Southern Vermont College

In his best selling book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell observes that the presence of “concerted cultivation” accounts for the success of some students.  The more successful students had parents who worked hard to insure enrichment opportunities were regularly available (think summer programs, after-school activities, available books, travel, academic support and constant assurances of potential). 

 Gladwell’s observations offer something to the Higher Ed community, particularly for institutions like Southern Vermont College – which is working hard to insure the success for many first generation students.

 “Concerted cultivation” is something that can be provided by a college (belatedly in loco parentis). The irony is that in a tough economy, the very activities that enable success are the first and easiest to cut. (Read a recent article in Change Magazine by Dr. Gross)

These enrichment opportunities are the opposite of fluff.  The living and learning experience – the engagement opportunities where students connect to each other, to the community, to a faculty and staff member – are what enables success.

The recent Pell Institute study on success in progression from community colleges to four-year colleges, comes to the same conclusion, using different nomenclature.  For educational progression to occur, the study notes, there needs to be academic support, confidence building opportunities, engagement, and active learning. 

Sounds Gladwellian to me.

The challenge is how best to provide the needed cultivation and to make sure that it is the last, not first, thing to be jettisoned.

I enjoy writing about and sharing my thoughts on topics in higher education on my blog. But, I would be remiss if I didn’t periodically mention the latest Southern Vermont College news and upcoming events here too. I am delighted to announce that a colleague from my law professor days, Anita Hill (now a professor at Brandeis), has accepted an invitation to join the SVC Board of Trustees. Professor Hill brings a wealth of talent, experience and wisdom to SVC. She understands the needs of vulnerable and first generation students and brings extraordinary sensitivity to conversations on contemporary social issues. She also has a strong interest in healthcare and healthcare delivery systems and can help shape the future of SVC’s many healthcare initiatives.

Secondly, next week on Friday, December 11, we welcome Harvard professor and literary scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates to our campus and to the Bennington Center for the Arts for a 7 pm lecture entitled, “Genealogy, Genetics and African American History”. I met Dr. Gates at the annual Council of Independent Colleges College Presidents meeting last January where he singled out Southern Vermont College as a place doing great things for first generation students here in Vermont. I invited him to campus, and he challenged us to become one of the first colleges in the country to utilize his innovative research on genealogy in our curriculum. SVC Provost Al DeCiccio has done this masterfully in the first year course he has taught this semester called, “Exploring Faces of Diversity: Building the ‘I am.I am from’ Exhibit at Bennington Museum.” The students enjoyed the research journey, and their exhibit is ready for viewing. You can read more about the class and the upcoming lecture in a recent Rutland Herald article.

Last but not least, we host two upcoming events on campus, geared towards putting students on the fast track to thriving careers, a worthy goal in these economic times. On Monday, Dec. 7, 5 – 7 pm, SVC will host a Healthcare Career Info Session in Greenberg Atrium, open to prospective students interested in learning about exciting educational and career opportunities in three thriving fields: nursing, radiologic technology and healthcare management and advocacy (and our Sim Lab will be open for viewing). A second info session, on Saturday, Dec. 12, is also for prospective students interested in learning more about the College’s programs.  Prospective students will learn about, among other things, Kindle learning, Sports Management and the Sim Lab.  The second event starts at 1 pm in Greenberg Atrium and caps off with a favorite campus activity, a Men’s Basketball game in the Field House, at 3 pm. Space is limited for both sessions so RSVP early at  SVC Admissions, 802-447-6304 or e-mail admissions@svc.edu.

 This is an exciting time at SVC, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming events.