MABEL K EDMONDS EXCELLENCE IN EQUITY AWARD
Mabel K. Edmonds
Rio Salado College, AZ
Excellence in Equity
Rio Salado College has developed a strategic roadmap and systemic programming to improve students’ experience, connections to the college, and outcomes. This work focuses on advancing best practices, student engagement, teaching and learning, and assessment and evaluation. This approach and resulting programs are notable in the ways they serve as a throughline across all areas of the college, and how they incorporate the needs and recommendations of all learners.
Listening sessions and team-building activities across the campus led to the development of a strategic roadmap for 2024-2026, guided by distributed leadership theory, student engagement, and community partnerships. Workforce education students helped to design and were centered in community building and student engagement programming.
At Rio Salado College, their inclusive and equitable academic ecosystem is designed to empower students, combining comprehensive, data-driven strategies with solid community partnerships. The college primarily serves students online, with some in-person locations to support ESL, high school, and adult learners. 80% of students attend part-time, nearly half are first-generation college-goers, and a majority are adult learners.
Community engagement and student activities are designed recognizing the substantial obstacles that learners face in accessing and completing higher education. Initiatives such as service-based projects, national student conference participation, and bridge programs encourage real-world applications and engage students beyond the classroom. The application of learning brings classroom lessons to life, fostering community engagement and civic responsibility. It also offers students valuable networking opportunities and insights into their fields of interest.
Through strategic initiatives and unwavering dedication, Rio Salado is forging an educational environment where all students can flourish. Their mission goes beyond mere policies; it’s a pledge to dismantle barriers and propel pathways to a promising future for every student. At Rio Salado, they recognize the formidable challenges faced by non-traditional learners and affirm that equitable education is a right, not a privilege, for everyone.
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