1 Introduction
Hello and Welcome!
Thank you for your interest in the Finding Your Place Podcast.
We present this podcast series at a time when colleges across the country are grappling with issues related to student success and retention – a time when too many of our students are not reaching their potential and not finding their place in college. Can a podcast fix these problems? Certainly not. But we strongly believe that the student-led episodes of this podcast can help students make more sense of college and of themselves … and ultimately increase their chances for success in college.
The Finding Your Place Podcast features compelling audio storytelling by six outstanding student producers from two Minnesota State institutions: Century College (a community and technical college) and Minnesota State University, Mankato.
In addition to sharing their own stories about the college experience, the producers have conducted recorded interviews with experts in higher education as well as created immersive storytelling moments where the microphone is taken into places on campus such as student organization spaces and faculty offices.
There are twelve core episodes in the series and, to date, ten supplementary episodes, each designed to shed light on the most important and challenging issues of the college experience. The podcast is one additional way we can support our students–all students, but especially first-generation students and those students experiencing struggles in college.
“Some students leave school because of money woes, and others realize that college isn’t right for them. But many depart because the institution hasn’t given the we-have-your-back support they need. The fact that 40 percent of college freshmen never make it to commencement is higher education’s dirty little secret, a dereliction of duty that has gotten too little public attention”
-The Chronicle of Higher Education
How Can the Finding Your Place Podcast Series be Accessed?
Listeners can access the twelve core episodes here:
The ten supplementary episodes (as of December 2020) made by students in the Century College Interviewing course can be accessed here:
Why Was This Podcast Created?
Above all, we wanted to create a sort of virtual mentoring experience where students could support other students in their journey through college. College is an unfamiliar and anxiety-producing experience for so many first-generation and first-year students. Our student production team represents a wide range of college experiences and stories, and they know what it’s like to struggle in college and the ways those struggles can be overcome. In short, we created this podcast to make a difference in the lives of students, especially those struggling to find a place in college.
Why Storytelling?
In their study of a first-generation storytelling series at their regional comprehensive state university, King, Griffith, and Murphy (2017) found that …
“[s]haring stories of these struggles and normalizing these experiences can be a profound first step toward improving awareness of these issues throughout institutions and among all students. Offering students a variety of means by which to improve their social, cultural, and psychological capital, while they manage the challenges of higher education, can support student success both on campus and after graduation” (p. 15).
The Finding Your Place Podcast uses the stories and voices of student producers with complex college stories to help new students realize they are not alone and to build their capital to make the most out of college.
Why Audio Storytelling and Podcasting?
Simply put, podcasts are accessible, engaging and relatively affordable to produce. The popularity of podcasts is exploding, and many current students are already accustomed to building playlists and listening to episodes during commutes and while relaxing or exercising. But the most important reason why we selected podcasting relates to the intimacy of audio. As Ong (2007) explains, “whereas sight situates the observer outside what he views, at a distance, sound pours into the hearer” (as cited in McHugh, 2014, p. 143). Audio storytelling, then, is intimate and portable, and we believe that an audio podcast educational supplement is an effective tool to help students make sense of college and find an increased sense of belonging on their campuses.
“Because U.S. colleges and universities seldom acknowledge how social class can affect students’ educational experiences, many first-generation students lack insight about why they are struggling and do not understand how students ‘like them’ can improve.”
–From the article, “Closing the Social-Class Achievement Gap”
How Should this Resource Be Used with Students?
Of course, how you use it is up to you. The podcast is meant to promote deeper exploration into a variety of important college topics. We assume that, in some way, you and your students will take the episode content further and make it local—exploring support and resources at your college or university through discussion and activities in whatever ways you see fit. This Educator’s Guide provides a few tools for faculty and staff, including a discussion guide for each episode and sample assignments that build on the strategies of mentoring, disclosure and dialogue found in the podcast. Build suggested playlists and customize as you see fit, though we do hope that all twelve episodes will be heard by your students, as doing so may give your students a chance to build a stronger mentoring connection with the student producers and their journeys.
With the brilliance and generosity of the student producers who created this podcast, we now offer the podcast to you. We only ask that you consider sending us some feedback on the project so that we can understand the impact this work is having and then determine how the podcast could be reshaped and expanded in the years to come.
With great appreciation for all you do for students. This project is dedicated to their journeys.
Dave Engen and Robert Jersak
