Student Standpoints About Access Programs in Higher Education

Abstract

This monograph is dedicated to students. The editors picked this monograph’s theme to highlight students’ standpoints and discuss their centrality in our work in higher education. Students have a great deal to say about their present and past education, and they certainly have a right to be heard, consulted, and even featured for their energetic and innovative ideas. When identified and honored as subjects, collaborators, or co-authors, their experiences, advice, and opinions can and should be brought into the forefront of our research and teaching. The other theme of this monograph is students’ views specifically about access programs they attend or have attended. Access programs, sometimes called developmental education or learning assistance, include a wide variety of services, courses, pedagogies, and programs that feature a mission of support and inclusion. “Access” is a word describing the entry point for students into college from a position that may have been considered marginal by the institution. These programs are designed to enhance and support students’ access to college and transitions from high school toward success in graduation and lifelong learning beyond the doors of the institution. These programs value students’ prior knowledge, multicultural backgrounds, social and academic skills, languages, and their motivation to succeed in the future. Access programs support the widest range of students possible in the benefits and activities of postsecondary education. Students who participate in these programs have a lot to say about their experiences, and this monograph is dedicated to learning more about their views. It is also about valuing research and writing that gathers data and advocates working alongside students to bring their ideas to the ears and minds of postsecondary educators who can benefit from listening.