Student-Centered Instruction and Services
Village-Hosted Events To Promote Both Academic Success and Student Retention Through Student Success Factors
Aligned with Goal 2: Achieving Student Success Factors
- At the heart of De Anza College's commitment to student success lies the Guided Pathways Village initiative, where students find not only academic support but also a sense of community and belonging. Implementing weekly, one-hour events hosted in each of the six Village Centers – by using targeted strategies aimed at emphasizing the six student success factors as they apply to each academic area of interest – will make the centers serve as vibrant hubs of engagement, offering directed, focused and nurturing opportunities for students. These events will be carefully designed to promote both academic support and student retention by providing directed guidance toward resources that align with students' goals, offering focused academic support tailored to their needs, and creating nurturing environments that foster a sense of belonging and connection within the college community. Through these events, both employees and students will be engaged, connected and valued, ultimately contributing to their academic success and overall satisfaction at De Anza College.
Current Resources Being Leveraged
Physical Resources:
- Established Village centers with comfortable furniture already in place
- Big screen TVs for digital content and presentations in each Village
- Existing laptops for staff and limited student use
- Welcoming spaces designed for community interaction
Personnel Resources:
- Village coordinators and staff already in place
- Student ambassadors and volunteers trained in welcoming and supporting students
- Village interns conducting research on Village activities
- Institutional researcher helping parse collected data
Technology Resources:
- Existing digital platforms for each Village
- SARS tracking system already collecting student engagement data
- Basic technology infrastructure in place for events and activities
- Online platform available for virtual events
Programming Foundation:
- Established twice-weekly hangouts (primarily social with some academic elements)
- Regular Village-specific events each quarter
- Campus-wide Village celebrations throughout the year
- Support for club and employee group events
- Available grant funding for initial implementation
Targeted Enhancements
Physical Additions:
- Additional computers for student use in each Village (1-2 per Village)
- Strategic adjustments to existing furniture arrangements for optimized interaction
- Enhanced visual elements connecting spaces to success factors
- Improved signage and wayfinding for Village programming
Programming Enhancements:
- More intentional success factor integration in existing hangouts and events
- Enhanced cross-Village collaboration opportunities
- Stronger connections between social and academic components
- More visible faculty engagement within existing activities
- Development of revenue-generating or sponsored events
Technology Improvements:
- Enhanced use of existing big screen TVs for community building
- Improved integration between physical and digital Village experiences
- More sophisticated data analysis using existing SARS system
- Development of hyflex options for remote participation
- Leveraging existing online platform for expanded reach
Community Development:
- More intentional traditions building on existing Village identities
- Enhanced leadership roles for student ambassadors and volunteers
- Stronger connections across Villages during campus-wide events
- Improved employee integration in community activities
- Establishment of Village clubs for ongoing engagement
Connection to Student Success and Retention
Success Factor Integration
- Directed: Using existing Village spaces and events to provide clearer pathways guidance
- Focused: Enhancing hangouts with subtle academic elements that support persistence
- Nurtured: Building on the welcoming atmosphere created by ambassadors and comfortable spaces
- Engaged: Expanding opportunities for active participation in Village life
- Connected: Strengthening the existing sense of Village identity and belonging
- Valued: Creating more visible recognition within established Village communities
Retention Mechanisms
- Social Integration: Building on the primarily social nature of hangouts to deepen belonging
- Academic Support: Enhancing existing connections between social and academic elements
- Institutional Commitment: Strengthening student connection to college through Village identity
- Resource Navigation: Using Village centers as hubs for accessing college resources
- Peer Support: Leveraging student ambassadors and Village communities for student success
Implementation Approach
This plan takes an enhancement approach rather than a replacement strategy, recognizing the strong foundation already in place:
- Builds on Strengths: Enhances what's working well rather than creating entirely new systems
- Targeted Additions: Focuses on specific, strategic additions rather than wholesale changes
- Evidence-Based: Utilizes Village intern research and SARS data to guide enhancements
- Sustainable Design: Creates improvements that can be maintained with existing resources
- Collaborative Process: Engages current Village teams in designing enhancements for their spaces
- Financial Transition: Strategically shifts from grant funding to institutional support over three years
Lead: Kim Palmore
Plan Timeline
Winter 2024
Meet with students and discuss the goals and kinds of events they want to have
Status: Completed
Spring 2024
Provide students with academic support and a sense of community and belonging:
Implement two quarterly events in each Village
Implement weekly one-hour student-centered events hosted in each of the six Village Centers.
