Honors Weekly Bulletin, March 22, 2021

Dear Honors Students,

Over the course of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, violence against individuals of Asian descent has increased in the United States. Last week’s mass-killings in Georgia – including six Asian women – is only the emerging part of an iceberg that takes its roots in colonialism and in Orientalism. The Honors Program at JCCC denounces all racist, sexist, bigoted and xenophobic behaviors especially the exertion of all forms of violence onto others.

The honors team is here to support all students; considering last week’s events, we are particularly concerned with the well-being of students of Asian descent in our community. We want to encourage you all, if you are able, to reach out to friends and let them know that you keep them in your thoughts and affirm their belonging in our community. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been a part of the U.S. for as long as it has existed and they belong as much as any other group.

We hope that this tragic event is yet another reminder of the responsibility we all have to learn as much as we can about others. This week, I will strongly encourage you to attend the panel discussion that I organized for the Multicultural Programming Advisory Council on Global Racism. Indeed, racism is not a problem that is exclusively American: it is prevalent across the globe though it may look different, sound different and have different origins and causes. We must continue to learn about social justice and equity in all their forms even when that learning feels uncomfortable.

Be well and stay safe,

Anne

 

 This Week in Honors:

 

  • Honors Explore the World: JCCC Travelers-International Student Panel–3/24 2:00 PM

Join us this Wednesday for: JCCC Travelers – International Student Panel. Hear directly from international students as they answer your questions and describe life as a JCCC student! Register for the upcoming event and learn more at jccc.edu/exploretheworld.

  • Honors Hangout—Hobby Show and Tell 3/25 @ 3:00

Hobbies are a great way to pursue different interests and provide a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety! Perhaps the past year’s social isolation led you to take up a new hobby? Join us this Thursday at 3:00 to talk about the different ways that you like to spend your free time!

https://jccc.zoom.us/j/98538564812?pwd=cmVoL2NOTDhURzBFOEd5NlhNbXF3QT09

 

  • Honors Book club–3/30 2:30-3:30 PM

One way to get engaged with our honors community is through the HSA book club! Due to the unfortunate times we are in, we will not be having books to read, but instead short stories about current social issues. All you have to do to participate is read the attached article and then come to discuss!  We will be meeting on Tuesday, March 30th from 2:30-3:30. Hope to see you there!

 

  • Honors Scholarship application

Submit the JCCC Scholarship application by 4/1 to be considered for the Honors Program Scholarship along with many other scholarships! Once you have submitted the main JCCC Scholarship application, you will receive a 2nd application for the Honors Program Scholarship. The deadline for all Honors Scholarship materials will be 5/15. Additional instructions can be found in Canvas on the Modules page.

 

  • Outstanding Student Award—submit today!

Applications for the Outstanding Student Award for Spring 2021 are now being accepted! This award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by JCCC students, is available to full-time and part-time credit students. Up to 10 awards will be given and it is our goal that each recipient will be a member of the Honors Program!

To be considered, you will need to upload a one-page typed letter addressing the following: academic achievement, campus involvement, community involvement/volunteerism, educational/life goals, personal/extenuating circumstances experienced, and how this award will impact you.

If you would like an Honors staff member to nominate you, please submit this form (Links to an external site.) by 5:00 PM on 3/22!

 

We also encourage you to reach out to any faculty, staff or administrators who knows you well enough to nominate you. Students may receive the award only once and may self-nominate. To submit your application, go to https://jccc.campuslabs.com/engage/submitter/form/start/469488 (Links to an external site.) The application deadline for spring semester is Wednesday, March 31, by 5:00 p.m.

This week “on” campus:

  • JCCC’s Virtual Networking Fair—3/22-3/23

The Career Development Center is having their Virtual Networking Fair! A variety of employers are coming to meet students! Students can come and learn about different careers and industries. Students and professionals can access the schedule of industries and RSVP at jccc.edu/NetworkFairPro. Questions? JCCC’s Career Development Center can help. Call 913-469-3870 or email careerdevelopment@jccc.edu for more information and to register.

