What Students Value in College

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Is college just for career outcomes, or are students looking for more from their institutions?

A new nationwide survey says that over a third of students are as driven by identity, purpose, and personal growth as they are by career readiness. At the same time, the high-impact experiences (e.g. mentorship, internships, service-learning) most closely tied to their wellbeing outcomes are accessible to fewer than half of students.

The LearningWell Coalition, in collaboration with the American Association of Colleges & Universities, are hosting What Students Value in College, a one-hour virtual presentation and panel discussion, produced by LearningWell Magazine. This event will bring together leaders and practitioners from across the country to explore what the data says about student motivations for attending college.

This one-hour webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 14 at 2:00 PM ET.

Slides

Speakers

Lynn Pasquerella

President, American Association of Colleges and Universities

Learn more about Lynn

Scott Carlson

Senior Writer, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Co-author, Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter―and What Really Does

Learn more about Scott

Pam Eddinger

President, Bunker Hill Community College

Learn more about Pam

Ashley Finley

Vice President for Research and Senior Advisor to the President, American Association of Colleges & Universities

Learn more about Ashley

This panel discussion will be moderated by Marjorie Malpiede, editor-in-chief of LearningWell Magazine

Reports

Though students value college as a pathway to financial security and a good job, they are also seeking an education that creates a sense of purpose, identity exploration, and personal growth. Having mentors and opportunities to apply learning to real-world contexts are viewed by students as being particularly valuable, though relatively few students report actually encountering these resources or opportunities.

This first report details findings from a recent national survey conducted by the LearningWell Coalition in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Morning Consult. The findings explore students’ motivations for attending college and their engagement in high-impact educational practices such as internships, mentorship, research and more, and the effect on those factors on their wellbeing.

Students arrive at college with a range of motivations for being there. Those motivations shape how they experience their educational journeys, including how well they engage in the high-impact experiences known to improve outcomes and, ultimately, their overall wellbeing.

This report is the second in a two-part series highlighting the findings of a recent national survey, conducted by the LearningWell Coalition in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Morning Consult. The survey explored students’ motivations for attending college and their engagement in and perception of high-impact practices.