WSU is using the immersive digital environment of virtual reality to connect high schoolers with mentors to help prepare them for college. “Using cutting-edge technology, we’re using immersive VR experiences to engage in simulated environments that give the sense that the students—or actually their avatars—are meeting in person with their WSU student mentors,” said Ray Acuña-Luna, director of College Access Programs in the Office of Academic Engagement.
The Washington State University Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President has filled two new interim vice provost positions with experienced program directors and alumni Terese King and Michael Highfill. “These appointments support the evolving role and responsibilities of DAESA at the university,” said William B. Davis, DAESA interim vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement. “We appreciate the vision and leadership they will bring to their new roles and look forward to the many valuable contributions they will make.”
William (Bill) Davis has been appointed interim vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement and will begin a one-year term on July 1. Davis will succeed Mary Wack, who has served as vice provost since 2007. She is retiring, but will stay on through August as Davis transitions into his new role. “We are fortunate to have such a strong leader like Bill Davis to serve in this role, one that is critical to our educational mission at WSU,” provost Elizabeth Chilton said.
What do you get when you make pizza, pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins, and ice cream all on a Saturday? Plates and bowls of deliciousness plus an introduction to college-level science, if you are a lucky high-schooler who attended a virtual cooking class hosted by Washington State University’s Office of Academic Engagement and the School of Hospitality Business Management. For three hours, dozens of OAE student participants across the state followed along in their own home kitchens while three HBM instructors in chef’s whites worked in front of cameras set up throughout Todd Hall’s commercial kitchen in the Carson College of Business.
The Washington State University Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement (DAESA) celebrated faculty, staff, and students whose contributions through academic year 2020-21 promoted students, teaching, and learning success and excellence university wide. The awards announced are being made by DAESA units that include the University Common Requirements (UCORE) program, the Academic Success and Career Center (ASCC), the Transfer Center for Policy and Resources, the Office of Academic Engagement, and First-Year Programs.
With a goal to better understand graduates’ immediate plans, Washington State University has emailed a questionnaire to 5,748 seniors asking about what they will do following graduation. “It’s important to understand that this is the first time we have conducted a university-wide survey to gather this type of statistical data,” said Mary F. Wack, vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement. “The new ‘Undergraduate Placement Survey’ will give the university its first comprehensive picture across the institution.”
Washington State University faculty with innovative ideas to enhance teaching and learning are encouraged to apply by March 15, 2021 for a Smith Teaching and Learning Grant of up to $5,000, announced Mary F. Wack, vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement. There are two focus areas of this year’s awards: increasing course completion and student progress by reducing high C-DFW rates and redesigning large lecture courses for active student engagement in a flipped or hybrid course design.
