Academics
- Learning Resource Centers
- Faculty Involvement
- Peer Mentoring
- Making Achievement Possible (MAP)
- StrengthsFinder™
- Special Interest Housing
- Summer Reading Program
Making Achievement Possible (MAP)
MAP-Works was developed through a partnership between Ball State University and Educational Benchmarking (EBI). The result is the web-enabled next generation of Ball State's innovative program, Making Achievement Possible. MAP-Works is an innovative approach to improving students' transition to the college environment and is now available for all institutions.
How does it work?
- Data Transfer: Student-level profile information (i.e. Gender, SAT/ACT scores, Race/Ethnicity) and institution-level profile information (i.e. Percentage of students that graduate within 5 years) are uploaded to the MAP-Works database.
- Transition Survey: First-year students are surveyed regarding their high school behaviors and expectations of college life. Survey content centers around 4 major concepts:
- Learning (Expected grades, grades earned in the past, basic study skills, maximization of study skills)
- Connections (Student activities and residence hall life)
- Making Healthy Choices (Time management, eating healthy)
- Knowing Yourself (Academic abilities and self-management)
- First-Year Student Reporting: Survey results are reported back to each student in an easy-to-understand online report. Results are benchmarked against their first-year cohort to help them better understand their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, institution-specific information is embedded in these reports to provide students information regarding on-campus resources like learning centers and student activities functions.
- Faculty/Staff Reporting: Student survey results are also reported to faculty/staff who serve as academic advisors, first-year course instructors, and/or hall directors. These faculty/staff members will receive results for their students only. They will have opportunities to intervene if students are reporting risky behaviors (i.e. poor study skills, poor support system, not adapting to college life, etc.).
- Institution Reporting: In addition, MAP-Works customers receive access to the complete set of aggregated survey results that are offered for other EBI assessments. These reports allow administrators to support global first-year program improvements.
How is it used at UIC?
In Campus Housing, we use this information in several ways. Aside from the information the student gains directly from the instrument, our staff use it:
- With the individual student: The information shared allows us to look at each student individually and get a sense of how the transitions might be going for them. For example, if we are meeting with a student to help them with a class, we might check to see what areas of concern show up through the MAP survey. That gives us an opportunity to check on that area and find out how we might support the student through the issue. Additionally, we look at key areas of concern and make it a point to follow up with those students.
- Within the community: The MAP information is extremely useful in developing educational and social programming for a floor, building, or area of campus. If we notice, for example, that a particular floor is having trouble developing in one area, we may make it a point to provide some information, presentation or full program to address the need.
- In developing large scale policy: When making departmental policy, it is extremely important to us that we understand what students are going through. The MAP tool is one great way that we learn more about the total population of students living with us.