Meauxmentum Scholars bringing ideas to bolster student success

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Meauxmentum Scholars bringing ideas to bolster student success

SHREVEPORT - With an increasing number of Louisiana jobs requiring a degree or credential above a high school diploma, universities across the state have been tasked with expanding access to higher education and improving success rates of students who enroll.

LSUS is participating in the Louisiana Board of Regents' Meauxmentum Framework, a set of ideas and solutions designed to educate and assist a new generation of student.

One way in which these ideas are being implemented on university campuses is through Meauxmentum Scholars, faculty members who participate in summits and training and share these ideas with their colleagues.

LSUS has selected four Meauxmentum Scholars to lead this process - Melissa Cassel (mathematics), Adrienne Davis (kinesiology), Rogers Martin (mathematics), and Laura Meiki (sociology).

"Modern learners are looking for innovative and engaging ways to learn, and with the vast array of technology and advanced teaching methodologies available, it's crucial that we adapt," Davis said. "Traditional lecture-based teaching and standard testing may not adequately equip students for the challenges of the contemporary world.

"By embracing modern instructional strategies, we can better prepare our students for success in their future careers."

Davis and Meiki attended a June summit centered on strategies for engaging students in active learning instead of passive learning.

They will be tasked with organizing a faculty learning community to disseminate the researched teaching practices to positively impact students.

"Faculty learning communities bring together faculty members from different disciplines to collaborate, share experiences and learn from one another," Davis said. "This cross-disciplinary interaction helps break down silos and encourages the exchange of diverse ideas.

"My main goal is to practice being reflective when crafting teaching strategies and assessments, understanding what works and what needs to be left behind."

Meauxmentum Scholars, which number 112 across the state, engage in virtual and in-person professional development events and spend time sharing this knowledge with colleagues thanks to funding from the Lumina Foundation.

One facet of the Meauxmentum Framework is identifying common stumbling blocks for students that result in dropping out of school.

College Algebra was identified as one of those obstacles, hence having two math faculty members (Rogers and Cassel) involved as Meauxmentum Scholars.

"Scholars support each other in evidence-based pedagogy and practices that are designed to help students be successful in those courses that have higher than normal failure rates," said Helen Wise, associate academic provost at LSUS. "Without adding additional time to degree or additional costs, they model instructive practices designed to help students learn in ways that prepare them for more rigorous coursework.

"When asked to be part of student success initiatives, these four faculty members always say, 'Yes.' They are consistently student-centered and have been involved in similar initiatives."

LSUS is engaged with a number of national partners in similar enterprises like the Gardner Institute and Complete College America. The university is one of 11 colleges participating in the inaugural cohort to transform the first two years of the college experience.

Improved retention rates are one anchor for LSUS's record enrollment, which reached 10,214 this past spring and is expected to grow again this fall.

More students accessing higher education through LSUS and progressing toward degrees and credentials means Louisiana is closer to reaching its goal of a more educated workforce with knowledge and skills to meet employer demand.