April Carlson
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Campus Climate:
The Metropolitan (TM):
Can you fill me in on some of the details regarding the campus climate survey instrument you are considering, and what sort of metrics and data you plan to collect?
Ginny Arthur (GA):
It hasn’t been chosen yet. I have a task force that’s evaluating some different instruments. Craig Morris is chairing the group and we have faculty members, invited students, but they will be giving me a recommendation in March. Then I can review the recommendation, choose something, and then I have to approve it.
TM:
Is it narrowed down to a few different programs and options?
GA:
I think there are about four options we are considering. One instrument has been generated by Minnesota State, which was piloted with four campuses in fall of or maybe spring of 19. And now they would make it available to another round. So, I know they’re considering that.
TM:
And are those surveys conducted online, or are they like IIQ questionnaires [given during class]?
GA:
Because they haven’t given me the recommendation yet, Craig could probably tell you more. There’s another one out of the University of Southern California that is becoming more used. And then there’s something from a group out of Indiana University. They each have slightly different methodologies. They both use probably an online survey and, in some cases, focus groups. For all of these, there is a group that administers everything, and they will come to help the campus.
I’ve been waiting to have the group weigh in and make a recommendation because, especially among the faculty, there’s been a strong feeling [about the decision]. One of [the options] probably has much more of a focus on what happens in the classroom, and one is more focused on the campus generally. And the others on some variation of campus and classwork. So, I want them to give me their recommendations in March so that we can be ready to roll it out in the fall and get our results next spring and be able to work on the plan and address any issues.
TM:
So then one of these contracting companies would collect and manage the data aspect of it?
GA:
Right. And the systems office process is very new and, in a way, they are validating the [Minn State] instrument.
TM:
And who is in charge at the systems office?
GA:
Dr. Clyde Pickett, who is the system level [chief] diversity officer.
TM:
And so, [Minn State] has their own methodology focused on evaluating the data from these four different institutions?
GA:
Right. Because it’s an intensive process—getting ready, administering the information gathering, and then coming back and debriefing, and then moving forward and making positive plans—[these contracts] aren’t cheap. You’re looking between $60,000-$100,000 for almost anyone. And that’s why the system is trying to come up with something that could be deployed across [many] institutions, and then it wouldn’t be so costly.
TM:
And then in terms of who administers the data collection—be it through a survey or focus group or what have you. Would that be done in-house, by people at Metro State, or does [the contractor] bring in their own team?
GA:
[The contractors] do all of it. This is done in order to really assess what’s going on in your campus, to remove any sense that the administration is skewing results. That’s why we will never have any control over the data collection process.
And, at least for the Sue Rankin instrument, which was used at Winona State about a year and a half ago, they provide the results [to everyone at the university] at the same time. It’s not like we roll it out to administration first and then it goes to campus. Everyone gets it at the same time to eliminate that sense of [bias] in the data collection process.
TM:
So, this isn’t an ongoing data collection process. It’s just over an intensive 4-6 month period; [the contractors] come in to collect the data, they generate a report, and based on the findings of that report, certain policy decisions are made. Is that the basic outline?
GA:
Yes. And then probably [again] in 4-5 years. You want to collect data again to see if your plans have resulted in any change.
TM:
And what sort of outcomes are you looking for? Higher matriculation? Higher postgraduate employment? What kind of metrics are you looking for at the other end? What does improvement look like?
GA:
I think there is good evidence that positive campus climate correlates with better student success. So, students persisting, completing their degrees, and also better retention of employees. And you might even look at better productivity, although, that can be hard to measure in higher ed.
TM:
And that’s why I’m wondering how these data points are translated into the particular outcomes that you hope to identify.
GA:
It’s probably correlational. We do it, we make some changes. Now, there are some less costly instruments that we can use to test as we’re moving through our plans [to see] whether or not we are having a positive impact. Of course, people will tell you that to see a measurable change in your culture takes probably 5 or up to 10 years to get results because cultures are so deeply ingrained.
But there would be indicators like maybe a reduction in student complaints. Maybe a reduction of student conduct reports or academic integrity reports; on the employee side, fewer grievances. Not to say we have a lot right now, but we can establish a baseline for, say, turnover. What’s the average length of time employees stay? Can we look at different divisions of the university and measure [each one]? That kind of thing.
TM:
Sure. And of those outcomes that you mentioned—degree completion, faculty retention, fewer student and faculty complaints—is there one of those that you think is the most important?
