Students are the driving force behind any higher education institute, but not all colleges and universities feel incentivized to center their operations around the student experience. For example, at some larger universities, research advancement and faculty resources may take precedent.
To be a truly student-centric campus, institutions must recognize that students are far more integral to the entire operation than the numbers they represent in enrollment or revenue. At Flagler, centering of the student experience is evident in our academic programming, public events, daily functioning and long-term initiatives.
For example, our general curriculum has been reimagined with the modern student’s curiosities and expectations in mind. Flagler’s core curriculum builds on the topics this generation of students find most engaging in an atmosphere that immerses them in relevant real-world environments. But that’s not where our commitment to student-centricity ends.
Faculty- and staff-led initiatives like our Service Excellence Luncheons prepare the college’s student-facing employees to bring the best practices of customer service right here to campus. Most recently, a Hospitality and Tourism Mangement faculty member led a luncheon titled “Disneyfication—Taking Customer Service to the Next Level.” Our students are much more than customers, but learning best practices of service from one of the most successful attractions in the world is our idea of advancing our focus on delivering the very best student experience.
Prioritizing Student-Centricity
Personal financial health and a rapid technological evolution are just two issues that have influenced a national conversation around the value of a college degree. With some Americans worried the return on investment (ROI) of a traditional college education is on a decline, students and parents are asking: Is college still worth it? Especially with the rise of competitive pay for entry-level or trade jobs, some prospective students and parents struggle to see the comparative ROI of a traditional four-year degree.
“Yes, college is still worth it,” a March 2024 Axios news report affirmed, citing new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that shows a consistently widening wage gap between high school and college-educated graduates. Just last month, Business Insider cited a Georgetown University study showing that a college education is “correlated with better pay at every level” and is worth on average $2.8 million over a lifetime.
So, research continues to point to the perennial value of a college education, especially over the course of a professional career. However, this overwhelming trend of doubt is evidence that colleges and universities need to make significant strides in showcasing the value they bring to students specifically.
This effort won’t only act to combat narratives driving students away from pursuing a college education; it will also color campuses’ ability to evolve academics with expanding industries, cater to a modern college student’s needs and ensure higher education is defined by adaptability.
The Challenges to Delivering a Student-Centric Model
When colleges and universities fail to operate on a student-centric model, it is often due to a myriad of expectations some institutions are asked to deliver on outside of student success.
Students who choose Flagler College will regularly cite class sizes and appealing student-to-faculty ratios as primary factors. Bottom line: Students want to have productive relationships with their professors. When faculty are pulled by motivating factors other than the quality of their teaching, their students’ success and involvement can go on the back burner.
At Flagler, we’ve found a way to combat this situation. While we’re not a designated research university, our faculty are nonetheless motivated by a desire to dig into pressing issues and find innovative solutions. Instead of discouraging this desire, Flagler encourages faculty to involve their students.
Additionally, we’ve created the Center for Teaching and Learning. This newer initiative seeks to facilitate excellence in teaching that encourages a culture of collaboration relevant to students’ aspirations, abilities and experiences. Fostering our faculty’s pedagogical and professional development as teachers and scholars, this center is built on the ideals of a student-centric model for higher education.
As many faculty members will tell you, Flagler is first and foremost a teaching college.
Flagler’s designation as a private liberal arts college also works in our favor when considering some of the obstacles larger or public universities can face in terms of autonomy or ability to foster individual student relationships.
The Characteristics of a Strong Student-Centric Model
If a college or university were to audit their institutional model for student-centricity, they should start by asking how their students’ expectations compare to the deliverables they’re offering. Identifying disparities between institutional priorities and student priorities can be an incredibly valuable step in improving student-centricity.
This kind of audit can occur even at the highest levels of an institution. For example, Flagler College launched its first-ever comprehensive campaign in fall 2023. In identifying Flagler Forward priorities, we asked ourselves how students would benefit on each level. Student scholarships are a key priority. But even through our other priorities—faculty, programs and places—the value for students is immediately evident.
Since joining the Flagler community in 2021, one of my personal goals has been explicitly to improve the student experience. What I call the five-star plan has been our vehicle toward that goal. With four key pillars—campus facilities, technology, campus enhancements and student life—I’ve overseen major improvements to the areas of campus our students tend to care about most.
For example, multiple major residence halls have seen necessary renovations that also appeal to the modern student eye. We collaborated with Campus Recreation to install an on-campus kayak launch on the San Sebastian River. And we’ve introduced major technology innovations including the addition of our Brown Innovation Center which offers students resources like 3D printing and laser cutting.
The Impact of Student-Centricity
Student-centricity isn’t just an operational goal. Our institution feels its effects in a very real way: Flagler students truly are the beating heart of our campus.
Founded in 1968, Flagler is a relatively young institution. Our founding classes sparked a grassroots student enthusiasm in their fervent support of the college through its transition into a co-ed institution and its 1973 accreditation. We’re lucky this energy is still alive. It’s an easier task to prioritize student-centricity when your students have such a strong vision for how they can make a positive impact on campus.
For example, one of our current students saw an opportunity to collaborate with Flagler’s Disability Resource Center to create a new campus organization that builds on the support and resources available for students with disabilities and provides educational opportunities for peers looking to learn more. This new student organization only enhances the DRC’s mission to facilitate accommodations for students with disabilities and create personalized learning strategies.
Our comprehensive campaign has been aptly named Flagler Forward. In actively prioritizing a student-centric college environment, we are exemplifying our drive to be a forward-looking, forward-thinking and forward-reaching institution. We believe this is the only way to ready ourselves for the next generations of scholars and adequately prepare our current students for the rapidly evolving real world.
You Might Also Like
