Analysis of the perceptions of learning-centered changes in community college student affairs

With the renewed interest in creating learning-centered colleges and in student success/completion, community colleges in the state of Florida now, more than ever, are evaluating their institutions with learning-centered criteria in mind. Community colleges, with their open-door policy, continually attract the underprepared student, the displaced homemaker, the unemployed/laid off worker, the single parent, and the person in need of upgrading specific skills, as well as the 18-year-old high school graduate. Many of these potential students have not attended school for years, and therefore approach the idea of becoming a student with a certain level of trepidation. Recent high school graduates may experience a similar level of anxiety or, conversely, bring with them a level of overconfidence that soon vanishes, leaving them overwhelmed and rapidly falling behind. The traditional community-college student of the 21st century, by definition, was the nontraditional student of the 20th century. This challenging situation requires community-college administrators, faculty, and staff to be proactive in planning responses to the educational needs of this diverse group of students.; Applying learning-centered theory to the situation requires a holistic approach to the educational milieu. This holistic approach must include all aspects of the student's contact with the institution, both inside and outside the classroom. Our study looked at what two Florida community colleges have done to create a campus environment that promotes the learning college concept/environment. One college has been identified as a leader in the learning-centered movement; the other is just beginning this move, starting with significant changes to the delivery of student services. Through the design of surroundings (which are visually welcoming, physically comfortable, and psychologically nonthreatening); personnel training; access to services and technology; and policy and procedure change, this institution hopes to move student services into a full partnership with academics in creating a learning-centered environment. Using the case-study method, we investigated the purposeful creation of a "staying" or nurturing environment and its impact on student, faculty, and staff perceptions.