Serving up the Holidays

Above, some members of the Student Affairs staff served up breakfast on Thursday, December 10 at midnight to hundreds of TU students. This is the seventh annual winter breakfast served to students as a study break during this tense (finals and packing) and fun (break is here!) time of year. Wanda Olson, Associate Director of Residential Life actually took over this program from me several years ago. My version of the program had students paying for their own breakfast and the midnight feast was actually at 10 pm. It was a flop. Mrs. Olson injected life and holiday spirit into the program, making it an important campus tradition. It has become so popular that it is held in the spring now as well. Also serving with the SA staff was director of the library, Diane Graves, Admissions dude Jeremy Johnson, and Tiger Card director and Santa, Jerry Ferguson.

This is the last scheduled post of the semester. The Dean's List blog will resume its regular irregular publication schedule in early to mid-January. Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

Counter InTUitive 12.4.2009

I thank my friends at the Trinitonian for a nicely done piece on December 4. In it the editorial staff welcomes the new President, acknowledges the old (quite gracefully) and holds up me and one of my role models and mentors, Dr. Coleen Grissom, for the length of our tenures at Trinity. It was a touching tribute all the way around. We are all lucky, indeed, to be connected by our wonderful Trinity experiences.

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One last tip of the cap...

Good luck to retiring Trinity President Dr. John Brazil and his wife Janice. Thank you for your dedicated service to Trinity University.

Tiger Tales: Student Lessons

The above ad was on display in the DFW airport, so I took it as a sign that I needed to blog about Tiger Woods and his recent issues. So here, in no random order, are thoughts and lessons that students can take from this saga:

1. Just because someone is an athlete, an entertainer, a minister, or a politician it doesn't define their character in one direction or another. Doctors, lawyers, professors, deans, neighbors, and couch potatoes are no different. The one common denominator is being human. (Exception for Manu Ginobili.)
2. The best role models are the ones people know well personally: family members, friends, co-workers. They are real.
3. Sometimes private matters are nobody's business.
4. Sometimes we just can't look away.
5. People love to judge others. We are all regularly on both sides of this.
6. Some jokes are funny even if we don't want them to be.
7. In the electronic age things don't go away: 911 calls, voice messages, texts, videos, and pictures. Expectations of privacy have changed over the last decade.
8. A walk on the Appalachian Trail is not always a walk on the Appalachian Trail.
9. Integrity and ethical behavior matter. This underscores the importance of blending academic learning with experiential learning, and applied decision-making. College is a great place to learn.
10. Nobody's perfect. People make mistakes.
11. An indiscretion and a pattern are two different things. But you also can't kill a dead person.
12. The road to high performance isn't always paved.

Mixed Blessing

Above, Michael and Stephen McCormick, Mike Masse, Rebecca McCormick, and Caitlin and Andrew Masse on June 27, 2008.

When Michael McCormick and Caitlin Masse were on the Cinco Rancho High School cross country team together, they had no idea that their fates would be tragically and joyfully intertwined forever. In 2005 they each lost a parent. Michael's father passed away in July of 2005 after a battle with cancer. Caitlin's mother died five months later after a cardiac event when she was working out at the local YMCA. Both families knew each other. The surviving parents, Mike Masse and Rebecca McCormick turned to one another for support and their relationship eventually blossomed. They were married on June 27, 2008.

During this time, as high school seniors, Michael and Caitlin Masse discovered that they were both Trinity-bound. Michael McCormick came to Trinity for the Music program and Caitlin was drawn to San Antonio for the cross country program. This year, on the same weekend in November when Michael and his step-dad Mike ran the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon together in San Antonio (photo inset), Caitlin was there to cheer them on following her second place finish in the SCAC championships the day before. Michael still runs, but has put his competetive energy into cycling.

Following their marriage, Rebecca and Mike decided to move into one of their homes rather than start fresh in a new Houston-area residence. The Masse's moved into the McCormick house, which is now home base for Caitlin and her brother Andrew (a student at Texas A&M). They joined the McCormick's, including Michael's brother Stephen, an Austin College grad. At times, it seems, it would be helpful to have a score-card to keep the family members straight.

