Solutions for today’s students
Our understanding of how to support students has changed substantially in the past 20 years. In an article published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review entitled “Rethinking How Students Succeed,” researchers highlight that shift in understanding:
Twenty years ago, conventional wisdom held that cognitive ability displayed by mastery of core academic subjects paved the way to success in school, career and life. Today, we know better.
Success comes when cognitive skills work in tandem with so-called soft skills like self-control, persistence, social awareness, relationship development and self-awareness. Practitioners and researchers typically frame their discussions of these characteristics around either social and emotional skills, or academic attitudes and behaviors. Each charts a separate path of inquiry and classroom practice. Yet they share a common destination: developing students whose mastery of noncognitive skills, strategies, attitudes, mindsets and behaviors enhances their academic and life success.
And according to an article called “Academic Tenacity” by Carol Dweck, Greg Walton and Geoffrey Cohen, this approach
to supporting students is especially important for those from underserved communities. Many institutions have yet to incorporate noncognitive skill development into their student support model. The role of a traditional advisor, for example, is not to develop students but to help reduce legal, financial and academic risk for both the student and the university by:
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Informing students of important policies and deadlines
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Helping students understand their options and the consequences of their decisions
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Helping students understand academic policies such as degree audits, course selection and how to stay on track academically so they can graduate
