Nancy Rosales, supplemental instruction specialist for the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program, is motivated to find meaningful ways to connect with colleagues in the virtual space.

Driven to create a space for community building and collaboration, Rosales leads monthly meetings with colleagues across the California State University system on how SI programs within the 23 campuses can flourish collectively. Challenges have ensued with the transition to virtual learning and Rosales understands how imperative collaboration is when it comes to making student success happen.

“Given the recent challenges many of our programs faced this year, I felt it would be the perfect time to reconnect with fellow CSU SI programs,” Rosales said. “I know our programs face many similar, but also unique challenges and I would love to connect with everyone on a monthly basis to provide a space to share resources amongst each other.”

These monthly conversations surround topics on best practices for online learning, development of student employee training, promotion of online services, strategies on meeting diverse student needs and more.

Rosales is a firm believer in empowering others through shared knowledge and creating opportunities for individuals to demonstrate their areas of expertise. Because of this, she envisions that these monthly meetings provide a platform for CSU colleagues to facilitate conversations highlighting what they are doing to propel the work that we all do to contribute to student achievement.

This effort brings immense fulfillment for Rosales as she witnesses colleagues foster meaningful connections with each other. Her drive for intentional collaboration is what inspires her work. Rosales is confident that by bridging the talent of the 23 campuses, SI programs can grow together and continue transforming student success.

Rosales is a Fresno State alumnus having earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in psychology at the University. She also earned her master’s in counseling with an emphasis in student affairs and college counseling at Fresno State.

The Delano resident has worked at Fresno State for three years. She worked as a peer mentor and Summer Bridge residential adviser with the Educational Opportunity Program, and she served as a graduate adviser with SupportNet and Supplemental Instruction.

Campus News asked Rosales a few questions about her work.

What do you do at Fresno State and what do you like about it?
I serve as the SI specialist with the Supplemental Instruction program. I am extremely passionate about the work we do in SI because it not only helps students in the here and now, but we aim to equip them with skills to succeed in future courses. I personally did not have the best study habits when I was a student, and wish I had taken advantage of a program like SI to help me learn how to be a better student.

Going to SI sessions and office hours are a great way to check for understanding of what students know and what they still need to practice. I am sure many individuals, including myself, have taken a course where we received a passing grade but forgot most of the content the following semester. In SI, we strive beyond basic recall of the information for the exam, but getting students to apply the concepts to increase understanding and retention of the materials.

I thrive in the trenches therefore I love working with SI leaders and SI mentors. I am also very big on the professional development of our student employees, so I love seeing their growth within their roles. What brings me the most passion is seeing true leadership emulated in the SI leaders and SI mentors that I work closely with. I believe our SI mentors are a reflection of what this program has to offer. Their ability to self-reflect and find creative solutions on their own is where we would hope to see all of our SI leaders. I feel like seeing them level up every day pushes me to do the same and always be at my best.

Tell us about the Supplemental Instruction program and what you do as a SI Specialist.
The Supplemental Instruction program is an academic support program designed to support students enrolled in high fail rate courses.

SI leaders are students who have previously taken and passed the course, and now facilitate structured study sessions where students can get more practice and application with the content learned in lecture. As the SI specialist, my role is to support the student staff who are working in the trenches with our Fresno State students. I lead recruitment, hiring, and scheduling of our SI leaders, help plan and facilitate training of SI leaders, and conduct SI mentor training and observations.

Prior to serving in this role, I had a vision of developing the SI mentor team and I am proud that I have been able to do just that. I deeply value seeing our student employees gain new skills and be challenged in their role. Creating a training curriculum for the SI mentor team and allowing them to take part in a lot of the decision making has really empowered them. They are the advocates for our SI leaders so it is important that they have a space and feel comfortable contributing when policies are established.

The SI mentor team also gets observed regularly and I am able to help them refine their skills in feedback delivery and group meeting facilitation. They play a vital role in the growth of SI leaders and the success of our program at large. In addition, I value building a sense of community on our team and have embarked on several efforts to do just that. For example, I have established a podcast featuring members on our team to allow everyone the chance to learn the stories that make each of us unique. In everything that I do, I always remain close to the trenches to assist our team in making informed decisions in the best interest of our student employees and the students who we directly serve.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed your work? What challenges have you encountered and how are you working through them?
My responsibilities have not changed, but the way in which I approach them has. Staring at a screen for a large amount of time is really taxing for myself and my team so I try to be very mindful of that. I feel the pandemic made us reevaluate our processes more than usual, which has been a good challenge. To start, we are looking at SI leader expectations and responsibilities to determine what needs to be revised. We also have continued our monthly SI leader training in an online platform, which has required us to think about how to maximize the time. The best part about my work is that I don’t have to find the solutions on my own. I meet with our assistant SI coordinator, Ko Yang, and the SI mentor team on a weekly basis. This SI mentor team includes Crystal Arias, Crystina Ciula, Francesca Balane, Itzcalli Pizano, Nicole Cloutier, Silvia Cervantes, Stephanie Izaguirre, and Raveen Gill. Every challenge we have faced has been brought to the meeting and as a team, we look for efficient solutions.

What led you to coordinate monthly meetings with colleagues in the California State University system? Tells us how this has helped your work and that of your colleagues systemwide.
There is a list-serv for SI programs through the International Center for Supplemental Instruction, but I wanted to be more connected to our sister campuses and have time and space for collaboration. One of my favorite quotes is, ”Knowledge is not power. It is only potential power. Action is power.” For me, I aim to practice this in my everyday life.

I feel fortunate to have worked with a program that has truly transformed within the past couple of years and has given me immense knowledge in the arena of student support services. As I have connected with other programs, I have realized how much my team and I have to offer, as well as learn in other areas of SI. For example, Fresno State’s SI program has been supporting courses with online SI and we have learned immensely about Zoom over the past few years. Our team has been phenomenal in finding online platforms that can promote active learning and group work, making SI possible online.

We claimed the Outstanding Innovation Award from the International Center of Supplemental Instruction. This experience allowed our team to share resources and best practices with other campuses. The monthly CSU SI Community meetings are a way in which each campus can share areas they have expertise in, as well as acquire new strategies for struggles encountered. The pandemic brought many unexpected challenges for our programs and I felt there was no better time than right now to reach out and have meetings where we can collectively exchange ideas and build community within the CSU system. The more minds there are to tackle a problem, the more solutions we can find. It is also a great feeling to see this idea come into fruition and see a positive engagement from other SI programs within the CSU system.

What is one thing you miss about Fresno State and can’t wait to do once it is safe for everyone to return to campus?
My passion for SI is definitely fueled by the team that I get to work with. I am surrounded by SI leaders and SI mentors who emulate a strong growth mindset and are always striving to do better, and for me that is a contagious environment. I would have to say what I miss most is seeing all of them in the SI area at the Learning Center. Once it is safe to return to campus, I cannot wait to be immersed with students who are ambitious and highly motivated.

Please share any other thoughts or things you feel is important for your Fresno State colleagues to know about your work, the monthly meetings or about you.
The SI program is continuously reflecting and finding ways to be intentional about engaging students. While having cameras and audio on can be different from the norms established in lecture, we strive for an environment of active learning and student collaboration. I ask that our campus continues to help us promote our services to reach as many students as possible.

Let’s learn a little bit about you. What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I love outdoor activities, such as, biking, water sports, seeing nature and traveling to places I have never seen before. I am a big Dodgers fan and seize any opportunity to go see a game. I am also a homebody and enjoy binge watching a good show and reading books about leadership.