A newsletter for Coastal Bend College employees, students and community members
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Taylor Castillo, a 2013 A.C. Jones graduate, has a bright future thanks to CBC’s Dual Credit Program.
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Athletes honored at spring banquet; two CBC basketball players sign to play at Division I NCAA universities.
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Annual powerlifting tournament attracts some of the strongest competitors from local high schools & CBC.
8-11 12-13
The Dental Hygiene Program has a steady influx of students from Canada who have high rates of success in the program. View photos of some of the students that participated in the 2013 commencement ceremonies on May 10.
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CBC 2013 graduation by the numbers. A view of one of CBC’s largest graduating classes.
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The 2013 Faculty of the Year were honored for their hardwork and dedication to higher education.
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“Cinderella” helps the Coastal Bend College Foundation raise over $20,500 towards student success.
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The CBC/BCC Alumni & Friends Association is active and accepting new members.
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Achieving the Dream: An in-depth look at how CBC has improved student success rates in developmental courses.
On the Cover: Keara S. Torres, a CBC Alice student, graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree with honors on May 10, 2013. Torres is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa. More information about graduation is on pages 12-15. /coastalbendcollege 2 | CBC FORUM
@CBCFuture
Coastal Bend College President Dr. Beatriz T. Espinoza CBC Board of Trustees Paul Jaure Carroll Lohse Louise Hall Emilia Dominguez Victor Gomez Laura Fischer Douglas Arnold Vice President of Student and Administrative Services Velma Elizalde Vice President of Instruction and Economic & Workforce Development Mark Secord Dean of Academics Dr. Twila Johnson Dean of Administration Kathlyn Patton Dean of Student Services Pete Trevino Dean of Workforce Randy Lindeman Director of Business Services Lisa Clark CBC Foundation Executive Director Christy Lansford CBC Forum Articles/Photography/Design Monica Cruz, Manager of Marketing & Public Relations CBC Forum is a publication of the Marketing & Public Relations Department at Coastal Bend College, 3800 Charco Road, Beeville, Texas. View this and previous issues online at www. coastalbend.edu/publications. For more information about Coastal Bend College, visit the website at www.coastalbend.edu or call toll free (866) 722-2838. Coastal Bend College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, Telephone Number (404) 679-4501] to award associate degrees. CBC is in compliance with Title VI and Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
President’s Corner Coastal Bend College is Keeping Student Success in Sight. The May 10th commencement ceremonies ended the 2012-2013 academic year with a bang. We had a significant growth in graduates over last year and are working to continue building on that success. This summer will be busy as we prepare for the coming year. Some things will be different, some will stay the same and as usual change interrupts routine, so please be patient as we work at improving services to students and excelling as a provider of higher education. In keeping our focus on students, the most significant change you will see is that of increased student engagement, fondly referred to inescapable engagement. We will be building on our orientation program of Cougar Days for students with a more comprehensive and intrusive 1st week experience, assigning an academic/faculty advisor and completing an educational plan for every student, strengthening our social media connection with students, increasing our in-person and e-tutoring services, utilizing our technology to stay informed and actively servicing students, and much more. In short, we are going to know, work with, and love our students from outreach and intake through graduation and beyond. Keeping our commitment to our service area and tax district is what you can rest assured will stay the same. We are fortunate to serve a diverse South Texas community, all 9,483 square miles. We continue to offer just as diverse a curricula with marketable skills, levels I and II certificates, and associate degrees in over 40 program areas. Our programs and services will continue to be delivered by a highly qualified and very enthusiastic faculty and staff. CBC is 48 years strong and we commit to ensuring that we are here for many more generations. We honor the vision and foresight that our founding members had and carry that commitment forward with pride in our Community College. I welcome you to stop by and visit, share your thoughts, and give me your input on how we can continue to improve as an institution of higher education and excel as Coastal Bend College. Have a safe, happy, and restful summer!
Sincerely, Dr. Beatriz T. Espinoza CBC President SPRING 2013 | 3
TOP OF HER Life is pretty sweet for A.C. Jones High School senior Taylor Castillo. She’s graduating as the valedictorian of her high school class, and this fall she is headed to the University of Texas at Austin as part of a prestiguous Health Sciences Honors Program. Her dream is to get into medical school, and eventually become a pediatric oncologist to help find a cure for childhood cancer. But maybe the best part of her story thus far is that she graduated from college before even graduating high school. Great things start at CBC.
