Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Impact of community on the school
Impact of community on the school
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Impact of community on the school
How a Community is Built in a University
Community is something you will find in any formal or informal setting where people are in the same area for long periods of time, especially on many college campuses. Community is thought of as, although different to specific individuals or subcultures, basically a group of informally bound people sharing similar passions (Wenger, 2000). Majority of universities will push the idea of “community” and “togetherness” on its students. They will do this a number of ways including, Freshman Convocation, Freshman Colloquium, and Welcome Week Activities (Nathan, 2005), just to name a few. By using different methods of bringing students closer to one another, universities intend to make a happier environment to excite freshman students and to lay the foundation for a learning community (Nathan, 2005).
This “community” that 97 percent of university presidents believe is necessary in acquiring positive results (Nathan, 2005), is not a shared feeling of most students. As most students have repeatedly stated, mandatory and habitual experiences is unpopular (Nathan, 2005). Although these pleas for change are heard, they are not always acted upon. For instance, many universities act upon a non-obligatory participation method, which means that a student cannot be forced to attend or partake of any activity and has the choice to create their own clubs/groups. The activities that many students do not attend or very few students show up for is seen as a feeble attempt at college community and student involvement. In reality, it is not that students do not wish for a close knit community, most wish not to admit the strain that community activities put on their resources, schedule, individuality, choice, and f...
... middle of paper ...
...rnal of College and Character. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Pascarella, Ernest T., Patrick T. Terenzini, and Lee M. Wolfle. "Orientation to College and Freshman Year Persistence/Withdrawal Decisions." The Journal of Higher Education 57.2 (1986): 1-20. The Journal of Higher Education. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Cooper, Catherine R., Jill Denner, Edward M. Lopez, and Nora Dunbar. "Beyond "Giving Science Away"." Social Policy Report:Society for Research in Child Development XIII.1 (1997): 1-13. www.srcd.org. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
Snyder, William M., and Etienne C. Wenger. "The Organizational Frontier." Communities of Practice 1 (2000): 139-145. Communities of Practice. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Zeldin, Theodore. An intimate history of humanity. New York: HarperPerennial, 1996. Print.
Astin, Alexander W.. What matters in college?: four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993. Print.
Two professors of different backgrounds, Mike Rose of California, and Gerald Graff, of Illinois, discuss the problems college students face today in America. Though similar in slight variations, both professors view the problem in different regards and prepare solutions that solve what they feel to be the heart of this academic problem.
A community is comprised of a group of goal oriented individuals with similar beliefs and expectations. Currently the term is used interchangeably with society, the town one lives in and even religion. A less shallow interpretation suggests that community embodies a lifestyle unique to its members. Similarities within the group establish bonds along with ideals, values, and strength in numbers unknown to an individual. Ideals and values ultimately impose the culture that the constituents abide by. By becoming part of a community, socialization...
Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2013). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Upon arriving to college, many students face the challenge of finding a community to belong to. I believe the student affairs professionals on campus are the resource to building communities within the student body. Reflecting back on my first semester of college, I found my community within two organizations; Dance Marathon and UI Alumni Association Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (S.T.A.T.). Within the organizations I met two advisers who opened my eyes to the world of student affairs.
Coming to college as an adult, we have many expectations and preconceptions of what college will or will not be. The expectations we have can influence our college life for the better or the worse. My experience since starting college has been an interesting one. People have misconceptions about college because they do not know what to expect. After doing some research, I have concluded that there are three major factors that are often misunderstood about college life. The first is the financial aspect of college. Second, is the relationship between the professors and students. Third is time management. These three factors play an important role in why people are afraid to go down the path to college.
How imperative is it that one pursues a traditional college experience? Although it might appear that Charles Murray and Liz Addison are in agreement that the traditional college experience is not necessary for everyone, Addison provides a more convincing argument that higher education is necessary in some form. This is seen through Addison’s arguments that college is essential to growing up, that education is proportional to the life one lives, and that community college reinvents the traditional college experience. Not only does Addison have her own opinions about college, but Murray does as well.
