Capstone Scholars Program Annual Report 2011-2012 Prepared by: Ms. Kimberly Howard Graduate Assistant
BACKGROUND OF PROGRAM AND REPORT The Capstone Scholars Program was developed during the summer of 2004 and implemented in fall 2005 to provide a unique and engaging learning experience for high-achieving students who fall just shy of admission to the South Carolina Honors College. The Capstone Scholars Program represents a dynamic partnership of academic and student affairs units on campus. It was envisioned that a community of 300 – 350 freshmen would enter the program each academic year. The Program was received with great enthusiasm and welcomed an inaugural class of approximately 480 Capstone Scholars in August 2005. There were 552 entering Capstone Scholars in 2006, 597 in 2007, 524 in 2008, 498 in 2009, 484 in 2010, and 541 in 2011. The Program is a major success in recruiting bright students to campus. The vast majority of the Capstone Scholars are highly successful in the classroom. The Program continues to explore ways to get more of the Capstone Scholars to engage in voluntary educational enrichment activities. This report documents the seventh year of the Program and outlines anticipated changes for the 2012-13 academic year and beyond, although the only other annual reports completed were for 2007 and 2008.
TABLE OF CONTENTS BACKGROUND OF PROGRAM AND REPORT ................................................................................................. 1 KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2011-2012 ANNUAL REPORT .......................................................................... 3 STAFF ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 THE CAPSTONE SCHOLARS OFFICE ............................................................................................................... 4 CAPSTONE SCHOLARS PROGRAM ADMISSION AND CLASSES ...................................................................... 4 SUMMER ORIENTATION ............................................................................................................................... 7 CAPSTONE REQUIREMENTS AND POINT SYSTEM ......................................................................................... 8 CAPSTONE SCHOLARS PROGRAM ACTIVITIES............................................................................................... 8 OTHER INVOLVEMENT ................................................................................................................................ 20 SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS ............................................................................................................ 24 CAPSTONE CONNECTIONS PEER MENTOR PROGRAM ............................................................................... 29 CAPSTONE SCHOLARS FELLOWS PROGRAM ............................................................................................... 33 GPA.............................................................................................................................................................. 36 HOUSING ..................................................................................................................................................... 37
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PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ............................................................................................................................ 38 REMOVALS AND TRANSFERS ...................................................................................................................... 39 WEBSITE ...................................................................................................................................................... 40 MARKETING FOR PROGRAM EVENTS ......................................................................................................... 40 PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS ................................................................................................................ 42 GRANTS RECEIVED ...................................................................................................................................... 42 CAPSTONE SCHOLARS SUPPORT FUND....................................................................................................... 42 CROSS-CAMPUS ADVISING PARTNERSHIP .................................................................................................. 43 PARTNER OFFICES ....................................................................................................................................... 43 CHANGES FOR 2012-13 AND BEYOND ........................................................................................................ 44
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2011-2012 ANNUAL REPORT
Capstone Scholars incoming freshmen for 2011/2012 class yielded 541 students from 28 states and two different countries (USA and Greece). Statistical snapshot: o 59% female/41% male o 38% In-State/62% Out-of-State o Mean SAT: 1324/ Mean ACT: 29.8. o Close to 20 students were admitted via an appeal application process (close to 70 applied) for students who came in just under the “auto invite” levels but demonstrated strong community, leadership, and academic skills
At the conclusion of the 2011/2012 academic year, the average GPA for Capstone Scholars freshmen was 3.62 while the sophomores average cumulative GPA was 3.58.
Overall levels of participation in Capstone Scholars events were higher in fall 2011 than in previous fall semesters. o 95.2 % freshmen and 60.9% for sophomores attending at least one Capstone Conversation (91.5%; 47.7% fall 2010) o 94.4% freshmen and 63:3% sophomores attending at least one social (89.5%; 50.6% fall 2010) o 91.6% freshmen and 58.1% sophomores engaging in service learning (84.5%; 46.8% fall 2010) o 91% freshmen and 60% sophomores completing their personal challenge (88.4%, 47% fall 2010)
Spring 2012 participation numbers also exceed the previous year. o 74.8% freshmen and 44.6% sophomores attending at least one Capstone Conversation (78.3%; 37.4% spring 2011) o 46.3% freshmen and 27.1% sophomores attending at least one Capstone social (100%*, 26.1% spring 2011)
o o
*Every freshman scholar was awarded a social point this semester due to lack of attendance record at the end of year social
71.5% freshmen and 43.3% sophomores completing community service (65%; 26% spring 2011) 70% freshmen and 43.9% sophomores completing their personal challenge (64%; 26% spring 2011)
Based on the students’ experiences in the Capstone Scholars Program for 2011/2012 academic year, 93.5% would recommend the program (94% freshmen; 93% sophomores).
88% reported being satisfied based on the Capstone Scholars team’s visibility, helpfulness, and accessibility.
84% of Capstone Scholars (81% freshmen; 89% sophomores) feel they are more likely to engage in higher impact practices like leadership activities, undergraduate research, study abroad and service learning based on their experiences in the Capstone Scholars Program.
76% of Capstone Scholars (72% freshmen; 81% sophomores) feel they are more likely to interact with faculty and staff in and outside the classroom based on their experiences in the Capstone Scholars Program.
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STAFF Figure 1. Patrick Hickey is the Faculty Principal of the Capstone Scholars Program and holds a joint appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. David DeWeil is the Assistant Principal of the Capstone Scholars Program and Natalie Cruz is the Program Coordinator (Figure 1). Danielle Barefoot, Torri Bobo, Kelly Brittan, Julia Pribyl, Abigail Finn, Eric Goldstein, Noran Mohamed, Thomas Landzert, Chelsea Schafer, John Stathopoulos, and Alyssa Trenery were Undergraduate Assistants for the 2011-12 academic year. Hannah Reinke (junior) served in an office assistant and supervisory role for the other undergraduate assistants Eighty-eight percent of students reported being satisfied based on staff visibility, helpfulness, and accessibility. The Capstone Scholars Office went through Graduate Assistant Recruitment in order to hire a Graduate Assistant for the 2012-2013 year. As the Capstone Scholars Program continues to grow in student numbers and initiatives, it is hoped that more staff will be added to better the program.
THE CAPSTONE SCHOLARS OFFICE The Capstone Scholars Program Office is at 13 Gibbes Court. The second floor of the building houses the Study Shack, which is used for social events, meetings and other Capstone Events. It is available during the university office hours of 8:30 – 5 PM. It also houses an Office for Cross Campus Advising, which is open to students approximately ten hours a week. The Study Shack has wireless internet, cable TV, a wide variety of board and card games, and a kitchen.
CAPSTONE SCHOLARS PROGRAM ADMISSION AND CLASSES Incoming students are invited to join the Capstone Scholars by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The invitations are based on competitive GPA and SAT/ACT scores, and the starting baseline changes from year to year based on the strength of the class. The Capstone Scholars Staff would like to have an application process, but due to budget and staffing concerns, this is unfortunately not an option. Invitations are typically mailed in early-mid March.
Previous Capstone Classes After welcoming the inaugural class of 2005, the Capstone Scholars program has continued to grow and accept students with increasing test score averages. Table 1 shows the breakdown of previous Capstone classes.
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Table 1.
Class Number
of Scholars
% Instate
% Outofstate
Number of states represented
Available 31 and District of Columbia 31 27 24 29
2005 2006
480 552
Numbers 44.6%
Not 55.4%
2007 2008 2009 2010
597 524 498 484
44.2% 47% 46% 40%
55.8% 53% 54% 60%
% Male
% Female
Average SAT Score
52.2%
47.5%
1304
47.9% 43% 46% 42%
52.1% 57% 54% 58%
1299 1300 1307 1313
Average USC cumulative GPA ending Spring
3.60 3.60 3.61
Class of 2011 Figure 2. Fall 2011 Freshman Class
The seventh class of 541 Capstone Scholars arrived in August 2011. These students came from 28 states and two different countries (USA and Greece). The percentage of Capstone Scholars from South Carolina was 38%, while 62% were from out-of-state. Table 2 provides a geographic breakdown of these students. This class was 59% female and 41% male. The mean SAT score was 1324, the mean ACT score was 29.9. Twenty-one students were admitted via an appeal application process (close to 70 applied) for students who came in just under the “auto invite” levels but demonstrated strong community, leadership, and academic skills. The average freshman average USC cumulative GPA at the end of fall 2011 was 3.66. The average USC cumulative GPA ending Spring 2012 was a 3.62. Table 3 presents a breakdown of the class by College or School.
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Table 2. Geographic Breakdown of 2011 Class Midwest (7.9%) Illinois 7 Indiana 5 Michigan 3 Montana 2 Nebraska 1 Ohio 25 Northeast (17.6%) Connecticut
4
Maryland
26
Massachusetts
10
New Hampshire
1
New Jersey
22
New York
7
Pennsylvania
24
Vermont
1 South (70.4%) 2
Florida Georgia
22
Kentucky Louisiana
5 2
North Carolina
101
South Carolina Tennessee
206 6
Virginia
37 Southwest (1.3%)
Arizona Texas
1 6 West (2.4%)
Washington Wyoming
2 1
California
8
Colorado
2
Outside the U.S.A (0.4%) Greece
1
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Table 3. 2011-12 First-Year Capstone Scholars by College or School College or School Number % Arts and Sciences 35.5 192 Business 27.5 149 Education 1.7 9 Engineering and Computing 11.6 63 Hospitality, Retail & Sport Management 2.4 13 Mass Communications & Information Studies 4.6 25 Music 1.7 9 Nursing 4.8 26 Pharmacy 4.9 27 Public Health 5.3 29 Total 541 100.0
Appeals group Twenty-one of the Capstone Scholars entering in Fall 2011 were admitted through an appeals process. These students were notified mid-April 2011 if they would be admitted to the program in the upcoming fall. For the 2011 appeals group, the average USC cumulative GPA at the end of the first semester was 3.70. They also had a range of 5-15 total points for the fall semester.
