Biggest Challenges Faced By A Faculty At Chandler Gilberty Community College
Robert's biggest challenge as a faculty member at Chandler-Gilbert Community College is the under-resourcing of education, leading to heartbreaking situations where students must withdraw due to financial pressures; this lack of support, exacerbated by a "low tax environment," prevents students from succeeding, highlighting a societal failure to prioritize student needs above political considerations.
Higher Education, Social Issues in Education, Resource Allocation in Education, Student Support Services, Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Education
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Robert Soza
Faculty
Chandler Gilberty Community College
Arizona State University
UC Berkeley, Dept. of Ethnic Studies, PhD
Humanities, English, Writing & Education
Education
Education
HSI Grad, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Many community college students come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and may be academically underprepared. Supporting these students requires significant resources.
2. Funding for education is often insufficient, especially at community colleges, impacting the services available to students and potentially leading to student withdrawals due to financial pressures.
3. The increasing politicization of education can distract from the fundamental needs of students and the commitment necessary to support their success in the classroom.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
This is a tough one because I think the biggest challenge is beyond my control, and it's beyond the control of my institution working in the field of education. Education is probably one of the most important social resources, and to some extent, it's not funded as it should be.
Today we live in a very low-tax environment, and that's what voters want. So, regardless of the institution we work in, we tend to be under-resourced. At a community college, students are often from lower socioeconomic classes and are academically underprepared.
The biggest challenge is that we just don't have the services to support students in the way that they need. It can be heartbreaking when a student who is an A student comes to me and says they need to keep their electricity on, so they're taking extra shifts. Because of that, they have to withdraw.
What do you say? Of course, your lights are more important than this paper. That's the biggest challenge, and it's the most heartbreaking because when a student withdraws, they often don't come back. They get caught in the cycle of having to work to pay bills.
This is a much larger argument than what happens in my classroom or on campus. Education has unfortunately become highly politicized around taxes and what faculty teach. Sometimes we forget the students, their needs, and what we as a society should commit to doing to help keep students in the classroom.
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