3I1 Improvements

Success Center and Advisors: STI’s latest improvement in meeting student needs is the creation of a Student Success Center in fall 2009 and the hiring of three full-time success advisors. These advisors, as stated in section 3P2, teach a two-credit Student Success Seminar course (mandatory for all students who have not demonstrated prior success in college). They then become advisors for those students throughout the student’s time at Southeast. The designation of a specific physical location for the Student Success Center and an institutional-level advisor for the student is intended to build student connectedness to the institution and improve retention and success to graduation. The Success Center and Success Advisors will improve services to all students, but will especially be helpful for older students, returning learners, under-represented populations, and students with disabilities. In fall 2009, an Evening and Online Enrollment Coordinator was added to the staff and fulfills the role as the evening and online student Success Advisor.

Faculty Technology Advisors: Another significant improvement, which impacts STI’s ability to meet stakeholder needs, is the creation of two positions for instructional support. One position focuses on how to use STI’s Learning Management System (LMS). The other, an Instructional Facilitator, helps faculty incorporate technology tools into instruction. Both travel to the instructor labs and classrooms to provide one-on-one hands-on support.

Expanded Hours: Additional support service and Bookstore hours allow students to have access to these services until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The offices close at 4:00 p.m. on Fridays. The change in office hours was made to better meet student needs and provide services at times they would prefer.

Evening and OnLine Enrollment Coordinator: To better meet the needs of evening students, STI hired an Evening and Online Enrollment Coordinator to advise and assist evening and online students and faculty.

Helpdesk Support in Mickelson and Sullivan Centers During First Week of Classes: The majority of students in STI’s Mickelson Center have STI laptops, and the number is growing in the Sullivan Center, but the Helpdesk is located in Technology Center. To assist these students, Helpdesk staff set up a temporary location in the Mickelson and Sullivan centers to solve the increased number of student computer issues during the first week of the semester.

IT Upgrades: STI continues to increase the number of laptop-required programs, which has greatly improved student computer and program-specific skill attainment. STI has also implemented a networked printer/copier solution that provides more access to printing and copying for students as well as allowing STI to better track use and improve efficiencies. Beginning in fall 2010, STI will further improve its wireless network and increase bandwidth for its Internet service.

Library Online Resources: In the spring of 2009, 750 unique titles were added to the Library’s e-book collection bringing the total to 6,359. These titles include commercially published books in the arts, humanities, social sciences, life and physical sciences, business, computers & more. The Library will continue to purchase additional e-books each year. These titles are accessible on or off campus through the online catalog or by going directly to netlibrary.com.

Besides belonging to the SDLN statewide consortium and having access to multiple online databases, the Southeast Library has three databases that are available only to Southeast Library patrons: Global Road Warrior; Facts on File and Newsbank. In spring 2010 STI will be reviewing these and other available databases to determine which will be most beneficial for our students and make any necessary changes to its collections. The Librarian has convened a Library Advisory Committee to develop strategies for improvement of services.

Mickelson Center Renovation: The renovation project of the Mickelson Center will expand student learning spaces, improve access to computers, consolidate support services, and improve Library and tutoring services. This construction project started in spring 2010 and is on target for completion in fall 2011.

Housing Roommate Preference Survey: To better match roommates in STI’s on-campus housing, a Housing Roommate Preference Survey was developed, which surveys incoming housing students on a variety of likes and dislikes to help housing management during the roommate selection process.

Project-Based Learning and Career Tech Academy: Through its partnership with the Sioux Falls School District, STI hosts the Project-Based Learning initiative on its campus and sold land just south of the institute for the construction of the school district’s Career Tech Academy. Both initiatives opened fall 2010 and will provide STI an opportunity to build stronger connections with area high school students as well as develop additional high school articulation agreements.