Utilizing PDSA Cycles in Event Planning for Stu-dent Success: An Analysis of Marshall Universi-ty's Donuts with the Deans Events.

ASHLEA KRASNANSKY, Dept of Mathematics, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755, and RIMSHA KINGSON, Dept of Psychology, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755. Utilizing PDSA Cycles in Event Planning for Student Success: An Analysis of Marshall University's Donuts with the Deans Events. The utilization of the improvement science Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle framework allows for the scientific analysis of event effectiveness and goal attainment for their optimization. This article focuses on disseminating the quantitative analyses paired with an extensive literature review from the implementation of PDSA cycles for a biannual, intervallic "Donuts with the Deans" social event held on Marshall University’s campus for the 2024 year. The event aimed to connect first-generation and rural STEM students with deans from their respective colleges in a neutral environment. At each event, student feedback was primarily recorded using digital surveys to gather information related to attendee demographics and background, social comfortability, and reception to event characteristics. First2 Network student leaders acted as conversation catalysts to help direct peers to the digital location of the survey, nurture event conversation, and distribute incentives among attendees. Preliminary analysis suggests that the horizontalization of relationship and communication hierarchies in the higher education realm empowers student voice, encourages participation within critical decision-making processes on campus, develops a more robust social capital, and fosters a sense of belonging within the STEM community. Furthermore, this paper discusses the benefits of social constructivism and student partnership in event development and facilitation. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under collaborative award Nos. HRD-1834586, 1834595, 1834601, 1834575, 1834569.