Ensuring Student Success

#StudentSuccess is an increasing topic of concern among the more humanitarian-minded college faculty and administrators. As a nod to this line of thinking, many new positions and departments have opened at colleges and universities across North America and in other regions, but is everyone on board with the new mission?

Part I: What Is Student Success? How Do We Work Towards It?

Student success is commonly identified as the fulfillment of a set goal -- credit completion and graduation -- however the real marker for student success is in the path that follows graduation. Have we prepared students to succeed in the real world?

The standards for success vary slightly based on the program in which the student enrolled, but in many cases the problem begins with the fact that we're still teaching traditional content under heavy pressures from administrative offices to make sure that students pass the course, which undermines an instructors main priority -- to teach.

As someone who is committed to providing resources to young people since my own college days, I invite you to share in this discussion and to ask the hard question: Are colleges and universities really working towards helping students achieve success or merely creating more administrative busywork in a show of addressing the issues at hand? Let's take a look....

(1) Inconsistent Instruction: College Cores

Given the ongoing push for interdisciplinary studies that has existed since ~1991, there's a focus on making provisions for an interdisciplinary "core" of classes. Many institutions in North America have created additional courses to integrate in the core requirements that are said to help student success.

Specific course-readiness skills (critical thinking, conducting basic library research for papers, etc.) are meant to be addressed in these introductory-level Freshman classes. Unfortunately, rules for teaching many such classes ("College 101"/ "Intro to College Success," "Critical Thinking," "Writing for Researchers") are so decentralized that not every student learns the same skills after completing these courses. Moreover, many of the skills that are meant to be learned in these classes (citations, grammar, organizing an essay, preparing a thesis) should arguably have been mastered in high school.

While the value of an interdisciplinary core is unquestionably necessary for 21st-Century professionals, what good is it to take the courses when minimum levels of research, data analysis, and proper informational sharing (in classroom essays and presentation) are not mastered prior to taking the courses? Moreover, in the quest to "ensure student success" many faculty are admonished for maintaining a proper standard for grading based on these essential criterion.

Going back to Aristotle (which those of you know know my writing already expect), one must ask oneself if the ends justifies the means in this case. We want our students to pass and graduate, but at what cost? Are students and teachers working under these conditions actually achieving success in meeting their academic and professional goals?

(2) Inconsistent Support Resources: Campus Career Centers

Campus Career Centers are generally available now, which has always been an essential resource for new graduates and alumni, even though it was not always offered. Today, many Career Centers host or participate in a variety of Expos and Job Fairs that are generally helpful to the students they serve. Again, while some schools have stable, centralized offices designed to address the needs of all students and new grads transitioning to internships and jobs, this is not the case across all schools in North America. Many college and university students currently struggle with decentralized career support services based on their majors.

Before the establishment of campus Career Centers, when advisement was left to faculty from individual departments, students struggled with faculty suffering from "Ivory Tower Syndrome," who were not particularly connected with the concept of teaching with the goal of skill building and informational enhancement that would lead to their students' future job security. They taught for the love of their subject matter and research rather than with the future of the next generation in mind. In some institutions, this still exists, which is why a functional, centralized Career Center has the potential to really make a difference in a student's/alum's progress after graduation.

Today, several campuses have restrictions concerning who qualifies to receive the benefit of their services. Some Career Centers don't take their responsibility to their alumni seriously, which seems counterintuitive to proper tracking and management of data for long-term student success. Others pick and choose the types of students they'll help based on their majors/minors/departments. Faculty and administrators in specific schools/departments try to counteract these issues by pushing for a dedicated career specialist to be hired to their department for the exclusive support of their students, however this option is very costly in a time when deep university cuts are being considered; it also undermines the need and value of having a campus Career Center in the first place....

(3) Damage Caused by Lowering Academic Standards

Standards for the preparation and evaluation of student work have lowered significantly at the high school and college level since the start of the 21st century for a variety of reasons, most of which are generated in the name of seeking the opportunity for student success.

