On Campus - with CITI Program

Adriana Streifer is an Assistant Professor and an Assistant Director in the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at the University of Virginia. She runs the CTE’s course design institute, graduate student teaching certificate program, and teaching consultations. Adriana conducts research on effective course design, alternative and equitable grading practices, and students’ perceptions of instructor race and gender. Her publications can be found in College Teaching, To Improve the Academy, and the Journal of Faculty Development. With a background in English literature, Adriana teaches undergraduate courses in writing and Renaissance drama, and graduate seminars on teaching and learning in higher education.

Grading practices in higher education vary a great deal between colleges, departments, and universities. The grading practices of a professor often reflect the instructor’s beliefs regarding a student and their motivation and success within an academic discipline. While faculty members might strive for equitable and fair grading practices, they can often perpetuate unfair policies that disadvantage their students. Faculty members can struggle with evaluating their own grading practices, communicating their practices, and assessing their practices as it relates to grading. While grades can serve as a motivator for some students, traditional grading practices can disproportionally advantages students from a privileged background and disadvantage underserved students. It is necessary and important for faculty members to assess and review their grading practices to ensure they are equitable and fair.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Adriana Streifer is an Assistant Professor and an Assistant Director in the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at the University of Virginia. She runs the CTE’s course design institute, graduate student teaching certificate program, and teaching consultations. Adriana conducts research on effective course design, alternative and equitable grading practices, and students’ perceptions of instructor race and gender. Her publications can be found in College Teaching, To Improve the Academy, and the Journal of Faculty Development. With a background in English literature, Adriana teaches undergraduate courses in writing and Renaissance drama, and graduate seminars on teaching and learning in higher education.

Grading practices in higher education vary a great deal between colleges, departments, and universities. The grading practices of a professor often reflect the instructor’s beliefs regarding a student and their motivation and success within an academic discipline. While faculty members might strive for equitable and fair grading practices, they can often perpetuate unfair policies that disadvantage their students. Faculty members can struggle with evaluating their own grading practices, communicating their practices, and assessing their practices as it relates to grading.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Mary Haskett, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Psychology at North Carolina State University (NC State) where she directs the Family Studies lab. Her primary area of research is the causes and consequences of family distress on young children's social-emotional development. She also examines college student food and housing insecurity. Dr. Haskett co-founded the NC State Steering Committee on Student Food and Housing Security and led the development of a host home program for local college students. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Food and housing insecurity are impacting college and university students at increasingly high rates. According to a 2022 study from the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, 38% of students at a two-year college and 29% of students at a four-year college reported experiencing food insecurity in the last 30 days. In a 2022 report from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), more than a quarter of respondents, approximately 27%, reported experiencing the inability to pay either rent or mortgage in full within the last year. While COVID-19 and the impacts of the pandemic played a role in heightened food and housing insecurity for college and university students, other factors contributed, such as rising costs across the country. While some federal, state, and local resources are available, food and housing insecurity are often overlooked, leaving institutions to take creative approaches to meet the needs of students.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Denise O’Neill is currently the Director of Enrollment Management at Penn State University (Lehigh Valley). Her primary responsibilities include admissions, financial aid, and grant-funded student success program. With over 25 years of progressive experience in leadership, administration, teaching, and supervision in higher education, she has served as the Assistant Dean at Hofstra University and Dean of Students at Cedar Crest College. Currently, she teaches in the Higher Education graduate program at DeSales University. Denise received her BA in Criminal Justice from Moravian College, a MA from Marist College in Psychology, and her doctorate from Columbia University on Higher and Adult Education.

University admission is an integral part of the overall college experience. An admissions department at an institution provides support to students who are applying to enroll at an institution. While the admissions system might differ from institution to institution, an admissions department can support incoming freshmen, transfer students, and graduate students navigate the application process. Since the onset of COVID-19, the admissions landscape has changed to a degree, with students opting to stay in closer proximity to their homes and with many institutions changing admissions requirements into different degree programs.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Adriana Bankston is a Principal Legislative Analyst at the University of California Office of Federal Governmental Relations in Washington, DC. Prior to this position, Adriana was a Policy & Advocacy Fellow at the Society for Neuroscience. In addition to working at the University of California, Adriana is the CEO & Managing Publisher of the Journal of Science Policy & Governance, a Fellow with Advancing Research Impact in Society, and a Biomedical Workforce & Policy Research Investigator at the STEM Advocacy Institute. Adriana earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology from Emory University. The views expressed in this episode do not represent the views of the University of California.

