January

What are students thinking?

It’s really important for the University’s leadership to understand what it’s like to be a student – so what could be better than asking them?

By Mark Cox

January 19, 2017

One of the difficulties of being an associate vice president at MSU Denver is that the role is inherently busy. Much time is spent putting out fires, but many hours are also dedicated to helping students.

According to Mark Potter, associate vice president for Undergraduate Studies: “We don’t always know how students are experiencing our processes, policies and practices so it would be really valuable to hear from students about these issues.

“For example: We often come up with new ideas that look great from our perspective. But unless we actually ask the students, we can’t really know how they are being received.”

Student insights

And that’s why three associate vice presidents (Lori Kester, Braelin Pantel and Mark Potter) have set up a regular meeting – the Student Input Panel – where students are invited to come and talk about their lives at MSU Denver. The panel was originally the brainchild of MSU Denver’s Associate Vice President of Student Engagement and Wellness, Braelin Pantel, who is also dean of students.

The team wants to gather insight from students on all aspects of their college experience – the good, the bad, the joyful and, yes, even the ugly.

By better understanding their concerns and aspirations, the team hopes to be better equipped to help students stay the course and meet their academic goals.

Who do you know?

Faculty members: You can help by nominating any students you think might be a good fit for the panel. The associate vice presidents are looking for students who meet some or all of the following criteria:

• Students who have had varied experiences.
• Students who have been involved in experiences outside of class.
• Students who are comfortable speaking up and sharing their opinions.
• Diverse students – including adults, veterans, first generation students. 

Find out more about the Student Input Panel.