Table of Contents

Preface xi

About the Authors xiii

About AAC&U xvii

Acknowledgments xix

Chapter One: In Search of the Student-Ready College 1

A New Concept: Student-Ready Colleges 8

The Quest for College-Ready Students: A Historical Perspective 9

A Profile of the 21st-Century Student 14

Serving Students? Responding to Markets? Competing Tensions in Higher Education 21

The Path Forward: Taking Steps to Transformation 24

Chapter Two: Leadership Values and Organizational Culture 25

Perspective Taking 29

New Directions for Leadership 31

Changing Perspective on Educators 35

Does Collaboration Serve a Greater Good or Is It an End in Itself? 36

Collaborative Leadership for Grassroots Empowerment 38

Every Employee an Educator 39

Inclusive Professional Development 40

Exemplary Practice:The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 41

Exemplary Practice: California State University, Fullerton 43

Positive Vision of Educators 44

Building Out the Change Effort 46

Considering Whole-Person Educators 47

Student-Ready Mentoring 48

The Will to Apply and Practice What Works 49

Student-Ready Practice of Governance 51

Exemplary Practice: Alverno College 53

Beyond Change as a Motivator in Itself 56

A Pragmatic Approach to Shared Governance 58

A Vision of a Place Ready for Students 60

Conclusion: A Vision to Guide Collaboration 69

Chapter Three: Making Excellence Inclusive to Support Student Success 71

Making Excellence Inclusive 77

Removing Systemic Barriers and Challenges for Students 77

A Caring Educator 80

Embracing a Paradigm Shift 82

A Culture of Inclusion 87

Defining Student Success as Learning 89

Promoting Excellence in Student Engagement 91

Charting Your Course of Action 95

Conclusion 96

Chapter Four: Building Student Readiness through Effective Partnerships 97

Engaging the Ecosystem 102

A New Survival Instinct:The Opportunistic Self-Awareness of Student-Ready Colleges 106

The Many Faces of Partnership 112

Student-Centered Symbiosis in Support of Today’s College Students 118

Selecting Effective Partners 124

Questions to Ask as You Consider Partnerships to Support Student Success 127

Conclusion 128

Chapter Five: Demonstrating Belief in Students 129

Belief in Student Capacity to Learn as a Genuine and Public Commitment 134

Challenges to Belief in Student Capacity to Learn 139

A Learning-Centered Campus Designed for All

Students to Flourish 150

Conclusion 154

Conclusion 155

References 161

Index 179

About the Author

TIA BROWN MCNAIR is the vice president for diversity, equity, and student success at the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U).

SUSAN ALBERTINE is senior scholar for faculty at the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U).

MICHELLE ASHA COOPER is the president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy.

NICOLE MCDONALD is a strategy officer at Lumina Foundation.

THOMAS MAJOR, JR. is corporate counsel at Lumina Foundation.

American Association for Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,300 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges, community colleges, research universities, and comprehensive universities of every type and size.