2024-cohort
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Added the updated strategic priorities for the 2024 cohort
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color:#ffffe0;">'''Strategic Priority #9.1 (Emma Lang, Angie Kwon , Olivia Medeiros-Sakimoto 2023): Non-academic community spaces'''</span></span></span>
Most of the community spaces on campus are academic based (ie. most of the lounges that exist are for department students). There are not many opportunities/spaces for students to relax and organize student life around. There should a dedicated prominent space just for student life/engagement where students can develop community rapport without the academic pressure. Currently a student center is being built out of the old Sharples building, and we can strive to truly make it a student space and maximize the space's potential.
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color:#ffffe0;">'''Strategic Priority #9.2 (Emma Lang, Angie Kwon , Branley Mmasi 2023): Utilizing our diversity'''</span></span></span>
Swarthmore has a highly diverse student body, but institutionally and systematically it is still prominently white and upper-middle class. Though this may not be a significant problem on its own, nonetheless it should be rectified and supplemented with other opportunities and offices to ensure true diverse development on campus. There is already the Inclusive Excellence Fellows initiative that works to promote diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, but programs such as this should be advertised to incoming students more publicly and their achievements published to the entire school. The college as a whole should also strive to diversity goals in all departments, including the athletic department, which could benefit from diverse recruitment. The academic departments as well could enhance their programmings for minority students, such as for women in STEM fields, POC in STEM and social science fields, etc.
'''Strategic Priority #9.3 (Karina Flores, George Fang, Nana Asante 2023): Increased Community Outreach'''
Although Swarthmore is located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, it still has access to Philadelphia and resources from surrounding communities such as Chester PA. Swarthmore has already established connections with different organizations outside of Swarthmore, but this list is limited. In order to help improve this challenge there should be a increase in partnership between swarthmore, neighboring communities, and community organizations. This partnership will help foster closer relationships, help promote events on Swarthmore and neighboring communities, help spread knowledge on certain issues, and promote networking opportunities. In order to do this, there should be more student involvement in community events, and the reach of current community outreach should be broadened with more technical tools such as a website to browse volunteer organizations that you can access with your swarthmore account.
<br />'''Strategic Priority #9.4 (Branley Mmasi, Olivia Medeiros-Sakimoto, George Fang 2023): Teaching Entrepreneurship in Academics'''
We hope to shift the responsibility of teaching entrepreneurship at Swat from school organizations on campus to a specific department that can act as a catalyst, working with the registrar's office to establish an entrepreneurship minor (gaining academic credit for entrepreneurship-related courses). In order to expose more of our community to design thinking, we will ask students to work with professors to determine what they want to learn about entrepreneurship in academics. Additionally, we could host a guest lecture series inviting local local entrepreneurs to share their experiences, challenges, and advice, even assigning real-world projects where students must identify a market need and develop a business plan.
'''Strategic Priority #10.1 (Ye Lin, Ainsley Jane Tambling 2024): Swarthmore Career Little Sibs and Big Sibs'''
Having a older mentor could be very helpful for underclassmen coming into college. For class choices, opportunities on/off campus, and general advice throughout college. Having this person you can continuously talk to can be a very valuable relationship throughout their time at Swarthmore. They, then in turn, can become that upperclassmen that help incoming students. This can help bridge the gap of the struggle that many students can't find opportunities can get more hands-on experiences. As this program grows, this will build better connections on campus which will promote campus community and growth for the student body to become better leaders as they are open to more opportunities.
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==== '''Strategic Priority #5 (Yeimely, Denyse 2024)''' ====
Although students have a variety of resources available to them to improve their work experience, we notice there is a lack of engagement. We aim to empower students in their professional journeys by strengthening connections with career services. For example, holding resume-building workshops and other career development opportunities to increase student participation and engagement.Or finding different methods of outreach content to engage with students and provide them with information regarding the opportunities that are available to them.
'''Strategic Priority #6 (Noah, Trisha 2024)'''
A significant population of the student body prioritizes exercise as a part of their well-being. However, part of ensuring that exercise produces a positive effect on well-being is by maintaining physical health. Working with the athletics department, our strategic priority is to increase access to recovery resources for exercise. This includes access to nutritious snacks following exercise, a regularly available masseuse, or more equipment in the gym. The hope is that a strengthening of these resources provides more readily available access to optimal recovery, therefore enhancing well-being.
'''Cynthia, Kilin (2024)'''
Right now, peer mentoring services at Swarthmore exist across multiple systems, which creates unnecessary barriers for students who need support. Each program – Writing Associates, SAMs, LCAs, career advisors, departmental peer tutors – operates independently, making it difficult for students to find the help they need and book appointments. A centralized system that brings all peer-to-peer mentoring options together would allow students to access these resources with ease, reducing confusion and increasing usage. This would not only improve academic performance but also foster a more connected and supportive campus community.
=Related Links=
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q1P9pZCbRlv8-eIaHho2ko6pGe65m2PPV9VVw6Z9znQ18LZQiv0uQMnllZj4dww5urJ9p0x37zHRcDh0uV5cNYg/edit?uspgid=sharing 2021 5#gid=5 2024 Swarthmore College Fall Landscape Canvas]
=Related Links=
