A ‘living’ dictionary of common terms, groups, or acronyms commonly found in materials related to ATD.
Achieve: The fifth step on the BC Bulldog Trail that addresses final quarter steps to student success at BC. Includes Career Connections, transfer processing or graduation, and entry into the workforce.
ASC or Academic Success Center: A department that provides free, high-quality tutoring for math, writing, and most other subjects for all students enrolled at Bellevue College. Additionally, they work to empower students to academically succeed and become independent, life-long learners by offering learning services workshops and resources for lending like textbooks and calculators.
ATD or Achieving the Dream: An initiative that seeks to provide the framework, network, and resources for transformative institutional change. It is centered on redesigning the student experience, using the Guided Pathways model.
BC Pathways: Related to Guided Pathways, these are Bellevue College-specific educational plans (see Ed Plans) that outline matriculation requirements- from required academic courses to professional experiences- based on a student’s chosen area of study and/or career objectives.
Black Student Outreach: An initiative and later, a committee, formed to highlight and respond to the specific barriers and needs faced by our Black, African American, or African-descent identifying students on the path to student success.
Bridge: An inventory and training software program that helps individuals and the college track completed professional learning.
Bulldog Trail: BC’s vision of the student journey at BC from pre-entry to completion and beyond. Includes steps of Explore, Connect, Engage, Learn, Achieve, and Thrive.
Connect: The second step on the BC Bulldog Trail that addresses Admission through Day One steps to student success at BC. Includes intake forms, registering for classes, and advising.
Thrive: The sixth and final step on the BC Bulldog Trail that addresses post-graduate steps to student success at BC. Includes alumni connections, continuing education, and community engagement.
Connect in 1-2-3 (Apply-Assess-Orient): A New Student onboarding process developed in partnership with IA and created to intentionally link back to the “Connect” stage of the Bulldog Trail by preparing them to begin their studies. Connect steps are defined as :
- One- Students apply and are admitted to BC.
- Two- Students are assessed into the proper Math and English.
- Three- Students complete the New Student Orientation.
Core Team: The larger team of those involved with ATD and the goal of improving student success outcomes from across the Bellevue College campus, including administrators to student supports. Includes subsidiary teams of Integrated Student Supports, BC Pathways, First Year Seminar, Data, Faculty Professional Development, and Math Co-Reqs.
CtcLink: A new software system that implements a single, centralized system of online functions to give students, faculty, and staff anytime, anywhere access to all classes offered within the 34 WA Community and Technical Colleges system. Functions include managing student records, enrollment reports, grades, class rosters, scheduling information, tuition and financial aid processes, accounting, state/federal reports, and more. For more information, check out the ctcLink homepage.
Data Team: An ATD subsidiary team that works to collect, collate, and make student data useable for equity and process improvements across the institution. Information is also made into visuals and distributed for easy understanding by both faculty, staff and students.
Early Alert: An academic intervention program focused on the academic performance of students that proactively integrates and coordinates campus programs, support services, faculty, and staff in support of closing the equity gap. Based on certain criteria and initiated by instructor concern, this program is used to help ta student navigate college environment through the development of relationships, resilience, and support as needed. For more information, check out the Early Alert homepage.
Ed Plan (Education Plan): When students meet with an advisor, they create an education plan that outlines the sequence of courses needed to obtain their degree or certificate (or reach their other goals)
Engage: The third step on the BC Bulldog Trail that addresses students’ steps during their first three quarters for student success at BC. Includes First-Year Seminar, Ed Plans, choosing a BC Pathway, and completion of Math/English requisites.
Explore: The first step on the BC Bulldog Trail that addresses pre-entry steps to student success at BC. Includes admission, new student orientation, and student supports.
FPD or Faculty Professional Development: A comprehensive system for supporting, evaluating, and developing faculty to positively impact teaching, learning, and assessment outcomes. This includes onboarding, workshops, trainings, and ongoing learning.
FYS or First Year Seminar: A required course for new BC students that will equip students to thrive by exploring their identities and communities through a social justice lens; mapping out their professional, educational, financial, wellness, and social goals; and developing professional and academic skills alongside personal wellness practices and faculty mentoring. Some sections may be admissible based on admission to TRiO, UMOJA, or PUENTE programs.
