06/25/2012 Taking care of Business by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine

JUNE 25, 2012

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VOLUME 22 • NUMBER 18

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Also available in Digital Format

Financial Planning

CCSSE Report

Transfer Gaps

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® Editorial Board Publisher – José López-Isa Vice President & Chief Operating Officer – Orlando López-Isa

Ricardo Fernández, President Lehman College Mildred García, President

Editor – Adalyn Hixson Executive & Managing Editor – Suzanne López-Isa News Desk & Copy Editor – Jason Paneque Special Project Editor – Mary Ann Cooper

California State University-Fullerton Juán González,VP Student Affairs University of Texas at Austin Lydia Ledesma-Reese, Educ. Consultant

Administrative Assistant & Subscription Coordinator – Barbara Churchill

Ventura County Community College District Gustavo A. Mellander, Dean Emeritus

DC Congressional Correspondent – Peggy Sands Orchowski

George Mason University Loui Olivas,Assistant VP Academic Affairs

Contributing Editors – Carlos D. Conde Michelle Adam Online Contributing Writers – Gustavo A. Mellander

Arizona State University Eduardo Padrón, President Miami Dade College Antonio Pérez, President

Art & Production Director – Avedis Derbalian Graphic Designer – Joanne Aluotto

Borough of Manhattan Community College María Vallejo, Provost Palm Beach State College

Sr.Advertising Sales Associate – Angel M. Rodríguez Advertising Sales Associate – Cyndy Mitchell

Editorial Policy

The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® is a national magazine published 23 times a year. Dedicated to exploring issues related to Hispanics in higher education,The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® is published for the members of the higher education community. Editorial decisions are based on the editors’ judgment of the quality of the writing, the timeliness of the article, and the potential interest to the readers of The Hispanic Outlook Magazine®. From time to time,The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® will publish articles dealing with controversial issues.The views expressed herein are those of the authors and/or those interviewed and might not reflect the official policy of the magazine.The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® neither agrees nor disagrees with those ideas expressed, and no endorsement of those views should be inferred unless specifically identified as officially endorsed by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine®.

Article Contributors Rick Cherwitz, Frank DiMaria, Marilyn Gilroy,Angela Provitera McGlynn, Miquela Rivera, Rebecca Romo, Gary M. Stern

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Esquina E ditorial

owls continue over student debt, which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says is greater than all the credit card debt in the U.S. And $117 billion was taken out last year “just in federal loans,” writes Vickie Elmer, The New York Times. Now along comes Sallie Mae, once a government entity, since privatized and now the largest student lender in the nation, with its new set of fixed-rate loans for grads and undergrads. An Associated Press report says the new Sallie Mae rates “will range from 5.75 percent to 12.875 percent, depending on the borrower’s credit history and other factors.” Do the math on possible outcomes from a 12.875 percent interest rate and you will understand why many Hispanic families are wary of education loans. Students forced into that rate will surely get an education, but not the one they were seeking. And we hear that student loan collection agencies are allowed to phone a delinquent borrower up to eight times a day. In a recent column, world-watcher Tom Friedman deplores the budget-cutting at a former “crown jewel” of education, the University of California (where about one in four entering freshmen and one in five new transfers are Chicano-Latino), and argues that we must preserve “that magic combination of cutting-edge higher education, government-funded research and immigration of high-IQ risk-takers,” calling the combination of the three “America’s golden goose.” Friedman quotes a Silicon Valley business founder as saying “we shoot ourselves in both feet” when we cut back investments in higher ed and research. Meanwhile, a new consortium, Universitas 21, has released its first ranking of higher ed systems country by country, and puts the U.S. at the top of the list, followed by Sweden, Canada, Finland and Denmark. ¡Adelante! Suzanne López-Isa Managing Editor

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Po lit i cal Beat

The Political Perils of LGBT

by Carlos D. Conde

eople are still wondering – and probably will until election time in November – why President Barack Obama outed himself on same-sex marriage and if he’s as dumb as a fox in taking on an issue that on the surface seems a big risk politically without many dividends. He says it’s about principle and compassion, but it sure sounds a lot like political expediency and him wanting to assure he has plenty of time to make his case early in the campaign to capture supporters and temper the political assault he’ll surely get later on from Republicans and other nonsupporters. It should have made the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community happy, but exacerbated a festering issue about their full acceptance in the U.S. social fabric. Same-sex marriage is still in the closet for many people and, in the modern euphemism, is a cousin of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” issue that roiled the U.S. military. While there is growing sympathy and support, or perhaps just apathy, for such formal civic relationships, that jurisdiction and action still belongs to the states, and only six, including the District of Columbia, currently offer same-sex marriage. California had a short-lived policy of same-sex marriages, from June to November 2008, before it was struck down by voters.

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed under President Bill Clinton’s watch in 1996, was a federal action defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman, and challenged in Massachusetts as unconstitutional. President Obama cannot through his office ordain same-sex marriage. National legislators prefer to waive that jurisdiction and authority to the states. Challenges by competing agents would eventually be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court. Still, the dictates and influence of the Oval Office are powerful tools, and President Obama speaking affirmatively on the issue can go a long way in making it happen. The president claimed this has been on his mind for a long time, and he had been “evolving” on the issue before his loquacious vice president, Joe Biden, upstaged whatever approach Obama might have been harboring or the strategy he planned to employ. Biden, appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, said he was for same-sex marriage, which served as a cue for the president’s pronouncements, making some wonder if Biden’s loose tongue was a political act and part of the strategy. In an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America that the White House had sought after Biden’s gaffe, the president said he had wrestled with this issue for more than two years and Biden provided the opening Obama needed for his public commitment to same-sex marriage. “At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married. “I had hesitated on gay marriages in part because I though that civil unions would be sufficient. I was sensitive to the fact that, for a lot

