In this issue:
- Letter from the Editors: This Month’s Theme
- Webinar: Advancing Emergency Aid Efforts to Support Student Success
- Virtual Table Talk: An Opportunity for Improved Student Performance in developmental Education
- Reminders & News: 2019 Annual Convening, Communications Audit Working Groups, and Free Student Financial Wellness Survey Report
Letter from the Editors
The focus for July will center around emergency aid and financial wellness. We’ve all heard the tales of woe of college students diverted from their studies by crushing financial circumstances. During this month’s webinar we will hear from NASPA, Lorain County Community College and Florida International University, about the use of emergency aid to alleviate the financial strain a student may face on their path to a degree. NASPA has recently put together new tools and resources to assist institutions in customizing their campus plan for emergency aid. You will also get an opportunity to participate in a free nationwide student financial wellness survey to explore the connection between student finances and academic success, implemented by Trellis Company (formerly TG).
This month’s table talk, hosted by Sam Houston State University, will discuss ways to improve student performance in developmental education.
Lastly, if you are interested in participating in virtual peer working groups following last month’s Producing a Communications Map webinar remember to email Lisa Ponce by the end of this week!
Hope your summer is off to a good start!
All the best,
Victoria, Gila, Lisa, and KD
frontierset@venturewell.org
Webinar
Advancing Emergency Aid Efforts to Support Student Success
Title: Advancing Emergency Aid Efforts to Support Student Success
Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2018; 1:00pm-2:00pm ET
Host: NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
Speakers: Omari Burnside, NASPA; Amy Geist, NASPA; Karen Tijanich, Lorain County Community College; and Francisco Valines, Florida International University
Target Audience: Faculty and staff (financial aid, student services, etc.) who are interested in learning more about how institutions can leverage institutional resources to support and retain students who are facing unexpected financial emergencies.
Description: Emergency Aid is an effective tool institutions can use to retain students who are faced with an unexpected financial crisis. This webinar will provide an opportunity for participants to learn about the use of emergency aid (small grants, loans, food and housing assistance, vouchers, and more) to alleviate the financial strain a student may face on their path to a degree. Two Frontier Set institutions (Lorain County Community College and Florida International University) will share their experiences in designing an emergency aid program to best meet the needs of their specific student populations. NASPA will share new tools and resources, such as the emergency aid rubric to assess institutional readiness and the recently created online emergency aid community of practice website, Student ARC: Advancing Retention in College.
Register here
Virtual Table Talks
An Opportunity for Improved Student Performance in developmental Education
Title: An Opportunity for Improved Student Performance in Developmental Education
Date: Tuesday, July 31 at 1:00pm ET
Hosts: Susanna Shupp and Brian Loft, Sam Houston State University
Target Audience: Faculty and staff at colleges and universities interested in the corequisite model for developmental education
Description: Like our state of Texas, many states across the country have already implemented (or plan to implement) mandates for the adoption of co-requisite models for developmental education. These mandates often come with little guidance and even less additional funding. This discussion will tell the story of how a state mandate was turned into an opportunity to improve a struggling, underperforming developmental education program at a regional comprehensive public institution.
Register here
Reminders & News
Save the Date!
Be sure to hold March 3-5, 2019 on your calendars for the next Frontier Set Annual Convening! Next year’s all-site gathering will be held at the J.W. Marriott Houston. It will begin with a welcome reception in the evening on Sunday, March 3, 2019 and will continue with engaging sessions and networking opportunities through the evening of Tuesday, March 5, 2019. You will receive more information about programming, travel, and logistics later this year. We look forward to seeing you there!
Communications Audit Working Groups
Several Frontier Set participants found that the exercises conducted during the Advising-Student Communications workshop at the Annual Convening were extremely valuable. As a result, we will be offering an opportunity for Frontier Set site teams to conduct their own communications audit and create a process map for communications that are sent to first year students. Those who did not participate in workshop at the Annual Convening should plan to review the recording of last month’s webinar, Producing a Communications Map, facilitated by Julia Lawton from Achieving the Dream. To participate in the working groups, email Lisa Ponce by Friday, July 13.
FREE Student Financial Wellness Survey Report 
The Student Financial Wellness Survey was designed and implemented by Trellis Company (formerly TG). Trellis is a nonprofit organization that supports students, families, institutions, and communities through research, outreach, student loan administration, and philanthropy programs. This report details aggregate findings from the Spring 2018 implementation at 12 colleges and universities including: seven 4-year public institutions, three community colleges, and two 4-year private institutions. Participating in this comprehensive survey is free, and each participating institution receives a customized report of their results with a comparison group from similar institutions. Trellis is currently enrolling institutions for the Fall 2018 and 2019 implementations of the survey. Click here to get the free spring 2018 report.
To participate in the study or for more information, please send an email to Kasey Klepfer, Research Analyst and Project Coordinator, at Kasey.Klepfer@trelliscompany.org or call 512-219-4627.
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