Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 4 of The Illinois Commitment
Circles of Understanding
Waubonsee Community College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
This practice allows students to take control of issues they live with as part of an increasingly diverse society and world
community. The goals are to foster the value of diversity, strengthen communication within the college and community,
and promote civic engagement.
Description of the effective practice:
For more than a decade, Waubonsee Community College (WCC) has supported diversity efforts through a Diversity
Council comprised of administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Our strategic goals and objectives specifically outline
which diversity efforts the college is pursuing, and the activities of the Diversity Council are listed among these objectives.
As a result of ongoing discussions, our “Diversity Chats” were created. Their purpose is to provide a forum for students to
discuss and exchange ideas regarding a variety of diversity issues. Diversity Chats are typically sponsored and facilitated
by student clubs or teams of faculty. Sometimes the format may be provided by an outside speaker or an improvisational
presentation by the student theater group. It was the refreshing dialogue, the interaction among faculty, students and staff,
and the extension of teaching and learning that was occurring outside the classroom that inspired a group of students to
transform the large-scale Diversity Chats to a smaller, more intimate format that we know today as Circles of
Understanding.
Students have designed the Circles of Understanding to help promote cultural diversity, spread the message of tolerance,
unify the community, prepare for difficult times, face challenges as one people, expand individual thought and horizons,
extend a hand of friendship and welcome, value everyone’s opinion, and promote open communication. The Aurora Study
Circles program is one of eight in Illinois and many more across the United States. As stated on their Web site
(www.studycircles.org), “This process begins with community organizing, and is followed by facilitated, small-group
dialogue that leads to a range of outcomes. Study circles don't advocate a particular solution. Instead, they welcome many
points of view around a shared concern.”
Students decided to start the process on our college campus and began by meeting just once a week. As the program grew,
more facilitators were added, facilitator training was provided, topics became more controversial, and more interest and
participation were generated on the part of students. Topics have included, “Racism on College Campuses and in Work
Environments,” “Controversies Over Religious Beliefs,” “Patriotism,” and “Feminism: Has It Gone Too Far?”
The most important element in the Success of WCC’s Circles of Understanding is that this initiative is student-directed.
Two years ago, students, already familiar with our Diversity Chats, approached faculty and staff to gain their support for
the concept and the small-group discussion format that is the hallmark of successful Circles of Understanding. Working
together, the group sought the assistance of our local Study Circles coordinator to help them define a mission, structure the
program, and provide facilitator training. Students embraced the concept and have taken the leadership to organize the
activities, find faculty advisors, research and suggest discussion themes, and stay connected to our community Study
Circles organization.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
The practice will achieve sustainability through its connection to the national and local Study Circles programs and its
integration into WCC’s already existing diversity programs including Diversity Chats. Students will maintain leadership
through the involvement of student organizations such as Phi Theta Kappa and Students for a Diverse Society.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
The Futures Project: Policy for Higher Education in a Changing World, calls on colleges to rebuild political involvement to
sustain democracy. At Waubonsee, the Circles of Understanding are preparing an informed and responsible citizenry that
has an understanding of, and appreciation for, the fundamental principles of democracy. The students who provide the
leadership for, and those students who have been engaged in the Circles project, are cultivating a concept and value of
service to the community, ethical behavior, diversity, lifelong learning, and a means for reflection on values and beliefs.
Contact Information
Name: Melinda James
Email: mjames@waubonsee.edu
Phone: (630) 466-2590
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