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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Sprache: Englisch
Boost student success by reversing your perspective on college readiness The national conversation asking "Are students college-ready?" concentrates on numerous factors that are beyond higher education's control. Becoming a Student-Ready College flips the college readiness conversation to provide a new perspective on creating institutional value and facilitating student success. Instead of focusing on student preparedness for college (or lack thereof), this book asks the more pragmatic question of what are colleges and universities doing to prepare for the students who are entering their institutions? What must change in an institution's policies, practices, and culture in order to be student-ready? Clear and concise, this book is packed with insightful discussion and practical strategies for achieving your ambitious student success goals. These ideas for redesigning practices and policies provide more than food for thought--they offer a real-world framework for real institutional change. You'll learn: * How educators can acknowledge their own biases and assumptions about underserved students in order to allow for change * New ways to advance student learning and success * How to develop and value student assets and social capital * Strategies and approaches for creating a new student-focused culture of leadership at every level To truly become student-ready, educators must make difficult decisions, face the pressures of accountability, and address their preconceived notions about student success head-on. Becoming a Student-Ready College provides a reality check based on today's higher education environment.
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Seitenzahl: 199
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
About the Authors
About AAC&U
Acknowledgments
Chapter One: In Search of the Student-Ready College
A New Concept: Student-Ready Colleges
The Quest for College-Ready Students: A Historical Perspective
A Profile of the 21st-Century Student
Serving Students? Responding to Markets? Competing Tensions in Higher Education
The Path Forward: Taking Steps to Transformation
Chapter Two: Leadership Values and Organizational Culture
Perspective Taking
New Directions for Leadership
Changing Perspective on Educators
Does Collaboration Serve a Greater Good or Is It an End in Itself?
Collaborative Leadership for Grassroots Empowerment
Every Employee an Educator
Inclusive Professional Development
Exemplary Practice: The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Exemplary Practice: California State University, Fullerton
Positive Vision of Educators
Building Out the Change Effort
Considering Whole-Person Educators
Student-Ready Mentoring
The Will to Apply and Practice What Works
Student-Ready Practice of Governance
Exemplary Practice: Alverno College
Beyond Change as a Motivator in Itself
A Pragmatic Approach to Shared Governance
A Vision of a Place Ready for Students
Conclusion: A Vision to Guide Collaboration
Chapter Three: Making Excellence Inclusive to Support Student Success
Making Excellence Inclusive
Removing Systemic Barriers and Challenges for Students
A Caring Educator
Embracing a Paradigm Shift
A Culture of Inclusion
Defining Student Success as Learning
Promoting Excellence in Student Engagement
Charting Your Course of Action
Conclusion
Chapter Four: Building Student Readiness through Effective Partnerships
Engaging the Ecosystem
A New Survival Instinct: The Opportunistic Self-Awareness of Student-Ready Colleges
The Many Faces of Partnership
Student-Centered Symbiosis in Support of Today's College Students
Selecting Effective Partners
Questions to Ask as You Consider Partnerships to Support Student Success
Conclusion
Chapter Five: Demonstrating Belief in Students
Belief in Student Capacity to Learn as a Genuine and Public Commitment
Challenges to Belief in Student Capacity to Learn
A Learning-Centered Campus Designed for All Students to Flourish
Conclusion
Conclusion
References
Index
End User License Agreement
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Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
List of Illustrations
Chapter One: In Search of the Student-Ready College
Figure 1.1 Trends in Degree Attainment Rates for U.S. Residents
Figure 1.2 Profile of Today's Student
Figure 1.3 Attainment Rate for Low-Income Students
Figure 1.4 The Reality of the Education Pipeline
Chapter Two: Leadership Values and Organizational Culture
Figure 2.1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater staff employers help student employees understand the value of their liberal education on the job
Chapter Three: Making Excellence Inclusive to Support Student Success
Figure 3.1 Model for Discussing the Intentionality of HIPs
Chapter Four: Building Student Readiness through Effective Partnerships
Figure 4.1 Higher Education Ecosystem
Chapter Five: Demonstrating Belief in Students
Figure 5.1 Sacramento State: Graduation Initiative, General Education, and Closing the Achievement Gap
BECOMING A STUDENT-READY COLLEGE
A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success
Tia Brown McNairSusan AlbertineMichelle Asha CooperNicole McDonaldThomas Major, Jr.
