F E A T U R E

Reaching New Heights

F E A T U R E

Reaching New Heights

F E A T U R E

Reaching New Heights

By Andrew Faught • Illustration By Fabio Consoli

By Andrew Faught Illustration By Fabio Consoli

New York Tech’s Innovation in Action Plan supercharges teaching, learning, and community.

They meet in groups of five or six, faculty and staff members representing a swath of the New York Tech academic experience. Each community comes together with a singular purpose: to learn how to become better teachers and stronger supporters of student success at one of the nation’s most diverse institutions of higher learning.

The Communities of Practice, as the groups are called, are at the heart of a larger five-year strategic action plan—New York Tech: Innovation in Action—also called the Strategic Action Plan, whose four priority areas not only support teaching excellence at New York Tech, but also promote an “enhanced” student experience outside the classroom.

The Communities of Practice align with a priority to drive innovation and discovery with diverse talent. The three other priority areas include optimize student success, sharpen institutional identity, and fortify institutional viability (in part, by engaging in innovative community partnerships).

Innovation in Action kicked off in 2022. The Communities of Practice started meeting last year. To date, more than 40 faculty and staff members have joined one of eight independently operating communities. Administrators are hoping to expand the number by publicizing their presence more widely this year in the form of emails, digital signage, and announcements at meetings, says Francine Glazer, Ph.D., associate provost and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning.

The communities allow professors to share success stories and thereby nurture excellence in their colleagues. They meet weekly or monthly to discuss effective practices and support one another.

“There’s a lot of research out there that says change comes from talking with a trusted colleague, like at the water cooler, where someone says, ‘Hey, I’ve been trying this,’” Glazer says. “People came together in these communities who didn’t previously know each other, and they built relationships.”

All topics are encouraged in an effort to make learning more interesting and inclusive for students. Some communities have discussed research that suggests making course syllabi more welcoming is a way to foment student curiosity.

“There’s a lot of research out there that says change comes from talking with a trusted colleague.” —Associate Provost and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Francine Glazer, Ph.D.

Resilience Brings Positive Change

The Innovation in Action Plan was conceived in the midst of the national COVID-19 lockdown, during which various campus constituencies united to reimagine the New York Tech experience.

More than 80 faculty and staff members, administrators, students, and alumni met on Zoom to “future focus in the midst of very challenging times,” says Planning Support Specialist Erikka Vaughan, Ph.D., in the Office of Academic Affairs.

“COVID amplified some of the barriers that students experience. It highlighted how important it is to coordinate between different areas to holistically support students. The conversations spoke to the resilience of the New York Tech community.”

New York Tech: Innovation in Action

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Tech’s focus on enhancing the student experience and strengthening the institution led to student-centered changes in policies and practices, targeted investments in faculty success, new programs to improve student academic and social support, and the creation of a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) task force. These and other changes yielded improved retention and graduation, an increase in higher education rankings, and an invitation to join the prestigious Association of Independent Technological Universities.

In 2020-2021, the development of the university’s latest Innovation in Action plan began in support of New York Tech’s mission to provide career-oriented professional education, to offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and to support research and scholarship that benefit the larger world. The far-reaching initiative has brought together the entire New York Tech community to forge a plan for a prosperous and sustainable future.

Originally conceived as a three-year plan to yield short-term, actionable items during uncertain times, New York Tech’s strategic action plan has developed into a more robust initiative that warrants implementation over five years, with a goal of completion by 2027.

New York Tech: Innovation in Action

In 2020-2021, amid a pandemic, the development of the university’s latest Innovation in Action plan began in support of New York Tech’s mission to provide career-oriented professional education, to offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and to support research and scholarship that benefit the larger world. The far-reaching initiative has brought together the entire New York Tech community to forge a plan for a prosperous and sustainable future.

Originally conceived as a three-year action plan to yield short-term, actionable items during uncertain times, New York Tech’s strategic action plan has developed into a more robust plan that warrants implementation over the next five years, with a goal of completion by 2027.

