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K-State Today

Division of Communications and Marketing
Kansas State University
128 Dole Hall
1525 Mid-Campus Drive North
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-2535
vpcm@k-state.edu

January 17, 2024

Vaughan and Weaver to present 'Building Spaces of Belonging: Supporting First-Year Students'

Submitted by Ashley A. Schiffer

Mariya Vaughan, assistant director of K-State First, and Brent Weaver, learning assistant coordinator of K-State First, will present "Building Spaces of Belonging: Supporting First-Year Students" from noon to 1 p.m. today, Wednesday, Jan. 17, via Zoom. The presentation is part of the Teaching and Learning Center's Professional Development Series.

First-year students are a joy to teach, but they also face some unique challenges and often struggle with feeling overwhelmed in college: it is a place filled with new people and new opportunities, which can be exciting but can also lead to heightened feelings of loneliness, anxiety and potential disconnection from their peers and disengagement with their academics. Throughout their time teaching first-year students, Vaughan and Weaver have learned a lot from them about what impacts their learning experiences positively and what helps them to feel like they belong at K-State, and they are excited to share some of what they've learned with all of you. In the session, they will discuss some of the activities, practices and strategies they've used to address first-year student concerns with a focus on the following four topics: building community, connecting to campus resources in a timely way, communication and empathy, and incorporating student feedback throughout the semester.

Click to watch the promotional video.