The Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) sponsor Grad Camp every fall that brings together new graduate students for a once in a lifetime learning and network experience in Aggieland. GPSC held two Grad Camps in the fall of 2017; August 17 and August 24, 2017. The summary report provides the results of the assessment of campers during both Grad Camp, and the counselors who participated in the program.

The Student Experience in the Research University (SERU), a national survey provided to all Texas A&M undergraduate students in spring 2017. Students were asked about where they worked (if at all), the relationship of employment and academic success, and social class.

The Student Experience in the Research University (SERU), a national survey provided to all Texas A&M undergraduate students in spring 2017. Students were asked about their weekly activities, the tasks they perform in organizations, the importance of their experiences, and the gains they have made in their leadership skills.

T-Camp is an extended (three day), optional orientation camp for students who have previously attended another institution and are transferring to Texas A&M University for the fall semester. Participants travel to Trinity Pines in Trinity, Texas and stay in cabins. Two sessions of T- Camp were held; Session One was held on August 7-9, 2017 and Session Two was held on August 11-13, 2017. T-Camp is led by students currently attending Texas A&M and who have familiarity with transferring. The camp student staff is made up of directors, co-chairs, teamers, and counselors. Their goal is to help new transfer students establish relationships with fellow students and learn Texas A&M traditions. This report summarizes the results of assessments of both the camper and co-chair/counselor experience with T-Camp 2017.

The Department of Residence Life was initially awarded a Division of Student Affairs College Completion Grant for the 2016-2017 academic year to create a support network for under-represented students living on-campus, specifically Black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino students. This grant was renewed for the 2017-2018 academic year. Following from the Aggie family ideal, the Black/African-American group was referred to as AFAM and the Hispanic/Latino group was named Aggie Familia.

As part of the grant, identity-conscious programs and mentoring opportunities are planned throughout the 2017-2018 academic year for these student populations. Programs include topics such as academic connections, money management, stress management, and finishing the semester strong. Through these events, AFAM and Aggie Familia students will be connected with faculty, staff, and other students to establish and build a community with people, programs, and resources. The planning committee coordinated an End-of-Semester Celebration for the students in both groups, which was held on December 5, 2017. The event included a keynote speaker, time to socialize/network with students and mentors, and the opportunity to reflect on the fall semester.

The grant planning committee worked with Student Life Studies to collect data from students reflecting on their semester. While other assessments have been conducted as part of the Aggie Familia/AFAM initiative, this was the first time this specific event or reflection was assessed.

The Department of Residence Life was initially awarded a Division of Student Affairs College Completion Grant for the 2016-2017 academic year to create a support network for under-represented students living on-campus, specifically Black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino students. This grant was renewed for the 2017-2018 academic year. Following from the Aggie family ideal, the Black/African-American group was referred to as AFAM and the Hispanic/Latino group was named Aggie Familia.

As part of the grant, identity-conscious programs and mentoring opportunities are planned throughout the 2017-2018 academic year for these student populations. Programs include topics such as academic connections, money management, stress management, and finishing the semester strong. Through these events, AFAM and Aggie Familia students will be connected with faculty, staff, and other students to establish and build a community with people, programs, and resources. The Academic Peer Mentors within Residence Life presented a workshop for the AFAM and Aggie Familia students on preparing for tests or their upcoming finals; which took place on November 29, 2017.

The grant planning committee worked with Student Life Studies to understand students’ experience of this workshop. While other assessments have been conducted as part of the Aggie Familia/AFAM initiative, this was the first time this specific workshop was assessed.

Recreational Sports offers a variety of exercise classes to members. Most of the attendees are students, but faculty, staff, spouses, and community members can also join with a membership fee. Each class is taught by a trained instructor. Classes are offered at a variety of times during the day and week. Department staff wanted to assess the exercise classes to address concerns and make improvements.

There were two sessions of Venture: Base Camp over the summer. The first one, Alpha, took place on July 10 – 15, 2017 and Bravo, the second camp, was scheduled July 17 – 22, 2017. During this six-day camp, students went rock climbing, swimming, and canoeing; had discussion groups; learned about Aggie traditions; and took a campus tour/scavenger hunt. This was the third year of the program and the third time to work with Student Life Studies to assess the effectiveness of the camp experience.