MVCC is proud to be a member of the Strategic Horizon Network (SHN) - a network of 7 community colleges across the country connected by a common interest in learning as much as we can from arenas outside of education. Recently, I joined a team from MVCC to the fall colloquium of the SHN where we had the chance to connect with our friends from the other network colleges. We spoke of our common challenges and individual items of interest and touched on the overarching theme of moving from student access to student success and completion that is sweeping the country. What I like most about this theme is that it brings community colleges and higher education into the center of the conversation about transforming education in this country.
As I was overwhelmed with the thought of writing a blog post about a topic as large as understanding "what's wrong with education in this country", a brilliant colleague from a SHN college shared the following video with us. As he indicated, don't watch it until you can spend the 12 minutes watching uninterrupted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
If you have any thoughts or comments on this post, please contact me directly at presblog@mvcc.edu.
About Me
- Dr. Randall VanWagoner
- My general background can be found here.
My blog presents me with an opportunity to give a more non-traditional profile of myself. I have listed my strategic themes, or strengths, as identified through the StrengthsFinder instrument from the Gallup organization.
1. Maximizer: "Excellence, not average, is your measure. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling."
2. Strategic: You can sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is a distinct way of thinking that allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity."
3. Arranger: "When faced with a complex situation involving many factors, you enjoy managing all of the variables, aligning and realigning them until you are sure you have arranged them in the most productive configuration possible."
4. Learner: "You have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve."
5. Includer: "You accept others and show awareness of those who feel left out and make an effort to include them.."