Overview & Mission/Goals
Welcome to the AAA Instructor Information Hub! This website is intended to house information that will assist you in preparing and teaching your course AAA 090 sections and well as keep you informed throughout the semester. If there is additional information or resources that you would like to recommend be added, complete the feedback form.
AAA Department Mission Statement
Our mission is to support new students as they successfully transition to Aims by creating a sense of community and connectedness to the college, challenging students towards attainment of academic excellence and persistence, and by providing a foundation upon which future academic and career goals can be built.
AAA Departmental Goals & Student Learning Outcomes
Goal 1: To provide students with an introduction to the College and improve beginning-college experiences.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. access appropriate student support services, resources and college policies.
2. demonstrate civility in communication with faculty and advisors.
Goal 2: To help students develop a deep sense of community, inside and outside of the classroom, and enhanced belongingness to college.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. identify co-curricular groups and campus activities to enhance their sense of connectedness.
2. communicate with faculty or advisors on matters related to course or academic plans.
3. connect a larger sense of personal values and life purpose to the motivation and inspiration behind their academic and career goals.
Goal 3: To provide opportunities to contextualize and apply academic success strategies to improve course performance and increase college persistence.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. analyze and utilize strategies for successful completion of assignments, reading, note-taking, memory and earning strategies for various courses/disciplines encountered.
2. identify and employ effective strategies to increase motivation.
3. identify the multiple levels of critical thinking that will be expected in college-level academic work.
4. develop effective organization and time management skills.
5. identify and utilize campus resources to support academic success.
Goal 4: To provide students with exploratory activities and experiences to help build a foundation for academic & career decision making.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. utilize college information and resources to increase knowledge of career options related to academic pathways of interest.
2. determine requirements, courses and skills required for specific degree pathways.
3. identify the aspiration and strengths they already have as well as other skills they need to build foundation for academic and career decision making.
4. identify long-term and short-term academic and career goals.
We embrace the asset-based concept of Growth Mindset (Dweck, 2006, 2012) and Validation Theory (Rendón, 1994) as the underlying epistemological foundation of the course. We validate students as learners and teach them that with the proper tools, support, and efficient practice college success is attainable.
AAA 090 Course Description
Develops personalized approaches to learn and succeed for easier transition into college. Topics include goal-setting, time management, textbook reading strategies, note-taking, test-taking, listening techniques, concentration and memory devices, and critical thinking for student success. Three credits
Catalog Description
Advancing Academic Achievement (AAA) offers a course to help students grow as learners by gaining knowledge, skills and confidence related to their personal and academic success. The department works in conjunction with the Center for the First Year Experience program towards a shared mission to create and sustain an environment that supports a successful academic and social transition of students into Aims Community College.
For information about the AAA Program including goals, projects, and evaluation/assessment data, visit the AAA Archive Website. The AAA department website is available at http://www.aims.edu/academics/aaa/.
Read the document below for an understanding of evidence that supports the value of AAA as a first year experience course.
FYS-empirical-evidence-16.doc