D2. Best Written Work--Community College of the Future
LO 5: Adapting student services to specific environments and cultures
The entry contains the final project for SDAD 559 The American Community College, where we were taksed with creating a “community college of the future.” In the report, I addressed my community college’s mission, vision & values, student services, academic transfer & continuing education, administrative services & financing, and grounds & facilities.
This entry demonstrates my understanding of adapting student services to specific environments and cultures through understanding student needs, taking an assets-based approach to working with diverse communities, and prioritizing community partnerships.
References
Blimling, G. S., & Whitt, E. J. (Eds.) (1999). Good practice in student affairs: Principles to foster student learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Schroeder, C. C. (1999). Forging educational partnerships that advance student learning. In G.S. Blimling. & E. J. Whitt (Eds.), Good practice in student affairs (21-43). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Yosso, T. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity & Education, 8(1), 69-91.
The entry contains the final project for SDAD 559 The American Community College, where we were taksed with creating a “community college of the future.” In the report, I addressed my community college’s mission, vision & values, student services, academic transfer & continuing education, administrative services & financing, and grounds & facilities.
This entry demonstrates my understanding of adapting student services to specific environments and cultures through understanding student needs, taking an assets-based approach to working with diverse communities, and prioritizing community partnerships.
- Understanding student needs. In reflecting upon the higher educational needs of residents in Yesler Terrace as well as the Bailey Gatzert attendance zone, I decided to create a community college of the future that would meet the needs of the diverse students and families in this area. Much of the research I did for this essay was to increase my knowledge of the needs and aspirations of the people Yesler Community College would be serving. I situated my community college as an extension of the Youth Initiative pipeline, encouraging families to enrich their communities by bringing the college experience to them instead of the other way around.
- Assets-based approach to working with diverse communities. In working with diverse communities such as Yesler Terrace and surrounding neighborhoods, it is important to understand how the traditional educational system works against their needs and devalues what they bring to the table. Yosso’s theory of community cultural wealth illustrates the myriad assets that people of color bring with them, if only their environments would validate and appreciate them (2005). In order to effectively adapt student services to place value upon the assets people from diverse communities bring to the table, it requires a fundamental restructuring of what the college values.
- Prioritizing community partnerships. According to Blimling and Whitt (1999), “forging educational partnerships that advance student learning” is identified as a good practice in student affairs. Seamless learning environments that bring together in-class and out-of-class experiences create a more holistic approach to student learning that integrates learning from many different areas (Schroeder, 1999, p. 134). My community college of the future capitalizes on existing community partnerships and relationships in order to promote holistic student learning: bringing together in-class experiences and out-of-class internships with community organizations, the students are able to bridge together their home and academic lives in a way that benefits their families and communities.
References
Blimling, G. S., & Whitt, E. J. (Eds.) (1999). Good practice in student affairs: Principles to foster student learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Schroeder, C. C. (1999). Forging educational partnerships that advance student learning. In G.S. Blimling. & E. J. Whitt (Eds.), Good practice in student affairs (21-43). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Yosso, T. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity & Education, 8(1), 69-91.
artifact_d2.pdf | |
File Size: | 99 kb |
File Type: |