Do No More Harm: Changing The Classroom In Response To Covid-19 Trauma, Erin M. Adams

The Vermont Connection

The COVID-19 pandemic was a worldwide trauma that has long lasting effects that we are still yet to discover. For current college-aged students, many of them experienced the COVID-19 pandemic during key developmental stages of their lives. Many student affair professionals have noted the difference between the students who were in college when the pandemic hit and those who were not. This article examines trauma through the lens of trauma informed practices and high impact practices and makes recommendations on how educators can change their classrooms to better serve students.

Bringing Personal Identity Into Our Learning Spaces, Sobha Kavanakudiyil

The Vermont Connection

Abstract

This paper will integrate a personal narrative with published work to examine the journey and thoughts of a South Asian female theatre educator working in theatre education. The paper will discuss stories of identity, the impact it has had, and the intentionality of what should be done with this information. It will illuminate the need for further research to engage more South Asian female voices in theatre education.

Keywords: ethnic identity, teacher preparation, South Asian, theatre teacher, autoethnography, female voice

(In)Effectiveness Of Summer Bridge Programs Among First-Year Low-Income, First-Generation College Students, Joy N. Emmanuel

The Vermont Connection

Summer bridge programs have become a widely adopted strategy in four-year institutions to address the unique challenges faced by first-year, low-income, first-generation college students. These programs aim to enhance academic preparedness, foster a sense of belonging, and improve retention rates. However, this paper critically examines the effectiveness of summer bridge programs in achieving these goals. Drawing on a review of existing literature, it becomes evident that while summer bridge programs offer certain benefits, they may not be as effective in promoting holistic success, persistence, and retention among this specific group of students. The analysis highlights several limitations, including a limited …

Resisting The Deficit Framework: Practices For Student Services Professionals To Effectively Support Bipoc Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Joshua Ravenscroft

The Vermont Connection

Student services professionals are employed across the United States as a key resource to support undergraduate students as they enter higher education. However, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) face unique challenges which not all student services methods are prepared to address. For student services professionals to effectively promote the wellbeing and academic achievement of BIPOC students requires that they receive additional resources and training to avoid deficit thinking and be equipped to assist BIPOC students in their specific contexts. As student services professionals and departments learn to resist deficit thinking, they can intentionally …

Pov: Working In Admissions During The Ruling On Affirmative Action, Kirsty Nicole Bayo-Ang Bocado

The Vermont Connection

Affirmative action has existed to help students from hxstorically marginalized communities have equitable opportunity to receive admissions into institutions of higher education. There are many perceptions of what affirmative action is. It is important to understand the context behind why affirmation action came about in the first place and what purpose it serves students. In recent hxstory, the US Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action. This was a decision that set back our efforts of supporting students’ access to higher education. As an admissions counselor at a Hispanic-serving institution in the New York City metropolitan area, I witnessed how this …

Racism, Immigration Laws, And Financial Hurdles: An Assessment Of Triadic Traumatizing Experiences Of Bipoc Students In The Usa, Ayodele A. Akinsnaya

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

“A New Era Of Black Thought”: Revisiting Gil Scott-Heron And The Hbcu Protest Novel, Magana J. Kabugi

The Vermont Connection

In 1972, spoken-word artist and poet Gil Scott-Heron published his second novel, controversially titled The Nigger Factory. As the student arm of the Civil Rights Movement started to shift its intellectual concerns from integration to questions of Black Power and self-determination, Scott-Heron’s novel burst onto the literary scene like a stick of dynamite. Literary critics and newspapers didn’t quite know what to make of the novel, which focused on a student government president and a fringe opposition group both vying for control over a student protest at a fictional historically Black college. Raw, direct, and full of rage, the book …

Post-9/11 Racism And Xenophobia's Effects On Muslim Students' Persistence And Belonging In U.S. Higher Education, Takudzwa Kennedy Bozhiwa