of people, the word marriage was something that invokes very powerful traditions and religious beliefs.” He said conversations with his family, including his two daughters, and friends, some gay, convinced him it was the right thing to do even if the timing stood to either reward him or hurt him politically. For good measure, he brought out as an ally Jesus Christ sacrificing himself on the cross, reminding us about Jesus’ golden rule, “to do onto others as you would have others do onto to you – you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated.’” It was a noble, maybe even compassionate, move by the president, but considering the intensity of his campaign and the apprehensions by his political directors that Romney might turbocharge his anemic presidential challenge and upend Obama’s incumbency, the timing seemed right. Reading the surveys on the issue, they concluded this was a risk worth the effort. From here, it sure looked like political theatrics and part of the campaign strategy. Biden as a good trooper was engaged to set the stage with his pronouncements and then his mea culpa act, allowing a genuine President Obama to step in and show his compassion for the oppressed as did Jesus Christ. Is the payoff worth it? In the past, Obama has been like a yo-yo on the issue. In February 1996, he said, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriage and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.” In November 2008, in the thick of his presidential quest, Obama said, “I believe marriage is between a man and woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage.” In December 2010, he said, “My feelings about this are constantly evolving,” and this May he evolved

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right back to where he started. The unqualified thinking is that Latinos have always been against homosexuality in whatever form. Trace it for men to the macho image and for women to their abiding deference. There have been various studies on this issue, and it gets down to a general premise that the older generation is largely against LGBT acceptance and same-sex marriage while the younger and more hip Latinos and the acculturated support it or at least are not bothered by it. As an old guy and a traditionalist who grew up in a predominately Mexican-American community, I can remember only three suspected gay people, derisively called in Mexican slang “jotos,” and they ostracized themselves from the community. I can’t remember any from the distaff side, and I don’t recall my Catholic priest ever venting on the sins of homosexuality. The LGBT label was unknown to us. I am acculturated now, living in a more open, tolerant U.S. society where live and let live is the unwritten if not the golden rule. Like President Obama, I have evolved on this issue, but unlike President Obama, I have no political or religious agenda, Jesus Christ notwithstanding. Except for some festering prejudices, which we all have, the LGBT element is part of us, save for the distinction we chose to make. But haven’t you noticed? All of us have a social label – for better or worse. Carlos D. Conde, award-winning journalist and commentator, former Washington and foreign news correspondent, was an aide in the Nixon White House and worked on the political campaigns of George Bush Sr. To reply to this column, contact Cdconde@aol.com.

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MAGAZINE® JUNE 25, 2012

CONTENTS Hispanic Financial Planning Majors in High Demand

by Marilyn Gilroy

CCSSE Issues New Report on Promising Practices

by Angela Provitera McGlynn

Page 8

Boosting College Graduation Rates in the Bluegrass State by 2020 by Gary M. Stern

Transfer Gaps for Latinos into Highly Selective Universities by Michelle Adam

Community College Dropouts Expensive – New Reports Propose Changes by Frank DiMaria

Online Articles Some of the above articles will also be available online; go to our website: www.HispanicOutlook.com.

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DEPARTMENTS Political Beat

by Carlos D. Conde

The Political Perils of LGBT

In the Trenches ...

by Rick Cherwitz

Why Intellectual Entrepreneurship Can Increase Diversity

Scholars’ Corner

by Rebecca Romo

Hi gh Sc ho ol For um

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Hispanic Mentors Guide College-Bound Hispanic Students by Mary Ann Cooper

FYI...FYI...FYI...

Hispanics on the Move

Interesting Reads Book Review

by Mary Ann Cooper

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The Empire’s Old Clothes

Priming the Pump...

by Miquela Rivera

Latino Teens Need to Learn Not to Quit Yet When to Let Go

Back Cover

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Page 20 Cover photo courtesy of William Paterson University

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INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS

Hispanic Financial Planning Majors in High Demand

by Marilyn Gilroy ispanic students majoring in financial planning are in demand at banks, brokerage firms, real estate groups, insurance companies and just about any organization that needs individuals who are experts in managing and investing money. The reason is simple. The financial planning industry has a low rate of minority representation in its professional ranks and client base and recognizes that diversity is a key to its growth. A study by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards showed that only about 5 percent of CFPs are minorities. The Financial Planning Association (FPA), through its annual Diversity Summit, has called for the industry to better reflect the general population. The most encouraging results on this front are coming at the university level, at which successful financial planning programs are recruiting and

graduating more Hispanics. Firms are responding by hiring these students, bringing a slow but steady change to the profession. “A large number of employers seek to hire our Hispanic financial planning majors, and they really value those who have bilingual abilities,” said Lukas Dean, assistant professor and director for the financial planning program in the Cotsakos College of Business at William Paterson University (WPU) in Wayne, N.J. As Dean tells his students, it’s a good time to enter the field. His blog carries links to several articles predicting a positive outlook for careers in financial planning. U.S. News & World Report named financial advising one of the best jobs of 2012 and said the profession should see significant growth, 32.1 percent, over the next decade. Learning to Create Financial Road Maps What do financial planners do? Essentially, says U.S. News, “they tell other people what to do with their money,” through research and the development of sound financial plans. It can be a very rewarding career

