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Wayfinding College

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Wayfinding Academy is a two-year, non-profit alternative college located in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2015 by Michelle D. Jones, Ph.D. Wayfinding Academy offers a non-traditional, partially self-directed educational model to its students, who are encouraged to “live life on purpose”[1]. Jones is the Founder, President, and Chief Academic Officer.

Students graduate from the program with an Associates of Arts degree in Self and Society. As of January 2020, 19 students have completed the two-year program. The college is authorized by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.[2]

HISTORY

After 16 years working in the higher education system (including at Concordia University, Providence College, and University of Puget Sound), Michelle Jones decided to create a new kind of college that would focus on helping students connect with “their passions and purpose.”[3] Along with friends and supporters, she launched an Indiegogo campaign that broke the record for the most successful Indiegogo campaign in Oregon history.[4][5] Jones announced the idea for the college and the campaign at the World Domination Summit in 2015.[6]

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Core curriculum

Wayfinding Academy’s core curriculum consists of nine core courses “designed to cultivate good humans.”[7] These courses are designed to be experiential and discussion-based.

Labs

The core curriculum is complemented by short workshops called Labs, which are open to the public in addition to Wayfinding students. Labs focus on a specific topic or skillset and have included topics such as Hip Hop, immigration, conflict resolution, gender and sexuality, social media, personal finance, and Pacific Northwest ecology.

Guides

Each student has their own Guide who provides support and helps them make connections throughout the 2-year program. Generally, students remain with the same Guide for the duration of their time at Wayfinding.

Internship and Self-Directed Projects

Students are required to complete two internships or self-directed projects during their time at Wayfinding, in order to gain real-world experience, contribute to the Portland community, and get a clearer understanding of what work they might want to do.

Living Portfolio

Each student creates a portfolio of projects completed during their time at Wayfinding. This portfolio serves as a representation of their interests, capabilities, and growth over the course of the program.

Learn & Explore Trips

During breaks between terms, Wayfinding Academy offers trips for students and supporters to learn about other cultures and have new experiences. Past trips include the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, Tuscany, Ghana, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS

The average age of all alumni and current enrollees is 21.4, with 51 percent between 20-25, 28 percent between 18-19, and 15 percent between 26-28. Nine percent identify as first-generation college attendees. Seventeen percent of currently enrolled students and alumni identify as people of color.[8]

Sixty percent of non-dependent Wayfinding students fall below the federal poverty line and a majority of all Wayfinding students fall into the category of bottom 50 percent of U.S. household income.[8]

TUITION

Part of Wayfinding Academy’s mission is making college education affordable for all students.[1] Currently, the college charges $11,000 a year for tuition.[9]

PRESS

Wayfinding Academy and Michelle Jones have received press attention from the following publications & podcasts:

The New York Times[10]

The Chronicle of Higher Education[11]

TEDxSalem[12]

OPB[13]

The Oregonian[14]

KGW[15]

The University Times[16]

Portland Monthly[17]

CBS Sunday Morning[18]

EdSurge[19]

Raising Rebellion[20]



References

  1. ^ a b "Our Creed". Wayfinding Academy. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  2. ^ "State of Oregon: Private Postsecondary - Authorized Oregon Private Colleges and Universities". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  3. ^ Carlson, Scott (2019-11-20). "This 2-Year Academy Embraces Experimentation. Higher Ed Could Learn Something From It". The Chronicle of Higher Education. ISSN 0009-5982. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  4. ^ "The Backstory: World Domination Summit and Wayfinding Academy". Wayfinding Academy. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  5. ^ "This New 2-Year College Is Unlike Any Other. And That Could Be Its Biggest Challenge. - EdSurge News". EdSurge. 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  6. ^ "Michelle Jones". Vimeo. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  7. ^ "Student Experience". Wayfinding Academy. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  8. ^ a b "This is Wayfinding booklet 1920 Academic Year.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  9. ^ "FAQs". Wayfinding Academy. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  10. ^ Worthen, Molly (2019-06-08). "Opinion | The Anti-College Is on the Rise". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  11. ^ Carlson, Scott (2019-11-20). "This 2-Year Academy Embraces Experimentation. Higher Ed Could Learn Something From It". The Chronicle of Higher Education. ISSN 0009-5982. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  12. ^ How to do college better | Michelle Jones | TEDxSalem, retrieved 2019-12-12
  13. ^ Wing, Sage Van. "A New Kind Of College". www.opb.org. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  14. ^ Andrew Theen | The Oregonian/OregonLive (2016-08-17). "New Portland college hopes to transform higher education, starting in St. Johns". oregonlive. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  15. ^ "Wayfinding Academy: Portland's newest college with a new approach to higher education". KGW. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  16. ^ "In Ireland and the US, Academics Fight for a New, Kinder Higher Education". www.universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  17. ^ "Is This The Perfect College For the 21st Century?". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  18. ^ Portland's nonprofit pub: Good for what ales you, retrieved 2019-12-12
  19. ^ "This New 2-Year College Is Unlike Any Other. And That Could Be Its Biggest Challenge. - EdSurge News". EdSurge. 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  20. ^ "The Rebel College Professor Saving Higher Education (RR 005) from The Raising Rebellion Podcast". www.stitcher.com. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
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