Videos of focus groups, provided by the Center for Community College Student Engagement, shed light on some of the challenges from students’ perspectives. A returning adult African- American male said, “I haven’t been in school for 20 some years. My head is hurting; I couldn’t take much more.” A Latino male stated, “My English is not that nice. That’s the bad thing about people that are bilingual; I am split into two. . .”
It shouldn’t hurt to be a student — whether a returning-adult, limited-English-proficient or first-time-in-college student. These are all individuals courageously entering our institutions to improve their lives. Data are used to identify performance gaps. By including students and other stakeholders in discussions about identified gaps, awareness can develop about barriers to change and specific areas for improvement with input from those potentially impacted by decisions.
To be competitive, the nation and its institutions will need to be responsive to changing labor-market demands. To be domestically and globally productive and responsible, educational institutions will need to build awareness and understanding about global citizenship, respectfully open conversations and minds to embrace changing student populations and learn to adapt to diverse learning needs.
— Dr. Margaretta Brédé Mathis is associate director, Achieving the Dream, Community College Leadership Program; and senior lecturer, Department of Educational Administration, The University of Texas at Austin
