Welcome to Digication Scholars Conversations. I'm your host, Jeff Yan. In this episode, you will hear part one of my conversation with Lizz Colon, Director of Learning in Public at College Unbound. More links and information about today's conversation can be found on Digication's Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Full episodes of Digication Scholars Conversations can be found on YouTube or your favorite podcast app. Welcome to Digication Scholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Jeff Yan. My guest today is Lizz Cologne, Director of Learning in Public at College Unbound. Hi, Lizz. Hi, how are you? Good. I have been a massive fan of College Unbound for a very long time, since its inception. I have, uh, been friends with your, um, Uh, current president, Adam Bush, uh, for over a decade when he co founded, uh, College of God with Dennis Littky, uh, whom I've also admired for another decade before that.
In fact, Adam, Adam Bush was a Digitation Scholars, um, back in season one, episode 25 and 26. So people should check them out if, um, this story, you know, um, resonates with you. Um, so Lizz, um, why don't you tell us a little bit about College Unbound, uh, for those who may not be aware, um, of what it is and, you know, how is it different from others? Colleges, and the fact that it's, it's a college, it's a degree granting college and some people don't even know about that. Right?
So go ahead and tell us a little bit about College Unbound. So College Unbound, uh, started about 15 years ago. Um, in 2020, we actually got our, uh, accreditation. Uh, through NECHE. And, um, they're the consortium that, that accreditates, uh, all New England colleges. Um, and, um, we have been able to build a, um, rigorous program, which is a bit untraditional. Um, we're not like other colleges in a way that, you know, it is, here's a book. Read the information, take a test, and move on.
We really have a commitment to our students who have had, um, a lot of, uh, educational trauma in a lot of different ways. Um, you know, being lack of schools or overcrowded schools, thinking about, um, the level of diversity, poverty, you know, all of those things that we look at. Um, You know, we are the, uh, the college that really serves people. Who are not going to do that mainstream traditional path.
And so we, uh, have, uh, created a process to embrace the fact that as an adult, you can go to college, you can handle a full time, um, level of, of. You know, full time courses, um, you can work full time, you can raise your family, and believe it or not, with all of that in the mix, you can still have time for self care, right? And it is so important. Um, so we've been able to, uh, create and model this program into a way where we really care deeply about our community.
And because we're passionate about our community, um, there are three ways that students can learn. Go through College Unbound. One, each student has to have a project and it's a project that they care about. It's a project that can be, um, can be, you know, as large as this 5 year scale project. It can be a fundraiser. It really could be anything that, um, can That you are passionate and that you care about. And with that beco comes community impact. So we do a lot of asset mapping.
We do a lot of, um, working with the students to figure out what is your plan? What is your goal? What are your passions? Um, how would you impact this community? Uh, what are the different types of steps that you would take to be able to do this? Or if you were to build a business or create a nonprofit. Um, and these are all, uh, things that we want. And we get from people who are, um, coming back into college that have been either out for a very long time or never had the opportunity before.
Um, a couple of ways that we do this is one, um, College Unbound is, uh, takes, uh, Any type of credit you might have from a previous institution. So it could have been military credit. It could have been credit through credentialing services like ACE. It could be, um, that you have, you know, you went to college years ago and that college, you know, your transfer, uh, credit will come in. And so people are coming in in multiple different ways. And so everybody starts the same type of process.
Um, although no matter how much credit you come in with, um, you still have to The first semester is the only semester we kind of dictate. Um, and the reason for that is because we want to be able to set people up, um, with the right supports that everybody is starting at the same foundation. Even though you might come in with different credits and you might come in with different skills. Um, this really sets you up because we do things in a different way.
It's not about just, you know, um, reading, taking a test and moving on. It is really sitting with. And learning about how we process reflective learning. And so because of that, you really have to sit in the mix with this. It's not just an easy one, two, three, um, way of doing things. Uh, it's a little unique.
We have this really, um, We call it the secret sauce, uh, can't tell you exactly what it is because I think there are a little bit of there are pieces throughout and sprinkled throughout the whole college to make this community, um, what it is, but it's a place of belonging. It's a place of caring. It's a place of learning. And we really embrace, um, the fact that we are all lifelong learners.
