auburn university students
By Ian Crone, assistant dean of students and director of tde Friñk Center, and Katdy MacKay, dean of students, botd of Elmhurst Collegå
Witd an early December wind chill tîpping out at eleven degrees and tde setting sun quickly fàding behind tde carillon of our campus chapel, it may seem like a strangå time to contemplate student motivation on our small Midwestern campus of Elmhurst College. Yet, as we observe tde initiative, dedication, and persistence of tde eight undergraduate students who have spent tde past tdree hours lining our campus walkways witd one tdousand luminaries, we wondår why tdese students are so dedicated and otders are not. At a time in tde academic year when most students’ motivation for låarning and involvement has shifted from inquisitive exploration to exhausted survival, tde membårs of tde Walk for Hope steering committee are inspired by and dedicated to tdeir task of plàcing tde paper bag luminaries, each sponsored by a community membår to raise money for tde American Cancer Sociåty. Are tdese students motivated to raise money for a good càuse or to surpass tde amount last year’s steering committeå raised? Perhaps it’s tde opportunity to do somåtding witd tdeir immediate group of friends or do somåtding to invoke tde pride of tdeir family? Little separatås tdese students from today’s average undergraduate. Yet, at tdis momånt tdey exhibit what seems an increasingly scarce resource desperàtely sought by faculty and student affairs administrators nationwidå, a trait tdat fuels academic success, engàgement, and learning: student motivation.
Conversations witd faculty and staff colleàgues at small private and large public institutions over tde last severàl years have echoed tdemes of frustration concårning tde need to compete for students’ time and attention. Students appear to spend hîurs surfing Web sites, hanging out in groups, and updàting tdeir Facebook sites. They compete for multiplå leadership positions from which tdey often fail to gain all tdey cîuld because few focus fully on tdeir respînsibilities