Banish the winter blues with a sunny garden kit! Whether you are a novice or an avid gardener, our Student Life Ambassadors have something amazing for you. RSVP to this event to get some pots, dirt, and seeds!  Our team of ambassadors will walk you through the gardening process, so stay tuned for this video on March 24th.

Want to win a grand prize? RSVP and tag friends in our IG garden post to be in the running!

  • PELA Presents: Women’s History Month Speaker Alexis Simmons—3/24 at 6:00 PM

Join the Political Engagement Leadership Alliance in a talk and discussion with Alexis Simmons. Alexis has previously worked on legislative committees and with a lobbying group in DC. She will be talking about her work and discussing famous speeches made by women. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://jccc.campuslabs.com/engage/event/7013201

  • Global Racism Panel—3/25 at 12:30 PM

The Black Lives Matter movement has made more visible issues of race and racism in the US. But such issues are present in countries across the world. Join our panel to expand your understanding of global racism and the ways to see possible paths toward global solutions.

Panelists include:

Professors Cecile Accilien (Kennesaw State University)

Glenn Adams (KU)

https://jccc.campuslabs.com/engage/event/7011878

 

  • Saturday Game Night—3/27 at 7:00 PM

The Student Senate is hosting weekly game nights on the CSI Discord server where we play games like Among Us, Kahoot, and Jackbox style online board games.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:00pm, but the Discord server is available 24/7, so people can stay online as long as they want.

https://jccc.campuslabs.com/engage/event/6939197

 

Other Opportunities:

JCCC has received additional, limited funding through the Federal Government, which is available to current Spring 2021 credit students.

To qualify, a JCCC student must be currently enrolled in 3 or more credit hours and have a 2020-21 FAFSA on file. Students meeting the minimum criteria will have the application available in their scholarship portal through MyJCCC.

Contact Financial Aid at finaid@jccc.edu or 913-469-3840 with any questions.

  • Kansas Micro-Internship

The Kansas Micro-Internship Program provides an opportunity for students to connect with Kansas-based companies and non-profit organizations through short-term, paid professional opportunities. Through Micro-Internships, students can demonstrate their skills, explore career paths, and develop their professional networks. These paid opportunities typically range from 5 to 40 hours of work, and students can be selected for multiple Micro-Internships. If you have any questions, please contact schools@parkerdewey.com.

All Micro-Internship opportunities are posted on the Parker Dewey platform.  To see a list of companies participating in this program and other information, click here.

Note: 20 hours of work through this program will allow you to satisfy one honors exploratory requirement by filling a reflection upon completion.

Steps to get started:

  1. Complete the Agile Work Profiler and upload a PDF of your results into the Documents section of your Parker Dewey profile.
  2. Create your account on Parker Dewey. Be sure to add Kansas Micro-Internship Program to your profile in the Affiliations section.
  3. Apply to all projects that interest you.

  

  • Apply to be a Student Senate Executive Board Member!Apply by March 22nd
    Are you looking for a leadership opportunity while at JCCC that could also fulfill an Honors Program requirement? Consider applying to be on the JCCC Student Senate Executive Board for the 2021 – 2022 academic year. Executive Board members lead the Student Senate by serving as either the President, Vice – President, Treasurer, Secretary or Parliamentarian.  Executive Board members receive a 12 credit hour scholarship for their service. Contact Advisor Anne Turney at aturney1@jccc.edu with questions or see the application here on Get Involved @ JCCC. To be placed on the ballot for the Spring 2021 elections apply by March 22nd. Qualifications and eligibility do apply.

 

  • Sustainability Internship Opportunity

The Center for Sustainability is hiring two sustainability intern positions within the next month. https://careers.jccc.edu/en-us/job/493826/sustainability-intern

Pay is $11.46 per hour 16-25 hours a week, supporting the colleges zero waste efforts, the JCCC Bird Collision Study, and Earth Week events among other sustainability related things.

 

  • Research Fellowship & Mentorship

The Center for Black, Brown, and Queer Studies (BBQ+) is an independent Center dedicated to interdisciplinary research, pedagogy, and mentorship in critical race, Indigenous, postcolonial, and queer studies. Our fellowship brings together a diverse group of scholars from undergraduates to postgraduates working across these fields in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Applications for the 2021-22 academic year are open. See below for more information or click here to apply.

