February 2024
In this edition:
- Discrimination and Mental Health
- CV Dos and Don'ts
- New Year, New Grading System?
- On Time and On Target: Concourse Implementation
Discrimination and Mental Health
Discrimination and Mental Health
Photo credit: Klaus Vedfelt, Getty Images
We’ve previously highlighted the growing attention that today’s students are paying to their mental health. However, Penn State recently provided insight into one specific cause of mental health issues - identity-based discrimination. According to the report, nearly 20% of students surveyed at 85 different colleges have experienced discrimination based on an aspect of their identity, such as a disability, race or ethnicity, or religion. The issue is being compounded by the forced closure of many programs that support these student groups. We at Concourse believe the syllabus is one way institutions and individual instructors can help students feel less isolated. Inclusive language and policies in your syllabus can help you create an environment where everyone feels welcome.
CV Dos and Don'ts
Photo credit: Getty Images
Your curriculum vitae is the story of your life as a scholar and an educator. It’s your opportunity to share your accomplishments with your institution, your colleagues, and your students. But writing it can be a challenge. How do you format? What do you include? Where do you begin? Jennifer S. Furlong and Stacy M. Hartman teamed up to provide advice on CV creation to readers of The Chronicle of Higher Education. They include both guidelines on structure and content and information on mistakes to avoid. While Concourse is primarily a syllabus product, we’ve developed a module to help our clients share their CV alongside their syllabi - a requirement in many places. Once you have that perfect CV developed, we can help you take it online!
New Year, New Grading System?
New Year, New Grading System?
Photo credit: Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University has recently shared that in an effort to improve retention rates, they are changing their approach to grading. Beginning this fall term, D’s and F’s will no longer count towards the overall GPA of the student. Rather, they will receive a grade of “NC” for those classes on their transcripts, and no credit will be given. Students may be required to retake these courses to complete their degree program. The approach has triggered some controversy and concerns about grade inflation. Read more about the new grading system below. P.S. - no matter what grading scale you're using, Concourse makes it clearer and easier to find for your students.
On Time and On Target: Concourse Implementation
On Time and On Target: Concourse Implementation
Photo credit: Concourse Syllabus
We know building an amazing software tool is not enough. Adoption is just the first step; now you have to implement! No one ever wants to miss a launch deadline, especially for something that touches as many areas of your institution as syllabi do. That’s why we’ve developed and refined an implementation process that covers every step and provides all the resources you need to launch on time and on target. Plus, our implementation team is full of higher ed and syllabus experts. They understand your school’s needs and will help guide you through the choices to ensure the final product is exactly what you’re looking for. Learn more about our three-phase approach on our implementation page.