Gamecock Guarantee The Gamecock Guarantee program is a need-based financial- and academic-support program that will help make attendance at the University more affordable and a South Carolina degree attainable for academically qualified residents of the state. The Gamecock Guarantee promises that each eligible student's undergraduate tuition and technology fee will be covered for up to four years if the student meets the program’s academic, financial, and participation criteria. First-year Gamecock Guarantee Opportunity Scholars Program recipients attend an extended orientation program, receive intensive academic advising, and enroll in University 101, but also can participate in their respective programs and services such as Capstone Scholars. In the 2011 Capstone class, 14 students were part of the Gamecock Guarantee. They ended their first semester at USC with an average cumulative GPA of 3.69.They also had a range of 2-22 total points for the fall semester.
SUMMER ORIENTATION Dr. Hickey and Capstone staff spoke briefly with the incoming Scholars during their breakout sessions to welcome them to the program and to make them aware of several important aspects of the Capstone Program. The incoming Scholars in Summer 2011 were given a flyer with all the available U101 sections, an explanation of the Capstone Requirements, the English 101 and 102 themed sections, and information about the peer mentor program that was part of the program last year. The staff also advertised the Ecuador Service Trip and the Undergraduate Research emphasis and grants. Because the orientation schedule only allowed time for the staff to speak to the students a maximum of 5 minutes before lunch, in hindsight the students didn’t really remember much about our time there. Dr. Hickey and the rest of the staff were also available during the information fair to answer questions from the Scholars and their parents. These interactions were highly positive. David DeWeil also followed up with students after they registered for classes if they did not sign up for a Capstone section of University 101.
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CAPSTONE REQUIREMENTS AND POINT SYSTEM Minimum Semester Requirements 1. Attendance of a Capstone Conversation, News & Views, Global Perspectives, or other approved University event 2. Participate in a Community Service opportunity (no minimum hours) 3. Attend a Capstone Scholars Social Event 4. Participate in a Personal Challenge
Points Values
Attendance of a Capstone Conversation, Global Perspectives, News & Views, or other approved University event (1 pt per event) Participate in Community Service (1 pt per service event / up to 3 pts allowable per semester) Attend a Capstone Scholars Social Event (1 pt per event) Participate in a Personal Challenge (1 pt per semester) Academics: Completion of Maymester study abroad or other study experience (5pts) Undergraduate Research (5 pts) Completion of a Capstone UNIV 290 course (3pts) Finish a semester with at least a 3.500 GPA (1pt) Finish a semester with a 4.000 GPA (2 pts total) Discovery Day Presentation (5 pts) o Present your research, study abroad, leadership or service experience at Discovery Day. Completion of an internship or in-field work experience (5 pts) Completion of the Discover Program course (3 pts) o Successful graduation from the 8-week class. Leadership: Elected position within a recognized student organization, hall government, University 101 peer leader, University Ambassador, or Capstone Ambassador (4 pts per position; 12 points max) Serve as a Resident Mentor through University Housing (5 pts) o Must serve for at least one semester. Completion of the Emerging Leaders course (3 pts) o Successful graduation from the 8-week class.
CAPSTONE SCHOLARS PROGRAM ACTIVITIES Based on the students’ experiences in the Capstone Scholars Program for 2011/2012 academic year, 93.5% would recommend the program (94% freshmen; 93% sophomores). Eighty-four percent of Capstone Scholars (81% freshmen; 89% sophomores) feel they are more likely to engage in higher impact practices like leadership activities, undergraduate research, study abroad and service learning based on their experiences in the Capstone Scholars Program. Approximately 2/3rds of Capstone Scholars (72% freshmen; 81% sophomores) feel they are more likely to interact with faculty and staff in and outside the classroom based on their experiences in the Capstone Scholars Program.
University 101 University 101 offered 26 Capstone sections in fall 2011. Some Capstone Scholars may have alternatively enrolled in BMEN 101 (for biomedical engineering majors) or ENCP 101 (for engineering majors). Although the staff makes all efforts that all students enroll in a Capstone Scholars section of U101, each year a number of students enroll in a general course or do not enroll in U101 at all. Table 4 shows the instructors and Peer Leaders for the Capstone sections of U101.
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Table 4. 2011 University 101 Instructors Instructor Department Ryan Padgett National Resource Center Timothy Simmons Thomas Cooper Library Jeannie Weingarth Koger Center (2 sections) Jimmie Gahagan Student Engagement Tyler Gailey Residence Life Andy Fink Residence Life Gaby Peschiera-Carl Study Abroad Dottie Weigel Student Engagement Stefanie Pirwitz College of Engineering Pete Liggett Counseling & Human Development Center Alisa Cooney Liggett Student Conduct Meredith Bellamy Darla Moore Business School Elizabeth Orehovec Admissions Laura Lambdin Darla Moore Business School Alexandra Scovel Admissions Kinsey Cooper Student & Alumni Services Bill Tomes INST PUB SRV & POLICY RES Natalie Cruz Capstone Scholars (2 sections) Brooke Roper Honors College Keith Warren Biological Sciences David DeWeil Capstone Scholars
Peer Leader Kinsey Parrish Emily Supil Kari Roberts (CS)* Matthew Lindenberg (Grad) Sandrine Heeren (Grad) Stefanie Chamberlain (CS) None None Lauren Stitzlein (CS) Emilie Johnston Erin Sylvester (Grad) Michael Jones (Grad) Madeline Chandler Casey McClary (CS) Hayley Spear Jami Holloway Elizabeth Book (Grad) Seana McKee None Sean Arnold (CS) Kimberly Howard Donna McNeil Brewer Eberly (CS)
*”CS” means that the student was a Capstone Scholar
University 290 courses The Capstone staff collectively offered 3 U290 courses in Spring 2012, two of which were study abroad programs as well. David DeWeil taught UNIV 290L: Topics in Leadership in which 10 Capstone students enrolled. Additionally, Faculty Principal Patrick Hickey taught UNIV 290C: International Healthcare in Belize over spring break, and 10 of the 20 students in the class were Capstone Scholars. Program Coordinator Natalie Cruz also led a class to Puerto Rico over the break for UNIV 290P: Service from Columbia to the Caribbean, in which 7 of the 11 students were Capstone Scholars.
English courses Capstone Scholars has a close relationship with the English Department, and it is the only academic department besides University 101 that offers Capstone specific sections. Nine themed sections of ENGL 101 (Table 5) and five themed sections of ENGL 102 (Table 6) were offered in fall 2011. Eight nonthemed sections of ENGL 102 were offered in the spring. Though the themed sections were originally open to Capstone students, many non-Capstone students did enroll at a later point in the registration process. As a result Capstone Scholars made up 53% of students enrolled, and 47% of students were enrolled from the general student population (296 total). Post-surveys show that students gained strong favorable views of the theme courses from beginning to the end of the course. Table 5. Fall ENGL 101 Theme Technobabble: Reading and Writing about Humans and Technology Reading and Writing about Harry Potter as a
Instructor Grace Hagood Nicole Fisk
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Cultural Phenomenon Reading and Writing about Seeing: Truth in Documentary Film Reading and Writing about Shakespeare in Adaptation From Mark Twain to Twitterature: Reading and Writing about Language Diversity Blood, Sex and Glory: Reading and Writing about Myths and Legends Borders, Boundaries and Belonging: Reading and Writing about Cultural Crossroads Reading and Writing about Modern Drama through Television Reading and Writing about the Blues
Table 6. Fall ENGL 102 Theme Researching and Writing about the Rhetoric of War Researching and Writing about Why We’re in College Thieves, Lies, and Murderers: Researching and Writing about the Rhetoric of Crime Reporting Researching and Writing about Democracy Researching and Writing around the Globe: Communicating Across Cultures
Brian Harmon Emily Rendek Sarah Lide Paul Brown Alexis Stratton Marvin McAllister Alison Arant
Instructor Greg Mumpower Matt Simmons Jennifer Martinsen Jonathan Butler Sherry Warren
2011-12 Capstone Conversations Speakers are brought in to speak from USC and the Columbia area to speak to the Scholars multiple times throughout the semester in events called Capstone Conversations. Figures 7 and 8 shows all the Conversations held this academic year. Table 7. Fall 2011 Conversation Patrick Hickey, Overcoming your Fears – Personal Challenge Dennis Pruitt, Vice President of Student Affairs President Pastides, Leadership (Figure 3) Student Organizations, Greek Life, Leadership, OUR, Leadership Opportunities Study Abroad Office, Study Abroad Information Harlen Cohen, Author, The Naked Roommate (cosponsored with Carolina Productions) Office of Student Engagement, Mutual Expectations
Attendance 142
Figure 3. President Pastides speaking
96 140 34
72 123
14
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Bud Ferillo, Making a Difference: Every South Carolinian’s Obligation Healthcare Initiative, Getting Involved in Healthcare: Shadowing, Research, etc. Charles Bierbauer, CNN Correspondent, The election and CNN Dr. Elizabeth Mack, Experience as a Pediatric Intensivist David Whiteman, Green Quad Living and Learning Community, Green Initiatives Ray Tanner, Baseball Coach, Impacting the Community (Figure 4)
Table 8. Spring 2012 Dr. Amiridis, Provost, Leadership NY Times Journalist Kelly Brittan, Student, Habitat for Humanity Experience Jim Bynum, Geography, Travel Experiences Larial Allen, Biggest Loser Experience Karen Thompson, Eat Like a Pro Etiquette Dinner Madeleine McGee, The Greater Good Non-Profit Career Fair Sharrod Golighty, Football player, Football Experiences Dr. Charles Bennet, Internationally known expert, Adverse Drug Prevention Mayor Benjamin, Leadership (Figure 5)
46
49
Figure 4. Coach Tanner speaking
94
63 13
179
40 40 22
Figure 5. Mayor Benjamin speaking
25 70 74 25 57 63
109
News & Views/Global Perspectives In additional to the Capstone Conversations of varying speakers and times, the program also offered small group conversations led by David DeWeil and Natalie Cruz. David DeWeil led “News and Views”, which was a current events discussion held bi-weekly on Tuesday at 12:30 for students to discuss current events. Natalie Cruz led a bi-weekly program called “Global Perspectives”, which showcased different international students from USC who shared about their culture. International current event discussions also took place occasionally. Overall these sessions were sparsely attended, but many of the same students that came each week and facilitated the building of good relationships.