GA:
Yes. There’s no doubt about that. [The most important outcome] is that students are able to have the support to persist and complete their degrees, and then move on to their next stage of life in a successful way. But definitely, the ultimate goal is student success.
TM:
Great. And that seems related to some initiatives the university already has in place, like the loans for emergency funds. I think those kinds of solutions help toward fostering student success.
GA:
Right. So, we want to address all of those barriers. Our students often are juggling all these different things in their life. We certainly think campus climate does play a role.
TM:
And looking at this from a social science perspective, I’m curious what we believe our numbers are telling us. As you’ve mentioned, it’s such a multifaceted problem. So, how do we pare it down to a handful of factors and say “This is what campus climate is”? Because, ultimately, it’s made of the people who are here.
GA:
Exactly right. And I think when you see the instruments and some of the questions about how people talk to each other, how they communicate, how students feel when they are in a classroom, seeing an advisor or Gateway Services, or wherever they need to interact. Those can help us pinpoint things that we can turn around or offer additional training.
Advising:
TM:
You mentioned changes in advising practices, and advisors are usually a hub for students. Perhaps a reason students experience a disconnect is that they have to see 12 different people to get their degree. So, yes, training is a part of that, and equity is part of it, but I’m also wondering if there is a way that advisors can help students consolidate all of these tasks?
GA:
Right. And I think the recommendations out of the advising report, the provost and associate provost got people to weigh in, and they are going to give me some recommendations. We brought in a consulting firm to evaluate our advising services because, frankly, we have data from the past few years which shows that not all students have a great experience with advising.
TM:
It’s a tough job.
GA:
It is a tough job, an incredibly tough job. And so, we’re trying to figure out [what the problem is]. Is it the tools that are available to advisors? Is it training? Is the ratio of advisors to students? What’s the role of faculty advisors versus professional advisors? We have more professional advisors than any of the other [Minn State] universities in the system. And I think there’s a really good reason for it because of the students we serve. And the provost and associate provost were heading up that process. The consultants came and met with faculty members who advise, they met with professional advisors, they met with me, they met with the provosts and the deans. And then they gave us an assessment and a series of recommendations. And [the provosts] brought the report back to people to say, “Does this make sense to you?” “What rings true?” “What maybe didn’t they get right?” And that’s what I’m waiting for now, that feedback.
But I think there are some basic things [that we could easily address]. Like our advisors don’t have a good tool for students to schedule appointments.
TM:
Like an online scheduler?
GA:
Yeah, exactly. I can schedule [a time to meet with] my hairdresser. I can go online at midnight when I’m thinking about it and schedule a haircut for the next week and find a time that will work.
Often, students will say, “I can’t get in touch with my advisor.” “I can’t get an appointment.” So, they’re trying to make appointments and they can’t get people on the phone or whatever. So, it’s simple things like that. There is a recommendation for a more centralized approach to advising, because we have a lot of systems in place that support advisors and students. I think one of the best practices for advising, according to the research, is to partition students out into certain groups. Like there’s a group that knows what they are doing; there are some people in the middle, where they should meet at least once during the semester.
TM:
So, it’s like advising triage?
GA:
It’s kind of like that. We have limited time as professional and faculty advisors, so let’s identify the students who really need the support. We’re not ignoring the others; we’re giving everyone the level of service that they need. We’re not going to put you in intensive care if all you have is a cold and you need to take Advil and go home and rest. So, [the question is]: How do you build systems that help advisors in identifying who needs the highest level of support? There were more recommendations, but those stood out to me as simple, like finding a scheduling tool.
TM:
Sure, those are the easier fixes. And this question circles back to equity and inclusion—ultimately, don’t students want to simply have a rapport with their advisors?
They want to be able to go in and say, “I don’t know how to handle this situation in class,” or whatever. And they hope an advisor will help them handle whatever they face, instead of having them see two other people or fill out a form, or go to Counselling Services or make another appointment with this person with this title.
GA:
Yeah. I’m hearing about student frustration, and we know it’s not just a small number. It’s not everybody, but it’s definitely symptomatic. But we also know that we have advisors who are working very hard.
TM:
Ultimately, you want to help students build that rapport and comfort level, and you want advisors to feel like they’re actually making a difference.
GA:
Exactly. And I think it’s not a problem unique to Metropolitan State. And sometimes having outsiders come in, they look [at the situation] with fresh eyes and they can tell you things [that you couldn’t see].
TM:
I don’t want to take any more of your time, but I did want to ask you about those [methodologies and reports we talked about]. And I’d also like to congratulate you and the Advancement Office [on fundraising]. It seems like it was a good year and gaining momentum.
