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 PRAISE FOR THE SECOND EDITION
OF BECOMING A STUDENT-­READY
COLLEGE

“In this second edition of Becoming a Student-­Ready College,

the authors are to be commended for making an already
outstanding resource even better for college presidents,
provosts, deans, department chairs, faculty, student services
personnel, board members, and others interested in and
committed to promoting student success and closing equity
gaps. The book serves as an exceptional ‘how to’ guide for
colleges laser-­
focused on promoting success as a student-­
centered institution.”
—­Sonny Ramaswamy, President, Northwest Commission
on Colleges and Universities

“In a doctorate program for community college practitioners,

this text was instrumental in highlighting perhaps the most
important skill for our future community college leaders –
creating effective and mutually beneficial relationships that
increase student success. As instructors, we frequently returned
to the concept of the “ecosystem,” as we challenged our students
to identify community partners who could help accelerate our
work to increase student success.”
—­Dr. Naomi DeWinter, President, Muscatine
Community College, and
Dr. Cameron Brunet-­Koch, President (Retired),
North Central Michigan College
“Campuses need this book more than ever as they recover from
the pandemic and try to address long-­standing racial inequities
on campus where stakeholders no longer have patience to wait
for us to redesign higher education so that it is ‘student ready.’
Using students as the foundation for campus design – policies,
practices, structures, and ultimately our culture is the essential
challenge of the next decade. This book continues to provide
the steps campus leaders can take to make all students successful
and to fulfill their mission and be accountable to policymakers,
parents, and students themselves.”
—­Adrianna Kezar, Wilbur Kieffer Endowed Professor
and Dean’s Professor of Leadership, USC,
Director of the Pullias Center
 BECOMING A
STUDENT-READY
COLLEGE
 BECOMING A
STUDENT-­READY
COLLEGE
A New Culture of Leadership
for Student Success

Second Edition

Tia Brown McNair

Susan Albertine
Nicole McDonald
Thomas Major Jr.
Michelle Asha Cooper
Copyright © 2022 by Tia Brown McNair, Susan Albertine, Nicole McDonald, Thomas Major Jr.,
and Michelle Asha Cooper. All rights reserved.

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For my husband, Maurice; my son, Austin; my mom, Patricia;
my sister, Tammi; and my brother-­in-­law, Tyvi. Thank you for
your unwavering support. To my dad, who is always with me
from Heaven, I feel your love every day. – TBM

For Vera, who in the 1950s taught me to see. – SA

For my mother, Frances McDonald, and my grandmothers

Mary Porter and Louise Fairbanks. Thank you for your love
and your courage. – NM

With all my love to Linda, Eric, and Rachael,

for being my reasons why. And to Thomas Sr. and Lorene,
for showing me how. – TM

Thanks to my parents, Chester Cooper, Sr. and

Yvonne Cooper, for giving me roots; and
to my daughter, Grace, for giving me hope! – MAC

Joint dedication:

For all of America’s college

students—­previous, current, and future. This book is
for you and your success!
 C ON T E NTS

Prefacexiii

About the Authors xvii

• • •

CHAPTER ONE: The Time Is Now: A Call for

Student-­Ready Colleges 3
The Quest for College-­Ready Students and Redefining
Readiness 10
A Profile of Twenty-­First-­Century Students 16
The Science of Student Readiness 22
The Value of Student-­Ready Colleges and the Emerging
School-­to-­Work Economy 25
The Path Forward: Taking Steps to Transformation 29

CHAPTER TWO: Leadership Values and

Organizational Culture 33
New Perspectives on Leadership 37
Values and the Student-­Ready College 39
Does Collaboration Serve a Greater Good or Is It an
End in Itself? 41
Leadership for Grassroots Empowerment 43

ix
x Con t e n ts

Changing Perspective on Educators 47

Exemplary Practice: The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater 47
Positive Vision of Educators 54
Inclusive Professional Development for Everyone Who Teaches 57
Student-­Ready Practice of Governance 62
Building Out the Change Effort 64
Exemplary Practice: Alverno College 65
A Pragmatic Approach to Shared Governance 69
A Vision of a Place Ready for Students 72
Conclusion: A Vision to Guide Collaboration 76

CHAPTER THREE: Intentionality by Design

to Support Student Success 79
Intentionality by Design: Centering Equity, Diversity,
and Belonging 83
Removing Systemic Barriers and Challenges for Students 85
A Caring Educator 87
Embracing a Paradigm Shift 90
A Culture of Belonging 95
Defining Student Success as Learning 97
Promoting Excellence in Student Engagement 99
Charting Your Course of Action 102
Conclusion 103

CHAPTER FOUR: Leveraging Ecosystem Partnerships

in Support of Student Readiness 107
Engaging the Ecosystem 111
A Critical Survival Instinct: The Opportunistic
Self-­Awareness of Student-­Ready Colleges 115
 C ontents  xi

Three Levers for Establishing and Aligning Impactful

Ecosystem Partnerships 120
Student-­Centered Symbiosis in Support of Today’s College
Students 130
Questions to Consider in Establishing and Aligning
Ecosystem Partnerships 133
Conclusion 139

CHAPTER FIVE: Educating the Whole Student 143

Whole-­Person Leadership and Learning 146
Belief in Student Capacity to Learn as a Genuine
and Public Commitment 150
Challenges to Belief in Student Capacity to Learn 154
Addressing Deficit-­Mindedness 157
Sites for Action 165
The Wealth That Students Bring 167
Institutional Long Views 168
Leadership Responsive to the Ecosystem 172
Conclusion 178

• • •

Conclusion179

References187

Index209
 P R E FAC E

“Students today are less prepared for postsecondary education.”

“Why are we admitting students who are not ready for
­college?”
“Aren’t we lowering our academic standards?”
“Students are not motivated. It is not my responsibility to
convince them that getting an education is important for their
lifelong success.”
“We can’t be all things to all people.”
“With all of the increasing demands from our current cir-
cumstances, I am too busy to advise and/or mentor students.”
“It is their responsibility to learn how to navigate college.
I did it. Why can’t they?”
If any of these statements sound familiar to you—­whether
you heard them in a meeting or in a conversation with c­ olleagues
or you have thought them—­then this book is for you. In the
years since the book was first published, we constantly have
heard from educators who are hungry for guidance to address
such statements as these and the attitudes they represent.
At the same time, we have been surprised and heartened by
the positive reception of this book and the many places where