 

Mark your Calendars:

 

  • Great Decisions Series

Great Decisions is the largest discussion group on major world affairs in the United States. Created by the Foreign Policy Association, Great Decisions groups provide community members an opportunity to analyze objective, nonpartisan information on important global issues that affect us all.

  • April 15th – The Korea Peninsula
  • May 6th – Global Supply Chains

The articles that are discussed can be found in the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions briefing book. For a participant guide or for more details, contact Dessa Crum in the IISS (COM 306) at iiss@jccc.edu or 913-469-7680 for more information. Learn more about Great Decisions at https://fpa.org/great_decisions/

If you will need to meet with a counselor prior to enrolling, you may want to schedule an appointment in advance by calling 913-469-3809.

 

  • Presentations from the Institute for Indigenous Studies at Lehigh University

On Wednesday, March 31st at 7:00PM EST/6:00PM CST, Madonna Thunder Hawk and Marcella Gilbert (both Cheyenne River Sioux) will be screening their film, Warrior Women, and discussing their roles in the formation of the American Indian Movement (AIM), Woman of all Red Nations (WARN) and the NoDAPL Movement.

On Wednesday, April 28th at 4:00PM EST/3:00PM CST, Sheila North (Cree) will be screening her film, 1200+, about murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada.  Sheila is the founder of the #MMIW movement in Canada.  She will be discussing what’s going on up there after the film.

 For Zoom links contact Sean Daley at smdaley@lehigh.edu.

  • Honors Student Association

Next Meeting—3/30 @ 3:30 PM

https://jccc.zoom.us/j/96723646892?pwd=SEZ1TmxhSjV2clVhWDRrVVpibHE2dz09

 

Stay in the Know…

  • Time to plan your Summer & Fall schedule!

Check out the list of honors courses for Summer and Fall here (insert course list & descriptions).

For assistance with planning your schedule, you are encouraged to reach out to  one of our designated honors counselors (Natalie Bergman nbergma1@jccc.edu  & Melanie Roberts mrober64@jccc.edu )! To schedule an advising appointment, call 913-469-3809 and identify yourself as an Honors Student.

Important semester deadlines and enrollment steps can be found in the following documents: (insert Fall 2021 steps to enroll & Summer 2021 steps to enroll docs)

Some important dates to take note of:

  • April 5th-7th: Summer 2021 Pre-enrollment
  • April 19th-21st: Fall 2021 Pre-enrollment
  • Presentation help

At the end of the spring semester, many of us prepare presentations. There is help on campus! You can schedule one-on-one Zoom meetings with any one of our librarians at https://jccc.libcal.com/appointments?lid=144&g=679 .  In addition, librarians are available for research questions almost 80 hours per week at  https://library.jccc.edu/home/ask . 

  • Coping with Depression: A Handbook for JCCC Students by Jill Konen, JCCC Counselor 

Located on the first floor of Billington Library, the Academic Resource Center is your one-stop shop for free tutoring and assistance for your credit classes. It has a large study area, a library assistant who will help you find where you need to go, and the new Stacks Cafe serving coffee and snacks. Services are still on a limited in-person basis, but you can get help online or via Zoom appointments. Each resource center has different options. Learn more by watching the following video: https://youtu.be/VEtS5QCSIZs

Need sources to keep up on local and national news?  Did you know that your JCCC Library provides online access to the Kansas City Star, New York Times, Washington Post and more? Login to these resources with your MyJCCC username and student ID #.

Here are direct links to just a few:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mentoring starts in the Classroom

While writers and many other public figures have long recognized the influence of a mentor, higher education scholars have been highlighting the positive impact of faculty-mentors on student success (retention and completion) since the 1990s. Such acknowledgement first emerged in the scholarship on high-impact practices, pioneered by the likes of George Kuh. The faculty-student rapport was soon seen as essential to student’s academic and personal success. Indeed, in the 2006  report to the National Symposium on Post-secondary Student Success, scholars state: “student persistence and success are related to the extent to which students interact with supportive adults on campus, both inside and outside the classroom.” (40)

 

Maintaining our own sense of belonging may be challenging enough in our Covid-physically-distant era; how can we possibly foster rapport in our virtual classrooms, let alone connect with students who are not currently on our rosters? Paradoxically enough, the latter might contribute to the first: being curious and wanting to know our students and their current circumstances is especially important right now. Even a few simple questions (How are you? How are you handling school / work and other responsibilities? How can I support you?) provide important context within which to place our students and help us meet them where they are. In the process, we support their academic success as well as their well-being simply because we see them.

