From At-Risk to At-Promise: The Language Revolution Higher Education Needs

Morgan Harrigan, Executive Director, Owen Center for Teaching and Learning, Heidelberg University

The Ripple Effect of Deficit Language

Higher education has a language problem. Walk through any campus, attend any student success meeting, or review any retention report, and you'll encounter the same deficit-based terminology: "at-risk students," "struggling learners," "underperforming populations" and "remedial needs." This pervasive deficit language doesn't just describe our students, it shapes how we see them, how we serve them and ultimately, how they see themselves.

But what if we've been framing the conversation all wrong? After years of working in academic support services, student affairs and athletics, witnessing the power of language to either limit or liberate potential, I've learned that our words are not neutral. They carry weight, create expectations and establish the foundation for every interaction that follows. When we label students as "at-risk," we prime ourselves, and them, for failure. When we shift to seeing them as "at-promise," everything changes.

Universities operate in silos, but language travels. When the admissions office talks about "high-risk admits," that language seeps into advising conversations. When faculty discuss "remedial students" in committee meetings, it influences classroom expectations. When student support services create programming for "underperforming populations," it reinforces a narrative of inadequacy rather than potential.

I've witnessed this firsthand at Heidelberg University, where seemingly small changes in departmental language created unexpected waves across campus. What started as a conscious effort in our Owen Center for Teaching and Learning to eliminate deficit terminology soon influenced how residence life staff talked about students, how athletic coaches approached academic support and how faculty framed their classroom communities.

The At-Promise Transformation and Building Confidence

The shift from "at-risk" to "at-promise" is more than semantic, it's philosophical. At-promise students bring assets, experiences and perspectives that enrich our learning communities. They possess resilience, creativity and determination that traditional metrics often fail to capture. When we approach these students with this mindset, we ask different questions: What strengths do they bring? What experiences have prepared them for success? How can we build on their existing foundation?

“When we label students as "at-risk," we prime ourselves, and them, for failure and when we shift to seeing them as "at-promise," everything changes.”

This language shift requires intentional practice across all levels of the institution. In our first-year conditional admittance program, the Student Prince Promise Program, we've eliminated deficit language from our marketing materials, staff training and student communications. Instead of identifying students who "lack" certain skills, we focus on those who are "developing" competencies. Rather than "fixing" problems, we're "building" capabilities.

Here's what I've learned after years in both academic support and athletic coaching: there's no magic solution or perfect program that guarantees student success. We often exhaust ourselves searching for the next innovative curriculum, the most sophisticated technology platform or the most comprehensive support service. But the real transformation happens not in what we're doing in our classrooms and on our campuses, it's in how we do it.

The same tutoring session can feel punitive or empowering depending on the approach. The same academic probation meeting can crush spirits or ignite determination based on how it's conducted. The same study skills workshop can reinforce inadequacy or build confidence, the difference is in the delivery, not the content.

Being supportive, inspiring and helpful isn't about lowering standards or offering empty encouragement. It's about approaching every interaction with genuine belief in students' potential while providing the scaffolding they need to reach it. It's about asking "How can we make this work?" instead of explaining why it can't. It's about seeing obstacles as opportunities for creative problem-solving rather than evidence of inevitable failure.

Creating Collaborative Ecosystems as Co-Learners

Language transformation works best when it becomes an institutional ethos. Small ripples in individual departments become powerful waves when they connect across divisions. Academic affairs, student life, admissions, athletics and administrative services must embrace this shift together, creating a unified approach to how we talk about and serve our students.

The key is consistency and authenticity. Students quickly detect performative language that isn't backed by genuine belief in their potential. They can sense when we're simply using different words to describe the same limiting mindset. True transformation requires us to examine our underlying assumptions and restructure our support systems to reflect our promise-focused language.

This approach extends beyond individual student interactions to how we model learning as an institution. When we embrace self-regulated, lifelong learning principles in our own professional development, we demonstrate that growth is ongoing for everyone, students, staff and faculty alike. This creates a culture where developing new skills is celebrated rather than seen as evidence of deficiency.

In our Owen Center work, we've found that the most effective student support happens when we position ourselves as co-learners rather than experts delivering remediation to deficient recipients. This collaborative approach builds the relationship capital necessary for meaningful, sustainable change. It's about how we show up, with curiosity rather than judgment, with partnership rather than hierarchy.

The Accountability Factor

Transforming institutional language requires consistent accountability. It means showing up to difficult conversations, being willing to examine our own biases and doing the ongoing work of cultural change. It means creating systems that reward promise-focused approaches and challenge deficit-based thinking wherever it appears.

This isn't about political correctness or feel-good rhetoric; it's about creating environments where all students can thrive. When we consistently use empowering language, back it with authentic belief and structure our services to reflect this philosophy, we unlock potential that deficit-focused approaches leave dormant.

Building the Promise-Focused Campus

The transformation from deficit to promise requires three key elements: relationship building, consistent accountability and a willingness to do the ongoing work of institutional change. It means examining every policy, every program description and every student interaction through the lens of potential rather than deficiency.

Universities have the power to be places where students discover their promise rather than have their limitations reinforced. The question is: Are we ready to embrace not just the language and mindset that makes this transformation possible, but the supportive, inspiring and helpful approach that brings it to life?

The students sitting in our classrooms and walking through our residence halls aren't at-risk, they're at-promise. How we choose to see them, speak about them and serve them will determine whether we help them realize that promise or inadvertently limit their potential.

The language revolution starts with each of us. What words will you choose? And more importantly, how will you deliver them?

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