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because it involves helping individuals and families achieve their goals. That’s exactly why the job attracted Andrea Vintimilla, a 2010 graduate of the WPU program who works as a financial planning associate at Quadrant Capital Management in Montclair, N.J. “I am able to help people make some of the most important decisions of their lives, from establishing themselves financially to planning how they will fund their children’s education to how they will live their lives in retirement” she said. “I get to learn about their current life and financial goals, and help them achieve those goals.” Vintimilla, 24, is a first-generation American in a family that emigrated from Ecuador. She always wanted to be a businesswoman, but never could envision herself sitting behind a desk all day just crunching numbers. “I do like to crunch numbers and use my analytical skills, but most importantly – I wanted to help individuals,” she said. Students such as Vintimilla have chosen a career that can be both personally and financially rewarding. According to an article on Monster.com, one of the largest employment websites in the world, the median salary for a certified financial planner with five to seven years experience is $89,000. But it is not an easy ride because completing the degree requirements is very challenging. The curriculum includes courses in finance, macro and micro economics, statistics, tax analysis, and estate and retirement planning, along with other classes in business and management. At WPU, students get the advantage of real-time experience in the Global Financial Services Learning Center, which has one of the largest trading rooms on the East Coast. As a sophisticated technology-equipped learning facility, the center provides hands-on training with software, databases, and data feeds that form the backbone of trading floor information analysis. Students get an opportunity to turn theoretical knowledge into practical experience through an internship component in the curriculum. As Dean says: “We want our students to be ‘shovel-ready’ when they hit the workforce.” Although only three years old, the WPU financial planning program has made its mark in the industry and was recently rated among the top 10 programs in the United States by Financial Planning Magazine. Other schools on the list include Texas Tech University, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Kansas State University and Boston University. The program has managed to raise its profile based in part on the performance of WPU students, under Dean’s guidance, at national financial planning competitions. WPU student teams have won or placed in the Financial Planning Association’s National Financial Planning Challenge in 2010 and 2011. The challenge consists of three phases: 1) creating a financial plan for a sample client; 2) the Knowledge Bowl; and 3) after a “life-changing event” occurs in the life of the sample client, the team is given 36 hours to adjust the plan, and then present it to the judges in front of professionals and professors at the conference. In addition to their impressive performance in the annual challenge, a team of WPU students placed third in the 2012 Financial Services National

Industry Issues Competition for their work on using social media in the financial planning industry These co-curricular activities add strength and depth to the WPU program, which recently became the site for the first officially registered student chapter of the Financial Planning Association. At association meetings, students get a chance to network with professionals and hear presentations from financial planners representing firms such as Baron Financial Group, Ameriprise Financial and Wells Fargo. Cindy Mota, a 2012 WPU graduate, believes the financial planning program does an excellent job of preparing its students. She was recently hired as a High Net Worth ($1 million) Client Service Specialist for Vanguard, the largest mutual fund company in the U.S. Mota said her college courses were very demanding, but she also spoke enthusiastically about the many opportunities to meet with professionals in the field through workshops and conferences she attended as an undergraduate. For Mota, the road to becoming a financial planner has entailed a lot of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. Born in the Dominican Republic, she remembers having to find her own way to her educational goals. “I didn’t have anyone in my family who went to college and could give me academic or professional guidance,” she said. “I was clearly overwhelmed by the many options and opportunities that presented themselves. As I looked into the subject of finance, I became more interested in the field.” To help meet tuition bills, Mota worked full time (35 hours per week) at a local Bank of America office, while taking five or six courses per semester. But the investment of time and money has paid off. She is clearly excited about her new job and the role she will play in working with clients. “It is very rewarding when I am able to teach people and inspire them to reach their ultimate financial objectives,” said Mota. Dean is understandably proud of students such as Mota. He says the first-generation students are amazing, and he knows their accomplishments are highly valued by their families. “I have noticed that with our first-generation college students who graduate and get a job with a big national name company, like Fidelity or TD Ameritrade – their parents are so proud,” said Dean. “They worked hard to get their families to the U.S. in hopes of a better life for their children and grandchildren, and they are so proud when they see a Fidelity commercial on TV or drive by a Fidelity branch and say, ‘My son/daughter works there!’”

Cindy Mota, 2012 WPU graduate,

was recently hired as a High Net Worth ($1 million) Client Service Specialist for Vanguard, largest mutual fund company in the U.S.

Diversifying Pays Dividends Financial planners such as Vintimilla and Mota are changing the face of the industry. They are following in the steps of Louis Barajas, founder of Louis Barajas Wealth Planning in Los Angeles and the first Latino in the United States to receive the Certified Financial Planner designation. He has spent much of his career helping underserved communities benefit from financial advice and planning. Barajas, the first CFP professional from an ethnic minority to serve on the Financial Planning Association’s national board, thinks it is essential to make minorities feel comfortable in the profession.

In an interview about the FPA’s diversity initiative, Barajas discussed the importance of role models by citing the example of a Peruvian woman attending her first national conference who burst into tears when she finally tracked down Barajas and his colleagues. “She was one of the few Hispanics there. She felt so excluded,” he said. “We need a mechanism to bring in more diversity. We need to go out of our way to make people feel comfortable.” Diversity is just as important in helping the bottom line. Several experts, including consultant Francisco Valle, author of How to Win the Hispanic Gold Rush, say financial services firms, banks and insurance companies need to give more attention to offering customer service that includes knowledge and understanding of Hispanic culture. If businesses want to attract this market, which will drive the economy in the years to come, they need bilingual personnel and sensitivity to what Hispanics want from a financial advisor. For example, Valle says Hispanics might not be responsive to promotional literature that encourages saving for travel and other retirement dreams but would be more receptive to investing to take care of their family and help relatives in other countries. With Hispanics now the fastest-growing segment of the middle class, Valle says it will be important for financial planners who are familiar with these differences to add their expertise to the market mix. Vintimilla says she is happy to enter the field at a time when she can make a unique contribution. “I find that going into a field that is not very diverse is actually extremely empowering. It gives me a chance to make a difference, to not be the same as everyone else,” she said. “I think being part of a minority separates me from the rest in a positive way, and I strongly believe that being bilingual is a powerful asset.” The ability to communicate with clients and gain their trust is one of the most important aspects to being a financial planner. Vintimilla says it isn’t just a matter of knowing the process and tools available, but also when to listen to people. “Every client, every case, is completely different,” she said.” You have to be willing to listen to people, and be willing to help them achieve their life and financial goals.” Both Vintimilla and Mota speak of loving their work but acknowledge that it demands a commitment to continuing education due to the constant legal and regulatory changes in this field. Those who want to be successful must stay motivated and have the self-discipline to use their time and energy to stay on top of their game. It’s all about maintaining a competitive edge. “It is important to keep up with finance related news, whether it is listening to Bloomberg radio in the car or keeping up with current events through the various websites and phone applications,” said Mota. “It’s also very important to be self-driven and never set limits for yourself.”

