Becoming a Student-Ready College (eBook)

TIA BROWN MCNAIR is the vice president for diversity, equity, and student success at the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U). SUSAN ALBERTINE is senior scholar for faculty at the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U). MICHELLE ASHA COOPER is the president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy. NICOLE MCDONALD is a strategy officer at Lumina Foundation. THOMAS MAJOR, JR. is corporate counsel at Lumina Foundation. American Association for Colleges & Universities (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.

Preface xi

About the Authors xiii

About AAC&U xvii

Acknowledgments xix

Chapter One: In Search of the Student-Ready College 1

A New Concept: Student-Ready Colleges 8

The Quest for College-Ready Students: A Historical Perspective 9

A Profile of the 21st-Century Student 14

Serving Students? Responding to Markets? Competing Tensions in Higher Education 21

The Path Forward: Taking Steps to Transformation 24

Chapter Two: Leadership Values and Organizational Culture 25

Perspective Taking 29

New Directions for Leadership 31

Changing Perspective on Educators 35

Does Collaboration Serve a Greater Good or Is It an End in Itself? 36

Collaborative Leadership for Grassroots Empowerment 38

Every Employee an Educator 39

Inclusive Professional Development 40

Exemplary Practice:The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 41

Exemplary Practice: California State University, Fullerton 43

Positive Vision of Educators 44

Building Out the Change Effort 46

Considering Whole-Person Educators 47

Student-Ready Mentoring 48

The Will to Apply and Practice What Works 49

Student-Ready Practice of Governance 51

Exemplary Practice: Alverno College 53

Beyond Change as a Motivator in Itself 56

A Pragmatic Approach to Shared Governance 58

A Vision of a Place Ready for Students 60

Conclusion: A Vision to Guide Collaboration 69

Chapter Three: Making Excellence Inclusive to Support Student Success 71

Making Excellence Inclusive 77

Removing Systemic Barriers and Challenges for Students 77

A Caring Educator 80

Embracing a Paradigm Shift 82

A Culture of Inclusion 87

Defining Student Success as Learning 89

Promoting Excellence in Student Engagement 91

Charting Your Course of Action 95

Conclusion 96

Chapter Four: Building Student Readiness through Effective Partnerships 97

Engaging the Ecosystem 102

A New Survival Instinct:The Opportunistic Self-Awareness of Student-Ready Colleges 106

The Many Faces of Partnership 112

Student-Centered Symbiosis in Support of Today's College Students 118

Selecting Effective Partners 124

Questions to Ask as You Consider Partnerships to Support Student Success 127

Conclusion 128

Chapter Five: Demonstrating Belief in Students 129

Belief in Student Capacity to Learn as a Genuine and Public Commitment 134

Challenges to Belief in Student Capacity to Learn 139

A Learning-Centered Campus Designed for All

Students to Flourish 150

Conclusion 154

Conclusion 155

References 161

Index 179