Enhancing the Learning Experience

The Communities of Practice is a plan linchpin. One of this year’s groups is focusing on student advising, in which students and faculty are meeting “to learn different ways to reach students and to help them more effectively,” Glazer says. In a heightened advisory role, faculty members not only monitor students’ academic progress, but they also are encouraged to suggest internship opportunities and professional and personal development workshops.

The Communities of Practice is an initiative of New York Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning, where Glazer, who describes herself as a faculty coach and confidential consultant, shares teaching tips, provides one-on-one consultations, and assists faculty in attaining teaching, publishing, and career success. “When working on a curriculum revision with a department, I try to point out entrenched ideas and challenge their assumptions because maybe it’s time to rethink some of them,” she says.

Supporting student success often happens in little ways.

“Sometimes stopping in the middle of a lecture and saying to your students, ‘Take a minute, look at your notes, and see if you have any questions’ is one way to be more inclusive,” Glazer says. “It’s acknowledging that the students are sitting there working really hard learning, and they need time to absorb the information.”

PHOTO: BOB HANDELMAN

The Student Connection

Innovation can also be found in New York Tech’s Peer Success GUIDE (PSG) program, which pairs first-year students with juniors and seniors, who offer social and academic support to their charges. PSGs fall under the action plan directive to optimize student success. The program was introduced during the 2021-2022 academic year to increase opportunities to make connections and provide peer-level support to ease anxieties among students enrolling in college after the COVID lockdown.

“A student’s first semester of college is hard enough without the added complexities brought on by the pandemic’s disruption of the ‘typical’ college experience,” says Senior Associate Dean Monika Rohde, M.A. “We knew that students were having a hard time adjusting socially and were nervous about making friends. The PSGs stepped up to help put them at ease, helping them feel that they were not alone and creating environments that encouraged socialization between first-years.”

Research has shown that students who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to stay in school and graduate. Currently, 19 students serve as PSGs. All first-year students are assigned one, although it’s up to them to develop relationships.

“The PSGs will follow up periodically to make sure everybody’s doing well,” says Tadiyos Gebre, director of Academic Success and Enrichment. “The research shows that students use peer support for things they wouldn’t come to us for. The message from the PSGs is ‘I’m here for you.’”

Students are more likely to approach peers to talk about academic challenges and struggles to make friends, he notes. And while New York Tech does a “wonderful job” in offering career guidance, “PSGs can speak to students from the personal experience” of looking for on-campus employment and answering questions about internships, Gebre adds.

In the program’s inaugural year, 42 percent of first-year students interacted with their PSG; in the 2022-2023 academic year, the total jumped to 62 percent. Rohde and Gebre hope to take the total higher.

Student socialization and engagement are being encouraged in still other ways. A lounge on the first floor of 26 W. 61st St. on the New York City campus was given a makeover last July. “The furnishings were sterile, and there was a cafeteria look to the space,” says Joanne West (M.S. ’10), director of student engagement and development administration and operations. Like the PSGs, the lounge redesign is considered another way to optimize student success.

“A student’s first semester of college is hard enough without the added complexities brought on by the pandemic’s disruption of the ‘typical’ college experience.” —Senior Associate Dean Monika Rohde, M.A.

New lounge on the first floor of 26 W. 61st St.

“Now there are booths that are what you’d find at a diner, and then there’s an S-shaped sofa and tables and chairs and ottoman-like seats,” West says. “We’re saying to the students, ‘This space is for you.’ They can heat up their lunch, have a sip of coffee, but also study and hang out.”

Splashes of blue, yellow, and turquoise give the lounge new vibrancy. Use of the space has doubled from its past iteration, with most of the 30 seats occupied between classes, West says.

Building Community Relationships

Other aspects of Innovation in Action are benefiting communities beyond campus. Students from the School of Architecture and Design reimagined spaces at a pair of Brooklyn middle schools: The School of Integrated Learning and Ronald Edmonds Learning Center II. Four students designed and painted what were once classroom-sized storage rooms. New York Tech students worked with pupils to reconfigure the spaces, which were outfitted with areas for computer stations and table games.

