The world is changing right before our eyes. Our students have never been more diverse. Technology has never been more pervasive. Very few of us have experienced anything parallel to the current levels of income inequality that we are seeing today and that are projected to worsen over the coming decade. The range, complexity, and rate at which our planet is deteriorating are also unmatched.
Despite all of this, the potential for human creativity, expression, leadership, and citizenship, I would argue, is as great as any other time in history. We are only bounded by our own imagination and willpower. Since the turn of the 21st century, we have seen tremendous displays of courage by young people. This is the age of MalalaYousafzai, Autumn Peltier, Naomi Wadler, Angy Paola Rivera, and Greta Thurnberg. It is the age of optimism and activism. Accordingly, high school graduates and adult college students desire and need us to serve them differently.
At Greenfield Community College, we are finding that students need colleges to understand their passion. They need colleges to realize that they may not know what they want to be when they grow up and may not be in a particular rush to grow up. We understand that our students need us to prepare them for a world where communication skills, critical thinking, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, tech savvy, cultural dexterity, and the ability to adapt are paramount. GCC gets that!
Today’s college students are more pragmatic. GenZ students are financially smart and they are following their own path. They show creativity around reducing their total college debt by taking college-level courses in high school. They take gap years. They work as they go to college.
Is college for everyone? Absolutely! In the mid-21st century, there are few well-paying jobs that don’t require some kind of post-secondary credential. But, what is college in 2019? What does it need to be? College comes in many shapes beyond dropping off your child in August and picking them up in December.
At GCC, we embrace the traditional and the avant garde. Why? Because we understand that the purpose of a college education is more than just employment. Sure, no one wants to get a college degree and be unemployed, or get a certificate and still make the same low wage. Education is about nurturing citizens that will help address the complex problems we face, like global warming, at the local level. They will manage our local assets for the public good and participate in civic life. We believe in cultivating the educated person who can also be financially independent.
This year, as we embark on strategic planning, we will invite the entire community at the appropriate stages to join us. We want your input! And, yes, take a class at GCC. Recommend your loved ones to study with us. We offer quality and affordability at a time when college debt exceeds $1.5 trillion. Re-acquaint yourself with Greenfield Community College!
Yves Salomon-Fernández, Ph.D., is the president of Greenfield Community College.