Alternative Conversations The Staff looks for educational and comparable programs that are held around the university by our partner offices and beyond. These give students a bit more flexibility and options if the times and topics of our Capstone Conversations do not work for them. There were 33 Alternative Conversations for
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2011/2012 which included: Last Lecture Series, Major Mondays, Diversity Dialogues, International Business Forum, select Carolina Productions events, No Impact Man Film Festival, Trivia Night, Tunnel of Awareness, and Be a Man lecture series. Additionally, Capstone held seven News & Views and Global Perspective events in the fall semester. There were five News & Views and four Global Perspectives offered in the spring. At the end of fall 2011, more than 75% of Capstone Scholars had attended a Capstone Conversation. Tables 9 and 10 show a breakdown of participation. Table 9. Conversation Participation Fall 2011
Spring 2012
19.9% (191)
37.5% (351)
4.8% (26)
23.3% (121)
39.1% (165)
55.3% (230)
51.1% (511)
43.8% (410)
Freshmen
58.7% (323)
54.0% (281)
Sophomores
41.6% (188)
31.1% (129)
24.4% (245)
17.5% (164)
32.5% (179)
20.8% (108)
14% (66)
13.5% (56)
No conversations Freshmen Sophomores Minimum of one conversation
More than one conversation Freshmen Sophomores
Table 10. Point Totals for Conversations – Fall 2011 3%
1%
1%
2% 1 point 2 points
6%
3 points 13%
4 points 54%
5 points 6 points 7 or more points
Socials The First-Year Capstone Scholars were welcomed to the Program during a Welcome Luncheon at the Russell House. Second-Year Capstone Scholars were welcomed back with a Welcome Week cookout. Each month the Program hosted Hot Cookie Friday (Figure 6) on alternating weeks and Everybody’s Birthday Party. Tables 11 and 12 show the types of socials that were offered and how well they were attended. Tables 13 and 14 show a breakdown of participation for this academic year. Table 11. Fall Socials Events
Attendance
Hot Cookie Friday - 8/19
308
Mentor Welcome - 8/22
73
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Everybody's Birthday Party - 9/2
169
ECU Football Game - 9/3
109
Hot Cookie Friday - 9/16
146
Hot Cookie Friday - 9/30
134
Everybody's Birthday Party 10/14 Everybody's Birthday Party 11/4 Hot Cookie Friday - 11/18
114
Final Social - 12/2
180
Table 12. Spring Socials Events
Attendance
Welcome Event - 1/13
141
Hot Cookie Friday - 1/27
132
Super Bowl Party - 2/5
133
Everybody's Birthday Party 2/10 Hot Cookie Friday - 2/24
67
Coffee House Event
31
Hot Cookie Friday - 3/16
73
Everybody's Birthday Party 3/30 Hot Cookie Friday - 4/13
101
Fellows Recognition Banquet 4/18 Capstone Ball - 4/15
109
Figure 6. Undergraduate Assistant Kelly Brittan
103 260
54
218
106
Table 13. Social Participation Fall 2011
Spring 2012
19.29% (185)
36.3% (340)
5.6% (30)
21.7% (227)
36.7% (155)
54.5% (227)
44.3% (442)
38.6% (361)
Freshmen
47.5% (260)
46.3% (245)
Sophomores
40.2% (182)
27.1% (116)
32% (320)
23.9% (224)
43.3% (238)
29.2% (152)
18.4% (83)
17.3% (72)
No Socials Freshmen Sophomores Minimum of one social
More than one social Freshmen Sophomores
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Table 14. Point Totals for Socials – Fall 2011 4%
2% 5%
1 point 2 points
6%
3 points
11%
4 points 57%
5 points
15%
6 points 7 points or more
Service Capstone Service Fridays occurred one day a month, opposite of Hot Cookie Fridays. Students report their service activity in an online survey at the end of the semester. This year saw many more entries for the service and challenge forms due to the online addition instead of just paper copies like in years past. The typical Capstone Service Friday usually had about 15 students, and transportation was provided by the staff with a 15 passenger van. Table 15 shows the level of participating in service this academic year.
Service Projects/locations included: Harvest Hope Food Bank (Figure 7) Habitat ReStore Boo at the Zoo St. Lawrence Place Pets Inc.
Figure 7.
Table 15. Service Participation Fall 2011
Spring 2012
73.4% (737)
58.4% (547)
Freshmen
91.6% (494)
70.0% (364)
Sophomores
58.1% (245)
43.9% (183)
Completed Service
Personal Challenge The Personal Challenge initiative, a unique aspect of the Capstone Scholars program since fall 2009, has been a primary driving force to motivate students to stretch beyond their perceived boundaries and to realize their potential. Inspired by Dr. Hickey’s experience conquering his fear of heights by the climbing the seven summits of the world (highest mountain on each continent) we challenge the Capstone
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students to complete a Personal Challenge each semester they are in this program (4 semesters total). In fall 2011, 91% of freshmen and 60% of sophomores completed personal challenges. Tables 17 and 18 show a breakdown of Personal Challenges completed in the fall semester by category and year in school and Table 19 and 20 describes the breakdown in the spring. Categories include: Table 16. Personal Challenge Categories Number Category What that entails 1 Balance Life skills/time management 2 Wellness Health & physical fitness; Social 3 Goals Adventures/new experiences 4 Attitudes Personal views and beliefs 5 Success Overcoming a fear; Academics 6 Potential Learning a new skill/talent 7 Legacy Extracurricular & getting involved Other
Table 17.
Fall 2011 Freshmen (n=499) 3.0% 5.0% 3.8%
1 - Balance
7.6%
2 - Wellness 3 - Goals
32.1%
4 - Attitudes 5 - Success
36.1%
6 - Potential 10.4%
7 - Legacy Other
2.0%
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Table 18.
Fall 2011 Sophomores (n=261) 3.8% 1 - Balance 8.4%
2 - Wellness
18.4%
3 - Goals 26.4%
8.0%
4 - Attitudes 5 - Success 6 - Potential
7.3%
26.8%
0.8%
7 - Legacy Other
Table 19.
Spring 2012 Freshmen (n=369) 2.4% 9.2%
1 - Balance 13.8%
2 - Wellness 3 - Goals
10.6%
4 - Attitudes 10.6%
30.4%
5 - Success 6 - Potential
11.1%
7 - Legacy 11.9%
Other
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Table 20.
Spring 2012 Sophomores (n=183) 4.9% 1 - Balance 11.5%
14.8%
2 - Wellness 3 - Goals
5.5%
4 - Attitudes
9.8%
26.2%
5 - Success 6 - Potential
13.1%
7 - Legacy 14.2%
Other
To aid students in completing their Personal Challenge, the Capstone staff set up various opportunities throughout the year including Challenge Course dates and a Skydiving date. On November 4, 2011, 50 Capstone students and Program Coordinator, Natalie Cruz, went to Skydive Carolina in Chester, SC (Figure 8). Twenty five more Scholars completed the dive on November 11, 2012 and 6 more April 9, 2012.
Figure 8. Natalie Cruz with seven of her U101 students
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Cultural events and Fitness Events Capstone regularly sponsors and offers tickets to students for various community events (Table 21) throughout the semester. These tickets are purchased through the Koger Center for the Student Rate. Capstone also sponsors a few fitness events each year. Table 21. Event USC Octathalon – 9/25 Bow-Tie Run 5k – 9/17 USMC Mud Run USC Dance Company – 10/17 Columbia City Ballet presents Dracula – 10/27 USC Dance Company Rain Nutcracker – 12/2 Romeo and Juliet – 2/3
Cost $15 $10 $170.00 per team $11
Attendance 3 4 12
$11
35
$11 $45 $11 $11
10 10 25 13
Other events/activities
10
Figure 9. Capstone Ski Trip
Capstone offered four challenge course dates throughout the year o September 19 – 21 students attended o October 10 – 15 students attended o February 22 – 1 student attended o March 22 – 4 students In spring of 2012, Capstone arranged a ski trip to Beech Mountain in NC with 18 students in attendance (Figure 9) Safe Zone Ally Training was offered to Capstone Students during the spring semester. Four students attended.
Study Abroad In the 2011-12 academic year, 201 Capstone Scholars studied abroad (see the breakdown in Table 22). Table 22. Capstone Students Abroad* Time Entire Fall Abroad Academic Semester Year Number 7 15 of Students
Winter Break
Spring Semester
Spring Break
Maymester
Summer
4
45
22
37
71
*Note: This includes juniors and seniors as well. In May of 2012, 13 Capstone scholars travelled on the Capstone maymester to Ecuador with David DeWeil and Jimmy Gahagan for COLA 298M: Service Learning in Ecuador. Table 23 presents a breakdown of the class by academic major.
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Table 23.
2012 Ecuador Maymester Trip Political Science 8%
Pharmacy 15%
International Business 46%
Engineering 15% Nursing 16%
Figure 10. David DeWeil with several students in Ecuador
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Past Capstone Maymester Study Abroad Program include: Table 24. Year Location 2006 England and Ireland 2007 China 2008 Japan and Greece 2009 Peru and Italy 2010 Ecuador 2011 Ecuador 2012 Ecuador
Enrollment 16/14 22 16/24 17/11 20 20 13
OTHER INVOLVEMENT Capstone students need to earn a minimum of 4 points per semester, but many students go above and beyond. Freshmen in the fall 2011 semester earned as many as 29 points, but as few as 0. The average was 7.78. The total points for the fall semester of students not living in Capstone ranged from 0-22, but the average point total was 6.75. During the spring 2012 semester, the average freshman point total increased to 14.23.
