"Love. Fall
in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write.
The key word is love. You have to get up in the morning and write something
you love, something to live for." Ray Bradbury
Through this
course and my fieldwork experience, I have fell in love all over again with my
purpose in life. I have finally made the connection that aligns my purpose for
my life and my passion to my purpose in this program. It wasn’t until this
semester burnt out and broken, that I realized the only person I am racing
against, is myself. I had to take a step back and fall back in love with “why”
I came into this program. I had to re-examine my priorities and re-align my
commitments with my priorities. Before, this class and my fieldwork experience
I knew I would one day become a Dean of students or Vice President of an
institution. I viewed the curriculum, experience in this program and my
nonprofit L.O.V.E (Living and Overcoming w/ Virtue and Excellence) as separate
entities of my life. Instead, these two should have been aligned as one,
intersecting the other. I believe if from the beginning I viewed this program
as an avenue that lead towards the successful foundation of my nonprofit, I
wouldn’t feel as torn as I did last week. Through my fieldwork experience and
discussions in class, I know that my purpose may not be within the walls of the
institution but my purpose is to be an external liaison to the institution. As
an external liaison I plan to assist women or young ladies struggling to
balance the trails and tribulations of their past with the educational aspirations
of their future.
Originally, when
I took the fieldwork position at California State University, Dominguez Hills,
I assumed they would expect me to know everything. Yet, I was amazed that Dr.
Franklin wanted to ensure that I left my fieldwork experience, with what he
called “foundational readings before entering the field”. I was given the
assignment to create annotated bibliographies for the foundational readings on
“Closing the Gap in Public Institutions”. Although, I was very reluctant to
doing research and I still believe that research isn’t the field for me. The articles
I read, spoke to my soul and to my passion. My passion and dedication to
helping women, particularly minority women, provided me the energy and drive to
keep going.
Closing the gap in graduation rates of
minority students is very essential in the evolution of higher education. As
the number of minority students continues to grow, graduation rates at
different higher education institution is witnessing a tremendous growth in
minority/underrepresented student completing in success, Engle, J. &
Theokas, C. (2010). Engle and Theokas directed their
focus to public institutions due to the fact that “two-thirds of the minority
students who attend a four-year college attend a public institution” (p.1).
They precisely highlighted the public institutions that did particularly well
in the effort of closing the gap because success in this efforts in not really
shown for institutions as a whole. Their review of the data and initiatives
taken from each institution supported the notion that factors such as
institution size, student population, and available resources affect the
institutions graduation rate. It was amazing to me that this even needed to be
said and research continue to point out the same results, yet some public
institutions haven’t shifted their priorities toward closing the achievement
gap. After reading this article in which, I as an African – American women was
described all through the article, I was complied to research more to discover
successes and past practices in other public institutions. As I continued
reading the various article, I realized that they all were saying the same
thing, which made me upset. I was upset because the research has been done and
will continue to be done but we as student affairs professionals, faculty
members and the institution have to willing to change.
Another article that really stood out
to me was Swail, W. S. (2006).
Institutional strategies. A new three-part series. Educational Policy
Institute, Retrieved from www.studentretention.org. This article described student success as a
responsibility of the institution and the student attending. This article
focused on the institutional strategies to increase student retention. It
started with the barriers to student retention and theorists that contributed
to that explanation. Swail also identified five areas he believed the campuses
of higher education institutions should concern themselves with as it relates
to their commitment to student support.
1.
Social and Academic Integration
2.
Academic Preparedness
3.
Campus Climate
4.
Commitment to Educational goals
5.
Financial Aid
The article describes social and
academic integration as initiatives made possible, in some examples, by the
institutions. The use of peer mentoring programs and the development of role
models initiatives used in the article as great examples for steps institutions
take to make sure the students at the school are academically and socially
integrated. As it pertains to the student’s academic preparedness, between
thirty to forty percent of students entering their freshman year, were
underprepared academically according to the research in this article. Retention
at the institution can’t happen if students are not adequately prepared for the
work given to them, hence making the aspect of “academic preparedness an
important, if not more important facet in student retention.
In reference to the campus climate, the
students had to at least like the campus in order to retain. Minority students
were most likely the student population to experience culture shock due to a
lack of diversity in numerous identities. Minority students also experienced
more nonacademic challenges than other students. Swail, W.S (2006). This notion
of campus climate playing an essential role in the success of minority students
stood out when reading this article. I continue to see minority students
entering into an institution whose climate doesn’t meet their needs. The
student goals and the institution’s goals should meet in some shape or form.
Swail suggested the idea that academic and social apparatuses of the
institution for better student persistence should actually arbitrate them. Which
in turn leads to commitment to educational goals and to the institution.
This article point’s one final aspect
of successfully supporting the students needs through providing financial support.
Although it seems straight forward, a student can’t retain in institution if
they don’t have the funds to purchase their classes. Swail also went into the
significance of comprehending how to support the student academically and
holistically (in its entirety). He discussed the three important factors and
the factors that were valuable to the student experience: cognitive factors,
social factors, and institutional factors. All three of these factors must
remain in balance for the student success.
In relating the article to California
State University, Dominguez Hills, the institution has proven to be successful
in the areas of insuring support for academic preparedness and academic
integration, campus climate, commitment to educational goals and financial aid
support. As it relates to the institutions support in social integration, the
institution have found a correlation between the “super seniors” (students with
120+ units), their social integration on the campus and the external factors
that impact their persistence to graduation. Students retain when they have
support that are also identified as allies. Research shows that students not
only need academic support, but social support as well. The availability of
mentoring programs, counseling center, and cultural/ ethnic center should be a
must on campus. Tinto, V. (2000). Yet, during the season of budget cuts
these services are rarely protected. What I love about CSUDH is the institution
has made a commitment to identify the challenges and align the institutions
goals towards the need to close the achievement gap among the “super seniors” on
its campus. It is imperative for this institution to develop interventions that
provide services that supports the student academically and holistically.
Prior to my fieldwork experience, I had never thought of
the importance of external ability to influence student success. I had heard of
the term before, but not in the same context as I have come to understand it in
these last few weeks. In fact, I noticed that all of the elements that are
crucial in accomplishing a balance for students on the campus in order for the
external environment not to weigh more and an imbalance in a students life.
Take me for example; collaboration between my external mentors and my campus
mentors was necessary at certain times during my college experience. I couldn't
always "do it alone," just as I cannot always do it alone when
helping students in my non-profit.
As I reflect upon the semester I would say that my
greatest weakness in my eyes became my greatest strength. The inability to
align my passion with this program was a hindrance on my motivation and drives
to complete this program. This weakness, however, turned around as I gradually
learned to dig deeper in my knowledge and understanding of “self” and viewing
this program as the foundation that will allot me the tools necessary for the success
of the girls in my nonprofit.
In closing, I have grown in my knowledge and
understanding of the role, I will play as an advocate for the success of
minority women in and out of college. I have an in-depth understanding of the
factors that play a key role in closing the achievement gap at public
institutions. Also, I have an insight on the importance for an institution
to develop interventions that provide services to support the student
academically and holistically. Lastly, I have a deepen understanding of who I
am and what my contribution will be to the student affairs profession. It was through my classroom
conversations and my research within my fieldwork, that I have discovered “me”.
Thank you for your help, insight and patience.