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REPORTS/COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CCSSE Issues New Report on Promising Practices The

by Angela Provitera McGlynn

imperative for community colleges to educate and graduate more students, particularly low-income, first-generation and minority college students, is necessary for America to remain competitive in a global economy. There is no question that this must be accomplished. Since projections for population growth between 2005 and 2050 show Hispanics accounting for the majority of our nation’s growth and given that Hispanic students have lower college graduation rates than the population as a whole, this report is particularly relevant for this demographic. The discrepancy between newly enrolling community college students’ aspirations and their levels of degree completion is a startling gap – 79 percent of entering students say they plan to earn an associate degree but just 45 percent of full-time students meet their goal within a six-year period. The compelling question for this sector is – exactly how can we educate and graduate a much larger proportion of this population?

Entering Students’ Aspirations The data show a sizable gap between the percentage of students who aim to complete a credential and the percentage of those who actually do. Please indicate whether your goal(s) for attending this college include the following: Complete a certificate program (N=70,427)

57% Obtain an associate degree (N=71,138)

79% Transfer to a four-year college or university (N=70,378)

73% Respondents may indicate more than one goal. Source: 2010 SENSE Cohort data.

A newly released report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCSSE), A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (2012), sheds light on this pressing challenge by presenting key findings from a multiyear center initiative. The CCSSE initiative, Identifying and Promoting High-Impact Educational Practices in Community Colleges, gathers survey responses from entering

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students, veteran students, faculty members, and institutions. It includes results from CCSSE, Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), SENSE and CCSSE 2011 special-focus items on promising practices, and the Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE) three-year cohort. Preliminary findings from the newly launched Community College Institutional Survey (CCIS) were included as well. The report says this: “Community colleges across the country have created innovative, data-informed programs that are models for educating underprepared students, engaging traditionally underserved students, and helping students from all backgrounds succeed. However, because most of these programs have limited scope, the field now has pockets of success rather than widespread improvement. Turning these many small accomplishments into broad achievement – and improved completion rates – depends on bringing effective programs to scale.” The director of CCSSE and a senior lecturer in the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas-Austin, Dr. Kay M. McClenney, says that the Fewer project will than help community make data- Reac Half colleges of Students based decisions about how they spend money and the types of policies and Fewer than half of entering community college stu programs they want to emphasize. She suggests that colleges need to learn goal of earning a degree or certificate meet their g a way to better align theiryears programs andbeginning policies with the needs and realiafter college. ties of their students. The report is a starting point for community colleges to engage in wideMet their goal within spread high-impact educational practices that work for all students and six yea that can close the achievement gaps found between middle-class students and the traditionally underserved student population. Since this is the first report in a multiyear effort, it provides a first look 45% at the data on high-impact promising practices. A growing body of research related to college success from multiple colleges with multiple semesters of data points to improvement in course completion rates, retention, and graduation rates. The practices fall into three major categories: Planning for Success, Initiating Success, and Sustaining Success. Obviously all three components are crucial in enrolling students in college and retaining them in order to facilitate degree completion. Source: Departmentdata-based of Education,consensus NCES (2001). Beginning Pos The report says that there is U.S. an emerging that Longitudinal Study 1996–2001 (BPS:96/01). Analysis by certain design principles are critical for student success. These include: Community C • A strong start. We have ample evidence to show that students’ earliest contacts and first weeks at the college can foster personal connections, and that personal connections, a sense of belonging, and an affiliation with an institution all enhance chances for academic success. • Clear, coherent pathways. Entering college students may feel as if they have entered a maze. Colleges that provide coherent pathways that help students engage in the college experience promote student success. • Integrated support. Evidence shows that effectively connecting with students where they are most likely to be found – the classroom – by building support such as skills development and supplemental instruction

into coursework actually works better than referring students to services activities completed. The GPS is part of the college’s New Student Seminar that are separate from the learning experience. In the words of as well as part of developmental reading courses, learning communities, Distinguished Professor Vincent Tinto: “If we are going to make a substan- and other classes. tial dent in completion rates, we must ask, ‘How can we reshape students’ Registration, Academic Planning, and Orientation: CCSSE and experience in the one place where they will be while they are on campus: SENSE data led Chipola College in Florida to implement five policy in the classroom?’” changes: • High expectations and high support. Student success is enhanced 1. Abolishing late registration. Data consistently have shown that stuwhen there are high standards within reach. Setting high standards while dents who register late for classes are less likely to be successful. providing necessary support such as academic planning and academic 2. Scheduling a required 45 minutes to 60 minutes for entering stusupport, financial aid, etc. helps students attain success. dents’ initial advising sessions. • Intensive student engagement. The report says that promoting stu3. Allowing students to register earlier to help them in planning for dent engagement is the overarching feature of successful program design – their family and work schedules. all other features support student engagement. This well-established key to 4. Offering orientation taught by faculty during the summer before the student success must be all colleges’ mission; they must make student fall semester starts. engagement inescapable. 5. Renaming Curriculum Guides “Academic Plans” so students will • Design for scale. According to the report, bringing promising prac- know that they are. tices to scale requires a long-term college commitment of time and money. In addition to these five policy changes, Chipola College offered five Colleges must be ready to allocate and reallocate as data dictate the fund- one-day required faculty workshops and three optional paid summer instiing they have, and must involve the entire campus community. • Professional development. The report emphasizes that professional development training is needed not only for faculty, but Fewer than half of entering community college students with a e percentage for everyone: staff, administrators, and govgoal of earning a degree or certificate meet their goal within six ntial anderning the board members – everyone who years after beginning college. shares the commitment to student success. In fact, all these design principles must or attending be college-wide. Improving student engageMet their goal within six years ment, retention and graduation rates cannot be handled by a select team, a committee, a particular department; faculty and staff must 427) collaborate across departments and throughout the college. A Matter of Degrees provides extensive data on promising practices, and the full ) report is a must-read. This article will sketch some of the promising practices that are being used at various community colleges with remarkable gains in student retention and degree completion. rsity (N=70,378) Effective promising practices to enhance student success at community colleges Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES (2001). Beginning Postsecondary Students include: Longitudinal Study 1996–2001 (BPS:96/01). Analysis by Community College Research Center. Student Success Course: At Brazosport College in Texas, full-time entering students are required to take a course that focuses on developing academic and personal skills, enhancing tutes for full- and part-time faculty over a five year period. The focus of the study skills, and helping students set goals. Students who completed such a workshops and institutes was on promoting student persistence. course were more likely to succeed in developmental coursework, more First-Year Experience: The College of the Sequoias in likely to succeed in gatekeeper courses, and more likely to stay in college. California, with a long history of serving first-generation, low-income, Academic Planning: Century College in Minnesota created a web- Hispanic students, implemented a First Year Experience, known as FYE, site known as the GPS LifePlan (Goals + Plans = Success) that has links to that offers an array of student support services, including intrusive counresources that help students develop goals and plans related to career, seling, peer mentoring, learning communities and augmented instruction. education, finance, leadership and personal development. It also helps stu- Augmented instruction in which students get an additional two hours of dents maintain an eFolio (electronic portfolio) to track and reflect on instructor and tutor time each week is a required component of develop-

