Fall Fieldwork 2011

"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.