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Task Force on student success up and running

Colleges used to operate on a kind of
right-to-fail attitude; now we’re moving
toward right-to-succeed. The notion of ac-
cessibility; has been replaced by “suces-
sibility’, says Ted James, Developmental
Studies Instructor and Chairperson of the
Task Force on Student Success.

“The College is changing, and the Task
Force is looking at where students fit into
those changes, and evaluating how we in-
volve students more in the process of
their own learning,” says James. “Success
rather than access is becoming the issue,
and our role is to look at the oppor-
tunities for systemic change.”

The Task Force began in February as a
result of the student success portion of
the 1991 Institutional Self-Study. Its man-
date is to examine current practices and
procedures designed to assist student suc-
cess, such as information flow, orienta-
tion, assessment and placement, support
services and preparatory courses. It will
also identify unmet student needs and
gaps in programming and services, and
recommend specific actions for improving
the probability of student success.

With the demand for spaces outstripping
the supply, says James, student success
has become a priority, especially now that
the notion of institutional and fiscal
responsibility is growing. Also, success is
defined from the point of view not only
of students and the institution, but
employers and the general public as well.

James says the College’s expectations

College Briefs cont'd

must be more clear, so that we don’t feel
compelled to water down our standards.
“Getting students in here isn’t enough, as
far as the public is concerned. We have to
get them out without lowering our stand-
ards; so students have to succeed on their
terms as well as ours.”

If incorrect student expectations lead to
failure, what are some other reasons stu-
dents don’t perform well when they get
here? Economic and socio-cultural factors
play a part, says James.

 

“The notion of accessibility
has been replaced by
‘successibility’.”

 

 

?® Assessment Centre
summer hours

Effective May 4, the Assessment Centre is

open Monday and Tuesday from 1 pm to

4:30 pm, Wednesday from 8:30 am to 1

pm, and Thursday and Friday from 8:30

am to 4:30 pm.

“We need to look at the extent to which
students are being forced by a competi-
tive workplace to go back to school, but
aren't sure what they’re doing here. A TV

culture means they’re often looking for im-

mediate gratification rather than long-
term effort. Many students are looking to
be entertained rather than mentally stimu-
lated, and many others haven’t come
from a home environment that values the
discussion of ideas.”

Another concern is class size - instructors
feel that they can’t meet students’ needs
if there are too many in one class, espe-
cially when students have such a wide
variety of backgrounds. “There is an in-
creasing number of mature students, and
a more multicultural student population.
Instructors are trying to teach to the mid-

@® Attention, faculty!

The Alumni Association is always looking
for Douglas College graduates, and facul-
ty often have opportunities to stay in con-
tact with alumni. If you have any
up-to-date information on graduates,
please call Alana Frymire at 5322.

dle, but sometimes there’s no one there.
Some students have already learned the
material, and some don’t know what page
they’re supposed to be on. This isn’t al-
ways true, but these are themes that run
through patterns of students that don’t
succeed,” says James.

“This is a task force in deed - not just in
name,” notes James. Members want to
get things done, not just sit and talk
about it. “We haven’t set for ourselves a
simple discussion process; we've or-
ganized it so that those people who al-
ready have responsibility for things like
orientation, advising, preparatory courses,
are assisted by the cross-College com-
munity to get a better handle on how to
meet the needs of students.”

Using orientation as an example, James
says it should come to mean more than
getting to know the building and the
registration process; it should be orienta-
tion to successful study here at Douglas
College. Part of that is the Steps to Suc-
cess Handbook, which will be piloted this
summer, and ready for the fall intake of
students. The Handbook will outline
strategies students should use to help
them do well.

Meanwhile, the Task Force is lobbying for
funds to enable these and other projects
to be implemented. As well, James is look-
ing for people who have ideas on ways to
enhance student success to come forward
as part of the cross-College effort.

If you have ideas or concerns around
student success, or would like more infor-
mation on the Task Force, call Ted James
at 527-5321.