Joe LeCluyse
Joe is passionate about helping institutions improve student success and attain strategic goals with a holistic approach.
Latest posts by Joe LeCluyse (see all)
- 4 Factors to Achieve Holistic Student Success - March 22, 2016
- Student Success: Are We Meerkats or Worker Bees? - January 27, 2016
- Is Business As Usual Good Enough (for Student Success)? - July 13, 2015
I often look for analogies in nature when I’m trying to explain a new concept. Recently I was having a discussion with a colleague regarding holistic student success and the practicalities of what it means. When considering holistic student success, we need to ask ourselves: Are we Meerkats or Worker Bees? These two creatures first popped into my head when telling a story from a past job.
A First Hand Example of Student Success Letdown
At one point in my career I was the Chief Student Affairs Officer at an institution and also taught evening courses as an adjunct instructor. The first night of each semester, I would pay special attention to the back row to know “what I was going to have to deal with this semester.” (Stereotyping, I know. And I learned my lesson.) One semester I kept getting this feeling that I should pay attention to the two students in front– front row, center. I went back to my office after class and I looked up the two in the front center. Both students were starting their second year at the school and both were on probation and had two previous semesters of Ds and Fs. I started digging and found that on their Assessment Test profiles they had completed the previous year when they started at the school, they both had indicated “I need help with…” areas such as math skills, reading skills, financial aid, and others. I asked them each separately to come in and see me and asked what help they were receiving in these trouble areas they had indicated. They both independently responded they didn’t know “help” was available.
A week or two later, I was leading a meeting of advisors and shared this story. When I asked around the table how many of the advisors prep for their students by looking at the information I had, I was not surprised by their response that none of them look at the history and assessments and all said “we don’t have the time” and “we are doing everything we can just to handle our daily load.” I understood, and wondered: Is there a way we can change how we view our “daily load?” Can understanding a student’s background be made a part of the “daily load?”
What does Student Success Have to do with Meerkats?
In telling my colleague this story from my past, an analogy occurred to me. I’m sure many remember the Meerkat Timon from Disney’s The Lion King, and even though not many real Meerkats have the sense of humor Timon had, they are known for living in colonies and taking turns serving as sentinels. These sentinels are always aware of their surroundings and any possible threats.
In higher education, I believe we get so caught up in the daily grind and routine that many of the staff at our schools become great Worker Bees, doing what needs to be done to keep the institution in production. In the current legislative and financial environments, for many schools the Worker Bee approach is not going create the needed results. If we are truly going to make a difference in our student success and completion rates overall, research shows us we need to help our staffs become more like Meerkats. I believe there are three critical areas we can start with to turn into Meerkats:
As Meerkats, we need to help our staff understand how to positively influence student outcomes. This begins with an awareness at the institutional level that ALL staff are able to play a role in this process. When asked for directions, I have seen office clerks as well as building custodians direct students to offices that can help them with their needs- everyone can make a difference. These employees were responding with this information from student success training they had received where they were shown how they can make a difference, and they sure did.
Employee development programs that equip faculty and staff with the knowledge of how they can watch for and support students in their areas of need have shown to have positive results across the institution.
As Meerkats, we should be alert to the needs of our students and on the watch for any possible threats. This is key to be proactive in assisting students in their goal planning. To truly assist each student with their success, we have to understand what “success” means to that student. This is often much more than a degree, typically including many supporting goals along the way. Are students encouraged to express specific goals for their learning experience? Are student goals collected and tracked? Are goals degree-specific or can they include other aspects that impact the student’s learning experience at the institution? Are these goals easily viewed and supported by appropriate staff?
To give our faculty and staff the tools they need to serve as the sentinel for our students, they have to be aware of what the students are hoping to attain in their experience at the institution. Then, they are much more empowered in heading off any “threats” and helping the student to keep a path to success.
As Meekats, we need to create a “colony” to work in. Schools that have the highest completion rates also seem to behave as a “colony” with everyone having their responsibilities – faculty, staff and students. Programs are provided which help each constituency understand their responsibilities. This information should be provided to faculty and staff when they come onboard and to students before they begin their academic programs. There should also be ongoing programming efforts during faculty, staff, and students’ tenure at the institution to help keep a focus on everyone’s role in the success of each student and the institution as a whole.
What I have seen in schools with higher retention and completion rates is an attitude of “we are here to help each other all be successful.” These institutions proactively look at ways to accomplish their goals, rather than an attitude of just trying to get through another day of completing the job I was hired to do. They are succeeding in the “new normal” landscape of higher education. The successful schools look and behave more like a colony of Meerkats than a hive of Worker Bees. It is the responsibility of the leaders and sentinels to create and maintain these environments.
