Dr. James M. Culhane
Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Success
Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy
4701 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD, 21210
[email protected]
Preferred Qualifications
Applicants are strongly encouraged to have completed or be actively participating in a professional teaching development program.
– JHU applicants are strongly encouraged to have completed or be activiely participating the Teaching Academy’s Certificate of Completion Program.
– UMB applicants are strongly encouraged to have completed or be activiely participating in UMB@CIRTL and be working towards the associate level certificate
Course Logistics
Length: 6 Weeks – 1 session per week (2 hours each)
Delivery mode: Virtual
Maximum Enrollment: 6 participants
Prior teaching experience: none needed
Overview
The Student Success and Support Seminar Series is a six-week, discussion-based learning experience designed for participants in the Collaborative Teaching Fellowship (CTF) program. The seminar provides early-career educators and teaching fellows with the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to effectively mentor, advise, and coach students for success in higher education.
Through interactive sessions grounded in educational psychology, cognitive science, and evidence-based learning strategies, participants will develop a deeper understanding of how to foster academic growth, resilience, and self-regulated learning among diverse student populations.
Program Rationale
Many graduate students and post-doctoral fellows enter teaching roles with strong disciplinary expertise but limited formal preparation in student support and success practices. This seminar aims to fill that gap by integrating theory and practice around the following central themes:
– The distinction and interplay between mentoring, advising, and academic coaching
– Understanding factors that influence student learning behavior, including cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and environmental dimensions
– Defining student success through both traditional metrics (e.g., GPA, retention) and developmental outcomes (e.g., motivation, metacognition, belonging)
– Applying evidence-based learning strategies to improve student performance and autonomy
– Using academic coaching principles to promote self-awareness, goal setting, and accountability in learners
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the 6-week seminar, participants will be able to:
1. Differentiate between advising, mentoring, and coaching roles in supporting students.
2. Identify key cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors that shape student learning behavior.
3. Define student success from both institutional and developmental perspectives.
Apply evidence-based learning strategies (e.g., spaced retrieval, interleaving, elaboration, dual coding) to 4. enhance student learning outcomes.
5. Employ foundational academic coaching techniques to support metacognition, motivation, and resilience in students.
Key Concepts / Activities
1. Mentoring vs. Advising: Understanding the Spectrum of Student SupportExplore distinctions between roles, discuss ethical boundaries, and analyze case studies.
2. Factors Influencing Student Learning Behavior
Examine cognitive (attention, memory), affective (motivation, mindset), and environmental (time, support) factors. Introduce the BACEIS model (Behavior, Affect, Cognition, Environment, Interacting Systems).
3. Defining and Measuring Student Success
Discuss institutional metrics vs. holistic development; introduce frameworks such as Tinto’s and Kuh’s models of engagement and persistence.
4. Evidence-Based Learning Strategies: Helping Students Learn How to Learn
Apply cognitive science research to teaching practices. Practice designing activities using retrieval practice, spaced learning, interleaving, and dual coding.
5. Academic Coaching: Conversations that Promote Self-Regulated Learning
Introduce coaching models, questioning techniques, and metacognitive reflection tools. Practice through peer role-play.
6. Integrating Support Practices into Teaching and Mentorship
Reflective synthesis session: participants design an implementation plan for their own teaching or mentoring context.
Format
Sessions will include a mix of learning approaches to include:
– evidence-based mini-lecture
– Interactive discussion and case analysis
– simulated peer coaching activities
– personal reflections
Evaluation and Outcomes Assessment
Pre/Post self-assessment of confidence and competence in student-support skills
Participant reflection summaries documenting applied learning
Facilitator feedback on peer coaching and engagement activities
Optional: CTF Certificate of Completion in Student Success and Academic Coaching Fundamentals