GA:
I think it does show it takes a little time for that work to pay off, but, right.
TM:
And it’s part of that investment—in helping students succeed—when they do achieve financial security, they want to give back.
GA:
That’s right. And right now, to be able to go out in the community and talk to alums and others—to tell the story of our students because it’s extraordinary, and people do feel like that is something they want to support.
TM:
Very encouraging news. But I think [issues like] campus climate and helping advisors meet student needs are not easy challenges. So, thank you for sharing the nuts and bolts for how you are approaching these problems.
GA:
And Craig has much of the details. I didn’t want to immerse myself too much in understanding them before I got a recommendation—to avoid the perception that “Oh, you’ve already made up your mind.”
TM:
Sure. And when do you plan to make a decision?
GA:
Hopefully by around the 1st of April, because I need time to negotiate contracts.
TM:
And then when do you expect [the selected contracting firm] to actually be on campus?
GA:
Fall semester. So, making a spring decision gives us time to organize whatever we need and be ready to go, and coordinate with their processes. So [the contractor] will take all of fall semester to collect their data. And then in a year from now—late February, early March—we will have our data back in. That will still give us time next spring to have campus conversations about what this data means to us. How do we want to take action and make changes? And we’ll start making some of those decisions around the 50th anniversary.
50th Anniversary:
TM:
Right. What are your plans for [the 50th celebrations]? That was my final question.
GA:
We’re in the process of developing that. You might have noticed in the newsletters that I’ve been having 50 conversations. We had number 27 yesterday morning, and we’re trying to get more organized. We’ve met with one or two student groups, but we want to get students more engaged in this. I’m working with the alumni director and we have a process that we go through. And there’s a core set of activities that people reliably recommend. Like documenting the history and a photo exhibit, for example. But we’ve had all kinds of really unique ideas, too. So, I’ll have a taskforce that will start working sometime in the summer that will distill all the ideas. When we hold the conversations, we tell people that we’re brainstorming and there’s no limitation. So, give us your ideas. You know, I’ll have to set a budget, but no one has suggested anything hugely expensive.
One idea from the VP of Advancement—and I’ve already started some work on this—you know how most universities will have a special homecoming event to mark their anniversary? Well, we’re not going to have a special football game. So, I want this idea to be tailored to meet the unique nature of our students and our community. And someone said “Well, we don’t have any sports teams, so maybe we can get the [pro] sports teams in the Twin Cities to adopt Metro State for a game?” And we’ve got the first two—the Timberwolves and the Lynx have agreed that during our 50th anniversary year, there will be a game night that will feature Metro State. So, we can capitalize on that.
TM:
That’s great.
GA:
We’re going to be talking to the Wild, the Loons, all of that. I doubt we’ll get the Vikings, but who knows? We might get the Saints. It’s kind of a neat idea.
TM:
So, there would be a special jersey they would wear that night?
GA:
Yeah, and make blocks of seating available for alums.
TM:
That’s a great idea. And have you been working with the library to do a picture gallery or something?
GA:
We haven’t started that yet, but certainly there are archives and boxes of material to start sorting through. Our second president is really a remarkable woman with an extraordinary story. Reatha Clark King is the daughter of sharecroppers and she got a PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago. I don’t know if you saw the movie about the women who worked on space programs? Well, Reatha was actually one of the chemists who was working on the right fuel to launch something into space. She was probably the first African American president of a university or college in Minnesota.
TM:
I think Metro State has always been ahead of the curve.
GA:
Right. And her story is just amazing. So, we have a writer who’s working with her, too. So, it would be great to have a book launch for the 50th, and it would make a good fundraiser because there are a lot of people in the state, or country, actually, who know Reatha and respect her. So, there will be a demand to buy a personally signed copy of the book.
TM:
So, you have a biographer already picked out?
GA:
Yup. And they’re working together, so that’ll be ready. The head of the Minnesota Historical Society suggested that there were some grants they have. We just got a small grant from them to do some oral history. But this isn’t a one-time event, but rather a series of smaller events over the year that will connect with different parts of our communities.
TM:
Well, all of that sounds great. Do you have an approximate date for Reatha King’s book launch?
GA:
It’ll be some time yet. The celebration year will begin in August of 2021 and run through June of 2022. So, it will be somewhere in there. There’s a lot of really great ideas that are coming out and I think they reflect everybody’s own experience of Metro State. That’s what’s going to make it fun.
