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Underrepresented groups often face various, tedious obstacles when pursuing postsecondary education; many times, students find it difficult to impossible to overcome these obstacles and either avoid or drop out of college. The First2 Network is a statewide network of innovative stakeholders collaborating to solve and share STEM persistence issues. At the core of network’s shared vision is the assumption that students should be co-creators of the solutions. Funded by the National Science Foundation’s INCLUDES initiative, First2 hopes to double the retention rate of first-generation, underrepresented, and/or rural STEM students in higher education through many enriching and diverse opportunities, events, and initiatives. One of the most student-led and effective methods of outreach and support is the utilization of campus clubs across the state. Participants in this presentation will hear an overview about each First2 campus club and highlights of the work they are doing, how this work can affect systems change, and the benefits for those who participate. Ashlea Krasnansky, Dept of Mathematics, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755; Erica Harvey, Dept of Natural Sciences, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, 26554; and Beth Thompson, Dept of Natural Sciences, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, 26554. An Overview and Analysis of First2 Network Campus Clubs.
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This content will become publicly available on April 4, 2026
Utilizing PDSA Cycles in Event Planning for Student Success: An Analysis of Marshall University's Donuts with the Deans Events.
ASHLEA KRASNANSKY, Dept of Mathematics, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755, and RIMSHA KINGSON, Dept of Psychology, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755. Utilizing PDSA Cycles in Event Planning for Student Success: An Analysis of Marshall University's Donuts with the Deans Events. The utilization of the improvement science Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle framework allows for the scientific analysis of event effectiveness and goal attainment for their optimization. This article focuses on disseminating the quantitative analyses paired with an extensive literature review from the implementation of PDSA cycles for a biannual, intervallic Donuts with the Deans social event held on Marshall University’s campus for the 2024 year. The event aimed to connect first-generation and rural STEM students with deans from their respective colleges in a neutral environment. At each event, student feedback was primarily recorded using digital surveys to gather information related to attendee demographics and background, social comfortability, and reception to event characteristics. First2 Network student leaders acted as conversation catalysts to help direct peers to the digital location of the survey, nurture event conversation, and distribute incentives among attendees. Preliminary analysis suggests that the horizontalization of relationship and communication hierarchies in the higher education realm empowers student voice, encourages participation within critical decision-making processes on campus, develops a more robust social capital, and fosters a sense of belonging within the STEM community. Furthermore, this paper discusses the benefits of social constructivism and student partnership in event development and facilitation. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under collaborative award Nos. HRD-1834586, 1834595, 1834601, 1834575, 1834569.
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- PAR ID:
- 10594865
- Publisher / Repository:
- PKP Publishing Services Network
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science
- Volume:
- 97
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0096-4263
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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