Guided Pathways: A national framework for the intentional redesign of the college experience. By creating pathways to graduation specific to student objectives, both students and advisors can understand what classes and competencies will be needed throughout their college career.
High 5 Workshop: One of four (4) equity-creating practices adopted as a part of Bellevue College’s Faculty Professional Development program to close opportunity gaps into instruction across the campus. These workshops are meant to develop teaching toolkits and allow colleagues to share ideas about how to implement five high-impact strategies proven to increase student retention rates by connecting students and instructors in meaningful ways. These include building community, connect with students, create clear assignments, and staying flexible as an instructor.
Institutional Advancement or The Foundation: The department within Bellevue College that manages both the social media communications for the college and the institution’s primary donor and scholarship programs.
Intake Form: A form that is designed to gather information about the student so that campus departments and resources can proactively reach out to the student rather than the student having to search for the services. These are provided to students during both the in-person and online New Student Orientation.
ISS or Integrated Student Supports: The Bellevue College Integrated Student Supports (ISS) Workgroup is focused on identifying and developing transformational, student-centered opportunities across campus and removing barriers to close the equity gap. It is also one of the three workgroups within the Achieving the Dream (ATD) initiative at Bellevue College. For more, check out our quarterly Sway digital updates.
Indicator Points: Statistical data points that may point to future events (leading), confirm a pattern that is in progress (lagging), or that may clarify why present outcomes occurred (coincidental). As related to ATD, these points are monitored, collected, and evaluated to help different areas identify equity issues or barriers that may be affecting student success, from classroom support to resource availability.
Learn: The fourth step on the BC Bulldog Trail that addresses students’ steps starting during their fourth quarters for student success at BC. Includes equity-minded faculty, Early Alert communications, and Peer Educator connections.
Math Co-Requisites/ Redesign: Strategy to implement ATD strategy across nine Math class sections for courses Math 99 & Math 141 to best prepare students for higher level math requirements. Additionally, involves collaboration with the Academic Success Center (ASC) and Math Lab on a required tutoring project. Additionally, this refers to the ATD team that works towards this strategy’s goals.
New Student Orientation (NSO): Program that helps students to learn how to navigate BC campus environment both online and on campus.
Pathways Mapping: The process of developing each BC Pathway for student and advising use. Created in collaboration with Bellevue College’s academic departments, related faculty, and academic advising staff.
Peer Educators: Student workers that act as a bridge between faculty and students in various capacities across campus to contribute to both groups’ understanding of the student journey.
Provost Report: A quarterly report that is created and sent out to the Bellevue College community that gives updates on progress and milestones made by the ATD team.
Puente: Meaning “bridge” in Spanish, this is a nationally recognized academic program dedicated to advancing the education of Latinx students, supporting them in reaching their academic potential and returning to their communities as leaders and mentors of future generations. For more, check out the Puente Homepage.
Signal Vine: The software used by the institution to message students regarding important changes, updates, or emergencies using texting, instead of the traditional email or calling methods. Used in cooperation with TargetX for student communications. Students have the option to opt in or out for particular services.
Student Success Stories: media, from quotes to videos, sharing what students have gone through in their educational journey, particularly how Bellevue College has helped them overcome barriers and succeed.
Systemic Barriers: Policies, practices or procedures that cause some students to receiving unequal access or be excluded from learning opportunities, access, and outcomes because of unequal value being placed on individuals or communities.
TargetX: A CRM software that allows BC to monitor students’ engagement with services and support implementation, facilitating a shared language and procedure for all student service centers, offices, events, and academic advising.
UDL or Universal Design for Learning: One of four equity-creating practices adopted as a part of Bellevue College’s Faculty Professional Development program to close opportunity gaps into instruction across the campus.
Umoja: Taken from the Kiswahili word for “Unity”, this is a national Scholars Program aimed at creating a supportive learning community providing critical resources dedicated to enhancing the cultural and educational experiences of Black, African American, and other students. For more, check out the UMOJA homepage.
Work Teams: Sub-groups to BC’s larger, ATD Core Team with specific subject matter expertise as a part of the Bulldog Trail. List of Work Teams: Data, Faculty Professional Development (Faculty PD), First Years Seminars (FYS), Guided Pathways (GP), Integrated Student Supports (ISS), and Math Co-Requisites.
Last Updated February 23, 2023