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mental math and English. (I had the honor to do workshops with the College of the Sequoias faculty many years ago and was extremely impressed with what they were doing with learning communities and parental involvement.) Required Orientation and College Success Course: Durham Technical Community College in North Carolina requires full- and parttime entering students and those with fewer than 12 college credits to attend a pre-enrollment orientation and a college success course. Early Assessment: Howard Community College in Maryland launched a partnership in 2008 with the Howard County Public School System to assess 11th-graders and better prepare them for college. After testing took place, the public school system used the college’s developmental curriculum to infuse developmental college objectives into their classes. This alignment between high school and college readiness has been suggested by many research organizations that aim at promoting college readiness, believing it to be a critical factor contributing to academic success in college. Howard Community College has data that support the effectiveness of such an alignment. Developmental Education Completion: Lee College in Texas, relying on CCSSE and SENSE data, adopted a three-pronged approach to engage students in developmental courses by centering on restructuring the courses, improving faculty development, and expanding student support services. Scaling Up a New Instructional Approach: Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania piloted a newly designed developmental math curriculum that uses a conceptual approach to math and centers on creating active learners. Professional Development for Adjunct Faculty: Sinclair Community College in Ohio faculty created an Adjunct Faculty Certification Course to help adjuncts learn and practice effective teaching strategies. With adjunct faculty taking on more and more courses around the nation at community colleges, professional development for them is crucial in promoting academic success of students. Centralized Academic and Technical Support with Faculty Engagement: Tallahassee Community College in Florida created the William J. Saw Jr. Learning Commons that pools learning and technology support and offers resources for all students throughout the college. Tutoring is available for all levels of learning in a broad range of subject areas. There is technology instruction, assistance with research and information literacy, and counseling. Students have access to technology, group study spaces, and an array of print and online resources. The key to the program’s success is faculty engagement with the Learning Commons – many faculty members hold office hours and provide professional support for students and for learning specialists. Similarly, West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Kentucky replaced its tutoring center with an Academic Support Center designed to help at-risk and underprepared students. Registration and Orientation: York Technical College in South Carolina in 2009 began requiring students to register prior to the first class meeting. Additionally, beginning fall 2011, the college requires all new credit students to attend an orientation session. After meeting with a college admissions counselor, students are invited to attend an orientation session specific to their intended program of study. Intrusive Advising for At-Risk Students: Zane State College in

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Ohio instituted intrusive advising in order to boost fall-to-fall retention among at-risk and underprepared students. Intrusive advising included a host of efforts all geared towards fostering personal connections with students; they included personal phone calls, required meetings, e-mails and Facebook postings. Connections with students allowed faculty to remind them of peer and professional tutoring, registration information, writing workshops and other student support services. Zane State College simultaneously began mandatory assessment and placement, required orientation, and a required first-year experience course. All of these promising practices have evidence backing up their effectiveness. Many colleges have similar models in place. Other community colleges need to follow suit. Additionally, A Matter of Degrees looks at the next steps colleges need to take beyond these promising practices. To view the report in its entirety, please go to: www.ccsse.org/center/ resources/docs/publications/A_Matter_of_Degrees_02-02-12.pdf. The citation for this report is as follows: Center for Community College Student Engagement (2012). A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (A First Look). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program. Angela Provitera McGlynn, professor emeritus of psychology, is a national consultant/presenter on teaching and learning.

INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS

Boosting College Graduation Rates in the Bluegrass State by 2020

focusing on a public/private initiative

by Gary M. Stern public and private partnership created the 55,000 Degrees initiative Foundation, a leader in funding programs to raise Hispanic college gradua– adding 40,000 bachelor’s and 15,000 associate degrees by 2020, tion. The initiative transcends the tenure of any mayor or college president with the goal of turning Louisville into a more competitive city, pre- and encourages influential leaders in the community to work together pared for a 21st-century knowledge economy. toward common goals. “Without college completion, we’re creating a generHispanics and African-Americans are ation of working poor,” he said. also being highlighted because the Latino The impetus for establishing 55,000 population in Louisville, though a modest degrees began in 2003 when the city of 3.8 percent of the population, has douLouisville merged with nearby suburban bled over the last decade and will likely Jefferson County. The newly merged city, increase. African-Americans have had whose combined population was 741,000 problems achieving college success, with in 2010, compared Louisville’s perforonly 14 percent in Louisville graduating mance with that of 15 similar cities and with a postsecondary degree, a rate about determined that it was in the bottom tier half that of its White students. Hence, of educational achievement. And that realLouisville is focusing on helping minority ity could hamper its economic progress. and majority students succeed in college. In 2009, Mayor Jerry E. Abramson, 55,000 Degrees brings together now Kentucky’s lieutenant governor, invitschool superintendents, college and unied the leaders of Louisville to a retreat and versity presidents and civic leaders in encouraged them to establish a plan to Louisville to collaborate on a strategy to increase college achievement. The 55,000 increase college graduation rates. Its Degrees resulted from those meetings. goals included making college affordThe initiative works closely with eight able, encouraging business leaders to get colleges in Louisville, including six fourinvolved and serve as mentors with colyear colleges, including the University of leges, and creating a college-minded culLouisville and nearby Indiana University, ture in which larger numbers of students and community colleges Jefferson advance to higher education in Kentucky. Community and Technical College and Ivy Mary Gwen Wheeler, executive director Tech Community College. of 55,000 Degrees, said its leadership It serves as a rallying point for all the identified several clear objectives, includcolleges to increase outreach to students ing: 1) overcoming any barriers to estaband gain the support of business leaders. lishing a college achieving culture, 2) But it has a modest budget, $400,000, engaging the business community to help supported by local foundations, only reach adults who haven’t achieved three full-time employees and is not a Mary Gwen Wheeler, executive director, 55,000 Degrees degrees, 3) increasing access and affordfunding source. It doesn’t provide serability, 4) improving college alignment of K-12 grades with higher education. vices but tries to motivate colleges to offer resources and outreach to stuLike many former manufacturing centers, Louisville faced a number of dents and then measure the results, Wheeler said. For example, it plant closings including those of Ford and General Electric. “Having a high launched Count Me In, a program that encourages parents and other orgaschool diploma is no longer good enough” to secure employment, nizations to make a pledge to increase college graduation. Wheeler noted. Wheeler noted that the low levels of African-American academic Creating a public and private partnership can help sustain the initiative, achievement “mirrors national numbers and reflects that Africansaid James Applegate, vice president for program development at the Lumina Americans tend to be low-income and raised in families with low college