xiii
xiv Pr e fa c e

the phrase student-­ready is used. We know we are asking

­questions that resonate with educators. Given the number of
individuals and institutions that have engaged with our book
since the initial release, we are hopeful.
As we revise the manuscript in 2022 for the second edition,
we are reminded that these questions remain as pertinent as
they were in 2016, and even more so, given what we have expe-
rienced over the past couple of years. As before, we want to be
clear that this book is not about judgment or casting blame. We
embarked on this journey because we believe in the promise and
vision of higher education. We also recognize the constraints
and the frustration of our colleagues, and even our own, in try-
ing to do the work we are committed to accomplishing. This
book is our effort to reframe the dialogue on student success.
We feel the need for that reframing even more urgently now
than we did 6 years ago. We are calling for—­and we want to
create—­a paradigm shift, from focusing more on what students
lack to focusing more on what we can do, as educators, to create
stronger, higher-­quality educational environments that promote
full inclusion and continuous improvement. The promise of
higher education is essential to a healthy democracy.
The central theme for this book emerged from a conver­
sation at a meeting in Indianapolis. A couple of us were talking
about how institutions can examine their institutional efforts to
improve student success. Not surprisingly, the conversation
shifted to some form of the quotes noted at the opening of this
preface. Instead of going down a path of blaming the students,
Thomas Major, Jr., asked a very provocative question: “We talk
a lot about students not being college-­ready, but why don’t
 P reface  xv

we ask what it means to be a student-­ready college?” From that

one question, the concept for this book was born.
Our goal is for this book to be a catalyst for action and for
change at postsecondary institutions. To accomplish this, we
present the book as a discussion driver. You will find that
we offer a series of principles, case examples, and questions to
prompt discussions. The book is intended to offer advice and
guidance that you and your institution can apply and adapt
in your own context—­to find your own pathways and your own
policies and practices. We hope that the book encourages you
to embark on institutional assessment and self-­reflection for
the very best of reasons, to strengthen what is most precious in
American higher education: the opportunity for learning that
we offer our students now and into the future.
 ABO U T T H E AUTHORS

Tia Brown McNair has spent more than 25 years advocating for
underserved students in higher education through various
administrator roles and as an adjunct faculty member at several
institutions. She is currently vice president of diversity, equity,
and student success and executive director for the Truth, Racial
Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the
American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
in Washington, D.C. She oversees both funded projects and
AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence,
high-­impact practices, and student success. McNair also directs
AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-­Impact Practices and
Student Success and TRHT Campus Centers.
Susan Albertine began teaching middle school in 1971. She
later became a professor of English and served in an array of
academic leadership positions, including vice provost for
­undergraduate studies at Temple University and dean of humani­
ties and social sciences at the College of New Jersey. In 2008, she
joined the Association of American Colleges and Universities
(now the American Association of Colleges and Universities;
AAC&U) as vice president of the Office of Diversity, Equity,
and Student Success and also became senior scholar for faculty
in 2015. She retired from AAC&U in 2020.

xvii
xviii A b o u t t h e A u t hors

Nicole McDonald serves as assistant vice provost for student

success strategies at the University of Houston and leads
­operations for Houston Guided Pathways to Success, a regional
consortium of 13 public institutions in the Gulf Coast–Houston
metro region, focused on improving outcomes for all students
through the innovation and scale of evidence-­based practices.
Previously, she served as a strategy officer at Lumina Foundation,
where she managed more than $15 million in grants focused
on student success and learning pathways; as system director
for transfer and retention at Kentucky Community & Technical
College System; and associate for academic affairs for the
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.
Thomas Major Jr. is associate general counsel at Lumina
Foundation, where he works to ensure 60 percent of American
adults will have a college degree, certificate, industry certifica-
tion, or other credential of value by 2025. He serves as Lumina’s
legal lead on a broad array of strategic, programmatic, and
general corporate matters. His work also supports efforts that
engage higher education systems, institutions, and stakeholders
to increase completion rates and close attainment gaps of his-
torically underrepresented and low-­income students. Major’s
professional background includes private corporate law prac-
tice, educational consulting, and various roles in workforce
development.
Michelle Asha Cooper is acting assistant secretary of the
Office of Postsecondary Education, where she leads efforts to
strengthen the capacity of colleges and universities to better
serve students, especially those who have been historically
underserved. Cooper is a passionate advocate for racial and
 A bout the A uthors  xix

economic equity, with over 20 years of experience in postsec-

ondary education. She has also held leadership positions at the
Institute for Higher Education Policy, Advisory Committee on
Student Financial Assistance, American Association of Colleges
and Universities, the Council for Independent Colleges, and
King’s College.
 C H A P T E R ON E
The Time Is Now: A Call for
Student-Ready Colleges

•C H A P T E R T W O •
Leadership Values and
Organizational Culture

•C H A P T E R T H R E E •
Intentionality by Design to
Support Student Success

•C H A P T E R F O U R •
Leveraging Ecosystem
Partnerships in Support
of Student Readiness

•C H A P T E R F I V E •
Educating the Whole Student
CHAPTER•ONE

The Time Is Now:

A Call for Student-­
Ready Colleges
I
n higher education, there is growing concern and account-
ability for student success among college leadership, and
at state and national levels, out of a growing awareness of
the persistent challenges that threaten higher education oppor-
tunities for millions of today’s students. While many within the
higher education community desire to improve student suc-
cess, they continue to aspire for students who, when they enter
college, are ready for the rigors of higher education and come
with better standardized test scores, from high schools with
better resources, with parents who attended college, with a
sense of independence, with few distractions and fully focused
on college. Yet issues of college accessibility, affordability, and
success remain, and student success still prioritizes college
readiness. So what’s the harm in defining student success this
way? While it is important for students to be as prepared as pos-
sible for a college education, defining student success primarily
by students’ college-­readiness limits the possibilities for student
success almost exclusively to pre-­college factors over which
higher education has only limited influence and places the bur-
den of success in college almost entirely on the students. Here
we advocate for a different vision of student success: a vision of
the student-­ready college as the optimal setting for student suc-
cess and deeply rooted in the transformative power of higher
education institutions, and their commitment to ensuring the
success of students and students’ capacity to participate in
twenty-­first-­century life and work.
What does it mean to be a student-­ready college? Being a
student-­ready college requires more than a mission statement
that touts expressed commitments about student-­centeredness
or espouses philosophical ideals of inclusiveness, excellence, or
6 BE COM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

diversity. It requires more than aggressively implementing an

assemblage of disconnected, piecemeal, or niche programs and
initiatives to improve student recruitment, retention, and com-
pletion. Being a student-­ready college is as much about how
higher education institutions define student success and their
relationship with students—­and how they take action—­as it
is about the strategies they implement. Student-­ready colleges
take an intentional, systemic, holistic, and transformative
approach to ensuring student learning and ensuring that every
student receives what is needed to be successful. At student-­
ready colleges, students are responsible for doing the work
needed to complete the path to a higher education credential,
and the college takes leadership, ownership, and accountability
for everything associated with curating the path through the
institution and aligning learning and post-­college outcomes.
And all activities and services facilitate an equitable opportu-
nity for every student to make steady, efficient progress toward
completing their studies and to become fully informed and
educated for civic and economic participation in a global, inter-
connected society.
Being a student-­ready college is about how higher educa-
tion institutions enact a culture across their campuses to ensure
student success, and how they engage as members of the
broader postsecondary ecosystem to help ensure student suc-
cess. Student-­ready colleges appreciate their role as complex,
dynamic organisms within the larger postsecondary ecosystem,
and they operate systemically within and across their various
internal functions to support students. Moreover, they fully appre-
ciate that students operate as fluid parts, moving organically
between both the college and larger postsecondary ecosystem.
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 7

