International relations theory defines an epistemic community as a transnational network of knowledge-based experts who help decision-makers to define and address the problems they face. These “scientists without borders” may be able to produce outcomes not easily realizable for national leaders operating in a state-specific political environment. Moreover, by redefining the boundaries of the social group, the network of thought partners gain a different psycho-social perspective that may open new opportunities for problem solving. For example, during the Cold War, American and Soviet scientists forged epistemic communities in the area of arms control in an effort to mitigate the adversarial relations between the governments of the two nations.
To extend a metaphor to higher education, the faculty community and the staff community at an institution can sometimes feel like two distinct nations. Traditionally, each community tends to have their own rules and their own leadership. Each community tends to draw a boundary circumscribed by the classroom, whether inside or out. The mission of the faculty tribe is student learning. The mission of the staff tribe is student persistence/completion. In the worst of times, the international relations between the faculty community and the staff community is perceived as a zero-sum game.
At my institution, I co-chair our Persistence and Completion Committee. From the outset, the committee included “transnational” actors from across the faculty and staff communities. Forming an epistemic community is not as easy as seating faculty and staff members at the same table, however. An epistemic community requires a common point of knowledge expertise. It requires framing an issue in such a way that diverse perspectives are focused on a shared goal. Through open and honest conversations over the period of our first 15 months as a committee, we came to construct a narrative of student success in which student learning, persistence and completion are interdependent. A student must persist to continue learning. A mastery of learning is completion. Student learning, persistence and completion happens inside and outside of the classroom. Though our tribal activities may specific, our global destiny is shared. We became a trans-institutional network of knowledge-based experts who help decision-makers to define and address student success.
Like most human enterprises, interpersonal relationships were at the heart of our success in bridging the faculty-staff divide. We started with a small group of people from many different parts of the college and got to know each other. We each brought our perspective to challenging discussions. We built mutual trust and appreciation. We struggled together to create a wider and more inclusive frame of reference. And now the members of our epistemic community are well-positioned to return to their respective tribe and share our narrative of student success.
Cultural change at the institutional level is incremental. Not everyone will be swayed by our idealism of a common pool. But by bringing together a diversity of individuals to provide a trans-institutional reframing of our various roles in a shared endeavor, we move toward greater collaboration and more porous boundaries.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Monday, October 6, 2014
The Promise and Peril of Analytics
Nuclear power. Cloning. Social media. Space mining. Unchartered waters of social-scientific innovation often come heralded with great promise, just as the unknown depths often hide potential peril. It seems the evolutionary heart of our species is to learn, to grow, and to explore - to accept the risk of peril in order to gain the opportunity of promise. Some ships sink, others land on new shores. So it goes.
And so it goes with analytics in higher education (see Analytics 101). There is great promise and great peril in these waters. As captains of these high seas, we must hew true to our internal compass while balancing boldness with humility.
“My concern about using data in higher education has to do with the loss of intellectual curiosity. As we meet budgets and metrics for four-year graduation rates, I’m afraid we’ll optimize and track students and become training programs rather than fertile grounds of investigation and exploration," cautions Marc Hoit, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology at North Carolina State University.
If an analytics tool makes it very clear that a student has a very low probability of succeeding in higher level math courses yet it is that student's unwavering dream to become an Engineer, what is the responsible action of faculty and staff at an open access community college?
The promise of analytics: proactive data-based needs assessments that are timely and granular; a focus on data variables of greatest impact within complicated multivariable reality; expanding reach of faculty and staff through increased efficiencies in needs assessment; organizational decisions attuned to the needs of students; assessment of student deficits for intervention as well as student strengths for development; greater persistence and completion rates of students; and personalized learning experiences.
The peril of analytics: limiting access in the name of success; treating students as data points to optimize within organizational objectives; self-fulfilling prophesy of statistical prediction; losing touch with the art of teaching and advising students; compounding errors within complicated data sets/algorithms; and limiting the freedom and self-discovery of higher education.
The Persistence and Completion Committee at CCD will be facilitating conversations around the campus in order to draw out the values and principles to guide implementation of analytics tools at the college. One positive starting point to these conversations is The Asilomar Convention for Learning Research in Higher Education.
How can we leverage the promise of analytics in higher education while remaining clear-eyed about the perils?
And so it goes with analytics in higher education (see Analytics 101). There is great promise and great peril in these waters. As captains of these high seas, we must hew true to our internal compass while balancing boldness with humility.