And so this isn't something that, you know, you're just going to school for you move on and you never think of again, but how do you continue to learn throughout your lifetime as you know, and in, in a community, um, my title is, uh, the director of learning in public. And so when we think about learning in public, usually people don't like, Oh, what is that? But it's, we learn. Through lots of different things.
We learn through, um, thinking about the ways that we've been able to, to think about our health care system. We learn through the ways of working with libraries and working with people. Um, we learn inside and outside of the classroom. But why does it only count when it's inside the classroom? And so we all have these lived experiences that are very unique and there's a lot of value and there's a lot of worth to that.
And I think that we don't honor people enough in those different ways to be like, wow, you really did that. Like, that's amazing. Um, and so it's a really, um, a way for people to find. Their voice to people, to find the ways that they really want to be in community with other people. And, um, there's just so much that you get and that you take away from College Unbound. As a student coming in, um, I, I enrolled in College Unbound in 2019. And, um, I had, you know, dropped out of.
High school in the 9th grade, got my GED, um, went to community college for a little while, got about 20 credits, and then for the following 25 years, worked as a community organizer doing all types of, um, environmental and social justice work, um, and public policy. When I came to College Unbound, my first thing was like, you told me I got lived experience and I could be able to use that. And I was able to use that. I was able to help, um, create a program and a structure.
That's the program that I now oversee, um, to figure out the ways to, um, look at that lived experience, do a comprehensive portfolio assessment on what was learned. For And then be able to bestow credit to students. Um, it has been quite a journey for me. Um, I fell in love for the 1st time as an adult at College Unbound. Um, I didn't really ever think that education, um, was in my wheelhouse. It just wasn't something that I was good at. I was a C and D student. I barely passed.
Um, I really struggled in school. And The first time I came to College Unbound and I got an A, I was like, Oh my gosh, I can do college level work. And I was like, surprised myself. Um, and then I realized, no, this is something I can do. It was, I think the learning pieces and the way that we're able to model and the way that we're able to engage in the community, which really helped me foster my learning. Because there was a reason I wanted to learn and there was something behind it.
It wasn't this arbitrary, you know, go do a portfolio on elephants. And what if I don't like elephants and why do I have to do it? I'm not going to get a good grade, you know? Um, but because it's really based on your values and what you think and what you want and the students in the driver's seat, um, it's been an unbelievable journey. Hey. I think you're being very modest, by the way, I, I know a little bit about your journey, so I'm going to, we're going to dig deeper. Okay, you can do that.
Right, but I also want to just really quickly comment on a couple of things. Um, I, I think it's important to acknowledge that, The, the, the sort of, you know, expected paths that people have for children going from K 12 school and then to college, spend a few years in college, and then they go and get a job, maybe go even get graduate degrees, you know, and then get a job and then, um, and then, uh, and then, uh, build a family and then at some point retire.
This kind of, you know, picket fence, you know, sort of dreamy, sort of, um, you know, paths, they exist for some people, but I think it doesn't exist for millions of people. I don't think that people realize like, Oh, that's just the minority that, that it doesn't work. That's not true. If we, I mean, even if it is true, minority. And for millions and millions, there are still millions and millions of them, right?
So it's a very large number of people that it doesn't, and it has to do with a little bit of that. What you were saying, look, I don't see a reason building a portfolio on elephants, right? Or to, to read a book about something that you just didn't feel the connection for, especially when. Your life priorities have other things going, maybe someone's sick in the family, maybe you are responsible for taking care of your children while, while being there.
And if in comparison, you know, I get to spend time with my children or I can go to this class, except that this class is making me do things that I'm not all that passionate about. Man, that's hard day in and day out. How could they spend years doing that and complete that degree, right? I think we look at, you know, not in any way to not community colleges, but it just, the way that they're structured.
Um, you know, when, when you go and you, you apply to go to any school, there's certain times, there's certain classes, there's the maximum class size, there's, you know, you have these other things that come into play. And if you're a working parent, right, whether you're a single parent or not, um, If you're a parent or you're working 40 hours and your kids are in school and plus you're in school, there needs to be a way to be able to find that balance.
