Recently, I have been thinking about the relatively low WCC graduation rate. If you live in Washtenaw County, it would have been nearly impossible to avoid news of the University of Michigan’s recent NCAA Football National Championship win. Much has been made of UM’s culture, especially as it relates to football. For example, it would be hard to find someone in the area who has not heard, “Those who stay will be champions.”
Some people may not know the story of the phrase. It was attributed in 1969 to UM’s “new” football coach, Bo Schembechler. Schembechler posted the saying in the locker room to remind his players that no great reward comes without great sacrifice.
Although Bo retired in 1989 and passed away in 2006, his words have remained safely enshrined in UM’s culture. Today, they may be especially cogent in the age of Name-Image-Likeness and the mesmerizing-yet-feared transfer portal. No doubt, the words remained a powerful lure to the likes of JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum, and a raft of other Wolverines who came back to take care of “unfinished business” before pursuing their NFL dreams.
They did stay, and now they’re champions.
It’s also safe to say that the words have leaked out of the locker room and into the rest of the University.
Those who stay will be champions.
They’ve been taken to heart by countless Michigan graduates who did stay and became champions in their own big and small ways all over the world.
Those who stay will be champions.
You must admit, they’re powerful words. They invoke a certain obligation -not so much to the team – but rather, to oneself. Make a tough commitment to remain, and those who do will succeed.
Improving graduation rate is critical to community and student success
It seems to me that Washtenaw Community College could benefit from a similar cultural touchstone. Currently, WCC has a pretty mediocre graduation rate. Just 28%. By comparison, Michigan has a graduation rate of nearly 91 percent. You can argue that those who come to Michigan will probably succeed no matter where they go. True, but no one breezes through Michigan. At times, it is easy to conclude that you don’t belong there. But then again…
Those who stay will be champions.
Changing the culture of an institution isn’t easy, but it may be worth the effort to find a way to encourage those who enroll at WCC to see their goal through to the end. Make completion a part of the WCC culture. Find a way to complete your degree, certificate, or other educational goal.
This isn’t just a commitment that students need to make. WCC also needs to make a commitment to help all students achieve their completion goal(s). That includes providing the right resources, replacing low-wage programs with high-wage ones, honest disclosures about how much a graduate in a program can expect to make, financial assistance – whatever it takes.
WCC is capable of much more than 28%, but it will require a culture change at all levels of the institution, which will require genuine leadership and actual work.
Or – the institution could continue to settle for what it has right now: 28%.
Photo Credit: Philo Nordlund