“My concern about using data in higher education has to do with the loss of intellectual curiosity. As we meet budgets and metrics for four-year graduation rates, I’m afraid we’ll optimize and track students and become training programs rather than fertile grounds of investigation and exploration," cautions Marc Hoit, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology at North Carolina State University.
If an analytics tool makes it very clear that a student has a very low probability of succeeding in higher level math courses yet it is that student's unwavering dream to become an Engineer, what is the responsible action of faculty and staff at an open access community college?
The promise of analytics: proactive data-based needs assessments that are timely and granular; a focus on data variables of greatest impact within complicated multivariable reality; expanding reach of faculty and staff through increased efficiencies in needs assessment; organizational decisions attuned to the needs of students; assessment of student deficits for intervention as well as student strengths for development; greater persistence and completion rates of students; and personalized learning experiences.
The peril of analytics: limiting access in the name of success; treating students as data points to optimize within organizational objectives; self-fulfilling prophesy of statistical prediction; losing touch with the art of teaching and advising students; compounding errors within complicated data sets/algorithms; and limiting the freedom and self-discovery of higher education.
The Persistence and Completion Committee at CCD will be facilitating conversations around the campus in order to draw out the values and principles to guide implementation of analytics tools at the college. One positive starting point to these conversations is The Asilomar Convention for Learning Research in Higher Education.
How can we leverage the promise of analytics in higher education while remaining clear-eyed about the perils?
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Student Leadership Conferences
In today's competitive job market, a college degree will get your foot in the door but actually entering the room may well require something more. Employers are often looking for people that not only have knowledge but also know how to use that knowledge to effectively accomplish something. Productivity involves a wide variety of skills, from leadership to multicultural competency to the ability to stay focused.
In addition to skills development in the classroom, another fantastic way to build your repertoire is through student development activities. These may include international study abroad, service learning projects, internships, student organizations and student leadership conferences.
A group of TRIO SSS participants recently attended the student leadership track of the annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Conference. Over the course of three days, these students listened to nationally-renowned speakers on the topics of leadership, networking and career development. They also made connections with peers and prospective employers from around the country.
One TRIO SSS participant noted, "Around every corner was a new eye-opening experience for me, from meeting people from all around the United States and Puerto Rico to opening a whole new chapter in my life as a leader to my community."
National conferences often offer scholarships for students to attend. There are also many local student leadership conferences, including a number of one-day events specifically for students of the Auraria Campus.
In addition to skills development in the classroom, another fantastic way to build your repertoire is through student development activities. These may include international study abroad, service learning projects, internships, student organizations and student leadership conferences.
A group of TRIO SSS participants recently attended the student leadership track of the annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Conference. Over the course of three days, these students listened to nationally-renowned speakers on the topics of leadership, networking and career development. They also made connections with peers and prospective employers from around the country.
One TRIO SSS participant noted, "Around every corner was a new eye-opening experience for me, from meeting people from all around the United States and Puerto Rico to opening a whole new chapter in my life as a leader to my community."
National conferences often offer scholarships for students to attend. There are also many local student leadership conferences, including a number of one-day events specifically for students of the Auraria Campus.
 |
| TRIO SSS students networking with the Lt. Governor of Colorado at the HACU Conference. |
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Analytics 101
The future of higher education is analytics, and the future is now.
The analytics approach uses student data to proactively assess student needs, thereby producing actionable intelligence. Contrast analytics with the more traditional paradigm of reporting. In the latter, an organization uses data to identify results, such as the percentage of students that graduated within three years. In the analytics approach, on the other hand, an organization uses data to discern the opportunities and challenges facing a particular student at a particular time.
Numerous programs around CCD are already utilizing analytics to increase student success and enhance organizational efficiency (whether said programs realize it or not!). For example, the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program quantifies ten data markers to create a persistence score that feeds into a triage model of advising. TRIO SSS is also piloting a course predictor analytic that utilizes a student's previous academic performance in specific courses to discern the relative challenge of a particular course or course set in the upcoming semester.
"Know where to find information and how to use it; that is the key to success," notes a data wonk's proverb often attributed to Albert Einstein.
It is certain that higher education is swimming in an Olympic-sized pool of data. We can run report after report after report about demographics, success rates, enrollment, and much more. The siren call of analytics is search these data for variables with high explanatory and predictive power, as deciphered by contemporary social science and statistical methodologies. These data variables shine light on the path to increased student success and organizational efficiency.
