What can we learn about our college from our students?
That is exactly what Danielle Dennis, dean of the Feinstein College of Education, intended to find out when she established the college’s first student advisory board this Fall.
“Students are the best resource for providing feedback that will make us the best college we can be,” Dennis said. “Our students can help us bridge our curricular responsibilities with their needs and what they are experiencing in classrooms. Including their voice in the development of new programs and the revision of current ones, will allow us to live our ethos of partnership and collaboration.”
The five-member board will serve as a communication channel between students, the dean’s office and college administrators, and will be able to voice their opinions on decisions related to their educational experience, share ideas and create a support system for education majors.
“Since the Board is new, the mission is still developing, but we have established three objectives for the group as we get started: recruitment, connection/outreach, and advocacy,” Dennis said.
The board members were nominated by the college’s faculty and staff.
They are: Rowan Akerlind, sophomore, secondary education, Hebron, CT; Molly Fitzgerald, sophomore, elementary education, Cranston, RI; Shayne Flanagan, senior, secondary education/English, Hawthorne, NJ; Comfort Saine, junior, elementary education, Cumberland, RI; Eric Towne, sophomore, secondary education/Math, Bradford, RI.
“It is important for us to have a medium with which we can speak to and through to reach the grander URI populace, and I hope to serve as the middling party,” said Towne.
Flanagan added that, “In order to improve student experience at the college and university, we must first gain insight from the students themselves.”
The student experience is a main discussion topic for the board, as well as academic support, connecting with peers, expanding the education community, and networking with practicing educators and alumni.
“What interests me most about becoming a member of the advisory board is potentially advocating for students that won’t (advocate) for themselves,” said Saine.
Expansion is especially important to Fitzgerald. “I am always searching for avenues to create positive impacts within my community. My fellow board members and I have a common goal of growing our college into a community.”
Some of the ideas they have discussed so far include a welcome day panel and other events to introduce students to each other, and a student survey, and career development opportunities.
“I think this (survey) is important because it provides meaningful feedback that can be used to help create successful pathways to better student experiences,” said Akerlind.
Through the discussions and activities, Dennis wants to ensure that students studying to be educators understand that teaching is “hard work” but is also “an extremely rewarding profession.”