Internships Students can earn five (5) points for completing an internship or in-field work experience. During the 2011-12 academic year,36 Capstone Scholars participated in an internship experience. Table 25 shows students’ internship locations. Table 25. Internship Locations Fall Freshmen
Sophomores
AgFirst Farm Credit Bank* Becton Dickinson By Invitation Only Event Planning & Design Carolina Tool Works, Inc. Clippard Instrument Laboratory Department of Justice - National Advocacy Center Etihad Airways Fripp Island Company Lynch Plastic Surgery Nashville Zoo PricewaterhouseCoopers Richland County Coroner's Office South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Southern Cross Club St. Julien Hotel and Spa
Spring
Augusta National Golf Course Gamecock Productions SC State Senate South carolina pride movement Sweet Bay Equine Bradley Elementary School Lynch Plastic Surgery Organizing for America/SC Democratic Party office PC University Senate Judiciary Committee State Farm Insurance State Farm Insurance/Wink Magazine University Foundations
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State Farm Insurance Sustainable Carolina United States Institute of Peace University of South Carolina Athletic Departmet USC College of Engineering and Computing USC School of Medicine OBGYN Specialty Clinic Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
* Note: Many of these internships were reported from the previous summer
Leadership The Capstone Scholars has numerous fantastic student leaders, and we give them Capstone points for the wide variety of internships and leadership positions that they have held. Students receive up to five (5) points for serving as a resident mentor through University Housing and receive four (4) points per position if they have a leadership position with a recognized student organization or hall government. Nine sophomores received points for being a Resident Mentor during this academic year and there were 34 total Capstone Scholars serving as Resident Mentors. Additionally, 114 students received points for leadership positions (see Tables 26 and 27 for the breakdown). Freshmen leadership titles included: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Peer Leader, Committee Chair, Floor Representative, Captain, Assistant, and Assistant Editor. Sophomore leadership titles included: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Co-founder, Peer Leader, Committee Chair, Editor, Coordinator, Bible Study Leader, and Senator.
Table 26.
Freshmen with Leadership Positions 1
3
Greek Life Honors Societies
11
5
Student/hall Government Student Organizations Service committee/events 4
11
Peer Leader Groups Religious Organizations
6
Other
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Table 27.
Sophomores with Leadership Positions 7 2
3
Greek Life Honors Societies
22
3
Student/hall Government Student Organizations Service committee/events 4 33
Peer Leader Groups
5
Religious Organizations Other
Emerging Leaders Program The Emerging Leaders Program is an 8-week leadership certification program that strives to provide USC students with the tools that they need to become successful student leaders. Scholars can earn 3 points for successful graduation from the class. Table 28 shows the Capstone Scholars participants in the program. Table 28. Emerging Leaders Participants Name Major David Farnham Engineering Science Theresa Krupka Business Caitlyn Leary Visual Communications Morgan McCarthy Business Logan Newbold Experimental Psychology Esther Stoudenmire History
Year Freshman Freshman Freshman Freshman Freshman Freshman
Discover Program Discover is an 8-week, not-for-credit seminar aimed at connecting and developing relationships with faculty, understanding current issues related to ethics, intellectual property, and copyright laws, learning about opportunities for funding and showcasing research, and creating a plan for research during the college experience. Capstone Scholars can earn three points for participating in this program. See Table 29 for the 2011-2012 academic year Capstone participants. Table 29. Capstone Discover Participants Semester/Year Name Fall 2011
Taylor Kuhlman
Major
Year
Biochemistry
Freshman
Residence Hall Capstone
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Fall 2011
William James Richardson
Fall 2011
Michael R. Teigen
Fall 2011
Austin Windham
Biomedical Engineering Finance
Biomedical Engineering Spring 2012 Allison (Allie) Mason Marine Science/French Spring 2012 Kerry Savage Business Management *Participants on list attended 3 or more Discover seminar dates
Freshman
HRH
Freshman
Capstone
Freshman
Capstone
Freshman
Capstone
Sophomore
OffCampus
Discovery Day Participants Discovery Day (an annual event for undergraduates at USC, all years, all disciplines) showcases students’ scholarly pursuits in and out of the classroom. Students present their experiences or findings from:
research/scholarly projects, study abroad, internships and co-ops, leadership activities, service-learning and community service, and national fellowship competitions
Table 30 below shows more information, including if they were a Magellan Scholar or received a Minigrant. Table 30. Capstone Discovery Day Participants Name Major Year
Magellan
MiniGrant
Alison Atchley
Anthropology
Senior
Y
N
Katie Atkinson
Theatre
Sophomore
N
N
Brandi Bailey
Chemistry
Senior
N
N
Torri Bobo
Marketing
Sophomore
Y
N
Krystin Bourdua
Exercise Science
Junior
N
N
Stewart Bryant
Geography
Senior
Y
N
Nicholas Burnett
Biological Sciences
Senior
Y
N
Stevie Chamberlain
Psychology
Senior
N
N
Megan Coker
Information Science
Senior
Y
N
Meghan Conroy
Anthropology
Sophomore
N
N
Melanie Dunn
Exercise Science
Senior
N
N
Nichole Dunst
Retailing
Senior
N
Y
Jenna Durham
Psychology
Senior
Y
N
Brewer Eberly
Biological Sciences
Junior
N
N
Erin Fedewa
Marine Science
Senior
Y
N
Erin Fedewa
Marine Science
Senior
Y
N
Coy Gibson
Political Science
Sophomore
N
N
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Sarah Grasty
Environmental Science
Senior
Y
N
Baldwin Hall
International Business
Junior
N
Y
Katherine Hicks
Marine Science
Junior
Y
N
Hillary Hudson
Anthropology
Senior
Y
Y
Nathan Johnston
Biological Sciences
Senior
Y
N
Kayleigh Kemmy
Exercise Science
Senior
N
N
Michael Lee
Sociology
Sophomore
N
Y
Kathryn Lucas
Biological Sciences
Sophomore
N
N
Erin McParland
Marine Science
Junior
Y
N
Abigail Mojica
Psychology
Senior
Y
Y
Monica Munoz
Public Relations
Sophomore
N
N
Christopher Pinion
Chemistry
Senior
Y
N
Sara Rapp
Spanish
Senior
Y
N
Matthew Shannon
Psychology
Senior
N
N
Nicholas Jaamin Smith Maggie Steiner
Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics Interdisciplinary Studies Chemistry
Sophomore
Y
N
Senior
Y
Y
Senior
Y
N
Senior
Y
N
Mark Williams
Mechanical Engineering Computer Science
Senior
Y
N
Amy Worthington
Anthropology
Senior
N
N
Lauren Stephens Hudson White
SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS Passport Travel Grant A total of 40 Capstone Scholars were awarded Passport Travel Grants for the summer of 2012. Fifteen Scholars (Table 31) were awarded the grant through the Study Abroad Office in which there were 40 total finalists. 25 more scholars (Table 32) were then awarded grants for summer 2012 through supplemental Capstone funds. Students were not aware whether they received the grant through Study Abroad or Capstone Scholar funds. Table 31. Passport Travel Grant Recipients Name Travel Destination Kelly Brittan England Christine Burke Ireland Julianna Laboy Capstone - Ecuador David Lazaroff Senegal Marian Humphreys Italy Hilary Yeh Italy John Stathopoulos England Kallie O'Haren Spain Mackenzie Caldwell Spain William Reynolds Japan Yusuke Welsh Senegal
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Amy Josephson Alexandra Dinu Kayla Guadagnino Elisabeth Michaels
Spain Latin America (Multicountry) Latin America (Multicountry) Capstone - Ecuador
Table 32. Supplemental Grant Recipients Name Travel Destination Deven Iatarola Capstone - Ecuador Allison Mason Senegal Maria Cannizzaro Capstone - Ecuador Carra Kelly Denmark Bryan Blalock Spain Ashley Jeffords France Morgan Cretella Italy David Custer Spain Ryan Gehsmann Capstone - Ecuador Rachel Hartman Australia Debra Miller Tanzania Kedar Patel England Lori Peterson Capstone - Ecuador Katherine Wallace Scotland Amanda Cosenza Italy Tayler Manchester South Korea Helen Seely Italy Thomas Weaver Germany Leanne Branch Hong Kong Gilmore Chambers Europe (Multicountry) Joseph Wiens Germany Lauren Werner Italy Alyssa Trenery Costa Rica Alexander Barr Germany Joseph Rooney Italy
Magellan Awards The Office of Undergraduate Research is available to help students pursue their own research interests. They also sponsor the Magellan Scholars Award for Undergraduate Research. This $3000 award encourages students to develop their own research proposals and projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students additionally can earn five (5) points for engaging in Undergraduate research in Capstone, whether it is through the Magellan program or not. Magellan Scholars Awards Recipients: Summer-Fall 2011 Stewart Bryant, Capstone, Junior, Geography, USC Columbia Mentor: John Kupfer, Geography, USC Columbia Detecting floodplain microtopography and sediment flux using terrestrial laser scanning Nicholas Burnett, Capstone, Junior, Biological Sciences, USC Columbia Mentor: David Wethey, Biological Sciences, USC Columbia Physiological Impact of Intertidal Mollusk Microclimate Sarah Grasty, Capstone, Junior, Environmental Science, USC Columbia
