Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success 1st Edition
by Tia Brown McNair, Susan Albertine, Michelle Asha Cooper, Nicole McDonald, Thomas Major Jr.

A speaker at an AB705 meeting I attended at Bakersfield College mentioned this book, and then an email from our college’s library mentioned that they had picked up a copy – so I had to give it a shot.
The book, in my opinion, is more for college administrators than for faculty. However, there were still some benefits for faculty.

• It is an interesting mindset for a college, shifting from thinking about college-ready students to becoming a student-ready college.
• The first page of the preface really pulled me in. The authors listed a series of statements and questions, and stated that if any of these sounded familiar then this book is for you. I have heard many of these before, and am always saddened that we are focusing on what our students are lacking rather than their strengths. I also feel that part of our jobs as educators is to help students learn to become learners, and that often means that we need to help them develop the skills to be successful in all of their classes.
  Here are the statements and questions:

  “Students today are not prepared for postsecondary education.”
  “Why are we admitting students who are not ready for college?”
  “Are we lowering our academic standards?”
  “Students are not motivated. It is not my responsibility to convince them that getting an education is important for their lifelong success.”
  “I am too busy to mentor students.”
  “It is their responsibility to learn how to navigate college. I did it. Why can’t they?”

• The authors pointed out the dangers of “deficit-minded thinking,” which blames students for being underprepared. I find it far more beneficial to identify the strengths our students have and to find ways to build upon their strengths.
• It is important that we believe in our students’ capacity to learn. Our students need to know that we believe in them in order for them to believe they can be successful. We need to show our students that we believe in them on the first day of class.

This is a relatively short book, and if the administration at your school is reading it I would recommend that it is definitely worth reading. There are several healthy reminders about the college’s identity and focus, as well as collaboration. You may pick up some great ideas, or at least sharpen your focus on teaching the students you have. I smiled when I realized how progressive our college was in some areas (including the pantry we have set up for our students).

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