And for a lot of colleges, because it really is catered to those 18 to 25 year olds, right? Who couldn't work at night and do these things, right? When you've got a family and you've got little ones that just doesn't always work out. Um, especially if you're a single parent household. And yeah. It's a trade off. It's, you know, do I work to put food on my table or can I possibly take a class? Like, and I don't really have the time to invest in that.
And so I think College Unbound is unique in the way that we only have to, um, we only ask students to show up in person once a week. For 3 hours, and during that time of those 3 hours, we also build our community by breaking bread together and having a communal meal. Right? We offer child care, um, on site so that, uh, students can either come with their cohort on either Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
But even if you're a Tuesday student, you can come to school on Wednesday and have your child in child care while you're doing homework. You know what I mean? In another area of the building. So, like, there's still that availability because if you've got kids and you've got homework to do, it's not always that easy.
Um, the way that we also structured it in regards to the child care portion is that, um, The students who are coming who are kids, they get their homework done and that's the first thing they have to do. And so there's homework help, um, so that parents are not necessarily spending the time on that night because they have their own classes to do. And it really is nice to see the mix of generations that come into the building. Um, we've got husbands and wives that are coming to school together.
We've got partners, we've got best friends. We have, um, a, uh, a mother, a daughter and a granddaughter all attending class together. And it really is. So it's not just, it's first and second generation. Um, sometimes third gen that we're seeing.
And it's a great model for the kids to even come into the school building and say, all right, mom or dad has got to go to class and you're going to go to class and you're going to do this and you're going to have some fun stuff and arts and crafts and whatever after your homework. And by the way, we're also going to provide your meal. So people are not just driving from, you know, their job to pick up their kid, to get some fast food, right?
We also make sure that we have healthy meals for people and it's great. Like I will go in and I'll, there's students that come in the building and they're like, Oh, you know, the traffic was horrible. And I'm like, sit down. What do you want? I'll grab you a plate. Let me bring you some water. And students will look at me and be like, seriously, you're doing this? And I'm like, why not? I'm already here. Um, but it's a way just to even, to appreciate them for making the effort to come.
And then those other days of the week, while they're not in, they're not in that cohort class, all the other classes they take are on Zoom so that there is flexibility around, um, being able, like I said, to be able to work, to be able to maintain a family, to be able to maintain. Your self care, right? You don't want to just run out of time and say, I have no time for me because all I can do is work and study.
And this, I think is also, by the way, what an amazing thing to have a brand new college where you can invent these new ways of just, I mean, think about this ending the finances part, right? Like some people might go, well, what does it cost? A hundred K a year to attend a school where you provide feed free childcare? No, but because it's two days, you are able to limit it in those three hours. You're able to do that and provide them with food. And guess what?
You also, they're not spending money on a gym and on, you know, the swimming pool, the, the, the, you know, the other extravagant things that, you know, some college campuses have, right. Um, and you are able to balance that out with. You know, on things that really are going to serve this population of students better. And, you know, also students every eight weeks, um, there's an exhibition.
So students have to show their work, uh, and they have to talk about, um, and there's different ways that we model that. And we have assignments, uh, so that people can have their exhibitions. But how great is it to be able to present and then have your kid give you feedback, right? Or you bring in your family or your friends or your coworkers so they can see what you're doing. Um, and they can see like, yeah, just cause I'm in school.
I'm not just sitting in a classroom, like listening to, you know, blah, blah, blah. Like this is really hands on education. Um, and because of that, it feels different. It feels like a place that you want to come to. Right. And, um, it's, it's, you know, going down that path of having, I think, thinking about the ways that we have, Like, a lot of adults have been traumatized in education, right? They're scared of that red pen in the way that we just say, oh, this isn't good enough.
Um, but that's not it. And I think College Unbound is very unique in the fact that because we're not Um, extremely traditional and we haven't been institutionaLizzed with 100 year history, right? We can come in and we can say what works for us and what's happening in real life right now and how we can, how can we structure and make these adjustments so we don't end up like that place. Right?
Because we, we, we want people to, um, feel like they have, they have control and that they are at the, the center of attention. Um, and I think one of the ways that we also do that is because we also have one bachelor's degree. And so that one bachelor's degree, which is in organizational leadership and change. Um. Is a great way to go. One, you're not on a specific track where you have to stay in this lane. Organizational leadership and change.