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Mentor: Joseph Quattro, Biological Sciences, USC Columbia Application of Geometric Morphometrics in individual fin identification of the Great White shark,Charcharodon carcharias Hillary Hudson, Capstone, Junior, Anthropology, USC Columbia Mentor: Ann Kingsolver, Anthropology, USC Columbia Not Your Grandma's Knitting Circle: Knitting Collectives of the New Millennium Paul Jansch, Capstone, Sophomore, European Studies, USC Columbia Mentor: Jeff Persels, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, USC Columbia Islam in France: the 2012 French Elections Ian Jusell, Capstone, Senior, International Business, USC Columbia Mentor: Robert Rolfe, International Business, USC Columbia Major Factors Empowering the Successful Adaptation and Implementation of Distribution Networks Examined in the Microcosm of Coca-Cola’s Success in the Country of Tanzania Mike Kozik, Capstone, Sophomore, Biological Sciences, USC Columbia Mentor: Ken Shimizu, Chemistry and Biochemistry, USC Columbia The Study of the Nature of the Intermolecular Pi-stacking Interaction Erin McParland, Capstone, Sophomore, Marine Science, USC Columbia Mentor: Claudia Benitez-Nelson, Earth and Ocean Sciences, USC Columbia The inorganic and organic particulate phosphorous fluxes at the oxic/anoxic interface in the Cariaco Basin of Venezuela. Abigail Mojica, Honors, Capstone, Junior, Psychology, Experimental, USC Aiken Mentor: Laura May, Psychology, USC Aiken Exploring the Nature of Jealousy in Romantic Relationships as Moderated by Hurt Disposition Christopher Pinion, Capstone, Junior, Chemistry, USC Columbia Mentor: Andrew Greytak, Chemistry and Biochemistry, USC Columbia Testing the Dependence of Conductivity and Doping Type on Surface Modification Type for II-VI Semiconductor Nanowires Sarah Rapp, Honors, Capstone, Junior, Psychology, Experimental, USC Columbia Mentor: Kate Flory, Psychology, USC Columbia Identification of Moral and Societal Messages in Disney Films Nicholas Jaamin Smith, Capstone, Freshman, Actuarial Mathematics and Statistic, USC Columbia Mentor: Joshua Cooper, Mathematics, USC Columbia Narrowing the Gap: The Minimum Number of Givens in a Fair Sudoku Puzzle Lauren Stephens, Capstone, Junior, Chemistry, USC Columbia Mentors: Stephen Morgan, Chemistry and Biochemistry, USC Columbia Qian Wang, Chemistry and Biochemistry, USC Columbia MGS: Protein-Based Mass Spectrometric Investigation of Breast Cancer Cell Lines Spring 2012 Alison Atchley, Capstone, Senior, Anthropology, French, USC Columbia Mentor: Joanna Casey, Anthropology, USC Columbia Late Stone Age Lithic Technology in Northern Ghana Grace Beaty, Honors, Capstone, Junior, Civil Engineering, USC Columbia
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Mentor: Paul Ziehl, Civil and Environmental Engineering, USC Columbia Early Corrosion Detection and Monitoring in Steel Reinforcing Strand Carl Brzorad, Capstone, Sophomore, Psychology, USC Columbia Mentor: Doyle Stevick, Educational Leadership and Policies, USC Columbia Against all odds: the Czech rebellion against Soviet Occupation Jenna Durham, Capstone, Senior, Psychology, Communication Sciences and Disorders, USC Columbia Mentor: Denise Finneran, Communication Sciences and Disorders, USC Columbia The Relationship between Short-term Memory and Early Grammatical Learning Tomas Greizinger, Honors, Capstone, Junior, Accounting, Marketing, USC Aiken Mentor: David Harrison, Business Administration, USC Aiken New Perspectives on the Global IFRS Implementation Process Brandi Ham, Capstone, Junior, Liberal Studies, English, USC Union Mentor: Denise Shaw, English, USC Union Evaluating the Perception of Murdering Mothers, Social Media, and the Criminal Justice System, as Portrayed in American Literature and Culture Katherine Hicks, Capstone, Junior, Marine Science, Biological Sciences, USC Columbia Mentor: Stephen Kresovich, Biological Sciences, USC Columbia Determining Genotype to Phenotype Relationships via Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) Nathan Johnston, Capstone, Senior, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, USC Columbia Mentor: Marlene Wilson, Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, USC Columbia Amygdala Activation in Fear Conditioned Rats Michael Lacey, Senior, Mechanical Engineering, USC Columbia Sidney White, Capstone, Senior, Mechanical Engineering, USC Columbia Michael Griffith, Senior, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, USC Columbia Sami Al-Kindi, Senior, Mechanical Engineering, USC Columbia Mentor: Jamil Khan, Mechanical Engineering, USC Columbia 2012 Solar Splash Competition Emily Willett, Capstone, Junior, Pharmacy, USC Columbia Mentor: Betsy Blake, Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences, USC Columbia Assessment of student perceptions, attitudes, and skills regarding interprofessional behaviors on a liberal arts campus. Additionally, Capstone Scholars and the Office of Undergraduate research partner to fund the Magellan Apprentice program, which funds Capstone Scholars' research projects, specifically introductory research projects. Scholars interested in the program will work with the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) to find a faculty mentor and create a project application to submit for review. Scholars may be awarded up to $1,000 to be used for a salary, materials, and supplies. Magellan Apprentice Award Recipients: Fall 2011 Rachel Kennedy, Capstone, First Year, Nursing Johnathan Stathopoulos, Second, Biological Sciences Mentor: Dr. Carson Gross, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research Data Entry Carson Keys, Capstone, First Year, Chemistry Mentor: Dr. Shawn Youngstedt, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
2011/2012 Capstone Scholars Annual Report
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The Effects of Bright Light Therapy on Patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Carl Brzorad, Capstone, Second Year, Psychology Mentor: Dr. Stevick Doyle, Educational Leadership and Policies Against All Odds: The Psychology behind the Czech Rebellion against Soviet Occupation William Smith, Capstone, First Year, Chemistry Mentor: Dr. Stephan Fann, Surgery Living in the Hospital: The Adjusted Length of Stay Noran Mohamed, Capstone, Second Year, Biological Sciences Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Mack, Palmetto Health Reduction of Central Line Bloodstream Associated Infections by Improving Quality Control Spring 2012 Mackenzie Caldwell, Capstone, Sophomore, Marketing Mentor: Prof. Purificacion Crowe, Languages Literatures and Cultures It's Not Always About the Clothes: An International Analytical Comparison of Fashion Marketing Elisabeth Michaels, Capstone, First-Year, Pharmacy Mentor: Dr. Sondra Berger, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Optimal Expression of Human Thymidylate Synthase in Recombinant Bacteria for Structural Analysis by NMR Morgan Penzler, Capstone, First-Year, Exercise Science Mentors: Dr. Dawn Wilson, Psychology Ms. Sara St. George, Psychology Project SHINE Julia Pribyl, Capstone, Sophomore, Chemistry Mentors: Dr. Sheryl Wiskur, Chemistry and Biochemistry Mr. Ravish Akhani, Chemistry and Biochemistry The Synthesis and Use of Organic Catalysts in the Separation of Chiral Enantiomers Alyssa Trenery, Capstone, Sophomore, Biological Sciences Mentor: Dr. Charles Bennett, Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences An evaluation of pediatric adverse event reports concerning the drug Tamiflu from the United States and Canada Amanda Cosenza, Capstone, Sophomore, International Business, Economics, USC Columbia Mentor: Pia Bertucci, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, USC Columbia Il Treno
Other Honors
Paul Ahn, class of 2014, International Business major, won the Gilman Scholarship in 2012 to study in China. Renata Blachut, class of 2012, Management Science major, won the R. Gene Richter Scholarship in 2012 which supports future leaders in supply chain management. Michelle Hawkins, class of 2013, Retail major, won the Gilman Scholarship in 2012 to study in South Africa. Selma Kacapor, class of 2012, International Business major, won the Fulbright Grant in 2012 for nine months in Germany.
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Craig Raffenberg, class of 2014, Marine Science Major, won the NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship in 2012, which is awarded to majors that support NOAA’s programs and missions.
CAPSTONE CONNECTIONS PEER MENTOR PROGRAM Purpose of Peer Mentors The Capstone Scholars Peer Mentor program is designed to assist in the social, personal, and academic acclimation to not only the University of South Carolina but also the Capstone Scholars program and the Capstone House Residence Hall. Peer mentors help address common concerns in the transition from high school to college, ensure that incoming students understand the themes and principles of the Capstone Scholars program, and motivate students to be successful in their academic and program requirements. In addition to offering support, Capstone Scholars Peers help link their first year mentees with student service departments across campus.
Peer Mentor Selection Criteria and Points Capstone Scholars Peers are outstanding second year Scholars who have achieved a suggested 3.5 GPA or higher at the end of their first year of study. Capstone Scholars Peer Mentors may also be juniors who have successfully completed the Capstone Scholars program and/or are Capstone Fellows who have maintained a suggested 3.5 GPA or higher after their second year of study. However, Peer Mentors should not be Capstone RMs. Peers must be individuals who are up to date in or exceeding their point requirements and have made great progress dreaming big, impacting the community, and leaving a legacy. Fifty-five Mentors were selected (Table 33). Mentors were given 5 points for serving as a mentor, and mentees could receive up to 2 points based on how engaged they were in the program. The mentee points were determined by their mentor.
