During the academic year, you will receive a monthly MAVS message intended to help you help our students move toward their goal – graduation. MAVS messages will include:
Monthly reminders – timely dates and information to share with students
Active student engagement resources – ideas to enhance student interaction and learning
Vital Support – highlighted student support services
Student retention is impacted by the countless, seemingly routine efforts of faculty that help students succeed. This year, there is one (that’s right, just one) week between the return from Thanksgiving break and prep week, and then only one week before finals.
Consider these suggestions to make this compressed timeline less stressful for you and your students.
Plan and Communicate Early Remind students to check grading timelines and submission deadlines before the Thanksgiving break. Faculty should review the prep week policy to ensure that assignment due dates and tests are scheduled appropriately. Faculty and students should also review the final exam schedule and make adjustments to their calendars as needed.
Leverage Grading Strategies Update your grades so students know their status in your courses. Create rubrics for major assignments and use peer review where appropriate. Rubrics and peer review can clarify expectations for students and improve the products they ultimately submit.
Before the break, use a discussion board or exit ticket asking students to respond to the prompt, “Identify one or two things you have learned thus far, how you will apply this, and what is challenging you the most as we reach the end of the semester?”
This not only reinforces key takeaways but also keeps students mentally engaged and invested in the course content and gives you valuable feedback as you wrap up the semester.
Wrapping up the semester + holidays + life in general = stress.
UNO offers a wide array of support for students, but it isn’t always easy to know where to refer students in need of assistance. The Student Support Referral flowchart can help you quickly identify if you should refer a student to DASH, Accessibility Services, or the UNO Care Team.
Faculty members, don’t forget to prioritize your own self-care and set boundaries. Schedule short breaks, set realistic work hours, and avoid constantly checking email and social media. Modeling balance encourages students to do the same and can reduce the likelihood of student and faculty burnout.
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Center for Faculty Excellence, 6401 University Dr, Criss Library 320, Omaha, NE 68132, unocfe@unomaha.edu