In honor of the student–institution relationship, student-­ready

colleges challenge the status quo, and stay attuned and respon-
sive to the opportunities presented by the broader ecosystem as
well as the implications the current context may have on the
needs of students.
Student-­ready colleges define student success in a way that
represents a paradigm shift—­reframing the student success
conversation from one of pre-­college characteristics and stu-
dent deficits to one of student assets and institutional opportu-
nity, leadership, and accountability. Student success is defined
in terms that go beyond traditional notions and predictors
of completion to include a focus on student learning, growth,
and development that meets students where they are and
addresses the needs they have along their journey through
higher education.
At student-­ready colleges, all services and activities facili-
tate an equal opportunity for every student to make steady, effi-
cient progress toward completing their studies and fully
participating in twenty-­first-­century life, work, and communi-
ties. Attention and accountability extend from admissions to
the classroom and to every policy, practice, budget, and busi-
ness decision that affects the student experience on campus.
Financial aid office? Check. Student services? Yes. Informed
choice and options for scheduling classes? Absolutely. Health,
wellness, and other wraparound student support? Yes. The
unique mix of institutional mission and academic programs?
Absolutely. All of the above.
Further, student-­ready colleges enact an institutional cul-
ture in which organizational learning and improvement are
central institutional values and serve as the primary drivers of
8 BE COM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

institutional and individual action. All principles are aligned

with the mission of the institution and shared among members
of the campus community. At student-­ready colleges, the com-
mitment to leadership and collaboration is so elevated—­all
members of the campus community are empowered to be
engaged as leaders and educators. Student-­ready colleges are
committed not only to student achievement but also to identi-
fying and removing systemic barriers to the achievement of
every student. They promote excellence for every student by
ensuring and engaging every student in integrative learning
experiences and high-­impact practices. Instead of reserving
these experiences for only a select few students, student-­ready
colleges make these experiences universally available so that all
students have opportunities to engage in first-­year seminars
and experiences, learning communities, writing-­intensive courses,
undergraduate research, diversity and global learning, integra-
tive and service learning, internships, and capstone courses
and projects.
In the first edition of Becoming a Student-­Ready College, we
shared a new lens through which campus leaders can view
existing and emerging issues and the opportunity to transform
institutions for the success of their students. We highlighted
promising and innovative practices that we have witnessed in
our work. These practices are not exhaustive but reflect a range
of interventions occurring all across the higher education com-
munity. In the second edition, we seek to do the same, and—­
based on ideas and practices learned and observed in years of
work with colleges across the nation and internationally—­we
offer recommendations to minimize the threats posed by
current and future challenges to higher education students,
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 9

institutions, and communities. Although individual leaders can

pursue the strategies outlined in this book, we recommend a
collaborative approach—­bringing administrators, faculty, and
staff across the campus together with the broader postsecond-
ary education ecosystem to mobilize, scale, and sustain these
efforts. We recommend steps for collaborating with those
outside the campus community, as progress will require
­
partnerships—­both internal and external—­that represent con-
certed action for impact that benefits every student. We antici-
pate that for many institutional leaders, the transformation
necessary to become a student-­ready college will require more
than tweaks or marginal changes and temporary pivots. Rather,
becoming a student-­ready college will require transforming
institutional policies and practices as well as individual and
shared attitudes and values.
We are honored to have served higher education in a variety
of leadership positions within and alongside higher education
institutions. We have worked with higher education institution,
policy, and philanthropic leaders who seek to advance and sup-
port efforts aligned with quality education, racial equity, and
college attainment. Our commitment to today’s students—­and
the institutions that serve them well—is reflected in our recom-
mendations. We hope this book adds to the collection of tools
and resources that faculty, administrators, policy and philan-
thropic leaders, and all those who care about today’s college
students can draw upon for practical solutions.
As we continue to frame the vision of the student-­ready
college in this chapter, key elements regarding the new lens
through which campus leaders must look to transform their
campuses include looking at today’s students and redefining
10 BE C OM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

readiness; amplifying the intentional, systemic, and holistic

approach, or science, of student readiness; and connecting the
importance of student-­ready colleges and positive post-­college
outcomes in the emerging economy.

The Quest for College-­Ready Students

and Redefining Readiness
For most educators, the goal of becoming a student-­ready col-
lege is not difficult to embrace. After all, supporting students is
an aspiration of all campus leaders. Although this concept will
resonate with many, we recognize that, for some, enacting these
recommendations may pose a challenge. The problem is not
necessarily a lack of will; rather, some colleges simply are not
structured to support this level of engagement. For others, there
may be no expectation or requirement to be student-­centric.
And still others are struggling with competing pressures and
demands.
Despite increasing attention on the need to improve stu-
dent success, including increasing demands from campus
leaders, policymakers, and the public for accountability and
efficiency, the traditional definition of student success and the
resulting higher education system design remain the status
quo—­that is, the onus for higher education attainment rests
almost exclusively on the student. In general, students are
expected to come to college ready to learn and able to immedi-
ately and seamlessly transition through a labyrinth of unprece-
dented academic and administrative responsibilities. In this
paradigm, institutions anticipate that the best students are those
who enter the most college-­ready—­as reflected by highest test
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 11