Guided by data and research experts at the Higher Learning Commission, the Persistence and Completion Committee (PCC) at CCD is diligently swimming through that Olympic-sized pool of data in search of the most impactful variables of student success. Toward this end, the PCC is carrying out a social scientific inquiry using historical data from Institutional Research; student surveys of new, exiting, and graduating students; a meta-analysis of program level data from across the institution; and a qualitative analysis of anecdotal data accrued through the wisdom and experience of faculty and staff practitioners.
Identifying the impactful data variables at CCD is but the first step. Future directions include determining and implementing the information technology solutions to aggregate the data variables and process the statistical algorithms required by multivariate analyses. Then it will be onto creating intuitive and accessible analytics tools for implementation by faculty and staff practitioners.
The process will be both easier and more difficult than it sounds. Much like the game of chess, it is not that difficult to get down the basics, but the perfection of the craft will take much experimentation and learning as an institution.
The analytics approach uses student data to proactively assess student needs, thereby producing actionable intelligence. Contrast analytics with the more traditional paradigm of reporting. In the latter, an organization uses data to identify results, such as the percentage of students that graduated within three years. In the analytics approach, on the other hand, an organization uses data to discern the opportunities and challenges facing a particular student at a particular time.
Numerous programs around CCD are already utilizing analytics to increase student success and enhance organizational efficiency (whether said programs realize it or not!). For example, the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program quantifies ten data markers to create a persistence score that feeds into a triage model of advising. TRIO SSS is also piloting a course predictor analytic that utilizes a student's previous academic performance in specific courses to discern the relative challenge of a particular course or course set in the upcoming semester.
"Know where to find information and how to use it; that is the key to success," notes a data wonk's proverb often attributed to Albert Einstein.
It is certain that higher education is swimming in an Olympic-sized pool of data. We can run report after report after report about demographics, success rates, enrollment, and much more. The siren call of analytics is search these data for variables with high explanatory and predictive power, as deciphered by contemporary social science and statistical methodologies. These data variables shine light on the path to increased student success and organizational efficiency.
Guided by data and research experts at the Higher Learning Commission, the Persistence and Completion Committee (PCC) at CCD is diligently swimming through that Olympic-sized pool of data in search of the most impactful variables of student success. Toward this end, the PCC is carrying out a social scientific inquiry using historical data from Institutional Research; student surveys of new, exiting, and graduating students; a meta-analysis of program level data from across the institution; and a qualitative analysis of anecdotal data accrued through the wisdom and experience of faculty and staff practitioners.
Identifying the impactful data variables at CCD is but the first step. Future directions include determining and implementing the information technology solutions to aggregate the data variables and process the statistical algorithms required by multivariate analyses. Then it will be onto creating intuitive and accessible analytics tools for implementation by faculty and staff practitioners.
The process will be both easier and more difficult than it sounds. Much like the game of chess, it is not that difficult to get down the basics, but the perfection of the craft will take much experimentation and learning as an institution.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Trust and the Leap of Faith
Charcoal clouds to the west lie low on the mountains. An acerbic sun shines harshly on the San Luis Valley, any hint of its warmth whisked quickly away by the winter wind. The highway runs directly from point A to point B, with nothing but the occasional tumbleweed blocking the view of the San Juan, Sangre de Christo and Culebra ranges.
I can see them a mile away, broken-down on the side of the road. Two people with thumbs out, a string of vehicles march past unabated. I pull over.
They come to my window, arms pulled in tight against their body, hands shoved into pockets, woefully under-dressed for the weather. Their truck broke down an hour ago, they say; they just need a ride a few miles up valley; I am the first one that stopped. The margin between subconscious and conscious - the land of biases and survival instincts - automatically takes notes and raises a few red flags.
This much is certain - they are quite cold.
Conversation lowers my guard as we roll together down the highway. A cell phone battery died; a deadbeat friend decided to go bowling in Monte Vista instead of coming to help; a girlfriend had to work until 7:00; a step-brother is living at the family shack and trying to get his life together after a stint in juvenile.
I am directed left onto a dirt road, a mile later right onto a smaller dirt road. "It is just a little further." Then left onto what would pass as a cow path if it weren't for the cattle guard blocking bovine progress. We pass by the middle of nowhere. We are ostensibly heading toward said shack. "It is just a little further. Just a little further."
I attempt to be discreet with my cell phone at the ready. Not that there is any signal out here.