DUAL CREDIT@ CBC “I am amazed. It is a little unreal, sometimes. I mean, I thought I could reach my goal, but I was a little uneasy about it. But, I knew if I just kept going, I would succeed. I really wanted to graduate with my Associate’s degree before I graduated from high school,” Castillo said. And she did graduate with an Associate of Science degree from CBC—with highest honors, to be exact—in May 2012 at the end of her junior year of high school. She was able to accomplish this feat thanks to Coastal Bend College’s Dual Credit Program. She first enrolled in the summer of 2009 as part of the Summer Discovery program, and she’s been enrolled every semester ever since. Yes, even during summer break. The CBC Dual Credit Program offers free/reduced tuition to 35 local area high schools, including A.C. Jones High School. Furthermore, dual credit students have access to the same services and resources that regular CBC students have. Castillo says she enjoyed using the computer labs and library at the Beeville campus, and she really enjoyed the flexibility of online courses. “I’m grateful for the CBC Dual Credit Program because I got to experience life on a college campus. I got to learn how to work with professors and manage my work load. I’m not as nervous to go to UT this fall. I’d recommend the dual credit program to anybody.” Her mom, Dela Castillo, would agree. As a 2001 CBC graduate, she realizes what an opportunity the dual credit program at CBC offers to her daughter and other students in the community. “I would like to reinforce to parents that it is not much more than completing an extra couple of permission forms for their child to take dual credit classes. Our children are very fortunate to have this dual credit program. As parents we save money on future tuition costs, housing, and college
• 1,400+ dual credit students enrolled in 12-13 year • 3.1 average GPA • Dual credit students are 7% of the 2013 CBC graduating class • Over 12 certificate/degree options are available to students Castillo addresses the sophomore A.C. Jones students at Passport Day 2013 about the importance of taking dual credit courses.
expenses by literally eliminating the amount of time our children have to spend in college,” said Dela Castillo. When Taylor Castillo enrolls at UTAustin this fall, Castillo will have nearly 2 years of college coursework out of the way, allowing her not only to focus more on her pre-med studies, but also saving her over $20,000 in tuition alone based on the 2013-14 UT-Austin tuition rates. What also helps fund her education is the $30,000 Joe Barnhart Foundation Scholarship and the $60,000 UT-Austin Scholarship she was awarded for her stellar academic record and extracurricular activities. On top of being a high school and college student, she enjoys volunteering at the hospital and playing soccer/softball. “I stood out because I had an Associate’s degree from CBC as a junior in high school. Having college credit in high school really stands out to organizations that give scholarships,” Castillo explained, “And my friends were in dual credit classes, too, so we supported each other. We shared books and studied together. We succeeded together.” Having support from peers, parents, and both the high school and college helps foster student success, according to Castillo. “I truly feel that A.C. Jones and CBC work well together. They both knew I wanted to further my education, so both
were accommodating if I had to leave one class early to be slightly late to another. I also couldn’t have done this without the support of my parents.” While Larry and Dela Castillo are excited and proud of their daughter, Dela Castillo admits this is all a little bittersweet. “As her parents, our main role was to support her and believe in her, which we did. All she needed most times was reassurance that she could do it. Last year when she graduated, I was very proud and honored to be her mom because she reached her goal. This year as she is getting ready to graduate high school as her class valedictorian, I am very proud of her too, however, I do feel a lot more sentimental since this is the end of the road of her school days.” Although Taylor Castillo’s days at A.C. Jones and CBC may be winding down, she has no plans of slowing down anytime in the near future. “In two years, I hope to be done or nearly done with my bachelor’s degree and studying abroad. In four years, I see myself closer to being in medical school. I have a huge desire to help kids with cancer, and I may not be at my ultimate goal by then, but hopefully really close. I’m on my way. ” For more information about dual credit, contact us at (361) 592-1615 ext. 4040 or visit www.coastalbend.edu/dualcredit. SPRING 2013 | 5
ATHLETICS @ CBC
CBC softball and basketball student athletes were honored at the Spring 2013 CBC Athletic Banquet in April. Students were not only recognized for their efforts in their respective NJCAA sports, but also for their outstanding academic efforts. Many student athlete’s were on the Dean’s List this year, and several were also part of the CBC 2013 graduating class. CBC Athletic Director Estevan Vasquez stated that this is one of the most impressive cohort of athletes CBC has had.
