With added funding via the new Title V Grant, the iFALCON campaign plans on increasing student achievement in any program on campus by teaching students the methods and disciplines of being successful.
Earlier this year, the Habits of Mind campaign, also known as iFALCON, was approved for a Title V Grant in which it will receive $541,163 its first year.
The campaign itself was introduced in last Fall with the help of the dean of humanities and social sciences Bryan Reece and former ASCC President Michael Barrita.
In its continuing effort to bring awareness to the program, the new Title V grant is a welcomed asset/ally to iFALCON for the spring semester, in addition to accomplishing one of the overall goals for iFALCON; the transformation and strengthening of student learning at Cerritos College.
Dr. Steve Clifford, English professor, explained that last spring the iFALCON campaign was a beta project and it was basically three people, himself included, that were out seeing what student’s reactions to the campaign were, whether it worked, and if it was valuable.
“The reactions were fantastic,” he said. “People wanted more and we knew the three of us alone couldn’t do this, so with the Title V Grant now, we are able to assign faculty with released time and staff members as well as counselors to help us to build and grow this program.”
He added, “Next semester, it will start building its additional faculty development programs, it will have faculty involved in faculty inquiry groups where it will be able to explore its own teaching methods and how its teaching can integrate with the six Habits of Mind more effectively in students.”
The campaign focuses on the six Habits of Mind, which are as follows:
- Focus,
- Advance,
- Link-up,
- Comprehend,
- Organize and
- New Ideas.
Though the additional funding will help pay for the extra time needed for its faculty to maintain the program, Dr. Clifford regrets the fact that there will not be any hiring next semester.
“Unfortunately, there will not be any hiring under the new iFALCON Title V Grant. What we will do is take instructors on campus who will then have release time and out of that release time will be able to work more fully on the program.
“We have faculty members now, who when given the space, will be able to develop this program more fully, help other faculty use it, help staff use it, and most importantly help students use it,” he said.
Clifford further emphasized the importance for any student to involve themselves with iFALCON to break out of bad study habits and acquire the right study habits to succeed here at Cerritos College and in life as a whole.
He said, “We can introduce you to these six habits and help you understand that procrastinating and putting off an essay to the last minute is not going to help you. We want to help you focus on your career and help develop those connections early on. Getting to a tutor, getting to an instructor, asking questions, anything we can do we will help you; and then all of a sudden you have a way to succeed.”
Any struggling student is encouraged to visit the iFALCON Web site for student films on acquiring successful study habits and for further information on the program, including tutoring and mentoring at http://cms.cerritos.edu/ifalcon.