While there are always adjustments when families mix, this one has had few major issues. Michael McCormick explains "It was a bit difficult to comprehend that my mother was getting married again when I first heard the news when at home for spring break my freshman year. There were obviously a lot of mixed emotions present at first, but those passed very quickly. This has been one of the greatest things to happen in my life within the past few years and I'm so glad that my mother married Mike." He adds, "Both of our families experienced the painful loss of losing a parent (or spouse) and we all have a deep understanding of what each of us went through as a result. This commonality has united us in so many ways and, despite it being a sad event that created this bond, it has allowed our new family to become close rather quickly."

Rebecca, Michael's mother, notes "We tell stories and share memories of our life during our first marriages with each other and with our children & stepchildren. Our bookshelves are lined with photo albums spanning the last 25 years and those are great conversation-starters. We stay in close touch with the members of Sue’s and Kevin’s family. They have been especially warm and accepting of our new family situation. I joke that I have a mother and 3 mother-in-laws."

Mike Masse adds "We try to show all four of the children that life can go on in ways you didn’t even expect and that you can be happy and have a future. While these losses have been hard on us all, we consider ourselves fortunate to have this new blended family. Neither Rebecca nor I have tried to replace the lost parent. Rather, we have each let the relationships with the kids develop in a natural way. So, step-parent has become more friend-advisor to which all the kids have responded splendidly. In fact, by doing this I think we are sometimes more accessible than the biological parent. Caitlin, for instance, knows that she can tell anything to Rebecca without being criticized. And likewise for Stephen and me."

Rebecca points out that each of the kids grew up with just one sibling, while Mike is amazed at how quickly things have changed for all of them. "Having a larger group of siblings has been really neat. When I explained to Andrew that Rebecca and I were thinking about getting married and that would mean he would have two brothers, his reply was, 'Wow, that would be neat. I never thought about having brothers before.' This was unique to Andrew since of the group he was the only one who had not had a brother. The other thing is the 'good-sized party.' Because all of the kids grew up within a mile of each other and went to the same high school they have many friends in common. During school holidays the house is almost always full with friends. The other thing is the new bonds that have formed among the siblings. They are all good friends but it turns out that Stephen and Caitlin are very similar in personality. And they have become pretty close in just the year and half that we've been together as a family. That's neat. And all of the kids have truly embraced their new step-parents. This has been special and maybe a bit unique for blended families. We are blessed."

This doesn't mean there aren't logistical issues. The family has yet to take a combined vacation because of the difficulties of managing the schedules of six grown-ups. Says student Michael McCormick, "We do have SIX cars at the house though whenever everyone is home for the holidays. We can have three in the garage and three on the driveway, although Andrew usually parks his truck next to the curb. I feel like we need an air-traffic controller to organize our parking logistics though. Mike and I have been heading off to work (an internship in my case) around 6:30 in the morning before only to find that we were barricaded in the garage by other cars. The unamused siblings, who were awoken hours before their desired hours, grumbled a bit while we retrieved their keys."

Michael also seems to sum up the feelings of his mom and Mike, stating "I am so thankful that my mom married Mike because this step family has been (and continues to be) such a blessing. Everyone in my family means so much to me and I can't wait to make more great memories with them."

Note: Caitlin was unavailable for comment. Her dad, Mike Masse noted on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, "And if you need to, send a search party out for Caitlin. She's still on campus....she's got an Animal Behavior class tomorrow."

Trinity Faculty Going Downhill (Part 3)

At Trinity University, some believe that drawing faculty members physically downhill – from the upper campus academic area to the lower campus residential area – can create an enriching and meaningful learning environment for students. It is a sometimes controversial issue because faculty members can only be stretched so far and students often like to separate, rather than integrate, their in-class and out-of-class experiences. This three-part series will take a look at the history, issues, and current standing of the blended educational experience at Trinity University.

Part 1: The set-up

Part 2: Collaboration

Part 3: What Works

The 2006 Upper-class Task Force explored issues related to residential life for sophomores, juniors and seniors. The final report made several recommendations, including ones related to increasing faculty interactions on campus. Professors, staff members, and students discussed at length the benefits of a blended educational experience and ways to make that happen. Ironically, those with the most to gain from having faculty down the hill are relatively ambivalent about it. In a survey last year only about half the students questioned saw value in such interactions. They agree with about half the faculty. Perhaps this is because neither group can articulate how meaningful these interactions can be until they happen. When programs have been assessed this year, the responses from professors and students alike have been encouraging and exciting.