3.88 GPA at CBC. The other nominee is Amy Macias, a softball player who has been accepted into the University of Texas at Austin. Macias had a nearly perfect GPA of 3.97 while at CBC. Several student athletes on the basketball team also helped make a mark in CBC history. Sophomores La’Darrien Williams and Darrick Little are the first CBC basketball athletes to sign on to play with NCAA Division I basketball.
“Student athletes persevered through travel, practice and competing with college’s that are ranked in the nation. This year the academic bar has been raised tremendously within our Athletic Department, and with the great work from the coaches and CBC staff we will continue to raise the bar for the next year,” said Vasquez. This year, CBC nominated two student athletes for the NJCAA All Academic Team that will be selected in July. Connor Lewis, a basketball player, has been accepted into the University of Texas at Austin’s Engineering Program. Lewis was nominated to the All Academic Team because of his 6 | CBC FORUM
CBC President Dr. Beatriz T. Espinoza, center, poses with the graduating sophomores from the CBC Basketball Team at the athletic banquet.
Williams is headed to Abilene Christian University this fall, and he plans on majoring in kinesiology. Eventually,
Williams plans on becoming a basketball coach to help other students realize their athletic goals and dreams. Little signed on to play basketball with the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. He plans on pursuing an engineering degree. CBC would like to congratulate the following student athlete’s on their graduation: Chelsea Guzman, Michelle Southerland, Samantha Sanchez, Bailey Cernosek, Robert Elizalde, Connor Lewis, Daniel Lopez, Amy Macias, Jostan Padron, Kelsi Salziger, Christina Vasquez, Brandon Golden, and Amy Evans. To view more photos from the 2013 CBC Athletic Banquet, please visit our Facebook page and check out our photo albums at www.facebook.com/ coastalbendcollege. The CBC Athletic Program is gearing up for the 2013-2014 season, and if you’d like more information, please contact Estevan Vasquez at (361) 354-2721 or via email at jevasquez@ coastalbend.edu.
ATHLETICS @ CBC Coastal Bend College ”COUGAR” Powerlifting & Bench Press Championship By Jack Young, Powerlifting Coach On Saturday May 4, 2013, the annual Powerlifting & Bench Press Championship took place on the Beeville campus inside the Peter S. Marecek Physical Fitness Center. Contestants came from all over South Texas to showcase their physical strength and determination. The equipment set-up and USAPL judging was provided by a former CBC student, Wes Zunker, with Texas Strength Systems.
A.C. Jones High School Team
Contestants lifted in various categories ranging from youth, teen, collegiate, open and open-masters divisions. A.C. Jones and H.M. King High Schools participated in the the team events A.C. Jones took the first place team win, and they were coached by Coach Marselo. The students on the A.C. Jones team are Geraldine Reyna, April Gonzales-Gutierrez, Hilario Luna, Samuel Navarro, Anthony Juan Vallejo, Steven Nava, and Cameron Ellerbee. H.M. King High School took second place, and they were coached by Coach Hermen Rios. Congratulations to the following H.M. King High School students on their 2nd place win: Aaron Gutierrez, Amanda Rodriguez, Anissa Rae Acuna, and Jesse Gonzales.
H.M. King High School Team
A CBC student won first place in the female collegiate division and “Best Overall Lifter” in the 198# body weight class by lifting a total of 975# total—congrats, Giselle Morales! For a list of the full Coastal Bend College ”COUGAR” Powerlifting & Bench Press Championship, please click here/visit www.tinyurl.com/ CBCpowerlifting. For more information on CBC Powerlifting, contact Jack Young at (361) 354-2325 or Estevan Vasquez at (361) 354-2721.
Giselle Morales CBC Student Photos submitted by Jack Young.
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It takes 31 hours and a passport to drive the 2,006 miles from the beautiful city of Lethbridge located in Southern Alberta, Canada to the Coastal Bend College Beeville campus. Lethbridge is a city of about 75,000 people, and it’s also home to many of CBC’s current, former, and possibly future dental hygiene students. So how do they find out about CBC’s Dental Hygiene Program? Word of mouth.
