The Center for First-Generation, Low-Income Student Success at Stanford University has received donor support for mentoring and financial assistance for student learning through experience, research and scholarship.
Across the country, diversity, equity and inclusion institutions have endured attacks from conservative lawmakers, resulting in closures, renaming of institutions or redistribution of resources across campuses.
At Stanford University, on the other hand, donor support has added a new level of sustainability to the university’s public institutions. In recent years, four of the eight community centers on campus that provide targeted support for close-knit groups have received directorships, ensuring future investment and continued student services.
Background: Stanford has eight community centers—the Asian American Activities Center, the Black Community Services Center, El Centro Chicano y Latino, the First Generation and/or Minority Student Success Center, the Markaz Resource Center, the Native American Cultural Center, Queer. Student Services, and the Women’s Community Center.
These centers serve as a hub, provide academic programs and connect with various departments on campus, and serve as a student hangout or study area. Some student organizations also hold meetings in institutions, sometimes institutions have their own weekly meetings.
Each center is open to every student on campus, regardless of identity or program at Stanford.
These institutions have a long history of supporting student success and the one who interacts with the university’s student community, explains Samuel Santos Jr., vice president for inclusion, community learning and integrated learning at Stanford.
“Students of the school were asking how they can support the public institutions of the institution and the life of students in general. So we identified that, if the alumni students feel compelled and want to give a certain public institution, or because they have a connection with them, or because they care about the topic, they can help by giving the role of director, ” Explains Santos.
Graduate student roles are common in higher education and often come with prestige, but student affairs roles are less common. Santos believes that it helps elevate the work done on campus by these employees.
At Stanford, which is a residential campus located outside of its neighboring cities, the work of student affairs is very important, Santos said. “I would like to remind my fellow citizens, who do you think is taking care of the hearts and minds of the students when they are not in the classroom? A great team of student affairs professionals.”
How does this work: Each role awarded is funded by an undisclosed gift amount, which funds the director’s salary.
“Then the agreement of the university is that they will use the money they will pay for the salary of the director, and then they will put it back into the program just to create more opportunities to get flexible money – to do programs, [for] student support and [to] to increase access to facilities on campus,” said Santos.
In addition to creating additional funds that can go directly to students, the endowment ensures the continuity of donations. While having student-led organizations in close proximity is great, “having staff at these facilities gives the edge,” Santos said. “We really look at our work in terms of stewardship … Having a certified director and a consistent staff allows us to stay abreast of what research is saying about best practices for community centers and learning by integrating outside of the classroom? And how do we respond to what our students tell us?”
The most recent gift was given to the First-Generation or Low-Income Student Success Center (FLISSC), the newest center on campus, which became an independent office in 2018. One in five Stanford graduates is considered first-income or low-income, and the institution provides orientation, financial support, training, support for basic needs and a community environment for students.
A gift from alumnus Kelsey Bateman Murphy and Bobby Murphy, both Class of 2010, not only provides a director role but also provides funding for undergraduate research projects and need-based financial aid for students.
Larger image: While the work of community centers is important in building and retaining students, Stanford leaders do not want to keep adding centers, but instead consider the institution’s academic mission and how we can best serve students.
In the future, Santos will be interested in seeing born directors play a greater role in education, working as lecturers in education departments to continue coordinating curriculum and curriculum.
The role of alumni support is important and speaks to how Stanford views the student holistically, serving them throughout their campus life cycle and staying connected beyond.
“We look at our work here on campus as, once they walk through our doors, what can we do to make sure they have all the resources they need to reach their full potential and achieve their goals?” Santos said. “It’s not about charity … These students are brilliant, and it’s an honor and privilege for us to help advance their knowledge. So when we receive these gifts and support from past students, it really helps us to support students in a way that helps them maintain their dignity, but also helps them feel like an important part of this community.”
How does your college use donor dollars to support student success programs? Tell us more.
This article has been updated to correct the abbreviation First Generation or Low Income Success Center as FLISSC.
Source link