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ing, family and child care,” said Applegate. Offering courses on site at the workplace can save time and make attaining a degree easier. He acknowledged that it was easier to reach adults in their mid-20s who recently attended college than those who are 40 and left college 20 years ago.

James Applegate, VP for program development, Lumina Foundation

achievement.” The Latino population is gaining a foothold in Louisville and is beginning to organize itself. The Latino Business Coalition, for example, has spearheaded efforts to work with colleges to raise graduation rates. After only two years of operating, “We have elevated the awareness of the importance of college degrees in the community among leadership and parents,” Wheeler said. Reaching Adults with Some College but No Degree To reach its goal of helping 55,000 students attain college degrees, the initiative is also targeting adults, particularly the 90,000 working-age adults in Louisville who started college but failed to attain degrees. Wheeler said the adult goal is 15,000 to 20,000. The Lumina Foundation provided $800,000 to fund HIRE (Higher Income Requires Education), a community-based collaboration to help adults complete their degrees. “Lumina wanted to create a scalable program, serving a large number of students,” Applegate said. He said employee engagement is critical to its success, and that employers would reap many benefits, including having a more educated workforce. Many jobs, including auto mechanics, require advanced computer skills. Its strategies include: 1) working with employees to establish best practices, 2) encouraging one-on-one counseling with employees to explore postsecondary opportunities, 3) helping postsecondary institutions identify gaps in enabling students to complete degrees. To be effective, these adult learning programs must be made amenable to an adult’s schedule. “Many adults juggle multiple balls, including work-

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How 55,000 Degrees Plays Out at One Community College As part of 55,000 Degrees, Jefferson Community and Technical College, a two-year college based in Louisville, Ky., with six campuses in four counties, has pledged to double the number of associate degrees and double the number of transfer students by 2020. After the University of Louisville, Jefferson Community has the second-largest enrollment of students and the largest enrollment of African-Americans in Kentucky. It enrolls 15,000 students a year and in 2010-11 awarded 956 associate degrees and 277 diplomas in areas such as practical nursing and surgical technology and 3,474 certificates in short-term programs. The college is affordable, costing about $4,000 in tuition for a 30-credit program. Doubling its graduates in the next eight years “won’t happen if we continue business as usual,” explained Tony Newberry, president of the college. “We have to make significant changes in the way we support our students to graduate.” Newberry said the community college is already taking steps to heighten the number of graduates and reach out to AfricanAmericans and Latinos as well. Newberry says the college is focusing on completion, where, in the past, community colleges were committed to growth, open access, and raising enrollment numbers. “Previously, we gave less attention to student success and completion,” he acknowledged. Jefferson Community is one of 160 junior colleges participating in Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, a nonprofit organization funded by the Lumina Foundation. The goal of Achieving the Dream is to remove barriers that prevent access to higher education and target minority and low-income students. As part of its involvement, Jefferson is analyzing data to determine strengths, problem areas and achievement gaps that prevent access. After analyzing the data, it will determine best practices that need to be continued and an approach to solving any gaps. In addition, community programs such as Super Sunday involve mostly African-American churches to promote attending junior college and attaining degrees. Newberry says that 55,000 Degrees, though not a funding source, has “galvanized” the Louisville community and stimulated outside funding. “It has resonated with the community, foundations and private supporters, who are coming through with significant funds,” he said. For example, the local Gheens Foundation provided a $436,000 two-year grant to the college to bolster capacity, and the college received funding from the Community Foundation of Louisville and the local Jones Family Charitable foundation. The local rotary club raised $5 million to establish a scholarship fund targeting students of the four lowest-performing Louisville high schools. More than three-quarters of Jefferson Community’s students require taking at least one developmental course. To improve its graduation rate, the college overhauled and redeveloped its developmental math program. Its data revealed that most students who passed this course proceeded to do well in other classes and many achieved degrees. But too many students were dropping out of the class. It redeveloped the course, employing an “emporium model,” which emphasizes faculty involving the class, using computers, and moving away from a lecture approach. Newberry says it will take three years to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. While the college’s Hispanic population is relatively small, Newberry noted that its ESL program, which trains bilingual teachers, has been its fastest-growing program. Many of its students are Latino, and the college is