Lowering pedagogical standards so that classes are easier to pass isn't the answer to student success. The fact is, due to consistent lowering of basic course standards, many new graduates complete high school and college with degrees that don't represent any expertise in the minimum level professional skill set desired by most employers.

Administrators are under great pressure to maintain higher levels of student retention and have attributed the drop to harsh teaching standards. (Try lowering the tuition so it matches what you pay the adjunct who comprise more than 50% of the campus workforce.)

What would most likely help ensure student success are (1) the presence of stronger resources for students struggling with course content (tutorial services, writing centers, etc.) with better hours (including evenings and weekends) to cater to student needs beyond the classroom; (2) faculty who cooperate with the office for Student with Disabilities and other academic and administrative service providers on campus; (3) more connectivity between administrative and academic departments for the timely review and resolution of student issues; (4) lower tuition rates and better FAFSA offers so students aren't struggling till their children are nearly college-bound to finish paying off their own college loans....

Part II: Truths About Student Empowerment & Success

When I was a kid there was a popular expression, originally coined by Sir Francis Bacon in 1597 and borrowed by writer/director Bob Dorough of Schoolhouse Rock (~1973-1985): "Knowledge is power." So let's get you caught up with resources for success today:

The truth is that no matter what Admissions Offices and HR Managers state, not all jobs require advanced degrees.... Also, not all students are ready or willing to attend a traditional 4-year college due to a variety of socio-economic and personal factors (including their ability to get through high school).

(1) Know Your Rights: Job Goals & Training Requirements

First, if you're just joining the workforce, read through job descriptions in the areas you'd like to work and compare the #RequiredQualifications with the #PreferredQualifications. The required are the ones needed to qualify for the job; the preferred are desired additional skills, but not necessarily deal-breakers, especially if you have other professional skills and experience you're bringing to the table.

Next, #Internships and #Apprenticeships are increasingly valuable and can be completed for #CollegeCredit in many cases. If you're a college student who prefers real world learning versus classroom learning, this might be a good option for you. In 2014, Philo4Thought circulated a brochure on identifying valid internships and avoiding fake offers. (For a copy of the updated 2019 brochure, IM me on LinkedIn or email [email protected].)

For #HighSchoolGraduates who are not planning to transition to college right away and for those of you with #AssociateDegrees: It's important to know your rights and to have a clear and realistic interest in mind. For example, did you know that every 4 years of job experience counts as one year of college education? So, if you have a valid high school degree (or have completed your GED), an Associate's Degree (which is usually a 2-year degree program) and four years of work experience you are technically eligible to apply to jobs requiring "a college degree in a related field". If you only have a high school degree (or the GED equivalency), you'll need four additional years experience to make that cut.

(1) Know Your Rights: Available Resources

Philo4Thought Hellenic Mentoring Initiative offers support for students and young professionals who need help with building professional skills, getting matched with viable mentors and resources, identifying academic and professional paths that are best suited for specific students and young pros, and preparing resumes, etc. Our webpage lists our events as well as opportunities available through our many affiliates: www.philo4thought.org.

Free community resources like #AccesVR are available to help high school graduates build their skills; identify professional paths and opportunities best suited to their skills and strengths; and find specific job and internship opportunities.

Student Success Resources: College Students and Administrators

For those working for student success at the college level, the following resource page is available: #EduCause #ManagementAndLeadership #StudentSuccess.

Part III: Dedication

This post is dedicated to popular Song Writer and Director of Schoolhouse Rock, Bob Dorough, who educated two generations. Born December 12, 1923 (on the anniversary of Rockefellar's contribution of a 6-block track of land for the establishment of the United Nations Headquarters) and leaving us on April 23, 2018 (on the anniversary of Shakespeare's 454's birthday), the appeal of his catchy tunes and animation shorts continue to educate and enhance the minds of our youth.