Those efforts, which received some funding from New York Tech, were an example of fortifying institutional viability, in addition to optimizing student success. While the institution has set aside a fund to support various initiative efforts, many of the plan’s objectives and strategies will be accomplished within existing department budgets. Moving into the remaining three years of the project, budget requests could reflect initiative objectives.

“It was never just about architecture,” says Assistant Professor Dongsei Kim, M.Des., M.S.AUD., who led the middle school efforts. “It was about relationship building and community building through the medium of architecture and the built environment. It was a perfect project because the School of Architecture and Design wants to show students how architecture can have a social impact beyond form making.

“It was important for my students to understand the physicality of what they’re learning at school,” says Kim. “The coursework materials students engage in can often be theory intensive. However, this hands-on project allowed the students to experience how conceptual design is developed and implemented on-site with the community.”

Lily Kljyan called the experience “an incredible opportunity to connect with a community and give back through architecture,” which was about “conducting preliminary research to creating a tangible and habitable space. It is inspiring for me to see a project in every stage.”

Students Lily Kljyan, Elise Park, and Kendal Eastwood from the School of Architecture and Design lay carpet tiles at Ronald Edmonds Learning Center II.

Students Lily Kljyan, Elise Park, and Kendal Eastwood assemble desks for the renovation of the learning and resources space at The School of Integrated Learning.

A Bright Future Ahead

These days, New York Tech is building excitement and awareness for the Innovation in Action plan. The Strategic Plan Action Team hosted informational meetings with faculty and staff, the Student Government Association, and other student organizations when the plan was first adopted. Co-chaired by Associate Provost Francesca Fiore, Ed.D., and Associate Professor N. Sertac Artan, Ph.D., the Strategic Plan Action Team held a town hall and Inclusive Excellence workshop in 2023 and a second town hall which took place in the spring.

“There’s definitely an interest and excitement in how we can collaborate to bring change,” Vaughan says. “We seek to create a sense of belonging and a shared sense of morale and purpose, so that faculty, staff, and students know the work they are doing is critical to New York Tech’s impact and future.”

“We seek to create a sense of belonging and a shared sense of morale and purpose, so that faculty, staff, and students know the work they are doing is critical to New York Tech’s impact and future.” —Planning Support Specialist Erikka Vaughan, Ph.D.

PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

Optimizing Student Success

Ensure a student-first culture at New York Tech.
Create a curated student experience through a centralized, personalized, equitable, and engaged effort to support all students in their academic, career, and personal goals.
Facilitate timely degree completion for all students.
Ensure excellent and equitable opportunities for high-impact and evidence-informed learning, engagement, and development.
Provide strong preparation and support for lifelong learning and additional study, launching a career, and contributing to society.

Drive Innovation and Discovery With Diverse Talent

Develop a culture that celebrates diversity and establish policies and practices that promote equitable, inclusive learning and work environments.
Create a well-integrated and supported leadership initiative that will enhance recruitment and professional development for staff and build morale and a shared vision for student success among staff and faculty through a sense of community and shared purpose.
Elevate learning, academic excellence, and impact through innovation, discovery, and development in teaching, research, and creative works.

Sharpen Institutional Identity

Reaffirm New York Tech’s mission and review its vision and values; ensure they are clearly understood and actively embodied within the community.
Articulate and promote New York Tech’s identity more effectively to prospective students and other mission-aligned external stakeholders, including cutting-edge industry partners and relevant community partners.
Curate an identity-affirming portfolio of high-quality academic programs and student-centered programs.
Ensure the long-term continuation of sharpening New York Tech’s identity by operationalizing the strategic review process into administrative and shared governance structures.

Fortify Institutional Viability

Strengthen external resources by creating and/or maintaining mission-aligned, vision-affirming strategic partnerships and engaging internal support for these partnerships.
Achieve financial sustainability through more efficient and effective use of current resources and curating mission-aligned student-centered programs and projects that generate revenues to sustain them.