stepping up its Latino recruitment efforts. To increase the number of transfer students, Jefferson Community participates in Ultra, standing for U of L transfer, a joint program with nearby University of Louisville. Participating students receive transfer advice from University of Louisville’s advisors, which leads to a seamless transition. They also receive a University of Louisville identification card, enabling them to use its facilities and further ease the transition to a larger college. Jefferson Community and the other community and four-year colleges are being asked to increase graduation rates, and yet state funding isn’t growing. “The new normal is we expect flat funding, so we must be smarter and more innovative about how we approach challenges,” Newberry said. If it increases graduation rates by 5 percent over three years and then 7.5 percent three years after that, it can reach its goals. Another community college has made a special effort to target Latino students. To achieve its goal of increasing its Latino and minority graduation rates, Bluegrass Community and Technical College established a multifaceted strategy that includes: 1) bilingual outreach to high schools, 2) Latino Outreach Coordinators offering support once students are enrolled in community college, 3) financial aid training, 4) peer mentoring, 5) special support and advisement to help students transfer to four-year colleges. K-12 Lays the Foundation for Success Wheeler says that for more students to obtain college degrees, the K-12 system in Louisville must be strengthened. “Our biggest challenge is closing the achievement gap now that our urban and suburban districts are combined,” she said. What’s changed in Louisville, and really throughout the country, is the former belief that some students are college material and others are not. According to Wheeler, “Everyone needs to learn continuously to be successful in our knowledge economy in the 21st century.”

Tony Newberry, president, Jefferson Community and Technical College

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Transfer Gaps for Latinos into Highly Selective Universities

The

by Michelle Adam number of Hispanics enrolling in college surged by 24 percent from 2009 to 2010. According to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of Census data, 32 percent of Hispanics 18 to 24 years old were enrolled in college in 2010 compared to 27 percent in 2009 and only 13 percent in 1972. Much of this change can be attributed to Hispanic population growth and to rising high school graduation rates, from 59 percent in 2000 to 72 percent in 2010.

Alicia Dowd, co-director, Center for Urban Education, Univ. of Southern California

While Hispanics are closing an enrollment gap in high education, there’s another gap that remains, however. Many Hispanic students – 46 percent, to be exact – attend two-year colleges, compared to only 22 percent of AsianAmericans, 27 percent of Whites and 37 percent of Blacks. This is not good news necessarily, since community college students are much less

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likely to complete an associate or bachelor’s degree compared to students who start at fouryear institutions. In addition, if they do complete degrees, they are less likely to do so from highly selective colleges. In several reports, and specifically one published in the Winter 2009 issue of Harvard Educational Review (HER), Estela Mara Bensimon and Alicia Dowd investigated the reality behind Latinos who transfer from two-year to four-year colleges (In 2009, Harvard dedicated an entire journal to the undergraduate experiences of Latina/o students, with a cover titled Consejos). Bensimon and Dowd, professor and associate professor of higher education at the University of Southern California and co-directors of the Center for Urban Education (CUE), set out to determine why Latino community college students who are eligible for highly selective universities do not, for the most part, transfer to these kinds of schools. This research was part of a greater vision of the Center for Urban Education, established in 1999 to enhance equity in educational outcomes among racial-ethnic groups and recognize the importance of Latinos transferring to and attending highly selective institutions, in an effort to close the equity achievement gap prevalent in California and beyond. “Equity issues quickly emerge when we discuss college choice, because enrollment at highly selective institutions that educate the nation’s ‘elite’ professional, business, and civic leaders is correlated with racial ethnic background (Bowen & Bok, 1998) and socioeconomic status (Bowen et al., 2005; Kahlenberg, 2004). ... California, the site of our study and the most populous U.S. state, is of particular concern because it has the fifth-largest economy in the world, and an educational system that has failed to prepare the new Hispanic majority to take its place,” wrote Bensimon and Dowd in their HER article, “Dimensions of the Transfer Choice Gap: Experiences of Latina and Latino Students Who

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Navigated Transfer Pathways.” For Bensimon and Dowd, an overrepresentation of Latinas and Latinos at community colleges and their underrepresentation at selective institutions is of concern, especially given the benefits of attending highly selective colleges. “Those who graduate from elite institutions experience substantially higher earnings in comparison to peers who earned equivalent degrees from less selective institutions (Zhang, 2008). This is in part due to greater access to profession-

Estela Mara Bensimon, co-director, Center for Urban Education, Univ. of Southern California

al and graduate study among elite college graduates, including more prestigious programs at major research universities,” wrote the authors. “In addition, those who attend highly selective institutions are much more likely to graduate than their peers at less selective institutions. Comparing African-Americans and Hispanics with similar academic characteristics, the likelihood of

graduation is 32 percent greater for students enrolled at highly selective institutions than for those enrolled at nonselective ones.” According to the authors, about 75 percent of those Latinos who enroll in higher education in California enroll in community colleges. In addition, only about five out of every 1,000 Latino first-time students make their way to a University of California (UC) school, considered the more selective of California universities. “Latinos represent only 13 percent of those enrolled at the highly selective UC campuses, which represents a substantial gap in comparison to their representation at 43 percent in California’s college-age population (Moore & Shulock, 2007, p. 2),” wrote the professors. “Among Latinos who were eligible to enroll at a UC campus in 2003, over 40 percent enrolled instead at a community college (Moore & Shulock, 2007, p. 9), which suggests that their college choice process was constrained by academic preparedness. ... Latinos with high levels of academic achievement are more likely to enroll in community college than students of other racial/ethnic groups with similar levels of preparation (Kurlaender, 2006).” In an effort to better understand why Latinos don’t attend or transfer to UC campuses, despite their eligibility, Bensimon and Dowd studied 520 fast-track students from Long Beach City College (LBCC), from a cohort of 27,422, who had gained eligibility for transfer to a UC campus within three years of their first matriculation (from 1999-2002). Among these students, 80 percent of those eligible to transfer to a UC campus did not. While the majority who were California State University (CSU) transfer-eligible (66 percent) transferred to CSU, of 198 students who were eligible to transfer to California’s most selective universities, only 20 percent actually attended them in the end. Within the study, Latinos made up 26 percent of the transfer-eligible fast-track group. Of 48 of them eligible for UC, only 11 actually transferred to the more selective university. From these students, Bensimon and Dowd selected a sample of five to interview in an effort to better understand why four out of five of them didn’t go to a UC campus, despite being eligible. “We wanted to involve faculty members in examining their transfer practices and culture. We had a big team of faculty members and counselors who engaged in all kinds of inquiry activities around transfer. We trained the faculty on how to do the research,” explained Bensimon.