Copyright © 2016 by Tia Brown McNair, Susan Albertine, Michelle Asha Cooper, Nicole McDonald, and Thomas Major, Jr. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available
9781119119517 (Hardcover)
9781119119524 (ePub)
9781119119531 (ePDF)
Cover image: © Nanisimova/iStockphoto
Cover design: Wiley
For Maurice and Austin, and for my parents, William and Patricia, and sister Tammi. Thank you for always supporting me. —TBM
For Vera, who in the 1950s taught me to see, and for all my students. —SA
For the Cooper family and all the relatives and friends who have supported me on this journey. —MAC
For Dr. Stacy C. Boyd for his prayers, encouragement, and support, and to Dr. Harold L. Nixon for the legacy you established in me. —NM
For Linda, Eric, and Rachael, with all my love. —TM
Joint dedication: For all of America's college students—previous, current, and future. This book is for you and your success!
PREFACE
“Students today are not prepared for postsecondary education”
“Why are we admitting students who are not ready for college?”
“Are we lowering our academic standards?”
“Students are not motivated. It is not my responsibility to convince them that getting an education is important for their lifelong success.”
“I am too busy to mentor students.”
“It is their responsibility to learn how to navigate college. I did it. Why can't they?”
If any of these statements sound familiar to you—whether it was heard in a meeting or in a conversation with colleagues, or you have thought them—then this book is for you. First, we want to be clear that this book is not about judgment or casting blame. We embarked on this journey because we believe in the promise and vision of higher education, but we also recognize the constraints and the frustration of our colleagues, and even ourselves, in trying to do the work we are committed to accomplishing. This book is our effort to reframe the dialogue on student success. To create a paradigm shift, from focusing more on what students lack to focusing more on what we can do, as educators, to create stronger, higher-quality educational environments that promote full inclusion and continuous improvement.
The central theme for this book emerged from a conversation at a meeting in Indianapolis. A couple of us were talking about how institutions can examine their institutional efforts to improve student success. Not surprisingly, the conversation shifted to some form of the quotes just listed. Instead of going down a path of blaming the students, Thomas asked a very provocative question: “We talk a lot about students not being college-ready, but why don't we ask what it means to be a student-ready college?” From that one question, the concept for this book was born.
Our goal is for this book to be a catalyst for action and for change at postsecondary institutions. To accomplish this goal, the book should be a discussion driver. We have included a series of principles, case examples, and questions to prompt discussions. We hope that the book encourages institutional assessment and self-reflection.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Tia Brown McNair, Ed.D., has spent the past 20 years advocating for underserved students in higher education through various administrator roles and as an adjunct faculty member at several institutions. She currently is the vice president of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), where she leads national efforts to improve quality in undergraduate education by Making Excellence Inclusive. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U's continuing programs on equity, diversity, inclusive excellence, high-impact educational practices, and student success. McNair also directs AAC&U's Summer Institute on High-Impact Educational Practices and Student Success.
Susan Albertine, Ph.D., University of Chicago, began teaching middle school in 1971. She later became a professor of English and served in an array of academic leadership positions, including vice provost for undergraduate studies, Temple University, and dean of humanities and social sciences, The College of New Jersey. In 2008 she joined the Association of American Colleges and Universities; she was promoted to vice president, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success, through 2015, when she became Senior Scholar for Faculty.
Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D., is the president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)—one of the nation's most effective voices in championing access and success for all students in postsecondary education. With a career rooted in the postsecondary community, Cooper has held various leadership positions at the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance (Advisory Committee) at the U.S. Department of Education, Association of American Colleges and Universities, Council for Independent Colleges, and King's College. An expert on various higher education issues, Cooper is well versed in higher education access and success (domestic and international), with special emphasis on equitable reform of higher education, financial aid simplification and policy, student success outcomes, institutional accountability, diversity and equity, and other national higher education trends and policies.