In higher education, workforce development is a term used to define a people-centered approach to providing workers with resources to upskill them for long-term success. The workforce development approach is utilized in several fields, from agriculture to manufacturing to STEM. The core aim of workforce development is to cultivate prosperity for individuals, communities, and businesses. In turn, investments in workforce development programs often stem from communities, businesses, and governments at all levels. These investments provide individuals with education, development, and training opportunities to continue learning and maximizing their skills.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Learn more about our guest Adriana Bankston by visiting her page: 
https://adrianabankston.com/

Sarah Melton is a Product Education Strategist at Sprout Social, where she creates educational content and training materials. She previously worked in academic libraries and digital scholarship centers. Most recently as the former Head of Digital Scholarship at Boston College, Sarah led a group that teaches technical topics to learners of all levels. Her team facilitated data-driven research, digital project creation, and digital publishing. Sarah received her Ph.D. from Emory University in 2017.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed many individuals’ outlooks on their professional and personal life choices, which lead to the ‘Great Resignation’ in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, market trends in both academia and the private sector have changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While individuals might decide to stay in academia or leave, their skill sets are transferable between both sectors. These transferable skills can include writing instructional materials, researching specific topics, and communicating with a wide audience. While academic and non-academic careers both have tradeoffs, starting a career in one pathway does not mean an individual cannot transfer to a different pathway later in their career. The choice to decide between an academic and non-academic career is often personal and difficult.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Sarah Melton is a Product Education Strategist at Sprout Social, where she creates educational content and training materials. She previously worked in academic libraries and digital scholarship centers. Most recently as the former Head of Digital Scholarship at Boston College, Sarah led a group that teaches technical topics to learners of all levels. Her team facilitated data-driven research, digital project creation, and digital publishing. Sarah received her Ph.D. from Emory University in 2017.

For many graduate students, both academic and non-academic careers are possibilities, which can differ greatly. Those graduate students who decide to pursue an academic career often work within an academic department or function at an institution, such as a professor, librarian, or administrator. Graduate students who work in a non-academic career might work as a consultant, within an industry, or in a variety of other functions. The choice for a graduate student to decide between an academic and non-academic career is often personal and difficult. While academic and non-academic careers both have tradeoffs, starting a career in one pathway does not mean an individual cannot transfer to a different pathway later in their career.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Tiffany D. Tucker is the Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and serves as the chief operations officer and is responsible for the department’s day-to-day operations. She is one of Sports Illustrated’s 100 Influential Black Women in Sports. Tiffany is the 2022 recipient of the NIKE Nell Jackson Executive of the Year Award, the UNCW Kathleen Berkeley Inconvenient Woman Award for her activism on behalf of others and issues of social justice and gender equality, and a nominee for the 2022 WILMA Magazine Women to Watch Award. Tiffany recently partnered with Yahoo Sports and Degree to launch the Bracket Gap Challenge and Gender Equity Initiative. She is a graduate and former women’s basketball player at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a two-time ACC Champion. She received her master’s degree from Hampton University and is a former women’s basketball coach.

The Education Amendments of 1972 banned sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs and introduced the landmark law known as Title IX. The landmark law, Title IX, paved the way for gender equity in higher education, notably increasing the participation of girls and women in athletics. As athletic programs are considered educational programs and activities, the penalty for non-compliance with Title IX is the loss of federal funding for an institution. While it has been 50 years since the introduction of Title IX and girls and women have made progress in equity, representation, and access to athletics, barriers continue to exist. CITI Program’s Title IX: 50 Years and Modern Challenges webinar is available to meet institutional needs.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Amanda Kraus, PhD serves as Assistant Vice President for Campus Life and Executive Director for Disability Resources at the University of Arizona. The University of Arizona’s Disability Resource Center is one of the largest in the nation, and considered an international model of progressive service delivery, uniquely positioned to approach campus access systemically. She is also Associate Professor of Practice in Higher Education where she teaches courses on student services and disability. Dr. Kraus is Immediate Past President for the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and travels around the country and abroad to give talks on ableism and universal design.

Universal design for learning is a framework which is often applied in educational settings to provide guidelines and accommodate individuals with different learning needs. The term universal design is also often used in architecture to ensure for inclusive design within infrastructure to accommodate all individuals. Both universal design for learning and infrastructure are important and necessary elements for higher education institutions as they incorporate elements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The ADA, along with universal design principles can provide an accommodating and inclusive environment for all students at an institution. CITI Program’s A 21st Century Approach to ADA Compliance: Equity and Access webinar is available to meet institutional needs.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/ 

Paige Morgan is the Digital Publishing and Copyright Librarian and Head of Digital Initiatives and Preservation at the University of Delaware Library, Museums, and Press. She holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Textual Studies from the University of Washington. Within libraries, she has worked as a curriculum and community builder, focusing on digital scholarship, copyright, and scholarly communications education.

As open access continues to become more prominent in the field of academic publishing, it is essential to have a foundational understanding of the topic as it continues to evolve. Recently, the Biden administration announced it instructed all U.S. federal agencies to require open access to federally funded research, starting in 2026. The U.S. is the world’s biggest research funder, according to Nature and as such, the change to require federally funded research to be open access will increase the number of scientific research articles publicly available. CITI Program’s Open Access Publishing: An Introduction webinar provides individuals with a better understanding of open-access publications. 

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/