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tudents enrolled in the dental hygiene program at Coastal Bend College have much to be proud of. The graduating classes from 2012 and 2013 had a 100-percent pass rate on their national board examinations, and 61-percent of them also graduated from CBC with honors or highest honors. Furthermore, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) recently reaffirmed CBC’s dental hygiene program through 2019 meaning CBC can continue providing quality education and training for the next generation of dental hygienists. All of these accolades and accomplishments by dental hygiene students and CBC faculty have helped build a solid reputation for the program. “The organization in Alberta that registers dental hygienists accepts CBC’s accreditation. This is one of the few two year programs that they recognize. In Alberta, it’s usually a three or four year program,” explained Mani Fredriksen, a dental hygiene student who just wrapped up her first year in the program. Fredriksen was a dental assistant in Canada for three years before deciding it was time to take her career to the next level. Fredriksen, her husband Soren Fredriksen, and two children made the big move from Canada to Beeville after hearing great things about the dental hygiene program from former students. Her husband was part of the impressive 2012 graduating class mentioned earlier, and they’ve grown to really love Beeville and CBC. “My favorite thing about being in the program is job security. Knowing that Soren and I can always support our family because of the education we’ve received at CBC means a lot to me.” Tara Easthope, a 2013 CBC graduate, can relate to that statement. Like Mani, she moved to Beeville with her husband and 4 children to pursue her dream of being a dental hygienist. The flexible work hours
WORKFORCE @ CBC and great salary made being a dental hygienist a perfect fit for her and her family. “I wanted something that allowed me to be a mom and was worth my time to be out of the home. It’s also really rewarding to help other people,” Easthope said. According to Connie Griffin, CBC Dental Hygiene Instructor, she believes these huge personal sacrifices of being thousands of miles from home and moving entire families is a large part of why the Canadian students give their all in order to succeed. Failure is not an option. Over the last 5 years, the CBC dental hygiene program has graduated 122 students. Of those 122 students, 17-percent (21 students) have been from Canada and 71-percent (15 students) graduated with honors or highest honors.
CBC freshman Mani Fredriksen prepares to give a teeth cleaning to a patient during clinic.
The dental hygiene students, Canadian or not, will tell you the program is a lot of work. Before even applying to the program, a student has to complete pre-requisites that focus heavily on science. Once those are complete a student can apply to get into the program. If accepted into one of the 25 or so spots, they can expect to spend many hours studying and many hours of handson clinical experience with patients. Griffin adds that a common misconception about the program is that it’s easy because people hear these great stories about how all the students get along and it’s so much fun. And those stories are true—a peek into the dental hygiene clinic will often reveal cheerful instructors and happy students helping patients. But at the end of a long day of clinic and class, there’s much studying and work to be done. Sarah Lepp just graduated from the program in May 2013, and although she had a year of dental assisting under her belt before enrolling at CBC, she has some helpful advice for anyone considering the program.
Photos, opposite page, top row: Sarah Lepp, Brooke Clark; bottom row, Kimber Snow, Tara Easthope; and center, Mani Fredriksen. “You take the pre-requisites and you’re like, ‘What does this have to do with teeth?’ A lot, let me tell you. You have to be prepared to work hard. You have to study every day. You can succeed, but it’s not easy,” Lepp said and then added, “But do have fun or else you’ll go insane! Honestly, some days at school were so fun that it didn’t even feel like work.” In addition to having fun and studying, Lepp and her classmates all agreed that support from family, peers, and instructors was vital to their success. Luckily for most of the students from Canada, the positive reputation of CBC’s program helps their parents be on board and supportive of their children making the move to Beeville to go to college. Kimber Snow, also a 2013 CBC graduate, said that positive buzz about CBC’s dental hygiene program is what helps families be supportive. Snow said the buzz about CBC’s dental (continued on page 10) SPRING 2013 | 9
hygiene program began about a decade or so ago and has been going strong ever since. Many people in Canada learn about it through church circles or having relatives that graduated from CBC. “Where we live it’s common to aspire or plan to come to CBC. It’s a great program. When you go into the Lethbridge College Admissions Office, they recommend CBC. The instructors are fabulous,” Snow said.
When asked about the dental hygiene instructors, the students immediately got excited—it’s pretty clear these students adore their instructors. It makes sense since they spend two years, 685 hours in clinic, and countless hours in class together. The students mentioned feeling grateful for all the instructors have taught them both in and out of the classroom. “I’m not someone who likes to ask for help, but Mrs. Lott always knows when I need help and puts down what she is doing to help me. I’ve had super teachers at CBC. They care about how you’re doing in class and in your life.” said Brooke Clark, a 2013 graduate.