The Vermont Connection

The occurrence of Islamophobia targeting Muslim students in the United States escalated after the 9/11 tragedy, leading to instances of microaggressions perpetrated against them within college campuses. The phenomenon of Islamophobia has resulted in a multitude of challenges, hence adversely affecting the academic performance of Muslim students. This study centers on the microaggressions of Muslim students leading to racialization experiences within the context of United States higher education. Consistent exposure to such discriminatory acts has had a profound effect on their sense of belonging, affecting their academic persistence and mental well-being. Although some students have risen above the challenges through …

The Case Of Blackness And Disability: Disproportionality In Special Education Identification, Patricia Pfende

The Vermont Connection

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was initially passed in 1975, making provisions for qualifying students to receive special education. Though the act was meant to address the needs of students with disabilities in Kindergarten to twelve grades (K-12), disparities in special education enrollment for Black students have been well documented in the United States over the last 40 years. Scholars continue to question what is the relationship between low-income students, students of color, and disproportionality. Disproportionality refers to the under and over-representation of a specific group in special education. Drawing from the Critical race theory lance, this paper …

Higher Ed Killjoys: Trauma/Drama - Doing The Most And Being "A Lot", Z'Uko [Z]

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

The Experiences Of Trans* Students In Residential Life, Lydea Rowell

The Vermont Connection

In this paper I explore the experiences of trans* students in their residential life settings. I first identified three areas of discrimination and discomfort for trans* students, including the housing selection process, the relationships they have with roommates and residential life staff, and the residential hall community. Subsequently, I provided implications for making the housing experience better for trans* communities. Recommendations include gender-inclusive housing, training, and education for staff, trans*-affirming administrative policies, LGBTQ+ living-learning communities, and programming.

Refusal, Freedom Dreaming, Abolition, And Joy: Revolutionary Change In Higher Education, C.V. Dolan

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Shaping A Spark, Gabi Cuna

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Queer Joy As Rage: A Tool To Transform, E. Jeremy Torres

The Vermont Connection

Highlighting the transformative potential of queer joy as a form of resistance and revolution within higher education. It emphasizes the need to challenge oppressive systems and narratives through the celebration of joy, reclaiming identity, and building resilience. By asserting and reveling in their joy, queer individuals can challenge societal norms, demand change, and affirm their right to live authentically.

Cover Page, Joy N. Emmanuel, Madison Pimental

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Integrating Ncss Notable Trade Books Into Elementary Social Studies Classrooms, Tristin G. Lucas

Student Scholar Showcase

Each year the NCSS Notable Trade Book Committee selects “books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text. Each book is read by several reviewers, and books are included on the list by committee assent” (NCSS, 2023). In this session presenters will show participants how to access the current and previous lists of NCSS Notable Trade …

Implementation Of Rti As A Part Of Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support: What Teachers, Administrators, And Teacher Educators Need To Know, Susan Polirstok, Joseph A. Hogan

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is an outgrowth of Response to Intervention (RtI). The various systems of support for students and school communities provided through these programs are integral to modern education and embedded in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. While there are many benefits to the implementation of MTSS and RtI, there are various obstacles that can hinder successful intervention programs. The absence of consensus across districts and states with respect to program development and implementation creates confusion. This article addresses considerations and concerns related to MTSS and RtI. Discussed are underlying principles, challenges …

The Inclusion Of Classroom-Related Dispositions In Teacher Evaluations, David K. Griffin

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This paper examines various approaches to evaluating the classroom teacher and discusses the inclusion of dispositions in the evaluation process. A random sample of 150 teachers were asked to complete an online survey focusing on the inclusion of dispositions in their formal evaluations. They were asked to report what specific dispositions were evaluated, and if the specific dispositions were operationally defined. A summary of their responses to the survey items is discussed.

“Don’T Call On Me!”: Mediating Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Mathematics Anxiety In A Problem-Based Classroom, Christina Koehne, Wenyen Huang, Nataly Chesky

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This study aims to understand the ways in which problem-based teaching in a mathematics content course can alleviate pre-service elementary school teachers' mathematics anxiety. The significance of this work is to help increase the content and pedagogical knowledge of mathematics education, as outlined in STEM policies. Using a mixed method approach, the teachers-researchers explore what methods, procedures, and other perhaps unknown variables, helped pre-service elementary teachers decrease their mathematics anxiety during two mathematics content courses. The findings illuminate five major themes the authors discuss, which are illustrated by rich descriptions of students’ narratives and interviews. Given the importance of mathematics …