Nicole McDonald, Ph.D., works as a strategy officer at Lumina Foundation, the nation's largest private foundation committed solely to increasing higher education attainment in the United States, and is responsible for developing strategic approaches to increase the educational attainment of college students. Her portfolio includes initiatives to help institutions increase student success and develop high-quality credentials and pathways. Previously, she served as the system director for transfer and retention with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Her background includes education policy as well as academic and student affairs administration—including work as an associate in academic affairs at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, and work in various capacities at Vanderbilt and Emory Universities, and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Thomas Major, Jr., J.D., serves as corporate counsel at Lumina Foundation. Thomas develops and implements strategies to advance Goal 2025—increasing the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025. In addition to supporting Lumina's general counsel on a wide variety of legal and fiduciary matters, Thomas' work focuses on supporting efforts that engage higher education systems and institutions to increase completion rates and close attainment gaps of historically underrepresented and low-income students. Thomas' professional background includes private corporate law practice, educational consulting, and various roles in workforce development.
ABOUT AAC&U
AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,300 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges, community colleges, research universities, and comprehensive universities of every type and size.
AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education and inclusive excellence at both the national and local levels, and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.
Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Throughout this process, we have had the support of family, friends, and colleagues; they are too many to name, but all are deeply appreciated, so with sincere gratitude we say thank you. We especially want to thank Christina Duhig, program associate in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Student Success at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Kathryn Peltier Campbell, editor, Diversity & Democracy, and coordinating editor for Gender Equity in Education, Office of Communications, Policy and Public Engagement, AAC&U. Christina spent countless hours including references, reviewing chapters, and organizing files for submissions. Kathryn reviewed and offered extensive feedback on the first draft. Her insights and recommendations helped shape the structure of the book. We are indebted to both of them for their time, commitment, and encouragement.
A special thank-you to our editor, Marjorie McAneny, for her patience and support throughout this process.
Finally, we hope you find the book useful in your discussions and, more important, we hope that the book is a catalyst for the needed change that is embedded in the hope and promise of higher education for all students. The action that we seek to inspire is practical, but not easy. Our inspiration comes from the level of enthusiasm we encounter from colleagues during our professional journeys, even in the midst of frustration, limited resources, and diminished time and capacity. We hope that your reason for choosing this book is because you, too, want to lead a paradigm shift from focusing solely on college-ready students to exploring what it means to become a student-ready institution and the action required to achieve thisgoal.
CHAPTER ONEIn Search of the Student-Ready College
In higher education, college administrators and faculty often talk about their desire to identify better and more college-ready students. They want students who come to college ready to learn and ready for the rigors of postsecondary education. On the surface, having college-ready students is a worthy goal. However, this assumes that most students are not ready to handle the rigors of postsecondary education. In actuality, that's not completely true. Most students aspire to college, and many have taken steps to prepare for college. While it is true that a sizable percentage of today's college students struggle academically, even then, these students should have viable postsecondary options available to them. In this search for the college-ready student, we put the burden of readiness and preparation on the student, when in reality, preparing today's students for the rigors of college should be a shared responsibility. Just imagine if we focused on the other side of that coin, and instead of seeking the ideal student, we became the ideal college. The college that was prepared for today's students, regardless of their backgrounds and academic strengths and challenges. What if we became a student-ready college? Interesting concept, isn't it?
But what does that really mean? What does it mean to be a student-ready college? Being a student-ready college requires more than a mission or diversity statement that touts philosophical ideals of inclusiveness. Being a student-ready college even means more than expressed commitments to inclusion and student-centeredness. A student-ready college is one that strategically and holistically advances student success, and works tirelessly to educate all students for civic and economic participation in a global, interconnected society.
