The Important Thing is the Process
What does it mean to be "student centered" in a Trump Landscape?
As I am navigating my work, my scholarship, and my teaching in and amongst the barrage of politically designed attacks on the academy I am, like many, feeling overwhelmed. How will research universities do their work? What sorts of concessions will be made? Are we simply entering a new era of extraordinary overreach? For me, it comes down to one question, what about the students?
I entered the field of student affairs and higher education administration in 1989. Traditionally aged students over those years have changed for sure, but ultimately they are still 18-22 year old young adults. Recently I was asked if I have truly seen the diversification of higher education over my career, and my answer was clear “100 percent”. From my vantage point, students have gotten more diverse not only in their racial, sexual and ethnic identities, but more importantly in their socio-economic identities. Bottom line - when we have a diversity of students our campuses are more interesting.
There was a time in my career during the mid-90’s where I had my first exposure to working with a significant number of students who had qualified for TRIO funding and support while working at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I had not had such a privilege at Boston University where I had spent the first six years of my career. TRIO students were gritty, coming from urban and rural backgrounds, the University provided support mechanisms from additional work-study allocations to academic coaching.
On leaving IUP and returning to Boston where I eventually landed at Babson College I was on a truly International Campus, where business and entrepreneurial students came from every corner of the globe. They found their niche on the small campus where they were encourage to dream big and proclaim their individuality through calculated risk taking toward scalable financial wins. The college supported all Babson students through an innovative academic plan, that supported their development as business leaders, no matter their ‘pedigree’ in that world.
The two campuses couldn’t have been more different, and as a student affairs professional this sharp contrast allowed for me to grow in my practice. I had to shift my work to align with the institutional mission, and for that I, myself, became more aware of possibility, more committed to the work, and less desirous of working with or at a specific type of institution. The bottom line was students fascinated me, and I wanted to be granted the opportunity to learn from them as much as I wanted to provide them with the services that they require during such a pivotal time in their development.
Over my decades of experience in the field, the students are the constant. They are the reason I and we do the work. Whether it be as instructors, administrators or coaches. We could do similar work anywhere, we choose do do it on campus. But now, the work seems to be placed on the back burner while we manage the “how the hell is this going to work?” challenges, as well as the abject FEAR that some are feeling.
I need to remind myself that the priority is the students, and our processes must be student centered, outcomes oriented and humane. While students have changed over my lifetime on campus, they are still 18-22 year olds. They are young adults, who have not grown up completely and who need our support. Our fear is noticeable, and while we cannot hide who we are, we need to be sure that the outcome, the goal of it all is that each individual student is seen and feels seen.
In the weeks to come, I will be focusing more on this as I prepare for the academic year ahead, the graduate students I will be teaching and the students each of you may be serving. But, suffice it to say I need to continue to reflect on the title of this piece, “The Important Thing is the Process”.
And I would like to know what that means to you.