Recent CBC grad Sarah Lepp, left, consults with CBC Instructor, Cristine Wisian, during clinic. Students are supervised during clinic by a team of instructors.
10 | CBC FORUM
The caring and nurturing nature of the CBC dental hygiene instructors is indicative of the type of personality needed to be a successful dental hygienist, according to Griffin.
“This type of work is fun and rewarding, but you have to have compassion. You have to have patience for the patients. They might have a lot of questions, and a dental hygienist needs to interact well with them. This profession is not for shy people. It’s a learning process to get a student to that point. We as instructors are here to set the example and support them along the way,” Griffin added. Besides learning, studying and making new friends, the students seem to genuinely enjoy being able to provide free or reduced dental services for the general public. Services available at the clinic include teeth cleaning, fluoride treatments, dental x-rays, site-specific antimicrobial placement and pit/fissure sealants placement. Andrea Westmoreland, CBC Dental Hygiene Program Director, explained that Perkins funding has been utilized to purchase equipment such as automatic film processors, vacuum systems, LED projectors, privacy screens, and a handheld x-ray machine. All this equipment helps enhance student learning, and also benefits the general public who receive services at the dental
hygiene clinic or at the mobile lab that visits elementary schools.
able to help patients. We can help detect things at early stages.”
“The patients I’ve had have been very thankful for the CBC dental clinic because they don’t have insurance. Dental care can be very expensive. It always makes me feel good to know I’ve helped someone in need,” said Easthope.
As Lepp, Clark, Snow and Easthope get ready to take their national board examinations and embark on their careers, the one fear they don’t have is whether or not they will find a job.
Clark adds that the instruction at CBC is so thorough, from the paperwork processing
The students attended a National Board Review in Dallas earlier this year, and all said they felt they had the been taught all
The dental hygiene profession is expected to
grow about 38-percent and have a median
income of $68,000 with just an Associate’s degree. to the clinic, that she feels everything will be second nature and she’ll really be able to focus on helping people. “We scan for abnormalities in and out side the mouth, which is not something they do in dental clinics in Canada. Now we know if we notice something abnormal, we’ll be
they needed to know in order to pass their boards and obtain a good job. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that from 2011 to 2020, the dental hygiene profession is expected to grow about 38-percent and have a median income of $68,000 with just an Associate’s
degree. This rate is much higher than most professions in the U.S. due to the increase in oral health awareness. Programs like CBC’s help meet the demands of this industry by providing quality, affordable education for students from all over the globe. So what’s next for these dental hygiene students? Well, Easthope, Clark and Snow are headed back to Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada to prepare for their National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination (NDHCE) this fall. Not everyone is headed back to Canada though. Lepp decided she loved the Beeville area so much that she decided to stay in the area and find a job after her board exams this summer. Fredriksen will begin her final year of the program this fall, and looks forward to being a dental hygienist alongside her husband in the near future. Luckily for dental hygiene students, being a dental hygienist is truly a global profession, as Clark pointed out, “Well, everyone has teeth!” And that’s something to smile about.
To learn more about CBC’s Dental Hygiene Program or its clinical services for the community, please contact (361) 354-2555.
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To view more photos, videos, and a list of all the graduates from CBC Commencement 2013, please visit CBC’s graduation website at www.coastalbend.edu/graduation. SPRING 2013 | 13
total graduates, which is an increase of over 12% from last year’s 513 graduates.
percent of grads in petroleum, nursing, and welding were females/males entering non-traditional trades.
percent of graduates (98 of 313 students) obtaining an Associate’s degree graduated with honors.
graduates (26%) completed a certificate or Associate’s degree in an allied health field.
percent of the class of 2013 were high school students who haven’t graduated high school.
students graduated with a certificate or degree that relates directly to the Eagle Ford Shale.
percent of graduates earned a certificate or Associate’s degree in a workforce related field.
students (28%) completed the core curriculum and can transfer to a Texas public university.