- Artistic Expression Village Center - Art Skills! Practice Session, Tuesdays 12- 1 pm
- Social Sciences and Humanities Village Center - Film Analysis, Tuesdays 11 am - 12 pm
- Health and Life Sciences Village Center - Thursday Tea Time!, Thursdays 12-1 pm
- Language and Communications Village Center - Social Media Discussion, Tuesdays 12:30-1:30 pm
- Language and Communications Village Center - Thursday Tea Time!, Thursdays 11 am -12 pm
- Business and Finance Village Center - Web Development and Startup Meetup!, Thursdays 2-3 pm
- Physical Sciences and Technology Village Center - Test your Coding Knowledge! Wednesday 12 -1 pm
Regular support from student support areas (vary each quarter)
- Financial Aid
- Counselors
- Faculty hold office hours
- Transfer counselors
Status: Completed
Fall 2024
Provide students with academic support and a sense of community and belonging:
Implement two quarterly events in each Village
- Artistic Expression Village Center
- Business and Finance Village Center
- Health and Life Sciences Village Center
- Language and Communications Village Center
- Physical Sciences and Technology Village Center
- Social Sciences and Humanities Village Center
Implement weekly two one-hour student-centered events hosted in each of the six Village Centers.
- Artistic Expression Village Center
- Business and Finance Village Center
- Health and Life Sciences Village Center
- Language and Communications Village Center
- Physical Sciences and Technology Village Center
- Social Sciences and Humanities Village Center
Regular support from student support areas (vary each quarter)
- Financial Aid
- Counselors
- Faculty hold office hours
- Transfer counselors
Status: Completed
Winter 2025
Provide students with academic support and a sense of community and belonging:
Implement two quarterly events in each Village
- Artistic Expression Village Center
- Business and Finance Village Center
- Health and Life Sciences Village Center
- Language and Communications Village Center
- Physical Sciences and Technology Village Center
- Social Sciences and Humanities Village Center
Implement weekly two one-hour student-centered events hosted in each of the six Village Centers.
- Artistic Expression Village Center
- Business and Finance Village Center
- Health and Life Sciences Village Center
- Language and Communications Village Center
- Physical Sciences and Technology Village Center
- Social Sciences and Humanities Village Center
Regular support from student support areas (vary each quarter)
- Financial Aid
- Counselors
- Faculty hold office hours
- Transfer counselors
Create a plan to develop more robust workshops using student input.
Status: Completed
Spring 2025
Assessment of Current Community Building Success
- Utilize existing SARS tracking data to analyze patterns in student engagement with Village centers
- Partner with Village interns to conduct focused research on effectiveness of current events
- Review usage patterns of existing Village spaces, furniture arrangements, and resources
- Identify which aspects of twice-weekly hangouts (primarily social with some academic components) are most effective
Success Factor Integration Planning
- Work with Village coordinators and staff to map how current activities align with six success factors
- Identify opportunities to strengthen specific success factors through enhanced programming
- Develop strategies to build upon existing community foundations in Village centers
- Create assessment tools that leverage existing data collection systems
Enhanced Resource Planning
- Inventory current resources across Village centers (comfortable furniture, big screen TVs, laptops)
- Identify targeted additions needed (additional computers for student use in each Village)
- Assess technology needs for expanding digital engagement beyond current platforms
- Develop budget proposal for specific enhancements using available grant funding
- Create three-year financial sustainability plan for transitioning from grant funding to institutional support
Responsible Parties: Kim Palmore, Patty Guitron, Brian Malone, Leah Riley, Sam Bliss, Existing Village Employees, Village Interns, Institutional Researcher
Status: In Progress
Fall 2025
Hangout Enhancement
- Build upon the existing twice-weekly social hangouts with structured elements that maintain their welcoming nature
- Develop rotating themes or focuses that Village ambassadors and volunteers can easily implement
- Create resource library of activities and discussion prompts for ambassadors to use
- Design intentional but subtle academic components that preserve the primarily social atmosphere
Campus-Wide Event Expansion
- Enhance existing campus-wide Village events with deeper retention-focused elements
- Develop pre and post-event engagement strategies to extend impact
- Create more intentional cross-Village connections during major events
- Design assessment methods to measure retention impact of large-scale events
- Identify potential community partner sponsors for signature events to support sustainability
Digital Engagement Enhancement
- Build upon existing Village digital platforms to increase student interaction
- Develop strategies for digital extension of in-person events
- Create content that Village interns and ambassadors can easily manage and update
- Implement improved connections between digital and in-person experiences
- Explore low-cost hyflex options using existing online platform and Village center technology
Status:
Winter 2026
Targeted Resource Implementation
- Acquire additional computers for student use in each Village center
- Make strategic adjustments to existing furniture arrangements based on usage analysis
- Implement technology enhancements that build on existing infrastructure
- Create more visible connections between Village spaces and success factor themes
- Implement first phase of hyflex environment using existing and new resources
Ambassador and Volunteer Development
- Provide enhanced training for existing student ambassadors and volunteers
- Develop advanced community facilitation techniques that build on current practices
- Create leadership pathways for ambassadors to specialize in specific types of events
- Establish mentorship between experienced and new ambassadors
- Document training processes for sustainable onboarding in future years
Village-Specific Enhancement Plans
- Work with each Village team to identify unique community-building opportunities
- Develop customized success factor integration strategies for each Village
- Create distinctive traditions that build upon existing Village identity
