Connections Are Everything: A College Student's Guide to Relationship-Rich Education

by Peter Felten, Leo M. Lambert, Isis Artze-Vega, Oscar R. Miranda Tapia

Overview

A practical guide to building the connections students need to thrive in and after college from the authors of the best-selling Relationship-Rich Education.

Decades of research demonstrate how important the relationships with peers and professors are for students academically, personally, and professionally. Yet many students lack the strategies to develop educationally purposeful relationships in college. Connections Are Everything shows students the simple steps they can take to make their own college experience meaningful and transformational. In short, practical chapters, this guide helps readers learn how to build relationships through various strategies, including using "relationship accelerators" like internships and mentorships, undergraduate research, and campus employment.

Undergraduate demographics have changed dramatically as students of color and first-generation students become the new majority at colleges and universities across the United States. Connections are particularly significant for these students; the positive—and negative—impacts of peer, faculty, and staff relationships are magnified. Higher education cannot meet students' needs or achieve equity, justice, and inclusion without relationship-rich education. This book empowers students to seek out relationships by demystifying the varied ways they can cultivate significant connections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421445977
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	07/25/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
File size:	666 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Peter Felten is the executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, the assistant provost for teaching and learning, and a professor of history at Elon University. Leo M. Lambert is president emeritus and professor at Elon University. Felten and Lambert are coauthors of Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College. Isis Artze-Vega is the college provost and vice president for academic affairs at Valencia College. She is a coauthor of The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching. Oscar R. Miranda Tapia is pursuing his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at North Carolina State University.

Peter Felten (ELON, NC) is the executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, the assistant provost for teaching and learning, and a professor of history at Elon University.
Leo M. Lambert (BURLINGTON, NC) is president emeritus and professor at Elon University. Lambert is a coauthor of Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College.
Isis Artze-Vega (ORLANDO, FL) is the college provost and vice president for academic affairs at Valencia College. She is a coauthor of The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching.
Oscar R. Miranda Tapia (GRAHAM, NC) is pursuing his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at North Carolina State University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Read This First!
Section 1: Relationships and You
1. Start with One
2. College Comes with Challenges
3. You Have What It Takes
Section 2: You Never Know Who Will Change You (or How)
4. Connecting with Peers: Find Your People
5. Connecting with Professors: In and Out of Class
6. Connecting with Staff: Allies Everywhere
Section 3: You Can Do It
7. Relationship Accelerators
8. Make the Most of Mentoring Conversations
9. Building Your Relationship Constellation
Conclusion: Take These Ideas with You
Afterword, by Mohamed A. Farge and Timothy K. Eatman
Acknowledgements
Words to Know (Glossary)
Notes
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

This wonderful book represents a diversity of institutions, including HBCUs and two-year schools; addresses the plight of transfer students; and presents a contemporary discussion of relevant topics, including the role of social media in forming college connections.
—La'Tonya Rease Miles, Santa Clara University, coeditor of Campus Service Workers Supporting First-Generation Students

An amazing book for college students that features excellent guidance, insights, and strategies for developing, executing, and maintaining relationships via the mentor process. This book will provide students, their parents, and others on campus with solutions and ideas to ease their transition into higher education.
—Tony W. Cawthon, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Student Affairs and Higher Education, Clemson University

Editorial Reviews

While steeped in research, Connections Are Everything is accessible. It's a quick read, and its tone is friendly and practical....The pandemic has frayed students' connections to campus in ways that colleges are still struggling to understand, much less repair. After reading the book, I'm confident it could be enormously helpful to just about any student who reads it.
—Beckie Supiano, Chronicle of Higher Education

From the Publisher