Edison State Takes Part in Caring Campus Initiative
Provided by Edison State Community College
PIQUA - Professional staff are often students’ first point of contact at a college, and how they interact with students can greatly impact student success. To ensure staff is fully involved in the success of its students, Edison State Community College is taking part in the Caring Campus initiative.
Caring Campus is a method for engaging with professional staff developed by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change. This method involves the in-depth coaching of staff from all departments on campus that engage with students either directly or indirectly at any point in the student experience.
“The IEBC Caring Campus approach is about improving student retention and success, and Edison State is thrilled to bring this approach to our campus,” said Edison State Provost Dr. Melissa Wertz. “We know students may come for a degree, but they stay—and thrive—because someone cared. A single act of kindness or encouragement from a staff member can change the course of a student’s life.”
By implementing a Caring Campus, Edison State will have the opportunity to position staff as respected change makers, cultivate a sense of unity, and enhance staff knowledge. Professional staff can also build their leadership skills and strengthen interpersonal relationships to lay the groundwork for future innovation and student-centered practices.
IEBC’s Caring Campus coaches will provide fundamental knowledge of what staff can do to increase student connectedness to the College and help departments develop strategies grounded in behavioral commitments that can be implemented campus wide. Additionally, the Caring Campus process facilitates a deeper partnership between professional staff and faculty to support student success.
The Caring Campus process will start with a leadership kickoff on May 29. Following this leadership orientation, IEBC coaches will engage with professional staff in two half-day coaching sessions, followed by a joint session in which leadership and professional staff will review the work and plan for institutionalization and sustainability with their coach. Professional staff will then meet monthly to implement their plans. Lastly, IEBC will follow up with the College to support institutionalization and monitor the impact on student success, staff, and the organization’s culture.
IEBC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping education stakeholders use coaching, collaboration, and data to make informed decisions and craft solutions that improve practice and dramatically increase student success.
Learn more about Caring Campus by visiting www.iebcnow.org/caring-campus.