They are profuse in their gratitude, in a profanity-laced sort of way. It reminds me of some of my roughneck cousins back home; I smile. A spiritual happiness of sorts wells up, like when you realize that the world just might not be as messed up as it sometimes seems. The valley graces me with sanguine alpenglow.
Trust - it is at the core of effective relationships, communities, and organizations.
In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey asserts four key components of trust, from the organizational perspective. 1) Integrity to walk your talk. 2) Intent to pursue straightforward motives based on mutual benefit. 3) Capabilities that inspire confidence to get things done. 4) Results that reveal our track record and follow through.
I add a fifth key component: the leap of faith.
My decision to pick up the young men stranded in the high desert at the height of winter with the sun quickly absconding probably falls under Covey's concept of blind trust (as opposed to smart trust). It involved an unidentifiable risk of the unknown. But I took this leap of faith with great intentionality. Sometimes a leader needs to risk one's sense of self in order to prove that greater ideals still animate our higher potential, regardless of the naysayers (and they are many).
Now I don't advise that you pick up hitchhikers on a daily basis, metaphorical or otherwise. My episode was a moment in time in which the stars aligned to provide me with a test of my own personal integrity to walk the talk. But I do advise that you take smaller leaps of faith frequently to demonstrate the trust that you place in your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
The realist in my office likes to protest: "But Troy - what if they take advantage of you?!?"
Some have and others will. But far more have graciously honored the trust I have offered them. I am certain that exposing my flank engenders reciprocity of trust in the great majority. And I wager that each act of vulnerable trust nudges the great needle of the universe toward a fuller realization of our true potential.
I am as strategic as they come. In fact, my Meyers-Briggs preference is colloquially known as Mastermind. By default, then, I am prone toward smart trust, to weighing the pros and cons of an action, to treat trust as a sort of leadership capital to be expended along the lines of a budget. But we cannot conflate trust with strategy masquerading as trust. We must take the leap of faith - though the naysayers will say "ill-advised" - in order to enliven the true bond of trust.
I can see them a mile away, broken-down on the side of the road. Two people with thumbs out, a string of vehicles march past unabated. I pull over.
They come to my window, arms pulled in tight against their body, hands shoved into pockets, woefully under-dressed for the weather. Their truck broke down an hour ago, they say; they just need a ride a few miles up valley; I am the first one that stopped. The margin between subconscious and conscious - the land of biases and survival instincts - automatically takes notes and raises a few red flags.
This much is certain - they are quite cold.
Conversation lowers my guard as we roll together down the highway. A cell phone battery died; a deadbeat friend decided to go bowling in Monte Vista instead of coming to help; a girlfriend had to work until 7:00; a step-brother is living at the family shack and trying to get his life together after a stint in juvenile.
I am directed left onto a dirt road, a mile later right onto a smaller dirt road. "It is just a little further." Then left onto what would pass as a cow path if it weren't for the cattle guard blocking bovine progress. We pass by the middle of nowhere. We are ostensibly heading toward said shack. "It is just a little further. Just a little further."
I attempt to be discreet with my cell phone at the ready. Not that there is any signal out here.
They are profuse in their gratitude, in a profanity-laced sort of way. It reminds me of some of my roughneck cousins back home; I smile. A spiritual happiness of sorts wells up, like when you realize that the world just might not be as messed up as it sometimes seems. The valley graces me with sanguine alpenglow.
Trust - it is at the core of effective relationships, communities, and organizations.
In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey asserts four key components of trust, from the organizational perspective. 1) Integrity to walk your talk. 2) Intent to pursue straightforward motives based on mutual benefit. 3) Capabilities that inspire confidence to get things done. 4) Results that reveal our track record and follow through.
I add a fifth key component: the leap of faith.
My decision to pick up the young men stranded in the high desert at the height of winter with the sun quickly absconding probably falls under Covey's concept of blind trust (as opposed to smart trust). It involved an unidentifiable risk of the unknown. But I took this leap of faith with great intentionality. Sometimes a leader needs to risk one's sense of self in order to prove that greater ideals still animate our higher potential, regardless of the naysayers (and they are many).
Now I don't advise that you pick up hitchhikers on a daily basis, metaphorical or otherwise. My episode was a moment in time in which the stars aligned to provide me with a test of my own personal integrity to walk the talk. But I do advise that you take smaller leaps of faith frequently to demonstrate the trust that you place in your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
The realist in my office likes to protest: "But Troy - what if they take advantage of you?!?"
