Hello from the DEI Summer Workshop! We've gathered together the DEI college teams, partners, and Achieving the Dream coaches in Durham, NC to cogitate, collaborate, and come up with answers to big questions about developmental education. We’re asking some big questions about scaling and sustainability, too.
When we began DEI, we were focused on expanding effective pilots and policies for students needing developmental education. When we started, colleges were serving some students in those programs and designed their work to serve even more of those who can benefit; the next challenge will be to sustain this work to serve most of those who can benefit from these effective programs—because a solution that isn’t available to most of those who need it, isn’t really a solution.
We began our day by asking attendees to envision this goal of extending their work from more to most of the students who could benefit. What would that look like? What would change on the campus? What would change among faculty? What would change for students?
One college participant shared her vision of the future: there is very little need for developmental education at the college, because most students arrive prepared or accelerate quickly to college-level work. Every student has a case manager, who serves as a friend and an advisor to make sure that they "start right, stay right, and end right."
With that mantra still echoing in our heads, we're spending the rest of our time here reflecting on the first 18 months of DEI and capturing our accomplishments, addressing current implementation challenges, making plans for incorporating DEI learning into other student success efforts, and building a strong, sustainable learning community of developmental education innovators. Check back Monday for a full recap of the event.
Alyson Zandt is a Program Associate at MDC.
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