Table of Contents
Preface xiii
About the Authors xvii
Acknowledgements xxi
Chapter One: The Time Is Now: A Call for Student-Ready Colleges 3
The Quest for College-Ready Students and Redefining Readiness 10
A Profile of Twenty-First-Century Students 16
The Science of Student Readiness 22
The Value of Student-Ready Colleges and the Emerging School-to-Work Economy 25
The Path Forward: Taking Steps to Transformation 29
Chapter Two: Leadership Values and Organizational Culture 33
New Perspectives on Leadership 37
Values and the Student-Ready College 39
Does Collaboration Serve a Greater Good or Is It an End in Itself? 41
Leadership for Grassroots Empowerment 43
Changing Perspective on Educators 47
Exemplary Practice: The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater 47
Positive Vision of Educators 54
Inclusive Professional Development for Everyone Who Teaches 57
Student-Ready Practice of Governance 62
Building Out the Change Effort 64
Exemplary Practice: Alverno College 65
A Pragmatic Approach to Shared Governance 69
A Vision of a Place Ready for Students 72
Conclusion: A Vision to Guide Collaboration 76
Chapter Three: Intentionality by Design to Support Student Success 79
Intentionality by Design: Centering Equity, Diversity, and Belonging 83
Removing Systemic Barriers and Challenges for Students 85
A Caring Educator 87
Embracing a Paradigm Shift 90
A Culture of Belonging 95
Defining Student Success as Learning 97
Promoting Excellence in Student Engagement 99
Charting Your Course of Action 102
Conclusion 103
Chapter Four: Leveraging Ecosystem Partnerships in Support of Student Readiness 107
Engaging the Ecosystem 111
A Critical Survival Instinct: The Opportunistic Self-Awareness of Student-Ready Colleges 115
Three Levers for Establishing and Aligning Impactful Ecosystem Partnerships 120
Student-Centered Symbiosis in Support of Today’s College Students 130
Questions to Consider in Establishing and Aligning Ecosystem Partnerships 133
Conclusion 139
Chapter Five: Educating the Whole Student 143
Whole-Person Leadership and Learning 146
Belief in Student Capacity to Learn as a Genuine and Public Commitment 150
Challenges to Belief in Student Capacity to Learn 154
Addressing Deficit-Mindedness 157
Sites for Action 165
The Wealth That Students Bring 167
Institutional Long Views 168
Leadership Responsive to the Ecosystem 172
Conclusion 178
Conclusion 179
References 187
Index 209