Some have and others will. But far more have graciously honored the trust I have offered them. I am certain that exposing my flank engenders reciprocity of trust in the great majority. And I wager that each act of vulnerable trust nudges the great needle of the universe toward a fuller realization of our true potential.
I am as strategic as they come. In fact, my Meyers-Briggs preference is colloquially known as Mastermind. By default, then, I am prone toward smart trust, to weighing the pros and cons of an action, to treat trust as a sort of leadership capital to be expended along the lines of a budget. But we cannot conflate trust with strategy masquerading as trust. We must take the leap of faith - though the naysayers will say "ill-advised" - in order to enliven the true bond of trust.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Growing Through Failure
"Failing is just a part of the journey and a step toward figuring things out," writes Mike Maddock, a blog contributor at Forbes. "Do you fear failure or have you made it a part of your everyday practice?"
History documents well case after case of individuals that have failed at something - often repeatedly - before achieving success. Common examples range for Michael Jordan to Steve Jobs to the Wright brothers. In the lingo of human development and innovation, they have "failed forward."
The key tenets of failing forward include: 1) the courage to take risks in the first place that may well lead to failure; 2) the maturity to not let failure beat you down; 3) the wisdom to honestly assess your failures in order to learn from them; and 4) the strength to persist with dogged determination until you reach your success.
Mason Jennings sings, "How long you are down depends on how you rise." The psychologist Carol Dweck encourages us to adapt a "growth mindset." The philosopher Hegel wrote that history moved forward through a dialectic of thesis, antithesis and synthesis.
I can tell you a personal story about the day that I knelt hunched over, sweaty and exhausted, atop a garbage dump (literally). I was in North Dakota at a city park (that was built over said dump as a reclamation project), having just failed miserably at the regional championship of cross-country running. I was a junior in college. According to the script, I eventually picked myself up, dusted myself off, and diligently went to the hard work required to take my running to the next level. A year later, I triumphantly ran the best race of my life.
So yes, consider deeply the tenets of failing forward, and incorporate this growth mindset to your academic and professional career. Put yourself out there; pick yourself up and learn from your failures; never stop until you reach your success.
And How
The narrative of failing forward can be seductive. You fail; you make a heroic comeback; you succeed. It is the American Dream. It is Hollywood. It can be deceptive.
So let me add this: how you fail, and how you learn from it matters. Because failure in itself does not always lead to success. And failure is not necessarily a good thing all the time. So allow me to add three qualifiers to the tenets of failing forward.
1. Not all failure is equal. Failing a History class despite long hours studying and tutoring provides a noble learning experience with a chance of future success. Failing a History class because you were too lazy to study and too unmotivated to attend class is not noble and should not be celebrated.
2. Quitting is not always a bad thing. Let's be real: if you put forth a strong effort yet fail College Algebra three semesters in a row, it might be best to quit your dream of being an Engineer. Sometimes the lessons of failure can be hard to hear.
3. Pursue your strengths. You may not fail as much at a task that aligns with your talents and passions. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
Now, with those caveats noted, go out and push your limits! You very well may fail. Learn from it and grow!
History documents well case after case of individuals that have failed at something - often repeatedly - before achieving success. Common examples range for Michael Jordan to Steve Jobs to the Wright brothers. In the lingo of human development and innovation, they have "failed forward."
The key tenets of failing forward include: 1) the courage to take risks in the first place that may well lead to failure; 2) the maturity to not let failure beat you down; 3) the wisdom to honestly assess your failures in order to learn from them; and 4) the strength to persist with dogged determination until you reach your success.
Mason Jennings sings, "How long you are down depends on how you rise." The psychologist Carol Dweck encourages us to adapt a "growth mindset." The philosopher Hegel wrote that history moved forward through a dialectic of thesis, antithesis and synthesis.
I can tell you a personal story about the day that I knelt hunched over, sweaty and exhausted, atop a garbage dump (literally). I was in North Dakota at a city park (that was built over said dump as a reclamation project), having just failed miserably at the regional championship of cross-country running. I was a junior in college. According to the script, I eventually picked myself up, dusted myself off, and diligently went to the hard work required to take my running to the next level. A year later, I triumphantly ran the best race of my life.
So yes, consider deeply the tenets of failing forward, and incorporate this growth mindset to your academic and professional career. Put yourself out there; pick yourself up and learn from your failures; never stop until you reach your success.