Photo Credit: Sara Schirmer
Coastal Bend College is proud to announce that Cheong-Sig Lee, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Andrea Westmoreland, Director of the Dental Hygiene program, have been selected as Faculty of the Year. Both were honored at the 2013 Commencement Ceremonies with medals for their committment to excellence in higher education. Since joining the Coastal Bend College family in 2011, Cheong-Sig Lee has helped many students overcome one of the most difficult college subjects—mathematics. His extensive experience as a tutor and instructor has led him to be able to successfully educate and motivate students in his courses. Lee encourages each student to develop their knowledge, build leadership skills, and reduce their fears of mathematics courses. Andrea Westmoreland has been a dental hygienist for more than 40 years; combining twenty years with the Austin State School, a mental health facility, and thirty years in private practice. From 1996 until 2007, Westmoreland served as a Dental Hygiene Instructor and Coordinator. In 2007, she became the Division Chairperson for the Dental Hygiene Division. Her expertise and passion for the field has influenced and helped the hundreds of dental hygiene students she’s educated during her 17 year career at Coastal Bend College. Westmoreland plans on retiring in August 2013.
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CBC FOUNDATION Ballet fundraiser helps raise over $20,500 for CBC Foundation
Over 700 attendees came to experience the magic of “Cinderella”, performed by the Corpus Christi Ballet Company, at the A.C. Jones High School Auditorium on Saturday, May 4. The event was a fundraiser for the Coastal Bend College Foundation, and $20,500 was raised for student scholarships, innovative teaching grants, and other opportunities for Coastal Bend College students to experience success.
“I was amazed to see how many community members came out to experience this wonderful ballet and support the Coastal Bend College Foundation. The incredible support from a multitude of businesses, community organizations, and the Joe Barnhart Foundation made the event possible, but the audience made the event successful,” said Christy Lansford, Executive Director of the Coastal Bend College Foundation. A huge thank you goes out to the Joe Barnhart Foundation for graciously underwriting a portion of the event. The CBC Foundation would also like to thank the following “Cinderella” sponsors for their generous contributions: A Box of Chocolates; A.C. Jones High School; Alice Management Company, LLC; Anytime Fitness; Aztec Chevrolet; Baker Hughes; Beck Bros. Inc.; Bee Agricultural Company; Beeville Concert Association; Beeville Dental Care; Beeville Publishing/Action Printing; Best Western Texan Inn (SOTX Lodging, Inc.); Blant N. Miller, CPA; Bobbie Jo Meyer, DDS P.A.; Conoco Phillips; Edward Jones Investments; Florette E. Spires, PC; Flournoy Park Place; Galloway & Sons Funeral Homes; George P. & Sarah Lee Morrill II; HEB; Hogue’s Jewelry; Jim Kirkpatrick & Associates; Kenedy Chamber of Commerce; Law Office of George “Trace” Morrill III; Mad Matters; May Ranch; Pantry Stores; Park-Breidenbach Properties; Ranch Hand Truck Accessories; Rio Entertainment, Inc.; R.W. Dirks Petroleum Engineer, Inc.; Saenz Western Wear; San Patricio Electric Coop; Schneider Electric; Southern Inn & Suites (Kenedy Lodging LLC); Stone Creek Grill; Superior Auto; Texana Furniture Co.; Texas Champion Bank; The Corner Laundry; The First National Bank of Beeville; The Hen House; The Reserve at Jones Road; and Wicker Basket. For more information about how you can help support the CBC Foundation, please contact Christy Lansford, Executive Director, at (361) 354-2447 or via email at foundation@coastalbend.edu. To view more photos from the event, visit www. facebook.com/coastalbendcollege.
Donating to the CBC Foundation helps support student scholarships and learning! You can donate easily and securely online via PayPal at www.coastalbend.edu/foundation. 16 | CBC FORUM
CBC FOUNDATION 2013 Spring Fest Scholarship Winners! Community members, CBC faculty, staff, and students all came out to enjoy food, fun, and games at the annual Spring Fest event held on April 4 at the CBC Beeville campus. The Coastal Bend College Foundation was proud to sponsor four, $250 scholarships for the event. The winners of the scholarships are (clockwise from top left) Candice Ornelas, Daniel Gregory, Richard Cantu, and Jennifer Bowen. Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients!
Christy Lansford Executive Director The mission of the Coastal Bend College Foundation is to generate and distribute resources to provide opportunities for excellence in education, promote innovative teaching, and partner with the community to enhance the quality of education for all students.
Join the CBC/BCC Alumni & Friends Association! • $25 per year—membership will consist of graduates, any person who took classes at CBC/BCC or friends/ supporters of CBC/BCC. • 2013 graduates get 1 year free! • Past members get 1 year free! • Benefits will include: e-newsletter (CBC Forum), alumni decal, admission to 1 CBC sporting event, invitation to annual event. • For more details, email foundation@coastalbend.edu.