scores; the most well-­resourced and well-­connected parents,

families, high schools, and communities; parents who attended
and graduated from college; and so on.
We agree that students are highly engaged partners in their
college success, and access to effective college preparation is
important for all students. However, the construct of college
readiness and the deployment of institutional resources toward
recruiting and retaining primarily students who fit the college-­
ready profile severely limit the opportunity for all students to
succeed in college. This approach assumes that most students
entering college today are not ready to handle the responsibili-
ties of college. As a result, the front end of the system design for
college success privileges pre-­college factors over which a stu-
dent has limited control. Further, it obscures other factors, in
addition to pre-­college factors vis-­à-­vis college readiness that
have significant implications for student success. While a por-
tion of today’s college students may struggle academically, for
example, only about 25 percent of high-­performing students
with low incomes are likely to graduate from college, compared
with 30 percent of low-­performing students with high incomes.
This challenges the notion that the smart, college-­ready stu-
dents will succeed, whereas the weaker, underprepared students
will not.
The range of images of the ideal college student—­with
high-­achieving, self-­directed students on one end and students
with high potential on the other—­has far too many campus
leaders lamenting the challenges of educating today’s students
and pining for an era long ago in American higher education
when the students were different and more ideal students could
be found. But this perspective defines students who do not fit
12 BE C OM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

that narrow profile as deficient and excludes the broad range of

students enrolling in higher education institutions today.
Further, it absolves institutions from the responsibility to rec-
tify systemic, structural, and other impediments to student
success and again places the onus for college success solely
on students.
Although admittedly there are differences between the stu-
dents of today and previous cohorts, their similarities are fun-
damental. Like prior generations of students, today’s students
arrive at college with a desire to learn and grow both personally
and professionally. Regardless of the decade in which they enter
college, many students believe that a college degree is a prereq-
uisite for a good life. Students have always believed that partici-
pating and succeeding in higher education will allow them to
tap into greater levels of self-­awareness and efficacy. They also
share the expectation that college will prepare them to live and
make a living. Hence, for generations, students have arrived at
the doorsteps of our colleges and universities with high expec-
tations and varying academic and personal needs. And histori-
cally, our colleges and universities have responded accordingly,
seizing the opportunity to nurture and prepare these students
to lead meaningful, productive lives.
Over the years, higher education has aimed to be respon-
sive to the concerns of its students, but the present day finds too
many in the higher education community either solemn in the
quest to find the ideal college student or too constrained by
external forces and demands to expand the box or to think out-
side it altogether. Given this scenario, we long for and reminisce
about a golden age in American higher education when students
all came to college well prepared and resources were readily
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 13

available to support them. But this never was the case. The idea
that an ideal student or ideal college existed once upon a time is
nothing more than a myth. America’s colleges and universities
have always appealed to students with diverse interests and
levels of academic preparation, and resources have always had
to be negotiated. The challenge for us today is that our system
of higher education has grown exponentially over the past three
centuries—­and growth continues. As the system grows, so do
the numbers of students who need additional support and
preparation.
Clark Kerr wrote, “An appreciation of the evolution of
higher education helps to develop perspective on contemporary
issues, since historical context often reveals that our present
problems are not all new ones” (as cited in Bullard, 2007, p. 12).
In other words, the realities faced by today’s college students
simply provide a contemporary spin on issues previously
encountered. A quick review of the history of higher education
reveals that changing student needs have always stretched the
system; and the system has, in turn, always adapted to accom-
modate the realities of the emergent student population. Even
going back to the founding of the nation’s first colleges in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries—­when going to college
was a rarity except for those interested in the clergy—­we find
that Harvard College provided tutors in Greek and Latin for
underprepared students (Institute for Higher Education
Policy, 1998).
Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, semi-
nal legislative efforts—­including the Morrill Land-­Grant Acts
of 1862 and 1890, the G.I. Bill of 1944, the Civil Rights Act of
1965, and the Higher Education Act of 1965—­helped to make
14 BE C OM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

higher education more accessible and affordable for millions

more Americans (Thelin, 2011). As a result of these policies,
thousands of deserving students enrolled in college, and while
many had to adjust to the social dimensions of higher educa-
tion, several faced academic challenges as well.
Over the past 20 years, as a result of an unparalleled num-
ber of natural disasters, prolonged international and domestic
conflicts and terror attacks, extreme economic downturns,
multiple global health crises, national protests calling for social
justice, and seismic technological changes, the United States
has witnessed an unprecedented level of environmental, eco-
nomic, and social disruption. Over the past 2 years, we have
witnessed the astonishing infection of nearly 80 million people
in the United States with COVID-­19—­and the death of nearly a
million people nationwide. During the same time, we have
­witnessed countless protests for social justice and mourned a
series of brutal acts of violence and murders against countless
numbers of Black, Latinx, and Asian American people.
These overwhelming events have created a heightened
sense of uncertainty for us all and have illuminated the daily
vulnerability, barriers, and challenges facing many of our stu-
dents and communities. Moreover, for many college students,
these events disrupted their studies, threatened their health,
shuttered campus life, and slowed opportunities for jobs after
graduation. A total of 56 percent of Black and Hispanic stu-
dents reported that COVID-­19 is very likely or likely to force
them out of school, compared with 44 percent of Whites (Gallup
Inc., 2020, p. 12). While college students have long been prone
to stress, anxiety, and depression, nearly three of four Americans
between the ages of 18 and 24 years report poor mental health
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 15

tied to the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (2020, p. 1052). The economic, social,
and academic upheaval have sapped motivation and confi-
dence, contributing to already high rates of depression and
anxiety (Wang et al., 2020).
As we grapple with daunting realities, stemming from the
social, demographic, technological, and economic changes
impacting higher education, it is imperative to acknowledge
higher education’s role in creating and perpetuating systemic
barriers that impede student progress and success. For exam-
ple, higher education leaders rarely acknowledge how higher
education’s policies, practices, and hidden expectations perpet-
uate systemic inequities and further stratify and marginalize
students. To better support today’s students, and future genera-
tions of students, higher education must transform to work well
for every student and meet students’ needs and current reali-
ties. In addition, it must embrace the paradigm shifts associated
with the broader contextual conditions.
The goal of becoming a student-­ready college is not diffi-
cult to embrace for most educators. In fact, the concept has
been embraced since the first edition of this book in 2016.
However, when faced with challenges, some institutional
leaders—­even those who are sensitive to student needs and
diversity—­may fall back on processes and routines that expect
students to conform to outmoded expectations and norms.
Although the concept of student readiness will resonate with
many, we also recognize that, for some, enacting these recom-
mendations may pose a challenge, effectively perpetuating the
status quo—­and in the twenty-­first century, the status quo is no
longer an option.
16 BE C OM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

A Profile of Twenty-­First-­Century Students

To strengthen our democracy, colleges and universities must
offer students a high-­quality educational experience that teaches
them how to work and how to live in this twenty-­first-­century
knowledge economy (Wagner, 2010). For centuries, the U.S.
system of higher education has been a leader in postsecondary
education, boasting some of the strongest outcomes and
institutions in the world. U.S. institutions are recognized in
worldwide rankings of colleges and universities, holding more
than half of the top 100 spots as well as 8 of the top 10. Many
world leaders in the sciences and humanities are graduates of
U.S. colleges and universities.
Even for those who do not achieve these levels of success,
the benefits correlated with earning a college degree have been
documented (Ma, Pender, and Welch, 2020). For example:

•• Higher educational levels reduce the chances of being

unemployed:
“The 2018 unemployment rates for 25-­to 34-­year-­olds
were 4.7 percent for those with some college but no
degree and 3.1 percent for those with associate degrees”
(Ma et al., 2020, p. 30).
•• Attaining a college degree increases the likelihood of
moving up the socioeconomic ladder:
“Of adults who grew up in the lowest family income
quintile, 21 percent of those with a four-­year college
degree moved up to the top income quintile between 2002
and 2011, compared with just 17 percent of those with an
associate degree, and 13 percent of those with only a high
school diploma” (Ma, Pender, and Welch, 2016, p. 33).
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 17

•• Adults with a college education exhibit higher levels of

civic engagement:
“In 2017, 42 percent of four-­year college graduates,
34 percent of adults with an associate degree, 31 percent of
adults with some college, and 19 percent of high school
graduates volunteered” (Ma et al., 2020, p. 40).

Even as the importance of higher education continues to be

high, student success outcomes and graduation rates are une-
ven and below average. More than 15 million students currently
are enrolled in over 6,000 postsecondary institutions (National
Center for Education Statistics, n.d.), but only 4 of 10 Americans
hold a college degree or credential (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014).
Another 25 percent attempted college but left without a degree
(Lumina Foundation, 2015c). We also know that these subpar
outcomes disproportionately impact students from traditionally
underserved racial and ethnic groups, who represent growing
sectors of higher education—­fewer than 30 percent of Blacks
(28), Hispanics (20), and Native Americans (24) between the
ages of 25 and 64 years have earned a college degree (Figure 1.1).
And a recent examination of millennials shows that the career
readiness among recent graduates is unsatisfactory, with defi-
cits in skills associated with literacy, math, and problem-­solving
(Goodman, Sands, and Coley, 2015).
With the face of American higher education changing, it is
vital that we embrace new models of education and support
services that can accommodate today’s college students. To
serve these students, we must first have a precise understanding
of the profile for twenty-­first-­century college students. Presently,
students of color compose more than 40 percent of the student
body, and that proportion is expected to increase, with the
 Figure 1.1 Trends in Degree Attainment Rates for U.S. Residents
Percentage by Population Group (Ages 25–64).
59.35 60.07
59.13

43.87 44.47
43.3

39.4 40
38.7

27.14 27.62 28.14

23.07 23.43 23.86

19.81 20.27
19.31

2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
Total White Black Hispanic Asian Native American

Source: Lumina Foundation, 2021

 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 19

growth being fueled by Latino/a and Asian students. And over

70 percent of today’s college students possess nontraditional or
post-­traditional student characteristics (Miller et al., 2014),
with 37 percent being over the age of 25 years, having depen­
dents (24 percent), or working full-­time (40 percent). In addi-
tion, growing proportions of these students are first-­generation
college-­goers (46 percent), at or below the federal poverty level
(31 percent), or minorities (42 percent) (Figure 1.2). At the
same time, as the civil rights of those of diverse sexual orienta-
tions are advanced nationally, we expect to serve even more
students who reflect the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) communities (Pew Research Center, 2013).

Figure 1.2 Profile of Today’s Student

To adequately address the
barriers these students face,
we must first recognize that
21st-century students do not
fit the traditional profile. 52% 51%
First in their family to Low- to moderate-
complete college income

44% 42% 30% 28%

Age 24 or above From communities Attending part-time Taking care of children
of color or other dependents

26% 18% 10% 5%

Working full-time Non-native English Immigrants Active duty military
while enrolled speakers or veterans

Source: Lumina Foundation, 2021

20 BE C OM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

Historical trends show that there has been steady enroll-

ment growth among diverse student groups—­ with these
post-­traditional characteristics—­for decades. But the trends in
accessibility have not translated into better student outcomes.
In fact, college completion rates for many underserved student
groups continue to lag far behind national averages.
About one in five part-­time students finish a degree after
6 years (NPR, 2019). Even when observing 6-­year outcomes,
71 percent of students that were exclusively part-­time did not
make it to graduation compared with the 14 percent of exclu-
sively full-­time students. (Shapiro et al., 2018).
Minority students still struggle to graduate. Less than 35 per-
cent of African Americans (32 percent), Native Americans
(25 percent), and Latinos/as (25.5 percent) complete college
(Lumina Foundation, 2019).
Only 26 percent of low-­income students earned bachelor’s
degrees compared with 69 percent of higher-­income peers,
even though attaining this degree substantially increases their
chances of moving out of poverty (Mortenson, 2019). If low-­
income young adults earned bachelor’s degrees at the same
rate as their higher-­income counterparts, the United States
would rank even higher among the top developed countries in
the world.
These facts show that the American system of higher edu-
cation simply does not work well for everyone, and all along the
pipeline far too many students encounter challenges that lead
to the end of their formal education (Figures 1.3 and 1.4). These
trends are unacceptable, especially at a time when a more
­educated workforce and citizenry are so desperately needed.
Educating all of America’s students, especially ­underrepresented
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 21

Figure 1.3 Attainment Rate for Low-­Income Students

Low-income students are half as
likely as their high-income peers
to earn bachelor’s degrees within
six years. 42%
20% OF LOW-INCOME OF HIGH-INCOME
STUDENTS EARN STUDENTS EARN
BACHELOR’S DEGREES BACHELOR’S DEGREES
WITHIN SIX YEARS WITHIN SIX YEARS

LOW-INCOME Low-income Individuals are five times

5X
INDIVIDUALS ARE more likely to move out of poverty if
MORE LIKELY they attain a college degree.

TO MOVE
OUT OF
POVERTY
IF THEY ATTAIN A
COLLEGE DEGREE

Source: Mortenson (2019)

Figure 1.4 The Reality of the Education Pipeline

ADULTHOOD

COLLEGE/
UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
Good Jobs
Upward Mobility
MIDDLE HIGH Success
EARLY SCHOOL
CHILDHOOD SCHOOL Money
Stability
Tax Revenue
Community
Engagement

Source: Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2013 (Reprinted

from Literacy Connects)
22 BE C OM I NG A S T U DE N T- R E A D Y COL L E G E

students, is a national imperative, as it can lead to positive

impacts for individuals and entire communities.

The Science of Student Readiness

There is no silver bullet approach to student readiness. Although
many colleges experience common challenges, the vast number
of institutions—­and the diversity of contexts based on size,
location, student body, resources, mission, environment, and
myriad other factors—­precludes a one-­size-­fits-­all approach.
Accordingly, campus leaders who aspire to student readiness
must commit to prioritize, implement, and sustain policies and
practices that will effectively, flexibly, and sustainably support
student success within their particular campus context. Like
scientists who focus on the physical and natural world, student-­
ready campus leaders must design interventions based on their
systematic study of the structure and behavior of the higher
education ecosystem through observation, inquiry, data analy-
sis, intentionality, and reflection.
Student readiness is a means and an end. It is a discipline
that is prioritized and practiced across the institution. And
while there is no magic recipe for success, our years of work in
and with colleges have revealed some common characteristics
of student-­ready colleges and programs:

1. They know who their students are, how they are doing, and
what they need to succeed. Student-­ready college leaders
use data, feedback, and mechanisms for regular personal
contact to understand who their students are, where
they’re from, and their aspirations, challenges, and
 A C A L L F OR S T U DE N T - ­R E A D Y C O L L E G E S 23

needs. While it may be logistically impossible for most

campus administrators to have close personal connections
with every student, many student-­ready leaders have
successfully inculcated the value of this connectivity to
staff at all levels of the institution. This approach helps to
neutralize the feelings of isolation and disconnection that
often precede poor student performance and outcomes.
This knowledge is critical to the success of every aspiring
student-­ready campus leader.
2. They are intentional. Student-­ready colleges embrace their
institution’s role in supporting the success of all students
and acknowledge the active support of every student’s
success as a core institutional function. Campus leaders
seek opportunities to align this vision with the institution’s
overall mission and prioritize it in the design, implementa-
tion, and evaluation of policies, practices, and programs.
Moreover, these leaders expressly and sustainably devote
time and financial resources to the ongoing effort.
3. They foster a culture of inclusive leadership and shared
ownership. Student-­ready college leaders understand that
faculty, staff, and students all play integral roles in the
campus’s success. Accordingly, their student readiness
efforts are anchored in a culture of transparent, inclusive
collaboration that actively invites and involves every office
and person on campus.
4. They are self-­aware and opportunistic. Student-­ready
college leaders seek qualitative and quantitative feedback
on all aspects of students’ experiences and performance.
Systems for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of
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respira et la pendule de marbre noir (que le bijoutier de l’endroit
estimait à 3 livres 18 shillings 6 pence), eut un tic-tac discret et furtif.
Brusquement la porte s’ouvrit ; une fillette se précipita dans la
pièce ; elle était à l’âge des jupes courtes et des jambes longues.
Une abondance de cheveux incolores et plats flottait sur ses
épaules. En voyant sa mère, elle s’arrêta net et dirigea sur la lettre
de pâles yeux inquisiteurs.
— « C’est de papa », murmura Mme Mac Whirr. « Qu’est-ce que tu
as fait de ton ruban ? »
La fillette porta la main à sa tête et fit la moue.
— « Il va bien » continua Mme Mac Whirr d’un air alangui, « du
moins, je le pense ; il ne parle jamais de sa santé. »
Elle fit entendre un petit rire. La figure de la fillette exprima une
indifférence distraite, et Mme Mac Whirr la contempla avec fierté.
— « Va mettre ton chapeau » dit-elle au bout d’un instant. « Je
sors faire des courses. Il y a une exposition de blanc chez Linom.
— Oh ! quelle chance ! » s’écria l’enfant d’un ton subitement
grave et vibrant, en bondissant hors de la chambre.
C’était un bel après-midi de ciel gris ; les trottoirs étaient secs.
Devant la porte du magasin de nouveautés, Mme Mac Whirr salua
d’un sourire une femme à l’allure de matrone, aux formes
généreuses, vêtue d’un manteau noir, cuirassé de jais. Une
couronne de fleurs artificielles s’épanouissait au-dessus de sa face
bilieuse. Ces dames se précipitèrent au-devant l’une de l’autre,
s’exclamant ensemble et se mirent à caqueter de conserve avec une
précipitation qui faisait croire que peut-être la rue allait s’entr’ouvrir
et avaler leur plaisir avant qu’elles n’aient achevé de l’exprimer.
Derrière elles les hautes portes de verre du magasin battaient
sans répit. Mais ces dames obstruaient le passage. Des messieurs
patientaient poliment. Quant à Lydia elle était tout occupée à piquer
le bout de son parapluie entre les dalles du trottoir. Mme Mac Whirr
parlait avec volubilité :
 — « Je vous remercie. Non ; il ne revient pas encore. C’est triste,
naturellement, de ne pas l’avoir avec nous ; mais c’est si
réconfortant de savoir qu’il se porte bien. »
Mme Mac Whirr reprit haleine.
— « Le climat de là-bas lui convient si bien » ajouta-t-elle
radieuse, comme si le pauvre Mac Whirr eût été faire un tour en
Chine pour raison de santé.

Le mécanicien en chef ne revenait pas encore, lui non plus. M.

Rout connaissait trop bien la valeur d’un bon poste.
— « Salomon dit que les prodiges ne cesseront jamais ! » cria
Mme Rout joyeusement à la vieille dame assise dans son fauteuil au
coin du feu. La mère de M. Rout bougea légèrement ses deux mains
fanées qui reposaient sur ses genoux dans des mitaines noires.
Les yeux de la belle-fille semblaient danser sur le papier.
— « Ce capitaine du navire sur lequel il est — un homme assez
borné, vous vous rappelez, mère ? — a fait quelque chose d’assez
fort, à ce que dit Salomon.
— Oui, ma chère », dit la vieille femme débonnairement ; elle
inclinait en avant sa tête argentée, avec cet air de calme intérieur
des très vieilles gens qui semblent s’absorber dans la contemplation
des dernières lueurs de l’existence : « Je crois bien me rappeler. »
Salomon Rout, le vieux Sal, le père Sal, le chef, Rout ce « brave
homme » — M. Rout, l’ami paternel et indulgent de la jeunesse, avait
été le benjamin de ses nombreux enfants tous morts aujourd’hui.
Elle se le rappelait particulièrement à l’âge de dix ans (bien avant
qu’il ne partît faire son apprentissage dans une grande usine du
Nord). Elle l’avait si peu vu depuis ; elle avait parcouru tant
d’années, qu’il lui fallait maintenant retourner bien loin en arrière
pour se le remémorer distinctement à travers la brume du temps.
Parfois, il lui semblait que sa belle-fille parlait d’un étranger.
Mme Rout fils était déçue.
 — « Hum ! hum ! » elle tourna la page : « Que c’est vexant ! Il ne
dit pas ce que c’est. Il dit que je ne pourrais pas comprendre. Je me
demande qu’est-ce que cela pouvait bien être de si malin. Quel
misérable de ne pas nous le dire ! » Elle continua sa lecture, sans
faire d’autre remarque, et quand elle eut fini, se mit à contempler le
feu.
Rout ne touchait que deux mots du typhon ; mais quelque chose
l’avait poussé à exprimer un désir croissant d’avoir sa femme auprès
de lui : « S’il n’y avait pas la question de ma mère, qu’on ne peut tout
de même pas laisser, je t’enverrais l’argent de ton voyage tout de
suite. Tu pourrais installer une petite maison ici ; j’aurais l’occasion
de te voir de temps en temps. Nous ne rajeunissons pas… »
— « Il va bien, mère », soupira Mme Rout en se secouant.
— « Il a toujours été un garçon fort et bien portant », dit
placidement la vieille femme.
Le compte rendu de M. Jukes fut par contre des plus complets.
Son ami, dans le service de la navigation d’Occident, le communiqua
généreusement à tous les autres officiers de son transatlantique.
— « Un type que je connais m’écrit pour me raconter une affaire
extraordinaire arrivée à bord de son navire pendant ce coup de
typhon dont on a parlé dans les journaux, il y a deux mois, vous
devez vous en souvenir ? C’est la chose du monde la plus comique.
Vous allez voir vous-même ce qu’il en dit : tenez, voici sa lettre. »
Il y avait dans cette lettre, l’exagération d’une fermeté d’âme
indomptable et joyeuse. Jukes était de bonne foi, et ce qu’il en disait
était vrai, du moins au moment où il l’écrivait. Il racontait d’une façon
sinistre les scènes dans l’entrepont :
« … Comme dans un éclair il me vint à l’esprit que ces maudits
Chinois n’étaient pas tenus de comprendre le sentiment qui nous
faisait agir ; or nous nous comportions en apparence comme des
brigands qualifiés. Il ne fait jamais bon de séparer un Chinois de son
argent, du moins quand il est le plus fort. Par un tel temps, pour
risquer un cambriolage il eût fallu être vraiment forcené ; mais
qu’est-ce que ces gueux connaissaient de nous ? Aussi sans perdre
mon temps à réfléchir, je fis sortir tout l’équipage en un clin d’œil.
Notre ouvrage était fini — que le vieux avait tant à cœur ! — Nous
leur cédâmes la place sans rester à leur demander comme ils se
sentaient. Je suis convaincu que s’ils n’avaient pas été aussi
impitoyablement secoués, et (tous sans exception) effrayés d’avoir à
se tenir debout, nous aurions été mis en pièces. C’était complet, je
vous assure ! et vous pouvez battre les mers du Nord et du Sud et
jusqu’à la consommation des siècles avant de vous trouver avec une
pareille corvée sur les bras. »
Après quoi il se lançait dans une appréciation technique des
dommages matériels subis par le navire, puis il continuait :
« Mais ce n’est qu’après que le gros temps se fut calmé que
notre tâche devint vraiment délicate. Il ne nous était d’aucun
avantage, vous pensez bien, de naviguer depuis peu sous pavillon
siamois ; encore que le commandant n’ait jamais pu se persuader
que cela fît une différence. — « Tant que c’est nous qui sommes à
bord » — disait-il. Il y a des choses qui n’ont jamais pu lui entrer
dans la tête. Autant tâcher de convaincre un baldaquin. Ajoutez à
cela l’isolement du navire dans ces mers de Chine, un isolement
infernal, sans consuls, sans aucune canonnière à soi nulle part, sans
une âme à qui s’adresser en cas de difficulté.
» Mon idée à moi était de maintenir tous ces magots à fond de
cale une quinzaine d’heures de plus, c’est-à-dire jusqu’au temps que
nous ayons pu gagner Fou-Tchéou. Là nous aurions
vraisemblablement rencontré quelque navire de guerre, et une fois
sous la protection des canons, sauvés ! car il va de soi que le
commandant de n’importe quel vaisseau de guerre — Anglais,
Français ou Hollandais — dans le cas d’une rixe à bord, se met du
côté des blancs. Nous serions alors en posture de pouvoir nous
débarrasser d’eux et de leur argent en remettant le tout entre les
mains de leur Taotï ou de je ne sais quel mandarin à lunettes vertes
comme on en voit circuler en chaise à porteurs dans les infectes
ruelles de leurs cités.
» Mais le vieux ne voulut rien savoir. Il désirait apaiser l’affaire. Il
s’était fourré cette idée dans la tête et un treuil à vapeur n’aurait pu
l’en arracher. Il désirait qu’on fît le moins de bruit possible autour de
cela, et que ni le nom du bateau n’y fût compromis, ni les armateurs,
« ni aucun des intéressés » comme il disait en enfonçant ses yeux
dans les miens. Moi cela me rendait furieux. Comment pouvait-il
espérer que cette affaire ne fît pas de bruit ? Ce qui était certain c’est
que les malles des Chinois, au début de la traversée avaient été
fixées de manière à pouvoir affronter n’importe quelle tempête de ce
monde ; mais ce qui s’était rué sur nous était quelque chose de
tellement diabolique que rien ne peut vous en donner l’idée.
» Cependant, moi, je ne tenais presque plus sur mes jambes. Il
n’y avait plus de relève pour aucun de nous depuis près de trente
heures ; et le vieux restait là, à se frotter le menton, à se gratter le
crâne, si embêté qu’il ne songeait même pas à enlever ses bottes.
— « J’espère capitaine, lui ai-je dit, que vous n’allez tout de
même pas les lâcher sur le pont avant que nous ayons pris nos
mesures d’une manière ou d’une autre ? » Non pas que je me