The right and privilege to higher education in today’s society teeters like the scales of justice. In reading Andrew Delbanco’s, “College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be, it is apparent that Delbanco believes that the main role of college is to accommodate that needs of all students in providing opportunities to discover individual passions and dreams while furthering and enhancing the economic strength of the nation. Additionally, Delbanco also views college as more than just a time to prepare for a job in the future but a way in which students and young adults can prepare for their future lives so they are meaningful and purposeful. Even more important is the role that college will play in helping and guiding students to learn how to accept alternate point of views and the importance that differing views play in a democratic society. With that said, the issue is not the importance that higher education plays in society, but exactly who should pay the costly price tag of higher education is a raging debate in all social classes, cultures, socioeconomic groups and races.
Bird, Caroline. "College is a Waste of Time and Money." The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Expository Prose. 9th ed. Ed. Linda H. Peterson et. al. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996. 481-490.
Palmer, Parker J. “The Quest for Community in Higher Education.” Criteria 2011-2012: A Journal of First-year Writing. Eds. Mary K. Jackman and Lee Gibson. Dallas: SMU Dept. of English, 2011. 46-55. Print.
Community is like a Venn diagram. It is all about relations between a finite group of people or things. People have their own circles and, sometimes, these circles overlap one another. These interceptions are interests, common attitudes and goals that we share together. These interceptions bond us together as a community, as a Venn diagram. A good community needs good communication where people speak and listen to each other openly and honestly. It needs ti...
Community. This was the overwhelming impression I received while walking down McAlister Place on the Tulane University campus. It was palpable. Somehow, in the middle of the vibrant city of New Orleans, Tulane managed to create a tight-knit student body that resembled a family. Coming from a high school that encourages team work, whether in sports, class projects, or school clubs, I learned the importance of being a part of a community. After visiting Tulane, I realized how much I would benefit from being a part of this particular “family.” not to mention how inspiring and fun it would be!
Throughout our whole high school career, the topic of college is compelled onto us. Individually, we inherit this depiction of an impeccable campus with an abundance of opportunity and no struggles. However, this is just a cropped version of the picture. The unabridged image is four to six years of stress, suicidal thoughts, financial struggles and endless issues corresponding to bullying and harassment. From generation to generation, countless students attend college on the grounds that they accept it will surpass their chances in the future. Despite this, several of them did nothing other than waste time and money to major in a career they probably never wanted in the first place.
For their entire lives, these students have been motivated by an outside source to complete their work. Whether it was a teacher, parent, or tutor, students were constantly reminded of the importance of completing their assignments. As college students, however, there is a need for a greater sense of self-motivation. These students have not yet developed the maturity necessary to thrive in an independent learning environment. Many students go into college without the discipline and determination needed in order to succeed. These students struggle throughout their college beginnings and become discouraged at their poor performance compared to their previous high school successes. Other times, students are caught up in the “college experience,” and begin to lose motivation. College’s social aspect is a lifelong memory. Many students, however, prioritize socializing and partying over their studies. It is a slippery slope for these students as coursework and other assignments pile up and eventually overwhelm the naive
Light, J. R. (2001). Making the most of college: Students speak their minds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Due to the many meanings of the word community, people have learned to substitute community for other words. Most of the definitions are common has in a society linked by common interests but, would you really say a buffalo community? Of course not, you would say a herd of buffalo. Unfortunately, community is really only used if someone were to be talking about where people live. Even the meanings of community don’t announce themselves when people use the word. Working with a service agency (YouVote), community is used quite a bit. We worked a lot with the community of Michigan Sate University. Would Michigan State University students all have common interests? We all have the common interest to come here but, not common degrees, or classes. If it’s different at MSU would it be different everywhere else?