Emotional Intelligence and Higher Education

The college years are arguably some of the most important for personal development. Students who take the opportunity to understand and develop emotional intelligence while they are in college will not only reap the benefits personally; they will also provide industry and society with more capable and competent employees and leaders. While all college students will benefit from understanding emotional intelligence, special emphasis has been placed on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) institutions to provide students with additional training in non-technical areas, such as leadership, communication, and collaboration. Students in these highly technical fields can receive great benefit from learning about emotional intelligence and developing the necessary non-technical skills.

Alycia Jensen, Development and Assessment Specialist for the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Production, and Jesse Herrera, the Director of Multicultural Affairs, have spent the past year working to promote emotional intelligence for students, faculty, and staff at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

In this presentation, Jesse and Alycia will share their insights related to:

• Emotional intelligence Competencies/skills that are frequently identified as strengths and limitations for STEM students at their institution.
• Strategies they have implemented to obtain buy-in from faculty, staff, and administration on campus (including challenges they have faced.)
• Programming they have developed and implemented on campus to promote emotional intelligence for students, faculty, and staff.

Alycia Jensen has a B.S. in Human Services and Psychology from Black Hills State University and an M.Ed. from South Dakota State University in Administration in Student Affairs. Her thesis work consisted of a study of the differences in values between male and female engineering students. She has recently received certification to administer and interpret the EQ-i2.0 and EQ360 emotional intelligence assessments and will receive a Graduate Certificate in Assessment in Higher Education from James Madison University in December 2014. As the Development and Assessment Specialist in CAMP, Alycia works to provide developmental curriculum and resources for CAMP students and assesses both student learning goals and program objectives.  Alycia collaborates with several other departments and programs on campus and other institutions in the community as a consultant to promote personal and professional development.

Jesse Herrera is the director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Being that Jesse’s parents are originally from Mexico, he is a first-generation American as well as a first-generation college student. Jesse has been heavily involved with college access programs such as Upward Bound as both a student and a staff member. He also had the opportunity to serve in the United State Peace Corps from 2005 to 2007 as a teacher resource in the country of South Africa. His experience at South Dakota State University as the Minority Student Recruiter has given him insight on recruiting students of color. Jesse earned his BA in Biology with a minor in Physics from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Jesse also holds a M.Ed. in Student Affairs Administration from South Dakota State University where he emphasized student racial and cultural identity development.