Next Steps Edu Volunteering

Term:

Summer 2015

Description:

Next Steps Edu, C-REAL and the Department of Educational Leadership will provide general educational support to thousands of students who were displaced by the closure of Corinthian Colleges in spring 2015. Volunteers will help answer students’ questions pertaining to academic planning and advising, admissions, school and credit information. Volunteers will also direct students’ legal and financial questions to qualified Next Step Edu partners.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT identify one a student development theory that applies to displaced students and help them with their work at CSUF.

SWiBAT explain to displaced students the resources available to help them transition.

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO #1	Took the time to gather information on displaced student, identified a student development theory, used theory to guide interaction and uses experience to guide work	Took the time to gather information on displaced student, identified a student development theory and used theory to guide interaction	Took the time to gather information on displaced student and identified a student development theory applicable	Did not take the time to gather information on displaced students
SLO #2	Identified available resources to displaced students, explained details and encouraged student to follow up	Identified available resources to displaced students and explained details, but did not encourage student to follow up	Identified available resources to displaced students but did not explain details	Did not identify available resources to displaced students

Evidence:

Next Steps EDU Volunteer Training Packet here.

Reflection:

I felt determined to be involved with Next Steps EDU partly because I felt such anger about how the students were simply left to fend for themselves without a whole lot of warning as Corinthian Colleges closed up its businesses. In working with Next Steps EDU, I learned more about the students who were mostly low-income. They were left confused by the whole situation. They were also upset that these for profit institutions made promises that they are now not going to fulfill. As a volunteer my task was to provide these displaced students resources to help them to recover their records and look at their options as students to move forward with their education. I really hope that the information I provided was helpful in helping students transition on to their next steps. Although I provided the students important information, I did not think about formal theories to help guide my interaction with them. I would rate myself basic for this. I relied more on what they needed at the time and used informal theory to help them feel that they mattered. I would rate myself basic in providing detailed accurate information for the displaced students. However, I wish that I had signed up to assist students via phone calls to give a more personalized communication. I believe that I could have been more effective in encouraging them to seek other avenues to continue their education.

Volunteering for Next Steps EDU helped remind me of the real need for social justice in higher education, especially for students who have been marginalized and taken advantage of by institutions. I am more cognizant of the important of integrating social justice in my fieldwork for the fall as I work to help develop with AB540 Ally Training for the Diversity Initiatives and Resource Centers.