Peer Mentorship Requirements
Attend a reflection meeting twice a semester with Natalie Cruz to discuss common concerns, opportunities for engagement next month, what first years are saying about their experiences, etc. Peer Mentors must participate in the late April training/team building exercises Peer Mentors must participate in at least one mentor/mentee opportunity a month. Relationship building opportunities could include: o Attending a Capstone Scholars event with their mentees o Attending a USC event (such as a lecture, programming event, etc.) with their mentees o Going out for ice cream, lunch, coffee, or some other “get to know you/conversation” opportunity Table 33. 2011-12 Capstone Mentors Name
Year
Major
Number of Mentees
A.J. Harris Abigal Finn Alex Bren Alyssa Trenery Brandon White Brian Berry Caitlin Conway Caitlin Gilmer Caroline Gray
Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Junior Junior
Chemistry/Exercise Science College of Arts and Sciences International Business Biology History Biomedical Engineering International Business International Business Nursing
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
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Caroline Ross Casey Olden Chelsea Shafer Danielle Barefoot Devin McGinness Elizabeth Revelle Emily Craft Eric Goldstein Erin Cea Erin Shaw Gabrielle Furgiuele Grace Johnson Hannah Reinke Holland Stocker Jamie McCoy Jennifer Pham John Stathopoulos Julia Prybil Julian Greer Katie Lucas Kelly Brittan Kelsey Rolwood Kyle Clark Lacey Humphries Laura Eschenbach Lauren Weil Lucas Hogue Mackenzie Caldwell Marcie Nelson Marian Humphreys Meghan Conroy Meghan Shingleton Natalie Brenders Nicole Gutierrez Nicole Iaquinto Noran Mohamed Patrick Buffum Paul Critzman Rachel Haisfield Rachel Reighter Rachel Scheirman Robert Karpe Taylor Foster Thomas Landzert Victoria Thomas Wesley Shane
Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Junior Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Junior Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Junior Junior Junior Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Junior Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore
International Studies Sport and Entertainment Management Nursing Exercise Science Political Science Biological Sciences International Business International Business Mathematics Print Journalism Pre-Pharmacy Undeclared(education) Physical Education German Nursing Chemistry Biology Chemistry Exercise Science Biology Accounting Nursing Economics Exercise Science International Business/Accounting Nursing Business International Business Public Relations Art Education Anthropology Social Work Exercise Science Pre-med Nursing Marketing and Management Biology International Business Broadcast Journalism Hospitality Management IBCE International Studies Psychology (pre-med) Nursing Political Science Early Childhood Education Nursing
3 4 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 1 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 3
2011/2012 Capstone Scholars Annual Report
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Figure 11. Capstone Connections Opening Event
Mentorship Groups Incoming freshmen signed up at summer orientation to be partnered together with a peer mentor. A total of 55 mentors had a range of 2-4 mentees.
Sign-Up and Matching Process Students were initially informed of the program by the Welcome letter that all students receive in May after they accepted their Capstone invitation. At orientation, they were given a short interest inventory to fill out and turn in during the information fair after lunch. After orientation, students were then e-mailed and prompted to fill out another form to confirm that they would like to be in the program. The students who turned in those forms were then paired with a mentor. Mentees were paired up according to major and/or hometown. The interest inventories were provided to the mentors, but the pairs were not matched by interests. A total of 157 students (29% of overall class) opted in to the mentor program, although 9 ended up removing themselves after the first few weeks. There were not enough mentors for 18 females and one male.
Mentor Meetings and Events There were 2 required meetings during the Fall 2011 semester and a “training” in April that all mentors were required to attend. At these meetings the relationships, success, and struggles with their mentees were discussed. Many of the mentors struggled with hearing back from their mentee, but many had positive relationships. Natalie planned multiple events throughout the semester that mentors and mentees could attend, but typically these events were sparsely attended, and the mentors and mentees did not attend together. These events included tubing down the river, wandering through a corn maze, attending a Carolina Productions movie, navigating the challenge course, and a winter social.
Mentors of the Month/Year Although the original plan was to do a “Mentor of the Month”, this was dropped. There were nominations for a mentor and mentee of the semester. Julian Greer was chosen as mentor of the semester, and her mentee Megan Ingley was conversely chosen as mentee of the semester. Caitlin Gilmer was also nominated by an unofficial mentee and was also awarded co-mentor of the semester.
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Mentor and Mentee Assessment A survey was provided at the end of the fall semester to mentors and mentees to gain greater insight about the program and whether it should be continued. A total of 37 mentors and 19 mentees filled out this survey. Feedback can be seen in Table 34. Table 34.Feedback from the Program Reasons mentees reported as reasons for initially joining the program
Reasons mentors reported as reasons for initially joining the program Satisfaction with matching
Meeting/communication frequency
Reasons for rare communication
Mentee satisfaction with Capstone Connections Program
Mentor satisfaction with Capstone Connections Program
Wanting to get to know someone to help me develop personally and/or professionally (47%) Wanting to get to know upperclassmen (47%) Nervous about making friends at USC (42%) Having questions they needed help with (21%) Opportunity to impact incoming Capstone Scholars (94%), To get leadership experience (69%) 53% of mentees were satisfied with their matched mentors (21% dissatisfied) 67% of mentees reported that they got along with their mentor 62% of mentors were satisfied with their matched mentees (9% were dissatisfied) 32% of mentees met with their mentors once a semester 42% communicated more than once per semester Facebook, email, and texting were the top three modes of contact between mentors and mentees 48% of mentors reported that they would keep in contact with one or more of their mentees after the end of the semester 48% of mentors reported trying 4 or more times to meet with their mentees before giving up Mentee finding their own group of friends (33%) Mentee being too busy (30%) Mentee not responding (19%) Mentee not wanting to be in the program (9%) Mentor not making enough contact (6%) 74% believed that the program had a good variety of social events throughout the semester 50% reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the Capstone Connections Program 89% claimed that they would probably or definitely consider serving as a mentor during the next year 82% of mentors rated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with social events offered Overall 52% reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the Capstone Connections Program 94% would probably or definitely participate again
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Future Direction of the Capstone Connections The Capstone Connections Program was not officially continued after the Fall semester, but many pairs continued to meet on their own. Based on the low attendance and participation with most students, they did not think it was a good fit. Many students also wanted to have mentors but did not get in early enough. Therefore, we decided to reformat and launch the program as the “Capstone Ambassador Program”. The Ambassador program will be offered to all students in their freshman year, and they will each have 2 ambassadors in a similar major. The ambassadors will plan monthly social and educational events for them.
CAPSTONE SCHOLARS FELLOWS PROGRAM The Capstone Fellows Program was created in 2008 to award students who go above and beyond in the Capstone program with a high honor and special designation on their transcript. To become a Capstone Scholars Fellow students must: 1) Obtain at least 40 Capstone Points 2) Complete each of the 4 requirements each semester 3) Complete UNIV101 or equivalent with a “B” or higher 4) Maintain a 3.0 GPA 5) Remain in good judicial standing with the university 6) Complete an application When the Fellows Program began in 2008, it recognized 3 students. In 2009, there were 19 and last year (2010) there were 60 students. This year there were 95 (Table 35)! Points ranged from 40-79 and the average number of points earned was 50 (Table 36). The Capstone Fellows Recognition Banquet th occurred on April 18, 2012 in the Carolina Room on the 17 floor of Capstone (Figure 12). The Banquet was much more formal this year with Dr. Dennis Pruitt as a guest speaker, nice appetizers, and students being announced one-by-one to receive their certificate. Benefits to becoming a Capstone Scholar include: Notation on college transcript of Fellow status (exclusive to Capstone) Ability to apply for a Passport Travel Grant if you have not done so before Ability to apply for a Magellan Apprentice Research Grant and/or a second grant Priority to live in Fellows House at 820 Henderson Increased opportunity to become a U101 Peer Leader, University Ambassador, Capstone Ambassador, Orientation Leader and RM. Table 35. 2012 Capstone Fellows Name Major Alyssa Adkins Biological Sciences Rebekah Akins Experimental Psychology Ambria Armstrong English Danielle Barefoot Exercise Science Kirby Beal Public Health Davis Berry Biomedical Engineering Torri Bobo Accounting Mason Branham Theatre Alexandra Bren Business Kelly Brittan Accounting Jasmine Brown Experimental Psychology Leigh Burnette Early Childhood Education Mackenzie Caldwell International Business
Hometown Rock Hill, SC Statesboro, GA Millersville, PA Greenwood, SC Belmont, NC Aiken, SC Fountain Inn, SC Columbia, SC Cincinnati, OH New Albany, OH Rock Hill, SC Summerville, SC Charlotte, NC
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Evan Campbell Kaitlyn Campbell Erin Cea Meghan Conroy Amanda Cosenza Michael Devine Catherine Dominey Mary Rebecca Duensing Adam Feigh Abigail Finn Robert Coy Gibson Eric Goldstein Corinne Gontowicz Julian Greer Jessica Grimes Rachel Haisfield Benny Harris Jessica Hatala Rachel Heacox Lucas Hogue Ellyn Hopper Emma Howard Stephanie Hoyt Kendall Hughey Marian Humphreys Lacey Humphries Grace Johnson Amy Josephson Prathyusha Juturu Angela Kao Robert Karpe Brent Koscher Thomas Landzert Kathryn Lucas Tayler Manchester Auriel Matin Molly McCue Devin McGuinness Jay Menees Allison Meyer Kira Miles Meredith Leigh Mill Noran Mohamed Monica Munoz Brooke Nelson Casey Olden Timothy Olson Michelle Ouhl William Pettibone Jennifer Pham Julia Pribyl
International Studies English Business Anthropology International Business Marketing Management Science Sports and Entertainment Management Nursing Management Political Science International Business Management Exercise Science Nursing Hospitality Management Public Health Nursing Management Accounting Art History Middle Level Education International Business Chemistry Art Education Exercise Science Middle Level Education Public Health International Business Pharmacy Social Work Biological Sciences Political Science Biological Sciences Public Relations Political Science Biological Sciences Political Science Classics Public Relations International Business Political Science Biological Sciences Public Relations Management Science Sports and Entertainment Management Public Relations English Engineering Chemistry Chemistry
Orangeburg, SC Aiken, SC Lewisville, NC West Long Branch, NJ Elk Grove, CA Bluffton, SC Jacksonville, FL Columbia, SC West Columbia, SC Charleston, SC Lugoff, SC Downingtown, PA Hainesport, NJ Bishopville, MD Poolesville, MD Longmont, CO Camden, SC Sherwood Forest, MD Lutherville Timoni, MD Potomac, MD Henrico, VA Lake Villa, IL Allendale, NJ Oak Ridge, TN Henrico, VA Elgin, SC Lexington, SC Matthews, NC Plano, TX Greer, SC Bakersfield, CA Gray Court, SC Mooresville, NC Alexandria, VA Huntersville, NC Columbia, SC El Segundo, CA Bluffton, SC Cordova, TN Lebanon, NJ Knoxville, TN Ellicott City, ND Lexington, SC Doylestown, PA Wonder Lake, IL Suffield, CT Aiken, SC Festus, MO Elgin, SC Taylors, SC Broomfield, CO
2011/2012 Capstone Scholars Annual Report
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Rebecca Qiu Craig Raffenberg Peter Rassolov Amie Rischbieter Kaagen Robinson Emma Robl Kelsey Rolwood Zachary Roth Helen Seely Grant Shaffer Meghan Shingleton Alexandra Shumway Josephina Silva-Lopes Kathryn Solt Yena Song John Stathopoulos Hannah Tailor Matthew Thomas Victoria Thomas Carson Tolar Alyssa Trenery Kelsey Uhl Samantha Van Houten Emma Van Sant Joshua Walters Kaeli Weaver Lauren Weil Mary Kaitlin Wernet Carly White Hilary Yeh Allie Yost Erika Kalkofen *Katherine Jans
Nursing Marine Science Chemical Engineering Biological Sciences Marine Science Biological Sciences Nursing International Business Nursing Management Science Social Work Exercise Science Exercise Science Broadcast Journalism Biological Sciences Biological Sciences Chemical Engineering History Early Childhood Education History Biological Sciences Dance Nursing International Business Biomedical Engineering Accounting Nursing Public Relations Biological Sciences Hospitality Management Political Science International Studies Tourism Management
Greenville, SC Cincinnati, OH Columbia, SC Clinton, SC Hermitage, TN Paoli, PA Millington, NJ Silver Spring, MD Marietta, GA Marietta, GA Dallastown, PA West Des Moines, IA Chevy Chase, MD Charlotte, NC Columbia, SC Matthews, NC Columbia, SC Spartanburg, SC Chapin, SC Irmo, SC Columbia, SC Richmond Hill, GA Hackettstown, NJ Rockford, MI Blacksburg, SC Delaware, OH Rock Hill, SC Arden Oceanport, NJ Franklin, TN Greensboro, NC Silver Spring, MD Hilton Head Island, SC
*No longer at USC Table 36. Fellows’ Point Totals (as of April 2, 2012)
Total Points 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44
Number of Fellows 3 1 3 4 0 10 14 17
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Figure 12. Capstone Fellows Banquet 2012
GPA Capstone students are able to receive points for a high GPA. They can earn one point if they finish a semester with at least a 3.5 GPA and 2 points if they finish a semester with a 4.0 GPA. In fall 2011, 176 freshmen and 82 sophomores earned a 4.0. That same semester, 246 freshmen and 182 sophomores earned between a 3.5 and 4.0 GPA. The average GPA breakdown can be seen in Table 37. Table 37. Average GPA Average cumulative GPA end fall 2011 Freshmen 3.66 Freshmen not 3.65 living in Capstone Sophomores 3.389
Average GPA for spring 2012 3.529 -
Average cumulative GPA for spring 2012 3.618 -
3.306
3.583
2011/2012 Capstone Scholars Annual Report
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HOUSING In the 2011-2012 academic year, the majority (79%) of Capstone Scholars lived in Capstone Hall. Fourteen of the freshmen living in Capstone had non-scholar roommates. Of the 541 first-year scholars, 114 (21%) lived outside the Capstone community (Table 38). Table 38. Residence Hall
Bates
Number of Capstone Students 4
Bates West
9
Columbia Hall East Quad Honors Residence Hall Maxcy
12 2 2
McBryde
3
McClintock Patterson
2 15
Preston
4
Roost
1
Sims
2
South Quad
3
South Tower
7
Thornwell
4
Wade-Hampton
4
West Quad
1
Woodrow
1
No housing assignment (offcampus or unknown)
35
2
Capstone Resident Mentors Capstone House had 15 Resident Mentors (RMs) during the 2011-12 academic year (Table 39). Table 39. Capstone RMs Name Floor
Major
Year
Hometown
Jocelyn Henline
2
Biology and English
Senior
Baltimore, MD
Christopher Faulkner Lauren Stitzlein
3
Nursing
Senior
Simpsonville, SC
4
Broadcast Journalism
Junior
Olney, MD
John Eberly
5
Biology, Pre-Med
Junior
Greenville, SC
Elementary Education, Religious Studies
Sophomore
Irmo, SC
6 Vanessa Lindower
7
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Deborah Donnett Danielle Peterson Coy Gibson
8
Exercise Science, Pre-Med
Junior
Cincinnati, OH
9
Theatre, Psychology
Junior
Lexington, SC
10
Political Science with a Pre-Law focus
Sophomore
Lugoff, SC
Alexandra Bren
11
International Business
Sophomore
Cincinnati, OH
Eric Goldstien
12
International Business
Sophomore
Downingtown, PA
Kelsey Uhl
13
Sophomore
Richmond Hill, GA
Joseph Welsh
14
Dance & Mathematics (Teaching Certification) International Business, Management
Junior
Aiken, SC
Timothy Gibson
16
Applied Mathemmatics and Computer Science
Sophomore
Lexington, SC
Second Floor of Capstone In the 2011-12 academic year, the 2nd floor of Capstone was reserved to accommodate sophomores who wanted to continue to live on campus and in the Capstone community. Only three of the sophomores on the second floor of Capstone had non-scholar roommates.
Fellows House Fall 2011 was the first year that we acquired 820 Henderson to be the Capstone Scholars Fellow residence hall. The building holds up to 20 students and we hope will encourage on-campus involvement.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS For recruitment, Capstone Scholars participates in two Open House events in the fall, Scholars Day in the spring, Carolina Preview weekend in the summer and the Summer Seniors event in July. Additionally, between June 2011 and May 2012, we had approximately 82 prospective student visits. Thirty-six (44%) of those students who came to USC also became Capstone Scholars in the 2012-12 academic year (Table 40). Students visited from 24 different states (Table 41) and various regions of the country (Table 42). Table 40.
Prospective Student Visits Summer 2011 Fall 2012 Attended USC and became a Capstone Scholar in Fall 2012 42% 49%
Attended USC and did not become a Capstone Scholar in Fall 2012 Did not Attend USC
9%
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Table 41.
Prospective Visit State Representation CA IN IL CT LA MA DE WA WV CO MI TN NY KY GA PA NJ FL TX OH MD VA NC SC
Percent
1%
2%
5% 10% 10% 10% 27% 0%
5%
Table 42. Region Midwest Northeast South Southwest West
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Percent 10% 18% 54% 2% 4%
REMOVALS AND TRANSFERS Twenty Capstone Scholars from the incoming 2010 class did not return for the fall 2011 semester because they either transferred or dropped out of the program. In fall 2011, there were 18 program removal requests, one of whom was a freshman. Reasons included transferring to the Honors College, moving off campus, or financial reasons (Table 43). In spring 2012 there were 12 removal requests (six freshmen) for similar reasons, but additionally included the possibility of transferring institutions. Overall
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the retention rate for Fall 2010 first-year to second-year was 93.7%, compared to 85.9% for the general population. Table 43. Number of students listing each reason for removal request Transferring to Honors 11 9 Financial Reasons 14 Not going to take advantage of opportunities
11
Moving off campus
Transferring
WEBSITE The Capstone Scholars website was visited an average of 1,200 times from August-December, with the highest activity in the months of August and October (close to 1,500 hits those months). From January-May, average visits per month were 1676 with the highest activity in March with over 4,000 visits.
MARKETING FOR PROGRAM EVENTS Each week of the fall and spring semesters we send out a newsletter with all the upcoming Capstone events, as well as university events and opportunities. This newsletter is formulated and formatted by the program coordinator, and is sent out typically on Monday mornings. At the end of fall 2011, Capstone Scholars reported that their preferred source of information about Capstone events and opportunities was through the weekly newsletter email (81%). In addition to the newsletter, events are also advertised by promotional fliers in Capstone, through social media (Facebook, Twitter), and through University 101 instructors (See Table 44 for a breakdown). We are always looking for better ways to advertise.
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Table 44. Preferred Methods of Communication
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PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS The Capstone Scholars staff attended several conferences last year. Patrick, David, and Natalie all attended and presented at the First Year Experience Conference in San Antonio, Texas. David and Natalie also attended and presented at the South Carolina College Personnel Association (SCCPA) Annual Conference and the Student Leadership and Diversity Conference (SLDC), both held in Columbia, SC. Additionally, Natalie Cruz attended and presented at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Regional Conference in Mobile, Alabama in October 2011. The following presentations related to the Capstone Scholars Program are listed below: DeWeil, D. & Cruz, N. (2011, October). Service learning: Cultivating and developing students through impacting the community. Presented at the 2011 Annual South Carolina College Personnel Association (SCCPA) Conference, Columbia, SC. DeWeil, D. & Cruz, N. (2012, February). Can you hear me now?: The importance of effective communication in leadership. Presented at the 27th annual Student Leadership and Diversity Conference (SLDC) Hickey, P. DeWeil, D. & Cruz, N. (2012, February). Increasing student self-confidence through the power st of personal challenge, leadership development, and service learning. Presented at the 31 Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience (FYE), San Antonio, TX. Schryer, Asheley, Cruz, Natalie, and DeWeil, David (2012, February) Creating a Culture of Research: Exploring a Partnership between the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Capstone Scholars Program at USC. The National First Year Experience and Students in Transition Conference.
GRANTS RECEIVED Teaching Leadership Grant from the Center for Teaching Excellence – In summer 2011, the Capstone Scholars staff was awarded the Teaching Leadership Grant from the Center for Teaching Excellence in order to develop leadership within the Capstone Scholars Program. The grant was for $3000 and would target Capstone Scholars sections of University 101. The leadership module would introduce leadership skills to students in University 101 with at least one class period dedicated to the topic of leadership. Originally, the individual University 101 instructors were going to lead the leadership module, but it was then changed to four staff members (David DeWeil, Natalie Cruz, Mary Elizabeth Sewell, and Kevin Clarke) who would assist with the development of the course and be the ones to implement the leadership module.
CAPSTONE SCHOLARS SUPPORT FUND In Fall 2011, Capstone Scholars established a support fund in which parents and alumni could provide support for the Capstone Scholars Program. This support would include, but not be limited to cultural activities, retreats, monthly meetings, publications, study abroad scholarships, research and travel grants and other student activities and publications as deemed necessary by the Capstone Scholars Program.
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CROSS-CAMPUS ADVISING PARTNERSHIP The Cross Campus Advising Program partnered with Capstone Scholars beginning fall 2011 to offer more formal advising for Capstone Scholars. A Cross Campus Advisor was given an office space in the Study Shack for approximately 10 hours each week in order to meet with interested Capstone Students.
PARTNER OFFICES Community Service Programs Get involved in the greater community through service learning and various on-campus events. www.sa.sc.edu/communityservice Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs This office provides three levels of services and support to students: Awareness of the available nationally competitive scholarships. This includes coordinating a campus-wide process by which faculty can nominate students to visit our office; sending out publications such as flyers and newsletters to prospective applicants; speaking to students individually about scholarship opportunities. Support for students as they work through the scholarship application process, specifically helping students work on written materials for applications (completing forms, reviewing personal statements, etc.), for the most professional application possible. A part of this process is advising students about obtaining transcripts, sending materials, and providing other clerical resources. For more information about Fellowships and Scholar Programs, please visit: www.sc.edu/ofsp International Business Consistently ranked #1 by US News & World Report, the International Business school offers Capstone Scholars admission through three ways - Immediate Admission, Capstone Provisional Admission, and Competitive Admission. Office of Leadership Programs The Office of Leadership Programs part of the Campus Life Center within the Department of Student Life at the University has developed a specific section of their Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) for Capstone Scholars. ELP is a two part leadership certificate program that over the course of 6-8 hour long engaging workshops teaching basic leadership skills with the goal of providing students with the tools that they need to become successful student leaders at the University. For more information about ELP and the Office of Leadership Programs, please visit: www.sa.sc.edu/leaders. Office of Pre-Professional Advising Students planning to attend medical, other health professional schools or law school following their degree at South Carolina, should work closely with the Office of Pre-Professional Advising to become the most competitive applicants they can be. The office assists students at the university with the preparation and application process to professional schools. For more information about the Office of Pre-Professional Advising, please visit: www.sc.edu/oppa Office of Student Engagement The University of South Carolina offers learning opportunities that connect students beyond the classroom. The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) collaborates with offices throughout campus to provide information about these learning opportunities to students. OSE assists with a variety of programs for 2nd year Capstone Scholars. For more information on opportunities provided by OSE, please visit: www.housing.sc.edu/studentengagement Study Abroad Office Capstone Scholars are encouraged to study in another country as part of their University of South Carolina undergraduate program. The Office of Study Abroad can help students explore options for international study and financial aid. Every Capstone Scholar will have the opportunity to compete for a
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maymester/summer study abroad fellowship, which provides $2,000 in funding for a summer study abroad opportunity following the freshman year or throughout your undergraduate program. Additionally, there are special summer study abroad programs open to only Capstone Scholars through Maymester trips to Ecuador. For more information about the Office of Study Abroad, please visit: www.sa.sc.edu/sa Undergraduate Admissions Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for questions regarding acceptance in the Capstone Scholars program. www.sc.edu/admissions Office of Undergraduate Research The Office of Undergraduate Research is available to help students pursue their own research interests. They also sponsor the Magellan Scholars Award for Undergraduate Research. This $3000 award encourages students to develop their own research proposals and projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor. To date twenty-seven Capstone Scholars have won Magellan Awards. The Office of Undergraduate Research now offers a Mini-Grant Program as well. The Mini-Grant Program was created to provide additional resources to promote undergraduate research at USC. The $1000 mini-grant funds can be used to purchase materials and supplies or to off-set travel costs required for conducting the research project. See www.sc.edu/our for more information. University Housing Your residence hall is more than a place to sleep. University Housing at the University of South Carolina has implemented many programs to enhance your academic and personal development during college. Resident mentors (RMs), upperclassmen who live in the residence halls, assist residents daily on their transitions to college life. First and Second-year Capstone Scholars have preferred housing in Capstone House, a suite-style living community in the north area of campus. For more information about University Housing’s living and learning initiatives, please visit: www.housing.sc.edu University 101 All Capstone Scholars are required to take a Capstone Scholar section of University 101, South Carolina’s nationally acclaimed nationally and internationally renowned first-year seminar course dedicated to helping new students succeed. Students may choose a general Capstone Scholars U101 course or other Capstone Scholars U101 section related to their academic interest (Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Pre-Med, Nursing, Exercise Science, and Pre-Law). For more information about University 101, please visit: www.sc.edu/univ101
CHANGES FOR 2012-13 AND BEYOND Capstone Ambassador Program Purpose The Capstone Scholars Ambassador Program assists incoming students in connecting into the community. In an effort to connect students in the academic and campus life, the Ambassador Program creates and hosts informal and formal events to guide students to successfully transition into the campus and living community. In addition, the Ambassadors serve as individual resources to students who have questions or concerns throughout the year. Ambassador Job Description Ambassadors represent the Capstone community. The Ambassadors are given a group of students based on majors from beginning of Fall Semester until the end of the year. This allows a commonality for the Ambassadors and the incoming First Year students.
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Before the Fall semester begins, the Ambassadors will be in charge of contacting their group with congratulations for getting into Capstone and demonstrating availability for questions or concerns they might have whether through email or social media. It is recommended that Ambassadors form Facebook groups and an email listserv for their respective groups. Beginning in the Fall Semester, Ambassadors will: • Create educational monthly events in conjunction with other Ambassador groups to help First Year students to be informed and participate in the resources available on campus (see list of examples in packet) • Create and host monthly social events (example: dinner at a restaurant, going to see a movie, etc.) • Develop further relationships through availability for questions or concerns • Attend monthly staff meetings, to establish effective communication amongst one another Ambassadors will be in charge of creating two monthly events. One event will consist of an educational program for the Capstone Students. This event is an opportunity for ambassador groups to collectively educate fellow students on a resource available for them. The second event will consist of social event/activity with the respective groups. This event is dedicated to fun social aspects of Columbia and USC that Ambassadors are able to show fellow Capstone Students Through these various activities, the Ambassadors will develop intentional relationships with the First Year students and help them successfully transition to the Capstone community and University of South Carolina. Per the suggestion in the group interviews, plan to do more community building and events in August to get the students excited and engaged right away!
Sophomore Initiatives For the 2012-13 academic year, the Capstone staff will be making a conscious effort to provide more targeted programming for second year Scholars. This is likely to include resume-building workshops, Community Internship Programs (CIP) presentations, and Linked IN information sessions that are presented by the USC Career Center as Capstone Conversations.
Linked IN Capstone Group For the 2012-13 academic year, Capstone Scholars plans to create a group on Linked IN, which will serve as a forum for current and past students to build connections with their fellow scholars, remain connected to the program, and be able to include this prestigious group on their Linked IN profile. The forum allows students to discuss ideas for the program, ways to get involved, and share their personal successes within and outside of the program. Additionally, the existence of the group encourages them to create their own profile in order to join, which is an action Capstone recommends for students as a result of the growing popularity and use of Linkedin.com. Having this group will allow the Capstone staff to keep in contact with students, post student opportunities, take member polls about the program, and monitor what our students are doing after they leave USC. The Linked IN group will be marketed through the Capstone Facebook group, the webpage, the newsletter, and also through the Twitter account (which it is directly linked with) by encouraging students to visit the group and create a Linked IN account.
Study Shack Updates During the summer of 2012, the Capstone staff plans to update and redecorate the Study Shack to better meet the needs of students. Potential ideas for change include: Creating a reading center Hanging USC posters Making a Capstone Snapfish collage “Yearbook” walls, chalkboard wall Adding more cookware and bakeware to the kitchen Adding more recycling bins Decorating the kitchen New patio furniture
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New furniture and signs for hallway entrance
Website There are plans to redesign the website in a similar format as the general housing webpage. Potential website page additions are about the Maymester, support fund, and a page for prospective students.
Maymester Location After travelling to Ecuador for three years in a row for the Maymester course, Capstone will travel to a Iceland for the 2013 trip. The trip will be organized and attended by Program Coordinator, Natalie Cruz, and Capstone U101 faculty member, Jeannie Weingarth. The Capstone Abroad trips are no longer planned through the study abroad office but are planned in house.
Graduate Assistant Capstone Scholars participated in the Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) Graduate Assistant Recruitment Program (GARP) in order to hire a graduate assistant for the 2012-13 academic year. Kimberly Howard accepted their offer and started working in the Capstone Office during June 2012.
Marketing Student Intern To help with the design and appeal of the newsletter, fliers, and promotional videos, we have hired an undergraduate marketing intern. He will redesign the newsletter and set the layout weekly, create promotional fliers for the conversation, help with redesigning the website, creating promotional videos, and other special projects. Rising Sophomore Tucker Prescott was offered the job and accepted for the Fall 2012 semester and the end of the spring semester.
USB Drive To further set students up for success, the Capstone Scholars staff began pulling together digital materials to put on a 2 GB flash drive for incoming students for fall 2012.
Student Proposal Funding Initiative Many Capstone Scholars have approached the staff for many years with great ideas for service projects in the community, and we decided that we want to be able to fund those projects. Beginning next year students will be able to apply for funds of up to $80 for small projects that the students develop that aid the community in some form or fashion.
We look forward to another great year in 2012-2013! Dr. Patrick Hickey Faculty Principal of the Capstone Scholars Program
[email protected] (803) 777-4436 Natalie Cruz Program Coordinator of the Capstone Scholars Program
[email protected] (803) 777-4411
David DeWeil Assistant Principal of the Capstone Scholars Program
[email protected] (803) 777-4430 Kim Howard Graduate Assistant of the Capstone Scholars Program
[email protected] (803) 777-7545
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