Extracurricular activities – such as student clubs and organizations – are an important part of the college experience. However, not all students have the same access to these programs. A recent survey by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse, finds that race plays a major factor in this access, 40 percent of Hispanic students say they spend zero hours weekly on extracurricular activities, compared to 29 percent each of white and Black students and 16 percent of Asian students. The challenges this survey reports are real and familiar, and at Dougherty Family College (DFC) — a two-year college at the University of St. Thomas where 95 percent are students of color — we are working to remove barriers and make sure all our scholars have access to extracurricular activities which can benefit their mental health and future employment.
One program we offer is an eight-day summer enrichment program that helps first -year scholars develop a sense of belonging before the semester starts. Many young people, especially first-generation college students suffer from loneliness. According to the survey our scholars completed after the summer enrichment program, 95 percent said they felt a sense of belonging. In addition, the summer enrichment program helps students develop academic and social confidence as they learn to navigate the hidden curriculum of higher education. The topics covered in the summer enrichment program (e.g., time management, study skills, etc.) are reinforced in our first-year experience course.
Another troubling statistic from the Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse survey finds that more than half of two-year college students spend zero hours per week on these activities, compared to a quarter of four-year college students. At Dougherty Family College, where students earn a two-year associate degree with a pathway to a bachelor’s degree, we are very deliberate in our class structure. DFC has created a block of time from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. every day for lunch, tutoring, support services, and mentoring opportunities. Also, during this time frame, we hold career fairs, programs to explore majors, and student club meetings because most of our scholars have work and family commitments after school.
We know many of our scholars must work to help pay for college and living expenses. Although many scholars work outside of school, every sophomore has a paid internship on one day of the week built into their schedule. This means they have eight hours of income they can rely on every week; they don’t have to miss class to go to a job, and they gain real world experience in their field of choice. Before scholars are placed in their internship, they complete a professional development course. Scholars learn how to write effective resumes, participate in mock interviews, and practice communication skills at professional networking events.
Scholars are co-creators of DFC extracurricular activities. Staff, faculty and administrators can come up with the greatest ideas in the world for activities, but if scholars aren’t interested, they will not attend. We have created a student advisory board to plan, lead, and promote many extracurricular activities. We are scholar-centered and we consult with our scholars on many college policies.
We don’t want our scholars to just survive college we want them to thrive. Having access to extracurricular activities will benefit our scholars now as well as have a long-lasting impact throughout their lives. Our scholars are learning essential leadership skills through extracurricular activities. They are becoming transformational leaders.
Buffy Smith is the dean of Dougherty Family College (DFC) at the University of St. Thomas. She focuses on policy issues dealing with mentoring, access, retention, equity, and diversity in higher education.
