Global Issues Introduction and Agenda for 14-15

The evolution of technology in the last couple of decades has created a global community unimagined just one generation ago. In an age of digital media, mobile phones, and increased travel accessibility the world has become a much smaller place. Information on global events and issues is available immediately. In our changed reality the new normal is that people are invested in the lives and issues of people everywhere. Our communities have expanded outside the neighborhood block to incorporate those in our cities, states, countries and the world. 

As the landscape of global community has changed so has the landscape of higher education. As education professionals we find that our students, faculty, and staff are more heavily invested in contributing to global community initiatives than ever before. Each campus in the SCASFAA community could share stories of food and clothing drives for Tsunami victims in Asia, earthquake victims in Haiti, and fund raisers for the local high school student that lost everything in a fire. Our campuses are now microcosms of global community; a reflection of the passion, empathy, and altruism that we are capable of when we are at our best.  

Each year in SCASFAA we invest time and energy in exploring topics of global interest. We try to highlight issues in higher education that deal with global community concerns. Often these concerns stem from issues of equity, access, and diversity. This year we’ve chosen to highlight the topic of women in higher education. That will not be our sole focus, but much of the information brought to you will touch on the challenges and obstacles faced by women in higher education.

My goal as the Global Issues chair is to make sure that information I present to you this year is educational but also practical. Exploring the challenges to women in higher education means looking at challenges for female students as well as challenges for our female colleagues working on our campuses. How do we, as financial aid professionals, respond to these challenges in ways that will improve the educational experience for our students and improve the work environment for our colleagues?

I hope you will join me this year in exploring issues of global community and higher education. Some of the topics I intend to bring before you throughout the year are violence against women, homeless youth at risk, navigating DOMA in the financial aid office, undocumented students, salary equity and gender, and working with transgender students.  If there are specific issues of interest that you have and you feel like SCASFAA as a whole would benefit from exploring that together, please let me know. I will be posting to the SCASFAA Scoop blog in the coming months and hope to have many of you discuss these topics in the comments. Since discussion is limited on the listserv please make sure you join the SCASFAA Scoop community online at http://www.scasfaa.blogspot.com.  I look forward to serving as your global issues chair in the coming months!

Donna C. Quick

Director of Financial Aid

Columbia College

Global Issues Chair, 14-15

dquick@columbiasc.edu