It can ebb and flow and it's in management and it's, you know, you can use it for for profit. You could use it in a nonprofit. You could use it as, you know, a startup as an entrepreneurship. There are so many ways and, and the degree is so versatile. That you have opportunity to be able to say, this is where I can think I can fit in, in this type of field, and you're not being held to a very like linear standard of, you can only do this in this track.
I, I said before that we need to dig into some of what you've done as well, because it's an, an amazingly impressive work that you've done and. And for some, and I want people to hear this probably also because for someone as brilliant as you are, Lizz, you had, like you said, education trauma in such that 29 years after you attended school, you get an A and you surprise yourself.
But if we look at your 29 years of that career, which we're going to go into, right, I think everyone's going to be like, she's impressive. How could she? Be scared of not getting an A. She's clearly an A material, right? But I think we forget that students, when they are young, when they go through schools, these grades, these feedback that they get, it matters to these little brains. They have nothing.
They have no way to defend themselves, but by saying negative things to themselves, to think that they are less than capable, right? Because someone said so, and it could, it's so easy to give someone a C and a D, like you said, I'm a C and a D student, right? It's so easy for them to fall into that and then think less of themselves. And that education trauma is real. And I think that it's.
It's the kind of things that most college, you know, have admissions, you know, and it's It further perpetuate that feeling and that idea that you don't belong. So when you said that we do these projects and it's based on belonging and care, purpose and mission gets built and confidence get built. Guess what? People are more successful and it, you'd wonder why, right? You wonder why these people are like, like you are saying, I found my place. Well, no kidding, right?
Because you were traumatized, you were young and you had no way to fight it. You had to do it, right? You were just told and you didn't have a way to defend yourself and you didn't fit into that mold. And, and, uh, and so I think it's, it's really, I mean, it's, it's an incredibly amazing message, not only for people who are interested in college and back, but if you're in a, if you're listening, you are in a. K 12 school, you're in a college, a more traditional college.
Think about these things, you know, and how we continue that system with our students and what that means for them. As a, as a student, I mean, you know, my, my glass ceiling was, I want to get my bachelor's degree. That was all I wanted. I was like, if I'm going to get my bachelor's degree, I've done all these things in my life and that's all I want. And then I got really close to graduation at College Unbound and I was in my capstone class and I was like, but what do I do?
I don't want to leave. How do I, how do I stay? Like, can I take some more classes? I know I'm supposed to graduate, but I had this sense of like, if I walk away, Now what? And, and that was kind of scary because all of a sudden I went from. You know, just kind of working, but then I went into this being of community that was very much of belonging and I was like, I don't, I like these people. These are my people. I want to stay and I didn't want to graduate.
And I was scared to graduate because I was like, what happens next? Now what? Um, and so two things happened. Um, one, I fell in love with education for the first time in my life during this process. And so I decided that I had enough confidence and I enrolled in Roger Williams University. And I went to, um, took me another 15 months, but I got my master's degree in community development.
And, um, It was a great experience and you know, I ended up with a 4. 0 and it was something that I've never, that I had never had. I mean, that would happen when I was in college. I'm in my mid 40s at this point, right? Going, I got an A for the first time. What? You think I could actually handle a master's degree program? I don't know. And I did it. And I was like, wow, I did it. And I rocked it.
And it was really, really cool to have that feeling of like, it wasn't just me that couldn't learn. Like there was something else in those pieces. And instead of, um, blaming myself, it was like, well, now I understand why education is, is like, you need to be invested in it and you need to want it. Um, And if you didn't have those happy stories or you're able to kind of get over that hump and be like, I did a good job on this particular thing. And it's always, you didn't do good enough.
You should have get a C. Why aren't you getting A's? Um, there's always, you know, red pen all over my paper because I didn't do this right. And I didn't meet your specifications as a teacher. Um, and, and that really was, I think, had. My issues with my lack of confidence for years, that's how it was downplayed. Um, and it was like, even working in a nonprofit, you know, I remember my executive director going, Oh, well, maybe you should take a writing course and maybe you should do this.
