The Institution

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     I was taking the time to think about what it means to pursue higher education, or any form of post-secondary education. I think that every person who attends has a different reason, goal, or aspiration to do so. For those going straight from high school to post-secondary education, it may well be transitioning from the socially constructed stages of life, from one to another. Or it could be a requirement of skills that are needed, intellectual development, sports opportunities, or for financial and economical self-development. The fact is that students are attending post-secondary institutions. Now from an institutions perspective we have to think, how is the institution going to meet the needs of the diverse students who attend the institution? Of course student success and satisfaction has to be a priority of the institution. Student attitudes, and experiences have an impact upon their success, as well as how they share their experiences with others. Whilst I don't think an institution can really control what thousands of students say about the institution, learning, or the experience, I do think that they can contribute to the shaping of students' attitudes. Students are the crux, the foundation of a functioning educational institution, without the students there would be no institution.

     So with that being said, we know that students are attending, we want them to succeed. There are many parts of the whole institution that are dedicated to serving students. There is also a large contribution of literature / research dedicated to identifying student success criteria's, and ideas for implementation. Whilst we do have access to readings, and services, I also think that there is a shift happening within the field of post-secondary education. The idea of the shift should not sound as a new idea, or something unheard-of. Shifts continuously happen. These could be due to contributing factors such as: societal, generational, technological and so on. These dynamics also contribute towards the student success criteria's. They have to be simultaneously considered, alongside that of how the institution is adapting, evolving, progressing, and preparing for shifts. 

     Whilst an institution prepares for their incoming students, it is also important to note that sometimes it is the internal attitudes of the service providers, faculty and staff that are not aligned / prepared for the shifts, or the progressing vision for that institution. Changes, adaptations, and perceptions are also necessary at the faculty and service provider level. Students arrive and leave. In most or some cases, the service providers remain who must then continue to serve another cohort of students. Each cohort is not going to be the same as the one who just graduated. The identification of student needs is continuously changing, which is why everyone who is involved in providing the learning, and support services must continuously adapt, so that the parts of the institution that are serving students can seamlessly be integrated as a whole functioning educational institution. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on April 5th, 2018. This thoughts are part of the on-going discussion about the purpose of higher / post-secondary institutions. 
Image 1 - Web Link
Image 2 - Web Link