And How
The narrative of failing forward can be seductive. You fail; you make a heroic comeback; you succeed. It is the American Dream. It is Hollywood. It can be deceptive.
So let me add this: how you fail, and how you learn from it matters. Because failure in itself does not always lead to success. And failure is not necessarily a good thing all the time. So allow me to add three qualifiers to the tenets of failing forward.
1. Not all failure is equal. Failing a History class despite long hours studying and tutoring provides a noble learning experience with a chance of future success. Failing a History class because you were too lazy to study and too unmotivated to attend class is not noble and should not be celebrated.
2. Quitting is not always a bad thing. Let's be real: if you put forth a strong effort yet fail College Algebra three semesters in a row, it might be best to quit your dream of being an Engineer. Sometimes the lessons of failure can be hard to hear.
3. Pursue your strengths. You may not fail as much at a task that aligns with your talents and passions. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
Now, with those caveats noted, go out and push your limits! You very well may fail. Learn from it and grow!
Friday, June 6, 2014
Do They Know You?
The saying goes, "It is not what you know, but who you know." (In my experience, this saying is a little too sly, for both who you know and what you know matters.) You must ask yourself the question: do they know you?
As a college student, "they" includes fellow students, instructors, support staff, facilities staff, administrators (such as Directors, Deans, and the President), prospective employers, civic leaders...the list goes on and on.
I will be the first to admit that I have long despised the high praise assigned to the concept of networking. As a person that tends toward introversion, I am perfectly content not knowing tons and tons of people; it is exhausting and - to be honest - not always that interesting. As a rationalist, it is frustrating to think that "It is not what you know, but who you know." How are you supposed to be effective if you don't know what you are doing?
Nevertheless, I have undergone a change of heart - of sorts - through some of my personal and career experiences of late. Like it or not, it does matter who you know and networking is important.
If it helps, think of it as friendraising. We all like having friends. Friends share with us. They provide honest feedback. They introduce us to other friends.They make even the most unexciting of activities enjoyable. Friends go out of their way to help us.
For example, does each of your instructors know your name? Do they know your career goals? Do they know a little bit about your day to day life? Because if they do, they can guide your learning better and point you in the direction of good opportunities. And if "life happens," you will have someone in your corner that wants to see you succeed in class nevertheless.
So go introduce yourself to your instructors after class during the first week of school. Stop by during office hours to ask questions about an assignment. Ask them advice for how to be successful in the course. Ask them why they choose the career of teaching. Say "Hi Mr. So and So" when you see them in the hallway. Shoot the breeze.
If you are like me and not necessarily a born chit-chatterer and tend to run out of things to talk about fairly quickly, remember this: people universally appreciate the chance to tell someone about their passions and interests and experiences. Most people also like to give advice and share their perspectives.
What do you think about that?
As a college student, "they" includes fellow students, instructors, support staff, facilities staff, administrators (such as Directors, Deans, and the President), prospective employers, civic leaders...the list goes on and on.
I will be the first to admit that I have long despised the high praise assigned to the concept of networking. As a person that tends toward introversion, I am perfectly content not knowing tons and tons of people; it is exhausting and - to be honest - not always that interesting. As a rationalist, it is frustrating to think that "It is not what you know, but who you know." How are you supposed to be effective if you don't know what you are doing?
Nevertheless, I have undergone a change of heart - of sorts - through some of my personal and career experiences of late. Like it or not, it does matter who you know and networking is important.
If it helps, think of it as friendraising. We all like having friends. Friends share with us. They provide honest feedback. They introduce us to other friends.They make even the most unexciting of activities enjoyable. Friends go out of their way to help us.
For example, does each of your instructors know your name? Do they know your career goals? Do they know a little bit about your day to day life? Because if they do, they can guide your learning better and point you in the direction of good opportunities. And if "life happens," you will have someone in your corner that wants to see you succeed in class nevertheless.
So go introduce yourself to your instructors after class during the first week of school. Stop by during office hours to ask questions about an assignment. Ask them advice for how to be successful in the course. Ask them why they choose the career of teaching. Say "Hi Mr. So and So" when you see them in the hallway. Shoot the breeze.
If you are like me and not necessarily a born chit-chatterer and tend to run out of things to talk about fairly quickly, remember this: people universally appreciate the chance to tell someone about their passions and interests and experiences. Most people also like to give advice and share their perspectives.
What do you think about that?
