Defining student success
Tuesday / November 15, 2016
Dr. Martin Reimer
By Dr. Martin Reimer
Many people believe that the goal of a college student is to graduate. This thought process can imply that graduation is an end-point in learning. At Ellsworth Community College learning is defined as a journey, not a destination. Therefore, graduation is not an end-goal, but a milestone in a lifelong learning endeavor.
In the effort to produce graduates who will be successful throughout their lives, Ellsworth has adopted five common learning objectives that all students should possess. Successful students need to demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving acumen, professional communication skills, good citizenship, and technological and information literacy. Research has shown that regardless of the educational discipline, community college graduates who transfer to a four-year institutions or enter the workforce have much higher levels of success if they master these common learning objectives.
Defining student success in these terms is the easy task. It is much more difficult to know if students have achieved these objectives by the time they graduate. Ellsworth has continued to develop measurements to determine mastery of these objectives. Internally, Ellsworth has been working to establish measurable goals to make sure every department impacts student success. This includes not only faculty, but staff and coaches, too.
Externally, Ellsworth has been working with four-year institutions and businesses to track the success of its graduates. For example, Iowa State University measures the success of individual community college transfer students compared to other Iowa community colleges and freshman who entered the university directly. This last year, Ellsworth transfer students at Iowa State outperformed other Iowa community college and Iowa State freshman cohort groups in grade point average and persistence.
Advances in business and industry have accelerated the learning needed to stay current in one’s educational field. This is especially true in regards to the technical and mechanical skills that students learn in college. These practical skills may become outdated in as little as a few years. Therefore, more and more employers are looking for graduates who have the ability to learn and grow on the job. Businesses need employees who are capable of doing more than following orders. Employers need a workforce that is comprised of independent thinkers who are able to identify and solve issues and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
Ellsworth is proud of the work it has done in partnership with other institutions and organizations to help students be successful. We will continue to look for ways to improve utilizing a holistic, systematic approach that strives to help each student reach his or her potential.
Dr. Martin Reimer is the Provost of Ellsworth Community College.