HED CAPSTONE

PLEASE RESPOND TO THE 2 DISCUSSIONS PEER RESPONSE BELOW.

RESPOND 100-150 WORDS EACH

Faith or Social Class

What are ways in which institutions of higher education, public and private, can support the development of faith, disability and/or social class in higher education?

How does your institution, or an institution you choose to analyze, enhance one or more of these identity developments in students?

How can this development help increase persistence, retention, and completion?

1. Maria 

To develop a culture that is truly based on the mutual acceptance of individuals with diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, disabilities and social classes, post-secondary educational institutions need to focus on not just accommodating and developing those diversities but also catalyzing the acceptance and tolerance of such diversity.  This acceptance can be promoted in a nearly endless number of ways, however, a diligent approach that avoids isolation or segregation must be a key concept of any successful acceptance program.  To deploy such a program of diversity acceptance and tolerance, an educational institution must first prepare their faculty and staff.  This preparation is critical as the ability of the professor to develop relationships with students and bridge the gaps that may exist between various diversities is crucial.  Trammel Hathaway (2007) referenced Light (2001) and said that “89% of all college students can name one professor or advisor who has made a dramatic difference in the success of his or her college career.”

 If we as educators, administrators and professors are to achieve these kinds of relationships and the corresponding desired results, we must pursue a foundation of skills and knowledge on the subject.  This does not necessarily necessitate endless hours of diversity or sensitivity training, but, for example, as Hadley (2011) comments on training for disabilities, “Educators can learn more about specific disabilities of students and disability-related accommodations (e.g., extended testing times, access to printed text, physical accessibility to classrooms) through online information, health services, and disability services”.

A well-conceived plan that promotes acceptance and tolerance while encouraging diversity development can succeed with even the most basic level of formal staff training.

 

2. ELVINA,

The ways institutions of higher education can support the development of faith, disability and/or social class through a number of ways. There can be scholarships made available through the institution or outside organizations or even organizations that are on campus. There can be support groups and multiple functions help by participants apart of these groups. The institution can hold seminars and special guest speakers to help educate students on these different topics as well as offer classes in these subjects. Another way institutions can be supportive of disability is to make sure there is a disabilities or wellness office that aids in the support of students with mental and physical disabilities as well as academic support. The institution must make sure that it complies with policies and regulations when accommodating students with disabilities.

The institution I currently work for does not have a disabilities office and isn’t able to support students with any type of disability. The institution is an Episcopalian institution that reserves holidays that are considered sacred to that particular religion and there is a chapel on campus. The college supports all people from different social classes by offering scholarships and other financial aid to help with the cost of attendance. Students are able to borrow books and return them instead of buying them.

If there were a disability office and more of a concentration on helping veterans or even a veterans affairs office than it would help increase the student population as well as increase persistence, retention and completion.