New program aimed at improving students’ skills beyond classroom

When West Texas A&M University students begin classes Jan. 17 for the spring semester, many will take part in a pilot program designed to better help them reach their full potential.

The WT Division for Student Affairs won a $300,000 grant in October from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to plan and implement the new “Journey of the Buffalo” initiative.

Partnering with Advising Services and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs leaders developed a three-pronged program launching this spring that will offer actionable steps for students to improve their personal well-being, find healthy relationships and community, and cultivate practical skills in addition to those learned in the classroom.

“We want to make sure our Buffs understand the hard work and dedication required to find success, not only in the classroom but in the real world,” said Amber Black, assistant vice president for student success and wellbeing. “This step-by-step journey will help us better assess how students are improving through their interactions with departments and divisions all across campus.”

Ultimately, Journey of the Buffalo will spotlight the meaning and purpose of activities facilitated by Student Affairs, Black said.

“We’re often considered to be in charge of the fun stuff, and having fun certainly is an important part of the college experience,” Black said. “But this journey really emphasizes the intentionality with which we plan our activities, such as orientation programs, Supplemental Instruction sessions, career fairs and others.”

The program—inspired by “The Curricular Approach to Student Affairs: A Revolutionary Shift for Learning Beyond the Classroom” by Kathleen G. Kerr, Keith E. Edwards, James Tweedy, Hilary L. Lichterman and Amanda R. Knerr—was first brought to the Division of Student Affairs’ attention by the Office for Residential Living, said Chance Haugen, assistant vice president for campus community and engagement.

“When I started in my position in June, one of my main focuses was to get all of our different departments to work together to impact student learning,” Haugen said. “This approach is all about student learning— what they’re learning in our programs and different offices. For many years, the measurement tool was how many students attended an event, but attendance doesn’t mean you’ve learned anything.”

The program calls for students to be challenged and motivated “to grow as people of integrity to reach their full potential at WT and beyond.”

“We want to make sure that when our students leave the University, they have learned a set of valuable skills and are ready for life in the real world,” Haugen said.

In the pilot semester, the Division of Student Affairs, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and Advising Services each will find ways to address two learning outcomes under the initiative’s three major goals: personal well-being, healthy relationships and community, and practical skills.