New research findings from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University demonstrate the potential of the Institute for Evidence-Based Change's (IEBC) Caring Campus initiative to positively affect college culture and ground further efforts to improve student success.
The report, titled Caring Campus: An Initiative to Involve Community College Staff in Increasing Student Success, discusses the importance of nonacademic staff to the postsecondary experience.
Drawing on observations and interviews at Caring Campus colleges and interviews conducted with IEBC coaches, the researchers report Caring Campus:
- successfully positions staff as respected change makers;
- cultivates a sense of unity;
- enhances staff knowledge; and
- has the potential to improve equity.
Also, professional staff are able to build their leadership skills and strengthen interpersonal relationships in a way that can lay the groundwork for future innovation and student centered practices.