- Implement specialized uses of existing Village resources based on discipline focus
- Begin establishing Village clubs with sustainability plans
Status:
Spring 2026
Enhanced Community Programming Implementation
- Launch strategically enhanced hangouts with subtle but effective success factor elements
- Implement expanded campus-wide Village celebrations building on existing framework
- Create stronger connections between social and academic aspects of Village life
- Utilize existing Village centers with their comfortable furniture and resources as hubs for enhanced activities
- Begin implementing cross-Village collaborative events
Research-Informed Adjustments
- Work with Village interns to analyze effectiveness of enhancements
- Use existing SARS tracking system to measure impact on student engagement
- Implement evidence-based adjustments based on intern research findings
- Create feedback loops for continuous improvement
- Assess progress toward sustainability goals outlined in three-year plan
Faculty Engagement Expansion
- Build upon existing faculty connections to Villages for more intentional engagement
- Create easy entry points for faculty participation in hangouts and events
- Develop faculty-student informal interaction opportunities within existing Village structures
- Establish recognition for faculty who contribute to Village community building
- Identify faculty "champions" who can advocate for continued programming
Status:
Fall 2026
Full Implementation of Enhanced Programming
- Scale successful enhancements across all Village activities
- Implement comprehensive calendar integrating existing and new community elements
- Utilize Village student ambassadors and volunteers to facilitate expanded programming
- Leverage existing comfortable spaces with strategic enhancements
- Begin conversations with institutional budget planners about sustaining successful elements
Cross-Village Collaboration Enhancement
- Build upon existing connections between Villages for more intentional collaboration
- Create shared activities that utilize existing resources across multiple Villages
- Implement rotating inter-Village events hosted in different Village centers
- Develop resource-sharing strategies between Villages
- Establish ongoing collaborative planning process between Village coordinators
Digital-Physical Integration
- Utilize existing big screen TVs and digital platforms for enhanced engagement
- Implement strategies connecting in-person and online Village experiences
- Create content showcasing Village community that can be shared digitally
- Develop hyflex options for students to participate remotely in Village activities
- Document technology best practices for sustainable implementation
Mid-Point Assessment
- Work with institutional researcher to analyze SARS data for impact measurement
- Guide Village interns in conducting focused research on community effectiveness
- Evaluate participation patterns and community strength across Villages
- Identify most successful enhancements for further development
- Revise sustainability plan based on mid-point findings
Status:
Winter 2027
Evidence-Based Enhancement
- Implement improvements based on intern research and SARS data analysis
- Develop targeted strategies for student populations with lower engagement
- Create advanced community building approaches for Villages showing greatest success
- Enhance integration between academic and social aspects of Village life
- Begin transition planning for high-impact elements to move from grant to institutional funding
Student Leadership Expansion
- Build upon existing ambassador and volunteer roles for greater impact
- Create specialized roles focused on specific success factors
- Develop advanced training for experienced ambassadors
- Implement peer mentorship program connecting new and continuing students
- Document leadership development practices for sustainable implementation
Resource Optimization
- Make evidence-based adjustments to Village spaces based on usage patterns
- Implement creative uses of existing furniture and technology
- Develop best practices for maximizing impact of Village centers
- Create resource-sharing systems between Villages for special events
- Finalize technology requirements for long-term sustainability
Status:
Spring 2027
Comprehensive Community Integration
- Implement fully integrated success factor approach across all Village programming
- Create seamless connections between social hangouts and academic support
- Develop community-based learning initiatives within Village structures
- Establish showcase events highlighting community achievements
- Document successful integration approaches for institutional adoption
Sustainability Planning
- Develop strategies for maintaining enhanced programming with existing resources
- Create documentation of successful practices for continuity
- Establish training materials for future Village staff and ambassadors
- Implement systems for ongoing assessment and improvement
- Present specific institutional budget requests for highest-impact elements
Village Identity Strengthening
- Build upon existing Village identities with enhanced traditions
- Create distinctive but connected approaches across all six Villages
- Develop Village "signature" events that embody their unique character
- Implement recognition systems for community contributors
- Document successful Village-specific approaches for long-term implementation
Status:
Fall 2027
Institutionalization of Enhanced Model
- Fully integrate enhanced community programming into Village operations
- Establish permanent systems for maintaining successful initiatives
- Create handbooks and training materials documenting best practices
- Implement succession planning for program leadership
- Transfer successful elements from grant funding to institutional support
Comprehensive Impact Analysis
- Work with institutional researcher to analyze full impact on student success metrics
- Use SARS data to document changes in student engagement patterns
- Compile Village intern research findings into comprehensive assessment
- Prepare final implementation report highlighting community impact on retention
- Present evidence to support continued institutional investment
Future Innovation Planning
- Identify next-generation opportunities for Village community building
- Develop strategic plan for continued evolution of Village model
- Create innovation pathways for ongoing enhancement
- Establish Village community model as signature college practice
- Secure institutional commitment for continued support
Status: