USC Union facilitates student growth and development in both academic and non-academic areas of thought and behavior. Academic development is discussed in detail in other areas of these reports, especially under "General Education," but there is some overlap between these two topics. For instance, our academic objectives include helping students to develop the

• Awareness of personal values and motivations in one's self and in others,
• Awareness of the variety of values and mechanisms of social institutions, both Western and non-Western,
• Awareness of the cause and effect relationship between the actions of individuals and institutions and the consequences of those actions for local, regional, national, and global environments,
• Awareness of how to participate effectively in a variety of social institutions,
• Awareness of the ethical dilemmas that arise in a society based on science and technology,
• Awareness that learning is a life-long process based on personal initiative, active participation, and a belief in the value of inquiry,
• Awareness of personal potentials, limitations, and mental/physical development,
• Ability to be self-motivated, to form, articulate, and act upon reasoned decisions in personal, civic, and professional life,
• Ability to synthesize information, distinguish fact from opinion, offer and accept constructive criticism, apply both knowledge and skills to new situations, and draw reasoned conclusions based on complete and incomplete evidence.

Each of these objectives deals to some extent with non-academic, personal growth and development.

The faculty, staff, and students have also adopted "The Carolinian Creed," a code of behavior originally developed by USC Columbia. This code incorporates five behavioral goals, represented by the following statements:

• I will practice personal and academic integrity.
• I will respect the dignity of all persons.
• I will respect the rights and property of others.
• I will discourage bigotry, striving to learn from differences in people, ideas, and opinions.
• I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings and their need for conditions which support their work and development.

These goals in student growth and development are actively pursued in our regular classroom courses. Other student services that promote these goals include programs in academic advisement, counseling, career development, student government, student activities, student publications, and intramural and club athletics.

1. Participation in service and other extracurricular activities.

2. Occurrence of uncivilized or otherwise destructive behavior.

3. Student self-reports.

4. Student Government Association discussion and activity.

5. Alumni self-reports.

6. Faculty and faculty committee reports and activity.

1. Tabulation of participation data.

2. Tabulation of infraction and disciplinary data.

3, Student surveys.

4. Alumni surveys.

5. Faculty surveys.

SURVEYS OF ENTERING STUDENTS

Each summer during orientation, we ask our first-time, full-time entering freshmen to tell us what is important to them and to tell us some of their short-term and long-term goals and objectives.

Our entering students see themselves as competitive and with a strong drive to achieve. A majority are computer literate but not as large a majority as is reported nationally. Our students will work while attending school, and then they will have to transfer to another college to finish at least a baccalaureate degree. They believe they have leadership abilities. They are relatively social and interested in helping others. Spirituality and religion are important to them. Ultimately, they plan to get a good job and make a good salary, but they also hope to get a good general education, to develop a philosophy of life, and to become more cultured people. In sum, our students have broad and ambitious goals for personal growth, and USCU must provide opportunities to help them reach those goals.

USCU STUDENT OBJECTIVES

The academic and personal objectives that are listed in the tables below are taken from the USCU Bulletin. Periodically, students are asked as a part of the standard course evaluation to check off those objectives that were an important part of that specific course. These tables give the number of student responses to each objective across all departments and in each individual department. Enrollments vary greatly from department to department, so we cannot compare departments, but we can look for the relatively high numbers in each department and conclude that students perceive a concentration of effort on those objectives.

Looking at all departments first, the average number of responses during fall 1998 was 187. Using this figure as a benchmark, we see that the courses at USCU do help our students develop their communications skills: writing, speaking, reading, and listening. We can also see that the figures are comparable across the three semesters shown, giving us confidence in the reliability of these measurements. Students do perceive that we are "communicating across the curriculum."

One might suggest that communication skills are more academic than they are matters of "student growth and development," but other objectives in these lists are clearly matters of personal growth. Our courses help our students to examine their values and motivation (objective 11), to understand that learning is a live-long process (17), to be more self-motivated (18) and to use a variety of educational resources (19), to get along with others (21), to grow and mature (22), to adjust and be flexible (24), to be more self-confident (25), and to plan ahead and to be better organized (26). As a matter of fact, it is relatively clear in the first table below that, with the exception of communication skills, academic objectives are not pursued widely across the curriculum. The subsequent department tables show that math is emphasized in such departments as math, chemistry, and computer science. The arts are emphasized in art, English, French, and music. Cultures and social institutions are emphasized in art, French, government, history, music, psychology, sociology, and speech. Science and technology are emphasized in biology, chemistry, computer science, and psychology. However, personal growth and development objectives are emphasized in many departments.

WITHDRAWAL SURVEY

As students visit our student services office for the purpose of withdrawing from school or transferring to another school, we ask them to complete the following exit survey. Our departing students are overwhelmingly satisfied with the programs, services, and atmosphere on campus, both academic and co-curricular. Many express the need for more courses and programs, but they are satisfied with the existing opportunities for growth and opportunities to achieve their goals. The one area in which students do report difficulty is the area of personal problems and conflicts that interfere with their education. This result suggests that we might broaden or strengthen our advisement/counseling program and so help more students through these kinds of personal problems.

FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION

In spring 1997, we formed a focus group of faculty, staff, and students and discussed improvements that could be made to USCU. One recommendation that emerged was to establish honors sections of selected courses to allow students to learn and to grow in different ways than are typical in most courses.

In fall 1997, we formed a retention focus group, composed of faculty, staff, and students. Our procedure involved individual brainstorming and group discussion, and the following student problems and possible solutions were identified.

Finally, during spring 1998, we hired an educational consultant, Wanda J. Hayes, Ph.D., to consider our performance on indicators 3A1 (average section size) and 3A2 (student/faculty ratio) and other retention matters that would affect these measures. She studied written data and discussed these indicators with administrators and teaching faculty. Some of her recommendations would help further student growth and maturity:

1. Create a 3 or 4-year matrix of class offerings to allow students to plan their schedules in advance. Such planning should increase retention and so increase average section size.
2. Encourage students to take a full load whenever possible. Such an action would increase both section size and student/faculty ratio.
3. Strengthen preregistration. A student who is preregistered will more likely be retained. Preregistration data will also allow us to make more informed decisions on canceling sections.
4. Strengthen our academic intervention program and focus on helping students be successful in problem courses, rather than encouraging them to drop these courses.
5. Increase the number of student satisfaction surveys to determine the kind and timing of courses preferred and the other types of retention efforts needed.
6. Hire a Student Activities Coordinator.

STUDENT/ALUMNI SURVEY

Periodically between 1993 and 1997, our enrolled students and alumni were asked to complete a comprehensive survey instrument. Two questions (below) asked about a variety of goals that might be important to these students. Although these students were interested in traditional learning, they also hoped to grow into a career and to develop in many personal and perhaps less academic ways as well. They report that USCU did help them to reach their goals.

Another question from our 1993/97 student/alumni survey considered reasons for leaving USCU. As revealed in our withdrawal survey, described above, students mostly leave because they have achieved their goals or because the courses or programs that they need are not available at USCU. In the area of personal growth, students are satisfied with the opportunities that we provide. The one weakness revealed here is the existence of personal problems and conflicts that interfere with academic progress.

Another question from our student/alumni survey investigates problems that students may have had while attending USCU. For the most part, they did not agree that these problems were serious. Time management is a personal skill that we want to work on as much as we can, and career exploration is important to our students.

In this part of the survey, we also find that our students do spend a reasonable amount of out-of-class time on campus and that students form two or more relationships with both other students and with faculty (questions 16-18). Clearly, we have the opportunity to help our students grow, both inside and out of class.

Our student/alumni survey asks students to consider various aspects of our educational program (below). This question deals primarily with academic matters, but it shows that faculty do not condone dishonesty and that they do help students to develop integrity. Students feel challenged to do their best. On the other hand, USCU could encourage students to help one another more, to work together and be supportive.

Our student/alumni survey asks students to consider various aspects of our support services (below). This question deals with a variety of co-curricular services, but it also shows that students perceive the atmosphere on campus to be very positive. There is almost no indication of vandalism, sexual harassment, or disrespect. Again we see that USCU helps students to develop personal integrity. Our standards of conduct and discipline are relatively clear, and we provide reasonably helpful personal advise and counseling.

Our student/alumni survey asks students to consider various aspects of our administrative services (below). This question deals with a variety of administrative matters, but it also shows that USCU deals honestly with its students and that students are able to be involved in many decision making processes on campus

At the end of our student/alumni survey, we ask several open-ended questions. We ask our students what they feel was the most important or useful result of their education and experiences at USCU. We ask them what weaknesses they experienced in their educational experience, and we ask how we could improve our programs.

When asked for the most important or useful result, many students said that personal growth and development was most important to them. One student said that the most important result was the development of the self-confidence necessary to be comfortable speaking to groups of people. Another said, "to fully realize what’s important in life, and how to prioritize. To understand how short life is and make the best of each day." Another said, "learning to appreciate the better things in life, such as: fine arts, classical music, and other cultures. Since these courses were not in my major, I was amazed at how much I really learned and how much I enjoyed them." Another said, "broadened knowledge. New friends. Tolerance for others’ opinions." Many others talked about broadened horizons, open mindedness, growth, maturation, setting priorities, working more effectively with others, and becoming a better person.

In our request for descriptions of weaknesses and possible improvements, students mostly said there were no weaknesses, or they requested a greater variety of courses. However, students also suggested that we need a job-placement office, a mentoring program in which more advanced students would help at-risk students, other kinds of tutoring, eight-week or other forms of accelerated classes for working students, more sport activities, and more African-American faculty and staff. One student suggested that we should conduct more student surveys to assess need and then use that information in scheduling courses and co-curricular activities. Another suggested that we use "more hands-on-type projects. For example when introducing a new concept have examples of that concept in the classroom for students to see and observe."

As a result of these survey findings and subsequent discussions, USC Union has been able to institute several changes that will further facilitate student development. The faculty have incorporated all of our student development objectives into their courses, and every year, faculty experiment with new ways to help students to examine their own values and beliefs, to see the value of learning and to be able to use a variety of educational resources, to self-motivate, to adjust to new situations, to be organized and self confident, and to collaborate well with others. Some of the specific activities now in use include group discussion in class, group presentation to the class, group projects out of class, journal writing, and a one-minute-paper at the end of class. In some research projects, faculty require that students choose topics that are personally meaningful to them. For instance, one student chose to research alcoholism, because it was present in her family, and she wondered to what extent it was genetically determined. Another was being treated for depression and elected to research that topic. A third had an aunt undergoing a kidney transplant and selected that as a research topic.

Faculty require independent research on the Internet and in personal interviews, as well as in the more traditional print library. A new psychology program, entitled HELP (Human Empathy Learning Program) requires students to use volunteer activity as a means to gain insight into psychological processes. The course requirements are listed below:

1. You must perform volunteer work at an approved social service agency. The minimum amount of volunteer work is 2 hours per week, beginning the week after classes begin. By the end of the semester you must have at least 30 hours of volunteer work completed. You must document your volunteer work using the Volunteer’s Time Sheet.
2. You must keep a chronological journal of your experiences as a volunteer. The journal can be handwritten if you are sure that I can read your writing.
3. You must prepare and submit 4 typed annotated bibliographies in which you cite a source of information that provides you with a better understanding of the psychological processes you observed as a volunteer. The annotated bibliography must contain three parts. At the top of the first page enter the reference citation for your source using the appropriate form in the APA Manual (4th ed.). Two lines below the citation left-justify the underlined subheading Summary. Two lines below the subheading, write a one to two page summary of your source of information. Skip 3 lines and left-justify the underlined subheading Relevance of this Source to my Experiences as a Volunteer. Two lines below this subheading, write a one page analysis and discussion of how the source of information helped you understand the psychological processes you observed or experienced as a volunteer.
4. You must orally share information about your work and your research with the other HELP participants at the four scheduled meetings.

A sociology professor asked students to write about a homecoming football game as if they were from a culture so foreign that they had no idea what was going on, and her courses make use of other exercises and written material that help students to look at themselves and their culture more objectively.

Two years ago, we established a student support service, called the Opportunity Scholars Program (OSP), a federal TRIO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It serves between 100 and 150 students each year. OSP assesses each student’s needs and designs an individualized program to help meet those needs. OSP helps with freshman orientation. It organizes mentoring for freshmen by second-year students drawn from the Student Government Association, from honors students, and from previous OSP participants. OSP provides personal and academic counseling and academic tutoring in many problem subjects. Honors students are used as tutors, providing a growth opportunity for the tutor, as well as for the OSP participants themselves. OSP has sponsored or encouraged student participation in many cultural activities, such as plays, operettas, movies, concerts, folklore, speeches, workshops, and visits to other colleges. Some of the topics include academic expectations, career exploration, employer expectations, personal and social skills, time management, leadership skills, and teamwork.

Our Student Government Association also provides many leadership, helping, and growth kinds of opportunities to our students. Each year, several students attend a leadership conference in Columbia, where they study organizing, motivation, and budgeting. New this year, we purchased a set of leadership development audio and video tapes that will help us work with more students in these same areas. Each semester, the SGA holds a planning retreat, where the calendar and budget are established. This year, a central activities calendar was organized that brought together events planned by the SGA and other student clubs and organizations.

We hosted a workshop where local high school student leaders and USCU SGA worked together on leadership skills.

SGA officers and senators meet with the USC President and Board of Trustees and describe their plans for the coming year. This year, our campus was the focus campus. Our students prepared a formal presentation, and they practiced before our local Deans.

Our SGA participated in our Awards Day ceremony and our first, formal initiation ceremony for incoming SGA officers. They organized a treasure hunt during our Valentine’s Day social that encouraged students to visit and get to know various administrators and administrative staff. They initiated and negotiated a cooperative association with our local YMCA that gives students and staff low cost memberships. They held a car wash and a community yard sale that raised $600 for our scholarship fund, and they purchased and helped install an outdoor patio with table and benches. Two years ago, students formed a new Baptist Student Union, and last year they formed a Drama Club and an Encore Club, a support group for non-traditional students. The USCU Singers performed at the hospital and as a part of a Medieval theme Christmas dinner. For next year, the SGA president especially hopes to increase student involvement and community awareness.

Our Community Arts Series is being reorganized to encourage more students to take advantage of these cultural opportunities. Admission for students is free. Last year, we began to schedule some of the events during the day, when more students are on campus. Next year, we will diversify our programming to include comic opera and country music, and we will discuss the value of requiring student participation.

Our Continuing Education Department seeks out students to help organize conferences and other events. In our Kids On Campus program, we use several students as teachers. This year, our students will teach units on crafts, art, history, sports, and the environment. A student will act as overall supervisor for the program.

The bookstore has begun to stock subject specific study aids, both print and video. These resources provide one additional way for students to look at the ideas of their courses, in addition to the ways provided by the faculty in class, by the faculty outside of class, and by the tutorial programs that are available. The bookstore has also stocked a greater variety of food and drink in an effort to keep students on campus, where they can form study groups and otherwise work together on their school work. The bookstore oversees the student lounge, where much of this group activity takes place.

Finally, some of the above findings have revealed opportunities that we have not been able to take advantage of yet but that we will discuss during 1999/2000. Sometimes, personal problems interfere with students’ growth and maturation. We will discuss the possibility of providing counseling services , either within or outside of our advisement program. We will also look at the counseling services available in the local community and the possibility of referring students to these.

We are also considering the development of honors courses. Students have expressed an interest in such opportunities for growth, and a faculty committee is discussing such a program:

On the other hand, both faculty and students have expressed the concern that honors sections would segregate students by ability or by motivation and thereby lead to a conspicuous caste system on a small campus. We will continue to discuss the matter and weigh the pros and cons in the coming year.

Finally, the office of Continuing Education is considering the development of a "women’s leadership program." The program will include lunch, invited speakers, and group discussion of successes and concerns. The goal will be to understand oneself and to develop self-confidence.