At student-ready colleges, all services and activities—from admissions, to the business office, to the classroom, and even to campus security—are intentionally designed to facilitate students' progressive advancement toward college completion and positive post-college outcomes. Student-ready colleges are committed not only to student achievement, but also to organizational learning and institutional improvement. At student-ready colleges, all principles and values are aligned with the mission of the institution, and those beliefs are shared among members of the broader campus community. Student-ready colleges offer a holistic approach to leadership that empowers all members of the campus community to serve as leaders and educators.
In this book, we will explore the ecosystem of the student-ready college. We intend to think systemically and to offer an organic model based on ideas and practices we have learned from our years of work with campuses. College campuses often function as an ecosystem. Sometimes it is in good health; sometimes it is not so healthy, but in need of nurturing and change. Growth always occurs one way or another. And the campus ecosystem doesn't exist in isolation. Campuses are part of the web or network of life in a community. Surrounded by and interconnected with other organizations and social structures, businesses and civic bodies, the campus participates in the life of the community. At the state and national level, the campus is interconnected systemically in a host of ways. Funding, regulations, laws, business practices, health and wellness functions, and the daily stuff of life—food, water, housing, transportation—all connect the campus to its broader community, its state, and the nation. When we think about the meaning and practice of leadership of the student-ready college, it is this environmental and organic meaning that we emphasize.
This book is written by five deeply committed leaders from the higher education community. Through our collective experience and wisdom, we have served higher education in a variety of leadership positions, within academic institutions and alongside them. We have worked with policy and philanthropic leaders who seek to advance and support efforts aligned with increased college attainment. Our commitment to today's students—and the institutions that serve them well—are reflected in our recommendations.
Through this collaboration, we endeavor to highlight the most promising and innovative practices we have witnessed across the community. Although the strategies outlined in this book can be undertaken by individual leaders alone, we recommend a collective approach—bringing together administrators and faculty across the college community to mobilize these efforts. Additionally, we suggest steps for partnering with those outside the campus community, as sustained progress will require partnerships—both internal and external—that can engage in a concerted, sustained effort.
The examples we offer are not exhaustive, but they reflect a range of interventions occurring all across the postsecondary community. But even with these enterprising models and initiatives, there is still a dearth of resources for institutional leaders to draw from. We hope this book adds to the collection of tools and resources that faculty, administrators, policy and philanthropic leaders, and all those who care about today' college students can draw upon for practical solutions.
A New Concept: Student-Ready Colleges
The goal of becoming a student-ready college is not difficult to embrace for most educators. In fact, if this concept were more prevalent, we believe that more people would readily embrace it. After all, supporting students is an aspiration of all campus leaders. Although we suspect that many will resonate with this concept, we also recognize that, for some, enacting our recommendations may pose a challenge. The problem is not really a lack of will; rather, some colleges are simply not structured to support this level of engagement; for others, there is no expectation or requirement to be student-centric; and there are still others who struggle with competing pressures and demands. When faced with these factors, some institutional leaders—even those sensitive to student needs and diversity—may fall back on old subconscious habits, which expect students to conform to traditional norms and standards. This approach often hurts students, as it leads to feelings of isolation and disconnection, the precursors to poor performance and outcomes. Also, this approach perpetuates the status quo—and in the 21st century, the status quo is no longer an option.
The impetus for writing this book is a growing awareness that the realities confronting our higher education system have the potential to narrow and threaten opportunity for millions of today's students. Therefore, we desire to work alongside campus leaders and faculty to minimize these threats. As was the case for previous generations of college-goers, the issues of college accessibility, affordability, and preparation remain, but they are further complicated by demographic, economic, and technological changes that are altering how we think, learn, and work. Beyond these compounding factors, we already know that the current educational system does not support existing students well. If left unchecked, these convergent forces could have catastrophic effects on our 21st-century students. We need these students. We need them to succeed. So it is critical that we transform our institutional culture and practices to be student-ready—responsive to contemporary students' needs and realities.
For many institutional leaders, this change will require more than tweaks or marginal changes; rather, it will require an overhaul of institutional policies and practices, as well as individual and shared attitudes and values. To enable and support institutional leaders committed to being student-ready institutions, we offer this practical, action-oriented book.