Teachers' Experiences Of Using Play And Al's Pals To Teach Socio-Emotional Skills Through Coaching Support Models, Deborah Tamakloe, Elizabeth Powers, Alisa Landis, Lori Mccracken

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Interactive teaching strategies provide opportunities for engaging children in discussing difficult concepts such as socio-emotional wellbeing and wide range of ideas about their social and personal lives. However, few studies have explored preschool teachers’ efficacy of using coaching through ‘Play and puppetry programs as approaches to developing children’s emotional regulation, socio-emotional learning and wellbeing. This paper reports on a “Labyrinth Project” aimed to gain in-depth understandings of preschool teachers’ experiences and perspectives pertaining to their efficacy of using play and puppetry as tools to promote children’s emotional learning and development. The results showed that despite early challenges with the use …

Cultivating Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Approaches To Social And Emotional Learning For Students With Or At-Risk For Emotional And Behavioral Dis/Abilities, Sharde Theodore, Lindsay Romano, Fanica Young, Danica Moise, Tahnee Wilder

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

School policies are largely driven by perceptions and expectations for how students should behave academically and socially, yet these practices often lack the cultural relevance and sustainability required to support racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse (RELD) students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral dis/orders (EBD). Similarly, many evidence-based practices for behavior do not consider internalizing behaviors (e.g., anxiety, toxic stress), exemplifying a critical need for equitable practices aimed at supporting the prosocial and emotional needs of RELD students with or at risk for EBD. Given the multifaceted social, emotional, and behavioral needs of RELD students with or at …

Message From The President, Excelsior

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Excelsior

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Editors, Jesslyn Hollar, Joelle Fingerhut, Stephanie Purington

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Maine Day Of Giving, 2024, University Of Maine Foundation

General University of Maine Publications

Fundraising e-mail from the University of Maine Foundation.

Research Discoverability, Deborah M. Williams, Emily Ray

Library Faculty Presentations & Publications

No abstract provided.

Bedside Reporting: A Quality Improvement Project, Danielle Schindler, Laci Johnson, Katalina White, Audrey Newman, Noah Hicks, Abby Schultz, Bri Sharps, Suzi White

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

There have been many studies done on the positive outcomes and effects of bedside SBAR including improved patient satisfaction, improved staff satisfaction, and better patient outcomes. The implementation of bedside SBAR is not an impractical or an extremely time-consuming task, but with it being implemented, this urban hospital may better itself for the patients, staff, and future.

Comparison Of Efficacy Of Antibody-Drug Conjugates In Cancer Treatment, Rebecca Bailey, Smita Joshi

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Objective: To analyze the existing literature and evaluate the potential of antibody-drug conjugates (AD Cs) for superior efficacy in cancer treatment compared to chemotherapy.

Insulin Administration In Hospitalized Diabetics: A Quality Improvement Project, Annalee Combes, Dylan Fraley, Emily Cobb, Emily Byrd, Tess Reuhermund, Amanda Isele, Kailey Ansell, Mary White

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Insulin, naturally produced in the human body, is used in the treatment of diabetic patients. It is often given incorrectly resulting in a medication error. Around one-third of medication errors resulting in death within 48 hours involve insulin therapy. Insulin is expensive and many patients cannot afford the insulin they need which results in underdosing. Improper administration of insulin was observed during a clinical rotation at a large, urban teaching hospital. There is a need for evidence-based research to identify methods of improved insulin use. A thorough literature review was done on the topic of insulin administration. Common themes that …

Challenging Gender Stereotypes: Addressing Misconceptions In Women's Sports, Angel Daugherty, Steve Chen

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Background:

*The is the critical moment for the rise of the gender awareness and a new height of female sports

The Me-Too Movement and the overturn of Roe v. Wade concern -

More female Olympians than the male Olympians for both Tokyo Games 2021 and Paris Games 2024

The transformation of women's basketball games: Caitlin Clark movement

Title IX just pasted it 50th year birthday *What else is there to consider and change? --Do we have a clear picture or reality of gender equality?