The formula for success is simple. The interactions need to benefit the students and the professors, they need to be meaningful, and they need to be convenient. If they are initiated by the faculty, they are even better.

There are several classes that have residential components. All of these were suggested by the professors. In addition to the Humanities 1600 class (a six credit combined writing workshop and seminar on classical studies) mentioned in part two, there is a first year sustainability class and learning community, and one associated with the entrepreneurial program. There is also a Chinese language floor where students can speak the language with others trying to learn and can benefit by native speakers as well.

Dr. Stephen Field explains elements of the program: “The first activity of the year for the Chinese Language Floor of McLean Hall was a lecture on Fengshui given by me on Sept. 3. It was well attended, and students appreciated the chance to see if the rooms I assigned to them were “auspicious” or not. Since then the hall has hosted the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebration, which was held on the McLean roof. Finally, we held the inaugural class for the Chinese Cooking Demonstration. Melissa Pinchback (Residential Life Coordinator) was instrumental in helping to organize this event.”

Professors Mike Fischer and Diane Graves have been utilizing the electronic classroom on lower campus and provide this input: “We teach a FYS course called: Forever Young: The Life and Times of Bob Dylan. Because the Witt classroom is remote, we can play Dylan’s music (or covers of it; see: Hendrix, Jimi. “All Along the Watchtower”) at the volume we choose, without fear of annoying other classes—or making them jealous! This classroom has everything we need: state of the art technology, plus chairs and tables that can be easily rearranged. We enjoy walking to the lower campus, seeing students and colleagues along the way, and getting to know the Witt Center staff. Students love being close to their rooms, especially when it’s their first class of the day and they can arrive straight from bed (even though the class starts at 11:20 a.m.!). After class at 12:35 p.m., Mabee Hall is one minute away for lunch.”

Residential Life Office staff members invited advisors of new students to come to the residence halls to spend time with their advising groups, which are housed together. The REAL LIFE program series features a section called “Educational Success.” The advisors were invited to help plan, lead, and attend these sessions. Over 31 professors participated in these programs. One Resident Mentor comment was “Many residents remarked on the evaluation surveys that they attended the programs because the advisor was going to be there. Overall, feedback was very positive.”

Feedback from one professor read “I was impressed by the turn out and some of the questions I received. One student asked me about strategies for developing short term memory...! I was thrilled that such a surprise question came up (although I wasn't completely prepared to answer it), and it makes me think that students were truly thinking about real issues related to their academic success in preparation for the discussion.”

Interestingly, several professors felt the success of these programs was directly related to the involvement of the Resident Mentor, while these student staff members linked program success to the involvement of the professors.

In its second full year, the Sophomore College has found success in the Major Meals program, which brings faculty members, seniors, alumni, and sophomores together over meals in the Skyline Room to discuss potential majors for sophomores. Nearly 200 students attended the meals over a couple of evenings and met with faculty members from 15 departments. In follow-up surveys nearly two-thirds of the students in attendance found the program to be beneficial in selecting their majors.

Finally, at a wine and cheese reception for seniors and professors held in the Lightner Tea Room this month, students and their mentors were able to mix socially as the senior year begins to wind down. Some unsolicited faculty feedback offered this: “I thought last night’s gathering for celebrating seniors was one of the most successful I’ve been to at Trinity. The setting (going to their dorm) and the actual space (which was fantastic), the mix of so many faculty without a deluge of undergrads, and the requirement of drinking in an adult manner really gave the whole event a mature, cocktail party-like atmosphere (and not just an academic-like or bar-like or house-party-like atmosphere) which was enjoyable for me and important for the students. Other events don’t quite have this nice balance or feel to them and don’t educate the students so well. I’m all for more of these.”

Faculty members have had a strong presence as members of Team Trinity on move-in day. They serve as judges for Trinity Idol and Spotlight. Two faculty members are serving in the Class Marshal program (Dr. Angela Breidenstein for the Class of 2012 and Dr. Harry Wallace for the Class of 2013).

Our program and our students benefit greatly from these and other interactions with professors. These exchanges, on top of what takes place in the classroom and during office hours help create an enriched experience throughout campus. Not just up the hill.