sentisse particulièrement féroce contre ces gueux ; mais les démêlés
avec les Chinois n’ont jamais été jeux d’enfants. Surtout je me
sentais éreinté. « Par pitié, lui dis-je, laissez-nous donc leur jeter en
tas leurs dollars et allons nous reposer pendant qu’ils règleront à
coups de griffes le partage.
— Voyons, Jukes, vous déraisonnez ! » dit-il en levant les yeux
vers moi de cette façon lente qu’il a et qui vous fait souffrir de
partout. « Il faut que nous inventions quelque chose de juste et à la
satisfaction de chacun. »
» J’avais des tas de choses à faire, comme tu peux l’imaginer ; je
mis donc l’équipage au travail ; puis l’envie me prit d’aller m’étendre
un instant sur ma couchette.
» Je ne reposais pas depuis 10 minutes lorsque le steward se
précipita dans ma chambre, et, me tirant par la jambe :
— « Pour l’amour du Ciel, M. Jukes, venez vite ! montez sur le
pont ! Dépêchez-vous ! »
» Sa précipitation me faisait perdre la tête. Je me demandais ce
qui pouvait bien être arrivé : une autre tornade ? ou quoi ? Je
n’entendais pas de vent.
— « Le capitaine les lâche tous ! Oh ! ils vont être lâchés ! Sautez
sur le pont mon lieutenant ; sauvez-vous. Le chef mécanicien vient
de courir en bas chercher son revolver. »
» Voilà ce que me racontait cet imbécile. Pourtant le père Rout
m’a juré qu’il n’était jamais descendu que pour chercher un mouchoir
propre.
» Quoi qu’il en soit, je bondis dans mes pantalons et volai sur le
pont d’arrière. Effectivement on entendait passablement de bruit à
l’avant de la passerelle. Quatre hommes étaient occupés sur l’arrière
avec le maître d’équipage. Je leur passai quelques-uns de ces fusils
que chaque navire a toujours soin d’emporter lorsqu’il voyage dans
ces mers d’Extrême-Orient, et je les conduisis vers la passerelle.
Chemin faisant, je me cognai contre le vieux Rout qui suçait un bout
de cigare éteint ; il paraissait ahuri.
— « Venez avec nous ! » lui criai-je.
» Et tous les sept alors, nous chargeâmes comme un seul
homme, jusqu’au roufle. Mais là nous vîmes que tout était fini. Le
vieux restait debout, ses grandes bottes encore tirées jusqu’en haut
des cuisses ; il était en bras de chemise, car sans doute, ça lui avait
donné chaud de se creuser ainsi la cervelle.
» A ses côtés l’élégant commis de Bun-Hin, sale comme un
ramoneur et le visage encore vert d’émotion. Je vis tout de suite que
j’allais prendre quelque chose.
— « Que diable signifient ces simagrées M. Jukes ? » demanda
le vieux du plus furieux qu’il pouvait être — et je dois vous avouer
que j’en perdis l’usage de la parole.
— « Pour l’amour du Ciel, M. Jukes, enlevez-leur ces fusils. Vos
hommes vont sûrement se blesser avec, si vous n’y veillez. Que le
diable m’emporte si l’on ne se croirait pas à Bedlam. Attention,
maintenant. J’ai besoin de vous par en-haut pour m’aider à compter
cet argent avec le Chinois de Bun-Hin. Et puisque vous êtes là, M.
Rout, vous pourriez bien nous donner aussi un coup de main. Plus
nous serons, mieux ça vaudra. »
 » Il avait arrangé tout dans sa tête pendant que je faisais mon
somme.
» Nous aurions été un navire anglais, ou simplement nous
aurions eu à lâcher notre bande de coolies dans un port anglais, à
Hong-Kong par exemple, quelles difficultés n’eussions-nous pas
rencontrées : interrogatoires, enquêtes, demandes de dommages et
intérêts, que sais-je ? Mais ces Chinois connaissent leurs
fonctionnaires mieux que nous.
» Déjà les panneaux étaient enlevés, rangés sur le pont. Cela
faisait un drôle d’effet de revoir à la lumière du soleil toutes ces
faces ravagées aux yeux hagards, ils semblaient tous ahuris de
revoir le ciel, la mer, le navire. Il y avait de quoi, je vous assure ! Car
ils avaient enduré de quoi arracher l’âme à un blanc. Mais on dit que
les Chinois n’ont pas d’âme. En tout cas, ce qu’ils ont à la place est
fichtrement résistant. J’en remarquai un, entre autres, dont l’œil
tuméfié sortait à demi d’entre les paupières avec l’aspect d’un œuf
de poule. Un Chrétien en eût eu pour un mois de lit ; mais non ! ce
gaillard, au milieu de la foule, jouait des coudes et conversait avec
les autres comme si de rien n’était. Une grande agitation régnait
parmi eux ; mais dès que le vieux avançait sa tête chauve au-dessus
d’eux, à l’avant de la passerelle, tous, en bas, arrêtaient de crier et
dirigeaient vers lui leurs regards.
» Après avoir longuement remué le problème dans sa cervelle, il
envoya l’interprète de Bun-Hin expliquer aux Célestes la manière
dont ceux-ci allaient rentrer en possession de leur argent.
» Étant donné que tous ces coolies avaient travaillé au même
endroit et durant un temps égal, il estimait que le plus équitable
serait de partager également entre eux l’argent dont nous nous
étions provisoirement emparés. C’est ce qu’il m’expliqua par la
suite :
— « Peu importe que ce soit précisément son dollar à lui ou celui
de l’autre ; tous les dollars sont pareils. S’informer auprès de chacun
de la somme qu’il apportait à bord ? Ce serait les inviter à mentir et
nous risquerions de nous trouver trop loin de compte à la fin. » En
quoi j’estime qu’il avait raison. On aurait pu également remettre tout
cet argent en bloc à un fonctionnaire Chinois de Fou-Tchéou ; mais
disait le vieux, « pour l’avantage qu’en auraient retiré ces hommes,
autant mettre le tout dans notre poche » ; et sans doute c’eût été
l’avis des coolies.
» Nous achevâmes la distribution avant la nuit. Je vous assure
que c’était un spectacle. Une mer encore démontée ; un navire à
l’état d’épave. Ces Chinois, un à un, montaient en chancelant sur la
passerelle pour recevoir leur dû, et notre vieux Mac Whirr toujours
botté, en manches de chemise, à la porte du roufle, faisait la paye.
Bien qu’il eût mis bas sa veste, il transpirait comme je ne sais quoi,
et par instants, tombait vertement sur Rout ou sur moi à propos de
ceci ou de cela qui ne marchait pas tout à fait à son idée. Les
estropiés qui ne purent se présenter, il alla leur porter lui-même leur
part, sur le panneau No 2.
» Trois dollars qui demeuraient en trop, furent donnés en appoint
aux trois coolies les plus endommagés ; un à chacun.
» Ensuite, nous amenâmes sur le pont, à coups de pelles et de
balais, des monceaux de haillons trempés, des débris sans nom de
tas de choses informes, au sujet de quoi nous les laissâmes se
débrouiller.
» C’était là sûrement la meilleure façon de régler sans bruit cette
affaire et pour le plus grand contentement de chacun.
» Le vieux Sol lui aussi est d’avis qu’il n’y avait rien de mieux à
faire.
» Mac Whirr me disait l’autre jour :
— « J’ai fait ça faute de mieux. Il y a des choses, voyez-vous, qui
ne sont pas enseignées dans les livres.
« Pour un homme si court, je trouve qu’il ne s’en est pas mal
tiré. »

IMPRIMERIE SAINTE-CATHERINE, BRUGES-BELGIQUE.

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