Gateway Community

Gateway Community of Practice

The Community Education Coalition awarded funds to the IUPUC Center for Teaching and Learning to manage the work of the Gateway Community of Practice. IUPUC, Ivy Tech Community College Columbus, and the EcO Attainment Network are collaborative partners in this initiative with a goal to increase student success in gateway courses. Success in gateway courses improves student retention and degree completion leading to improved career and employment opportunities in the region. The initiative includes both instructor-driven and student-delivered strategies and will collect and analyze data to determine the most impactful approaches to increase gateway course success.

Professional Development to Support Faculty

Since 2016, eight IUPUC and Ivy Tech Community College Columbus faculty members have participated in the Gateway to Completion Teaching and Learning Academy (TLA). Educators implement best-practice improvement strategies in their gateway courses then document and share their experiences. Data such as grade distribution, retention, and course satisfaction are examined to assess the effectiveness of the strategies implemented.

The Gateway Leadership Team designs professional development programming each academic year and encourages Ivy Tech Community College Columbus and IUPUC faculty to hear about strategies implemented locally and learn about other best-practice instructional approaches. During 2017-2018, approximately 45 educators attended nearly 100 hours of professional development programming facilitated by the Gateway Community of Practice. Adjunct faculty who routinely attend Gateway sessions and implemented improvement strategies in their courses earned Gateway Fellows status.

One Gateway Fellow had this to say:

“I have been teaching for around 10 years, but have no formal training in teaching. The Gateway Community provided a practical structure and has helped expand my range of teaching techniques and boosted my confidence.”

Six Gateway Fellows were recognized at the 2018-2019 fall kickoff:

  • SUSAN COX teaches English at both Ivy Tech Columbus and IUPUC
  • TERRY DIBBLE teaches English at IUPUC
  • ELISABETH HEGMANN teaches English at IUPUC, Ivy Tech Columbus, and online for Lower Columbia College in Washington
  • TAMARA MILLER teaches math at both Ivy Tech Columbus and IUPUC
  • STEVE MOHLER teaches business and economics at IUPUC and online business classes for Ivy Tech Indianapolis
  • STEPHANIE VERTREES teaches communications at both Ivy Tech Columbus and IUPUC

Teaching and Learning Academy Fellows and Gateway Fellows have contributed to a growing body of knowledge. Read a summary of their work.

Supplemental Instruction to Support Students

Supplemental Instruction (SI) provides peer support inside and outside the classroom to enhance student engagement. Using trained Student Leaders, SI offers extra resources to students in a non-intimidating, but informed manner.

SI Leaders offer two SI sessions per week and also provide individual study sessions. Attendance at SI sessions is by student choice.

During the 2017-2018 academic year, nearly 600 students on the AirPark campuses were enrolled in classes supported by the Gateway Community of Practice Supplemental Instruction framework.

Students had this to say:

  • Great program – very lucky to have extra time with my SI Leader
  • My SI Leader was AMAZING!! Very helpful in the classroom and always available by email.
  • My learning experiences would not have been the same without SI

Both IUPUC and Ivy Tech Community College Columbus actively participate in the EcO Attainment Network. The network brings educators, employers, and community partners together to build a coordinated, aligned learning system designed to connect residents to economic opportunities through education attainment. Within southeastern Indiana, the Department of Workforce Development projects that by 2025, 60 percent of jobs will require some type of postsecondary credential thus making education critical to the regional economy. While the focus of the Gateway Community of Practice is on helping students succeed in entry-level courses, it serves as a building block in the larger scope of work supporting learners as they progress along their educational pathway toward degree completion.