![\"\"/](\"/images/Tinto.jpg\") Tinto |
Leading educational speakers Vincent Tinto, Judy Patton and J. Herman Blake are scheduled to speak at the Fourth Annual Student
The Feb. 23 session is open to the public and features Vincent Tinto, a national leader in student engagement and retention in higher education. Professor Tinto received his PhD in education and sociology from The University of Chicago. He is currently a Distinguished University Professor at Syracuse University. He has consulted widely with federal and state agencies, with independent research firms, foundations, and with two- and four-year institutions of higher education on a broad range of higher educational issues. Tinto has provided consulting services to WSU regarding implementing retention initiatives to enhance learning support services as a part of his research in the 1990s. In preparation for his keynote later this month, Tinto offered a preview of his address in this brief interview:
Q: What does your research say about why students stay in school?
A: Students are more likely to stay in school when they see their education is valuable and find themselves in settings that provide support, feedback and involvement with other people on campus.
Q: How would you involve the whole university community to engage students from a large urban and mainly commuter college like Wayne State University?
A: Student involvement starts in the classroom and therefore university efforts must involve faculty and those in Student Affairs, who work with students and provide them support. The university needs to provide incentives and rewards to encourage collaborative involvement of people across campus.
Q: Can you provide a brief preview of some strategies you will discuss that engage students?
A: Since so many commute and work while attending Wayne State University, our effort to promote student success must include the classrooms in which they participate. This workshop will describe and discuss various classroom strategies, including learning communities, that have been shown to enhance student success.
Q: What will faculty gain from attending?
A: Ideas and manageable strategies that can be implemented in their classrooms.
The Feb. 24 session is for members of the Wayne State University campus community to discuss how to increase engagement. Judy Patton, Morning Featured Speaker, will focus on engaging commuting students and the relationship to general education. J. Herman Blake, the Luncheon Featured Speaker, will share his perspectives on setting high expectations for student achievement.
This free professional development opportunity is sponsored by Wayne State University through the Office of the Provost and the Honors Program. For registration, more information, and additional articles by Professor Tinto, visit www.doso.wayne.edu/SASS.html by Feb. 21.