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Commencement and Discontent
I am a commencement banner assistant. On that wonderful evening in May, I march in with the graduates of Community College of Denver. The energy is electric! I hear stories of success from the students. I give high fives to grandmas in the front row as we proceed into the arena. I cheer my lungs out when TRIO graduates walk across the stage. It is hard to be anything but beaming!
Yet, despite my joy, I cannot escape the discontent. It subtly yet darkly seeps into the perimeter of my vision. The empty space surrounding the graduates manifests the void, the 85% of students that start at Community College of Denver yet fail to reach this penultimate moment. Where are they, if not here tonight?
I know that student success takes multiple shapes and forms, and graduation is not the sole marker. Students swirl through higher education as their life ebbs and flows. There are things both within and outside of the control of the student and the institution.
Yet, the void stirs indignation.
I know the minimal graduation rates are not due to lack of effort on behalf of our students, faculty, and staff. I witness many a determined student putting in long hours at school only to work the night shift. I observe faculty bending over backwards to facilitate student learning. And I see staff deploying expansive and intentional support programs.
Yet, the void stirs indignation.
I know that CCD opens doors and takes risks on students even when the road is long and the hill steep. I am wary of completion strategies that limit access. I believe that any time spent in higher education, even if incomplete, benefits the student and society.
Yet, the void stirs indignation.
Therefore, it is time to take our effort to the next level of sophistication.The mission of the Persistence and Completion Committee (PCC) is to assesses CCD-specific data to drive persistence and completion strategies while fostering a collaborative institutional culture and advocating more universally for improved measures of student success.
The PCC is a cross-functional team with a robust five year plan and the guidance of data mentors at the Higher Learning Commission. We are using institutional data, a longitudinal study, program and department level data, and student surveys to identify the key markers of success and most significant barriers to completion.
Our major deliverables include three meta-analysis reports, learning analytics tools, guided college-wide conversations, and publication of findings and successes to a wider audience.
More to come. For our students!
Yet, despite my joy, I cannot escape the discontent. It subtly yet darkly seeps into the perimeter of my vision. The empty space surrounding the graduates manifests the void, the 85% of students that start at Community College of Denver yet fail to reach this penultimate moment. Where are they, if not here tonight?
I know that student success takes multiple shapes and forms, and graduation is not the sole marker. Students swirl through higher education as their life ebbs and flows. There are things both within and outside of the control of the student and the institution.
Yet, the void stirs indignation.
I know the minimal graduation rates are not due to lack of effort on behalf of our students, faculty, and staff. I witness many a determined student putting in long hours at school only to work the night shift. I observe faculty bending over backwards to facilitate student learning. And I see staff deploying expansive and intentional support programs.
Yet, the void stirs indignation.
I know that CCD opens doors and takes risks on students even when the road is long and the hill steep. I am wary of completion strategies that limit access. I believe that any time spent in higher education, even if incomplete, benefits the student and society.
Yet, the void stirs indignation.
Therefore, it is time to take our effort to the next level of sophistication.The mission of the Persistence and Completion Committee (PCC) is to assesses CCD-specific data to drive persistence and completion strategies while fostering a collaborative institutional culture and advocating more universally for improved measures of student success.
The PCC is a cross-functional team with a robust five year plan and the guidance of data mentors at the Higher Learning Commission. We are using institutional data, a longitudinal study, program and department level data, and student surveys to identify the key markers of success and most significant barriers to completion.
Our major deliverables include three meta-analysis reports, learning analytics tools, guided college-wide conversations, and publication of findings and successes to a wider audience.
More to come. For our students!
Friday, January 10, 2014
Working with Emotions
Someone "flipped me the bird" last week. As I rolled up to a red light in the left turn lane, they drove by me with an empathetic middle finger out the window. I had not cut them off. I had not tailgaited. The worse I could come up with is that I drove the speed limit while they were behind me. In any case, nothing to justify mean-spirited aggression, in my opinion.
Up until that moment, I was enjoying a peaceful Sunday drive with my wife, taking in a warm sunrise and conversation. But now, now I was angry. I felt the injustice of being assaulted for no apparent reason. I felt indignation toward impatience and egoism. I stared at him, sarcastically wondering how I ruined his day by adding 30 seconds to his commute. My mind was white hot. For the next few hours, my mood sullen, my mind just kept coming back and stoking the flames.
Can you relate to a similar experience in your life?
