Guided by a desire to foster both academic and social learning, the University of Massachusetts is on a quest to incorporate the many different aspects of a standard university into one community.
The UMass Board of Trustees Tuesday discussed the benefits of building a close-knit community on its campuses by encouraging students to actively participate in extracurricular, in-class and social endeavors.
The board said community building is important – especially on its widely diverse campuses – and cited the expansive age range of UMass students among other divisions. To bridge these gaps, administrators and professors have promoted research projects throughout the university system that bring faculty, undergraduate and graduate students together in a single setting.
The Student Affairs Resources for Success program encourages students at UMass-Boston to submit a proposal for a collaborative research project with faculty members and other students. If accepted, the university will offer a one-time grant of up to $2,000 that can be renewed over time.
The UMass website says the STARS program “will focus on building a vibrant, engaging, and student-centered campus life and will directly benefit UMass Boston students.” Not only does STARS stress the importance of working together, it also fosters the idea that, as one board member explained, “everyone on campus is a resource.”
Board members also said job opportunities on campus provide students with a means of connecting with the community at-large, as well as developing possible career goals.
In light of recent corporate scandals, specifically Enron and Tyco, the board discussed creating a mandatory values and ethics course, preferably geared toward freshmen. While the board acknowledged that such a class would not be popular, members said it would help students make better and more conscientious decisions in their lives.
UMass President ad interim Jack Wilson labeled this strategy an “invisible education,” the kind that defines a student’s college and life experience.
Wilson acknowledged that building a genuine community among students can foster learning and is often an overlooked concept at universities. He said blending academics with students’ personal lives could prove to be groundbreaking, if properly handled.
Modern students are an entirely new breed – often working 20 to 40 hours per week in addition to their 15 hours in the classroom. Several board members said the board needs to be sensitive to the growing phenomenon of working students. Students are no longer easy to characterize and accommodate because of growing disparities among their varying needs – especially at UMass, where 14 percent of the campuses consist of students older than 30.
The board said students should be involved in every aspect of campus life, which would make a wealth of ideas and resources available within the community. Undergraduate students could learn from their older, more seasoned graduate counterparts who, the board said, will set an example of integrity and perseverance.