Goals: • Enhance and enrich educational opportunities for students • Support staff for innovative efforts and recognize staff for exemplary teaching • Involve the community in assuring a quality education for the leaders and workers of tomorrow • Increase the number of student support dollars for CBC students Funding Priorities: • Student Scholarships • Industry Initiatives • Academic Initiatives • Recognition of Academic Achievement • Recognition of Teaching Excellence
www.coastalbend.edu/foundation SPRING 2013 | 17
ACADEMICS @ CBC
CBC Recognized As National Leader From left to right: Kristy Schroeder, Bobbie Jo Hill, Paula Kinney-Wallace; and seated, Irma Cantu, Division Chair are some of the faculty that have helped play a pivotal role in being a Leader College. Other faculty that are not pictured are Elsa Brown, Cheong-Sig Lee, George Kucera, Dave Zimmerman, and Christi Morgan.
Coastal Bend College has been re-certified as a Leader College by Achieving The Dream (ATD). Achieving The Dream is a nationwide initiative begun by the Lumina Foundation, a 1.7 billion dollar foundation focused on supporting effective practices in higher education. Achieving the Dream works to support community colleges in their work to improve student completion on a national level and leads the nation’s most comprehensive, nongovernmental reform network for community college student success and completion. The group and its 200 member community college network have successfully impacted student engagement and graduation for over 3.5 million of the nation’s community college students. In 2009 Coastal Bend College was one of 13 colleges across the country to be recognized as a Leader College for ATD. 18 | CBC FORUM
Leader Colleges are evaluated on whether or not they have met high standards of practice and performance. Data collection and reporting is extensive and colleges must have demonstrated
In 2008, the successful completion rate of developmental courses at CBC was 33%.
By 2011-2012, it was 75%.
a commitment to and progress on the four principles of Achieving the Dream: committed leadership, use of evidence to improve programs and services, broad engagement, and systemic institutional improvement.
Leader Colleges will serve as mentors within the Achieving the Dream community of learners as well as advocates for the principles of Achieving The Dream. Coastal Bend College was recently re-certified as a Leader College on the basis of two measures of dedicated interventions to help students succeed. First, students required to take the developmental math courses were supported through an augmented protocol for successful completion. Irma Cantu, chair of CBC’s College Preparatory Studies department says, “Our first student success measure was for Developmental Education Math students to successfully complete developmental instruction so that they could move on to college credit courses. We were able to detail the successful completion of the developmental instruction sequence over four years. Because our institutional data trends with national data showing that
ACADEMICS @ CBC math courses are often barriers to achievement, we settled our focus there. “In 2008, the successful completion rate (end of course grade of A, B, or C) was at 33%. After we began the initiative, student successful completions rose to 42% (2009-10), increasing to a successful completion rate of 75% in 2011-2012. We are very encouraged. Our plans are to continue to refine and improve our process. We believe we’re on the right track. And certainly, this is a good thing for our students.” Second, these same students continued to outpace expectations when they advanced to the “gatekeeper” math courses, which have traditionally been the courses
that keep students from attaining a degree, such as the first college level math course. Slightly more than half (51%) of the students taking Developmental Math and enrolling in college algebra at CBC were successful in the 2008-09 academic year, which is the baseline for this student success measure. The success rate for all gatekeeper math course students increased steadily over the next few years, resulting in an overall successful course completion rate of 82% for the students who had participated in the Developmental Math Initiative. More impressive is that the Developmental students attained a higher rate of successful completion in the gatekeeper math course than students who did not need
developmental math. “We are an open access gateway to higher education. Not all students come prepared to take college level coursework, but what is important is that they show up ready to learn and fulfill dreams of college attainment and building career pathways. For those students we have a very strong College Preparatory Studies department and are very proud of their dedication and efforts put forward for student success,” says Dr. Beatriz Espinoza. “The recognition we have received from Achieving the Dream is significant and something we hope our entire community can be proud of.” For more information about Achieving the Dream, please contact Irma Cantu at (361) 354-2425.
“Thanks to the Marathon Oil Scholarship through the CBC Foundation, I was able to afford college. I know I’m going to land a well-paying job because of the education I got at CBC.”
CBC offers affordable, quality education that can help turn your career and educational goals into a reality. Advisors and faculty members are ready to help you every step of the way. Come visit with us and let us help you. Great things start at CBC.
www.coastalbend.edu
/coastalbendcollege
@CBCFuture