Scholarship 2 Practice: Interview with Dr. Constance ILoh

Today on “Scholarship 2 Practice”, Co-hosts Dr. Derrick Tillman-Kelly and Dr. Bridget Burns are joined by professor and anthropologist Dr. Constance ILoh. Together they tackle the significant issues concerning inclusion, school choice, and the culture of higher education. Dr. ILoh seeks to uplift the under-served and under-supported that are not represented in today’s education landscape.

Dr. ILoh claims that a lot of students aren’t captured in the conception of the 21st-century student. Today's college-goer is a lot different from in the past and doesn’t fit the stereotypical profile of most college choice frameworks. It’s no longer just the high school grad with the world at their fingertips. We see people from all backgrounds, all income levels, of all colors, and of all ages pursuing higher education. Still, we don’t see them all represented or supported equally.

Using what she calls the lLoh Model of College-Going Decisions and Trajectories, we’re led to look at three essential components: information, time, and opportunity. These three items are often all that determine college-going decisions and the trajectory a student will find themselves on. The quality, quantity, and types of information readily available can vary significantly between prospective students. A high school senior has access to a plethora of information via a guidance counselor, but where would an older adult access the same information.

In dealing with time we need to understand not only where we are currently as a society, which we’ve seen in the last year can change drastically in a short amount of time, but also where a prospective student is in their life; possibly a 40-year-old single parent as opposed to the student fresh out of high school. When it comes to opportunity, we need to understand not only the real but also the perceived idea of what is available to an individual; what their surroundings and circumstances led them to believe is possible for them and what really is possible.

There is no longer a 'typical' college experience and colleges need to understand this. Dr. ILoh hopes that colleges can reframe how they look at prospective students to ensure everyone can truly have that college ‘choice’.  Higher education is a big commitment, and many students need to be recognized and recruited.

For more information on Dr. ILoh or her Model of college-going Decisions and Trajectories, visit www.constanceiloh.com. Dr. ILoh can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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