It's great to see these words from someone who is in a position to do something about who touches students, Therese. How do you qualify potential employees for their ability to connect with students?
I think you're right-- we do need to hire qualified employees but they also need to be dedicated to the students. It's not enough to just simply teach to them, you have to guide them and be their support system. ALL employees need to connect with each student so that there is a better chance of that student feeling "at home".
Thank you for sharing your point of view, Rodney. You have touched on quite a few topics. I'll try to respond to the main points.
I believe that there are more than three reasons that students select a proprietary school – convenience of schedule and/or location, better support services, comfort with the culture to name a few. Most community colleges offer open enrollment so it is overly cynical to suggest that students come because they couldn't get into a traditional institution.
The media and regulatory spotlight isn't limited to schools in the proprietary sector. It shines brightly across the whole community, focusing on topics like the rate of increase in tuition rates, low graduation rates, the return on investment of Title IV funds, transferability of credits, etc., etc. Consumers of higher education services are much more informed than ever before. They are holding all members of the community more accountable for results. The proprietary sector actually has taken a very proactive role in this regard, suggesting that performance standards be incorporated into access to Federal aid programs.
Hiring the ‘right people' is one of the greatest challenges faced by any employer. Many proprietary schools have higher standards for hiring than other institutions in the sector. Instructors are expected to have both an appropriate educational and professional background, and are evaluated on their ability to connect with students. I had a professor in grad school who was a Noble prize laureate but was the worst teacher I ever had. The university was delighted to have him on the faculty. The proprietary sector has professional development requirements [like RT101] and routinely evaluates classroom performance to assure that students are getting what they pay for. These practices are not commonly found in other sectors of higher ed.
Finally, I believe that everyone at the institution shares responsibility for defining that school's culture. If a person doesn't like the culture, they must reflect on what they can do to make a positive change.
