“If you want students to succeed, you need to have high expectations. Students know if you’re watering down or caving in,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, president of El Paso Community College in Texas.
Most students are not on campus enough for engagement to occur spontaneously, says CCSSE researchers. Consequently, most students typically do not get the benefit of spur-of-the-moment conversations about coursework or unplanned study sessions. Being deliberate and aggressively creating opportunities to involve students will spur engagement, the report suggests.
When colleges allocate resources to high-risk students, the students typically described as high-risk — including academically under-prepared students, students of color, first-generation students, and nontraditional learners — are more engaged in their college experience than their peers.
Community colleges cannot significantly strengthen student success unless they first focus on providing effective developmental education and appropriate levels of student support. Colleges that want to better serve academically under-prepared students should begin with accurate and effective placement information. It should also include making sure that there are enough developmental course sections.
--Michelle J. Nealy
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