduate Leader has on your UNIV 101 course and deepen the
co-teaching relationship. Participants will hear from a successful
teaching team and will leave this session with specific strategies
related to shared facilitation, mutual expectations, and meaningful
feedback.
Don’t Cheat Your Students: Promoting Academic
Integrity in University 101
Room 303
Dave Aurich
Director of Academic Integrity, Student Conduct & Academic Integrity
Kevin Kozee
Coordinator of Academic Integrity, Student Conduct & Academic
Integrity
As a University 101 instructor, you might be faced with the
unpleasant task of addressing alleged violations of the USC Honor
Code. The Office of Academic Integrity serves as a resource to
all UNIV 101 instructors, but the best resource for your class is
you! This session will equip you with detailed information on
the USC Honor Code, tactics for promoting academic integrity,
and strategies on how to address possible misconduct, and a
personalized Honor Code statement for your syllabus.
Kevin Clarke
Program Coordinator for Faculty Development and Assessment,
University 101 Programs
This session will provide insight into planning and implementing
a University 101 section. Since no two UNIV 101 sections look
the same, the facilitators will provide different approaches and
helpful tips for building a course plan, including strategies for your
syllabus, assignments, and lesson plans.
Helping Students Become More Resilient
Room 315
Stuart Hunter
Associate Vice President for University 101 Programs and the National
Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in
Transition
Maegan Gudridge
Director of Communications, Division of Student Affairs and
Academic Support
More than just a buzzword, resilience—a person’s ability to bounce
back from adversity—may be the greatest factor in determining
who succeeds over time. The first year of college presents
students with a variety of potential setbacks they may have never
encountered, and not every student has developed the skills to
manage their disappointment. In this roundtable session, the
facilitators will explain what resilience is, lead a discussion on how
the topic can be incorporated in our University 101 classrooms and
provide examples for assignments and activities that help students
practice building their resilience.
Get Connected!
We look forward to seeing your pictures, tweets and posts
from the conference. To connect with other conference
attendees, utilize #BCC14.
Find University 101 Programs on:
Twitter: @U101SC
Facebook.com/U101SC
Concurrent Sessions III: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
What Does the Creed Say?
Lessons Learned from Lesson Planning
Room 203
Room 305
Erin Kitchell
Coordinator for Student Conduct and Outreach, Student Conduct &
Academic Integrity
Viki Fecas
Instructor, University 101 Programs
Alisa Liggett
Executive Director, Student Conduct & Academic Integrity
Setting expectations is an integral part of helping our first-year
students transition. The Carolinian Creed is a guide to the
university’s expectations of students’ behavior both in and outside
of the classroom. This interactive session will provide instructors
with all of the tools necessary to engage students in discussion of
the Carolinian Creed throughout the entire semester.
Teaching a Capstone Section of UNIV 101
Room 205
Catherine Greene
Program Coordinator for Campus Partnerships, University 101
Programs
David DeWeil
Associate Principal, Capstone Scholars Program
This session is designed to provide instructors with important
information and resources to prepare them for teaching a Capstone
section of University 101. The session will begin by providing a
brief overview of the program and the role University 101 plays
in the Capstone experience. Presenters will then review common
course components and provide examples for incorporating
them into their course in an engaging way. Instructors will walk
away with a deeper understanding of how to create a meaningful
experience for students in their course.
Primer for New Instructors
Room 303
Mary Elizabeth Sewell
Associate Director, University 101 Programs
There is a wealth of resources, technologies, and processes available
for instructors to enhance the UNIV 101 experience. This
session will explore those resources and how to best utilize them.
Recommendations for how to best utilize TutorTrac, Blackboard,
SharePoint, and the Beyond-the-Classroom Funds, as well as a
variety of other university resources will be shared. While this
session is aimed at new instructors, it can also be a refresher for
returning instructors.
Jami Campbell
Community Outreach Director, Student Life
Katie Ethridge
Associate Director of Academics, Athletics
In the Fall of 2013, three University 101 Instructors were asked to
create lesson plans which showed evidence of intentional, effective
and engaging teaching preparation and related activities. They
will discuss the benefits and challenges as they relate to pedagogy,
facilitation of course objectives, and fostering conversation between
teaching partners.
I ♥ USC: Helping Your Students Feel Like They
Belong
Room 315
Jay Pou
Advisor, Psychology
This session will help instructors become more effective at achieving
UNIV 101 Goal II: Help Students Discover and Connect with the
University of South Carolina. Participants will learn strategies to help
students cultivate a sense of belonging in their new community, and
will walk away with sample lesson plans and assignments. Topics
covered in this session will include USC history, traditions, and
culture; campus resources; and building relationships. Help your
students love being at USC!
Thank you to our donors!
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Blush Nails & Spa
Campus Rec
Campus Wellness
Columbia Museum of Art
Cupcake
Earth Fare
Firehouse Subs
Garden Bistro
Gervais & Vine
Il Giorgione
Immaculate Consumption
Jason’s Deli
Let’s Cook!
Mary & Martha’s
Mr. Friendly’s
My Carolina
Oak Table
SC Philharmonic
So You Want to Dance
Studio Cellar
Thirsty Fellow
Tombo Grille