This morning, I rushed to the bus stop, literally ran. Earlier, my 39 week pregnant wife was having a rough morning, so I took time out of my routine to be with her. Then, a breakfast wolfed down, brushing my teeth while tying my shoes, and the sprint out the door. As I stood waiting for the walk signal to cross the road to my stop, the bus rolled past me,three minutes early. "Ughh...really?!?" Now I was going to be late for work. "Why was the bus early?" I asked the question aloud numerous times - to no one in particular - as impatiently waited for the next bus, my sense of stress building.
Emotions - especially negative ones - have an intense gravity drawing the focus of our mind.
At the striking of the iron, emotions are authentic. That is, we do not choose to be upset by a perceived injustice, we just are. We do not choose to feel stressed by an error, that is just how we feel. We do not choose to smile when we see a good friend, we just do. At its origin, an emotion simply is.
However, emotions often take on a life all their own, do they not? When I chose to hold on to my anger after being flipped off, that feeling took over, leaving me short with my wife, unappreciative of the rising sun, and drawing my energy away from other things that I had planned that morning. All of those negative repercussions were my responsibility. The irritating driver had long since driven away and surely had long forgotten the morning's altercation.
The practice of mindfulness involves intentionally choosing what to focus on. When we cultivate a moment to pause and take a deep breath, we create a small gap in our stream of consciousness. This gap is an opportunity regain control over the mind's focus. It is an opportunity to intentionally choose how to respond to the original circumstance that sparked our emotions.
It is called practice, because it does indeed take time to assert intention upon the focus of our active minds. It takes sustained effort to build up the ability to pause and take a deep breath. It takes consistent skill development to train our mind to remain focused on the immediate situation, as it is.
Long story short, the next time you feel a strong upswelling of emotion, pause and take a deep breath. Recognize the emotion as authentic. At the same time, recognize your power to choose how to respond. Pause and take another deep breath. Look deeper at the situation, including what brought it about. Pay attention to what thoughts and feelings give rise within you. You are now prepared to take intentional mindful action.
Up until that moment, I was enjoying a peaceful Sunday drive with my wife, taking in a warm sunrise and conversation. But now, now I was angry. I felt the injustice of being assaulted for no apparent reason. I felt indignation toward impatience and egoism. I stared at him, sarcastically wondering how I ruined his day by adding 30 seconds to his commute. My mind was white hot. For the next few hours, my mood sullen, my mind just kept coming back and stoking the flames.
Can you relate to a similar experience in your life?
This morning, I rushed to the bus stop, literally ran. Earlier, my 39 week pregnant wife was having a rough morning, so I took time out of my routine to be with her. Then, a breakfast wolfed down, brushing my teeth while tying my shoes, and the sprint out the door. As I stood waiting for the walk signal to cross the road to my stop, the bus rolled past me,three minutes early. "Ughh...really?!?" Now I was going to be late for work. "Why was the bus early?" I asked the question aloud numerous times - to no one in particular - as impatiently waited for the next bus, my sense of stress building.
Emotions - especially negative ones - have an intense gravity drawing the focus of our mind.
At the striking of the iron, emotions are authentic. That is, we do not choose to be upset by a perceived injustice, we just are. We do not choose to feel stressed by an error, that is just how we feel. We do not choose to smile when we see a good friend, we just do. At its origin, an emotion simply is.
However, emotions often take on a life all their own, do they not? When I chose to hold on to my anger after being flipped off, that feeling took over, leaving me short with my wife, unappreciative of the rising sun, and drawing my energy away from other things that I had planned that morning. All of those negative repercussions were my responsibility. The irritating driver had long since driven away and surely had long forgotten the morning's altercation.
The practice of mindfulness involves intentionally choosing what to focus on. When we cultivate a moment to pause and take a deep breath, we create a small gap in our stream of consciousness. This gap is an opportunity regain control over the mind's focus. It is an opportunity to intentionally choose how to respond to the original circumstance that sparked our emotions.
It is called practice, because it does indeed take time to assert intention upon the focus of our active minds. It takes sustained effort to build up the ability to pause and take a deep breath. It takes consistent skill development to train our mind to remain focused on the immediate situation, as it is.
Long story short, the next time you feel a strong upswelling of emotion, pause and take a deep breath. Recognize the emotion as authentic. At the same time, recognize your power to choose how to respond. Pause and take another deep breath. Look deeper at the situation, including what brought it about. Pay attention to what thoughts and feelings give rise within you. You are now prepared to take intentional mindful action.
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