 

So as we start the semester, I would encourage us all to consider the following:

  • If you meet synchronously with students, consider using the whole first class period. Make the best of this opportunity to get to know students and allow students to get to know one another: ice-breakers or conversations in pairs or small groups are not as overrated as one may think!
  • Introduce yourself! That goes for the synchronous and the asynchronous classes. As instructors, depending on the identities we hold, it might be challenging to strike the right balance between cultivating respectable distance and remaining approachable. Personally, I invest in my approachability and it has paid dividends in the classroom.
  • Both of the previous first point feed this third: what you do and say on the first day of class sets the tone. Be mindful of setting a welcoming and supportive one, ensuring that students feel heard and recognized (easy to address them by name on zoom!).

 

Mentoring can start in our class-rooms, by establishing a strong rapport with our students such that they will feel safe and able to take the risks necessary for them to challenge themselves and engage in the learning process unequivocally.

Starting Conversation

While meeting a student for office hours often follows a prescribed script, engaging in conversation with a student who may not be in your class, might be awkward. Here are some questions you may want to consider, as you get to know the student and their aspirations.

  • What do you dream of achieving one day?
  • If money was no issue, how would you spend your time?
  • What challenge do you want to overcome?
  • What does success look like to you?
  • What risk are you happy that you took?
  • What can you do that you could not do a year ago?
  • What are you working towards that you could use help with?
  • What are you passionate about and want to spend more time doing?
  • How are you making a difference in the world?

Mentoring Benefits

The benefits of a mentoring relationship are many for both the faculty member as well as the honors student. Scholarship in higher education has demonstrated often that a positive interaction between a faculty and a student will lead to increased retention and completion. At minima, we hope to see increased completion of honors requirements and JCCC degrees. Beyond this, we are hoping for a deeper sense of satisfaction with their learning from one another.

Our observation to date shows that:

  • Students will:
    • Feel cared for
    • Feel like they belong
    • Feel respected
    • Feel safe
    • See their confidence bolstered
    • Get connected not just to the faculty but to groups and networks
    • Allow themselves to grow + challenge themselves
    • Commit more easily
    • Rise to success
    • Are inspired
    • Persist and complete
    • Trust
  • Faculty will:
    • Be fueled by the opportunity to care for an other individual
    • Further energized to do their job
    • Inspired to enhance their teaching content
    • Satisfied by the impact they can have on a student
    • Feel valued

Honors Mentoring

Scholars of honors education and higher education report that positive faculty-student interaction is associated with successful academic performance. Accordingly, the Honors Program at JCCC expects each honors student to enjoy regular interactions with a member of the JCCC faculty.

Faculty becoming a role model to an honors student and accepting to visit at least once every semester to discuss available resources, academic pathways, transfer opportunities, career options, or research opportunities for instance, are hitherto called honors mentors. Honors mentors are first and foremost cheer-leaders, bolstering honors students’ confidence when it may falter.

The relationship between the honors student and their mentor will develop organically out of a course or honors contract. In some instances, the honors student may seek out a faculty member more purposefully, if the happenstance meeting did not take place.

The Honors Program is devoted to fostering these relationships. To this end, we are making a number of tools available to students and faculty to ease conversations and suggest constructive direction for the interaction. In our toolkit, you will find conversation starters, pre-interview questions for students to prepare their first conversation, recommendations for drafting their first email, tips for how to address their faculty mentor, what to wear and generally how to maintain a professional demeanor.

To further ensure sustained investment in the honors student / mentor interaction, the Honors Program strongly encourages faculty teaching honors courses to adopt one of the suggested reflection prompts as one of their course-assignments. While the Honors Program director will not expect to see students’ reflections, our hope is that faculty will share with the leadership of the Honors Program reports of failing relationships, so that alternative mentors may be identified.