And I'm like, eh, no, I'm just me. Um, So Lizz, tell us a little bit after you had, had a, 20 credits from a community college. You, um, was it around that time where you started to venture out to do other things and, and, um, tell us about that because I, I think that's an amazing story, what you then. Yeah. So, um, I came to College Unbound and it was my third weekend.
And I was, you know, told upon, you know, doing the recruitment process and coming in that, you know, you can get up to, you know, a bunch of credits for your lived experience. And so I brought in a, WB Mason box and had it filled with some stuff and brought it to the provost and put it on her desk and said, You said I could get learned experience from stuff. This is some of the stuff I've done. Um, I worked for the center for disease control. Um, I was on the scientific board of counselors.
I had, you know, done some work on Sesame Street and was able to, um, be an advisor on one of the segments for their content, um, for lead poisoning prevention. I, you know, had traveled all over the US. I was key, a keynote speaker at, at many, many conferences. Um, you know, I, I had just done a lot of types. This is Lizz before, this is Lizz before Lizz went to college, did all of this without college. I was a lobbyist for about 5 years.
Um, I worked on a significant housing legislation, um, in the state of Rhode Island. Um, I was able to work with, uh, the EPA on their renovation and remodeling program. Um, I was a, uh, an industrial hygienist for the Rhode Island Department of Health, uh, where I used to, to do lead inspections and raid on the asbestos. Um, there were a lot of different things that I've done in my life. And you thought you were going to get an A. You go to your first home.
But I had never gotten an A. I had written grants. Um, you know, I've, I've worked, uh, on boards, um, you know, through, through, you know, uh, different types of boards and committees and commissions and you name it for, for years during my 29 year career. And, um, yet I was extremely intimidated and paranoid.
To go to school as an adult and at the same time as I enrolled as an adult, one of my sons, um, you know, was, was, uh, also entering college, you know, but, you know, he was 17, 18 at the time and, uh, very different college. You know, he lived on campus and he, you know, he did that whole college dorm thing and here I am going, I'm in my mid forties. I'm going to my first day of class. I don't know what to expect. I don't know if I can even pull this off.
Like, am I really doing the right thing? Um, and so it was also really interesting because during that time, um, it was also during the pandemic. And so I got to see, like, these nuances of, like, college and traditional life through my son's experiences. And at the same time, I was all in You know, um, full, you know, course load, uh, and trying to do probably a lot more than I should, um, But it was so new to me and I just, I couldn't get enough.
Um, and then, so when I graduated college on balance, um, I didn't want to leave. And so one of the things I did was ask, I was like, can I, can I get hired? Can I work for you? Like, I am totally transformed. This, this school changed the trajectory of my life. It literally did that. Um, And so what, what are the next steps? How do I stay connected? And so I became, um, a teacher's assistant and an alumni mentor, and I started helping out in other cohorts.
And, uh, then I started working as, uh, an recruit recruitment associate because I totally believed in the program and it worked for me. I wanted everybody to have the great experiences that I had. Um, and so it was an easy thing to do. It felt like an easy, I didn't have to sell my, like sell something to somebody. You're right. I just had to tell them like, and share the journey of education and what you could get out of it. Um, and that was a really big deal for me, uh, in that role.
Because I wanted everybody to have the great experience that I had. And, uh, once I was able to do that, and then I, um, after that got my master's degree, then I moved, uh, I kind of moved up, uh, the provost who I had brought my big box to, um, in that initial three weeks, uh, was leaving and I was asked to take over her position. And so that's how I became the director of learning in public.
Um, Knowing that for the last four years that we have operated, um, for learning in public, which is, um, Our version of CPL, so credit for prior learning or, or, um, prior learning assessments are done throughout, you know, institutions all over the U. S. Um, but we decided not to use those names because it's not just what you've done prior and it's not just. The things, um, that you've done in your past, but it's also what are you doing now and what are you looking to do in the future?
And that's why we have come up with the name of Learning in Public, because it really is. Right, you can learn anywhere. You can learn through your home. You can learn online, right? You can learn in school. You can learn at the doctor's office. You can learn in the library. Here's a preview of what's coming up next in part two of my conversation with Lizz Colon. Learn Director of Learning in Public at College of Bell.