Emory College of Arts and Sciences
Office for Undergraduate Education
Summary Report
&
Strategic Initiatives
2021-2022
A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER
There are many words we could use to describe the last two years, but there is one word that encapsulates perfectly the approach we have taken to our work.
Pivot.
We've all become adept at changing course, moving online, rethinking strategy, and working on multi-layered contingencies. This rings true for the work of the Office for Undergraduate Education.
Central to many of our students' Emory experiences are the programs and services offered by the OUE - from advising and success initiatives, to programs that enrich their time with us. We have needed to think creatively about how we connect with and serve our students, and act nimbly so that we could chart new courses when difficulties arose. In our work with faculty on curriculum and academic initiatives, the pandemic also had an effect—inspiring new online courses or programming, and changing how we work with faculty and departments.
I have immense pride in my team, and the work the OUE has produced in the last year to meet the needs of the current season. This report is designed to give you a glimpse into our work; some of which is very public, and other areas which, while no less important, float under the radar.
I hope you find this summary report and overview of our strategic initiatives for the next year insightful.
If you have questions or feedback, please reach out to me by email at oue.dean@emory.edu
Joanne Brzinski, PhD
Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Emory College of Arts and Sciences
Academic Advising & Student Success
The Office for Undergraduate Education provides academic advising and resources to help students identify and achieve their academic goals. These services are delivered primarily through academic and pre-professional advising, and EPASS (Emory Pathways to Academic Success for Students) programming.
We accomplish these goals by collaborating with faculty and university departments, assisting with the transition to college academic life (primarily through the ECS 101 curriculum and new student programming), and helping to foster self-regulated learning and support.
Initiatives for 2021-22
• Beginning this academic year, every Emory College student will be assigned an OUE Academic Advisor. Each advisor will support student planning, and act as a guidepost to other success and support resources at Emory.
• First-Year students are expected to meet with their assigned OUE advisor at least three times during the academic year (summer, fall, and spring prior to pre-registration) with the aim of establishing advising connections.
• EPASS Academic Success Programs continued to offer virtual academic success workshops, and host study halls prior to finals in both fall and spring semesters. Staff will focus on returning to in-person learning and transition back to campus as well as traditional topics like procrastination, study skills, academic wellness, and time management. EPASS staff will pilot proactive engagement with first-year students who are at risk (based on GPA or earned credit hours) after their first semester.
• STEM Pathways is a pre-orientation and retention program providing support to Emory students interested in STEM majors who are the first generation in their families to attend college and/ or are in identity groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. The program, with a key focus on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, strives to build community among new students, connect students to Emory's faculty and academic departments, and to build awareness of campus resources. Programming and mentor engagement continues throughout the first year.
Key Data Points from 2020-21
Academic Success Programs
• 1327 unique student participants in the Learning Assistants Program
• 1744 Peer Tutoring Sessions were held in 2020-21
• 133 unique students (333 student interactions) attended Success Workshops in 2020-2021
Academic & Pre-Professional Advising
• 3,427 academic advising appointments were held during 2020-21 (representing a 9% increase over 2019-20)
• 2,257 pre-health advising appointments were held during 2020-21 (representing an 18% increase over 2019-20)
Student Enrichment
Key Data Points from 2020-21
Undergraduate Research
• 84 students participated in the SIRE program during 2020-21, evenly divided between sophomores and juniors
• The SURE program engaged 94 Emory and 36 external students in undergraduate research during Summer 2021
National Scholarships and Fellowships
• 164 applications submitted for nationally competitive awards, resulting in 73 finalists and 31 award recipients
• 15 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships and 3 Schwarzman Scholars Program recipients
Beyond advising and success, the Office for Undergraduate Education is committed to ensuring students have the opportunity to engage in meaningful co- and extra-curricular experiences while they are at Emory. Some of the key ways that we do this work are through undergraduate research programs, our work with students applying to nationally competitive awards and honors, and by way of peer leader opportunities.
Initiatives for 2021-22
• Undergraduate Research Programs will pilot the FYRE program (First-Year Research Experiences) to help new students connect with research-related opportunities and resources around campus. The FYRE program supports first-year students interested in learning and engaging in academic research who are first-generation and/or identify in groups historically underrepresented. In this program, students are mentored and guided on career and professional development by promoting a positive learning environment that supports students' STEM identity cultivation.
• In December 2021, Emory College hosted its first ever Graduation Reception in honor of the cohort who finished their degrees in the fall semester.
• In Spring 2021, National Scholarships and Fellowships began offering cohort-based application and leadership development programming for high-potential students who were seeking nationally competitive awards during the 2021-22 academic year.
• This year, Emory students have already been selected as recipients of the Rhodes, Marshall, and Rangel Scholarships.
Faculty & Program Engagement
Faculty and staff partnerships are a vital component to the work of the Office for Undergraduate Education. Without strong relationships with faculty, the level of engagement, programming, and curricular innovation that we offer to students would not be possible. We are grateful to the many faculty members and staff who have and continue to serve on committees, attend events, and provide support to our students.
Initiatives for 2021-22
• We will begin work, in earnest, on implementing the new General Education Requirements. Seven faculty committees (and an executive committee comprising each of the committee chairs) will begin to prepare, review, and approve Emory College courses for deployment under the new GER framework.
• In 2021-2022, the Office for Undergraduate Education began to offer testing services to assist faculty members in meeting the needs of students with accommodations related to assignments and examinations.
Key Data Points from 2020-21
Honors Program
• 242 students graduated with Honors (162 with Highest Honors).
Honor Council
• 28 faculty members served a role with the Honor Council process, representing 16 different ECAS Departments
For more information on the work of the Office for Undergraduate Education, please visit our website or email oue.dean@emory.edu
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