“They went to the transfer center to see what materials were there and what happens to students who enter there. They reviewed the center’s website and how it helped students with transfer. They also interviewed the students to see how their transfer experience was.” As a result of extensive interviews and investigation, researchers learned the following: “They became aware of things they had not known before. The website was very difficult to navigate.

acquired the academic and social skills to be successful students,” wrote Bensimon and Dowd in HER. “Ernesto benefited from the experiences and know-how of his older brother, who provided him with a road map of how to access resources, including individuals and influential networks.” There were four other individuals – Graciela, Joaquín, Carola, and Josefina – who had a different story – a more common one of transferring

Estela Mara Bensimon (pictured l.) and Alicia Dowd (r.), co-directors, Center for Urban Education, University of Southern California

At the transfer center, it was difficult to find materials available, and they were outdated. By interviewing students, faculty also learned how hard it was to get the right information. It was hard to get to see a counselor, and they saw that perhaps they as faculty members needed to get more involved.” Of the five students who were interviewed, only one, Ernesto, did transfer to a highly selective university, the University of Southern California (USC), upon completing his two years at LBCC. Researchers attributed his success to the fact that other members of his family had already gone to USC, and he entered college set on transferring there as well. In addition, he sought out help from professors and counselors, and participated in clubs and activities that supported his goal. “His experience suggests that the college’s structure works best for those who have

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to less selective schools (despite top grades and academic success). All received little guidance, support and active involvement from those described as “transfer agents” in the study, and they came into a system without the individuals and networks that Ernesto had. Their stories mirrored those of many first-generation students who enter institutions without clear road maps, friends or family who can guide them in their journeys. They come into higher education without the expectation or support to ensure they actually transfer to top-notch schools when they are eligible to do so. The faculty researchers at LBCC had already discovered how different systems there – the transfer center, the school’s website and faculty at large – did not provide clear road maps and guidance to students. This contributed greatly to an educational system that provides access for students to enter into college, but little on how

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to succeed beyond a year or two there. “The students who we featured in the article were either lucky that someone took an interest in them and helped them or they got help on where to transfer to and how to do this. Most of these students, though, are young people who are often the first in their families to go to college. And unless someone takes them by the hand and shows them what to do, and provides them with knowledge on how to do it, it’s very hard. It would be hard for anyone,” explained Bensimon. “There was also a shortage of counselors and they only got 15-minute counseling sessions. And transferring is hard because of different articulation agreements. Many students end up with credits, and often more than they need. Each campus has its own requirements and it changes with each major.” According to “Dimensions of the Transfer Choice Gap,” most students interviewed felt uncomfortable approaching faculty or counselors, and even when they did, they didn’t know what questions to ask. They were completely lost, and the system of support in place seemed to assume students knew how to navigate their resources. The LBCC study opened doors for change there – and was the beginning of further faculty and staff-centered research at colleges and universities in California and beyond. “The good ending to this story was that the college established a transfer academy where students coming into the school get a lot more attention than before. They now visit colleges, and there is an organized program that orients students in the transfer process,” said Bensimon. Beyond LBCC, however, the professor soon discovered how institutions and specifically their faculty have a rather narrow idea of what’s possible for Latinos – a mindset that blocks many of them from being effective transfer agents for students. Through a process she has developed, Bensimon showed them major equity gaps in education, and expected faculty to be startled. Instead, they saw equity gaps as “to be expected.” “It never occurred to me, especially here in California, that faculty members would actually have stereotypical ideas of Latinos and also of African-American students. They saw them as students who were not prepared for college and saw equity gaps as normal,” said Bensimon. “As faculty members, all of our theories of student success – on who succeeds and who doesn’t – are mostly based on individual characteristics of students, and on their effort. But we do not have a tradition of looking at our own

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institutional or faculty efforts in helping students succeed. We expect our students to be the only authors of their success.” According to Bensimon, higher education has expanded access for a previously excluded population, but the expectations have all been placed on the students to adapt themselves to institutions. “We have created compensatory programs to help students succeed, but we haven’t done enough to remediate our own practices and beliefs. We haven’t done a lot to adapt ourselves to the change in the student population,” she said. “What we have found, though, is that if we involve faculty members in research methods, we facilitate a process by which they are more likely to see what is not working. Through this we can bring about change, not only in awareness but also in willingness to change practices and structures at the individual and institutional level. “We help faculty members, in the end, to become involved in guiding students and giving them information (on areas like essay-writing, transfer applications, and researching different universities).” Under Bensimon’s and Dowd’s direction, CUE has created an Equity Scorecard to help schools look at themselves and actually measure how equitable they really are in their educational outcomes for racial-ethnic groups. At LBCC, and at many more institutions now working with the center, evidence teams made up of faculty, student affairs professionals, and administrators are conducting action research that reflects the status of racial-ethnic equity in the area of access, retention, excellence and completion. They go through five phases in this process: laying the groundwork, defining the problems, assessing interventions, implementing solutions and evaluating results. The results of the Equity Scorecard are then shared with the larger campus community, and include benchmarks toward equity and an action plan for achieving these goals. Through this process, the higher education community begins to hold itself accountable for the success of all of its students, and does so by creating a more supportive environment. Since its beginning in 1999, CUE has worked with more than 100 institutions in 10 states, with nearly 70 colleges, universities, and state systems undertaking the full Equity Scorecard process. The majority of these schools have been in California, but others are in Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New

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York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. “The changes that we are seeing are at various levels. One is in data practices. When we started this work, many institutions did not routinely separate data by race and ethnicity. They weren’t monitoring equity gaps on a regular basis. We have seen this change, and have seen some schools establish goals in improving outcomes based on race and ethnicity,” said Bensimon. “The other change we have seen is that we have impacted the language used. Schools now talk about equity versus talking about amorphous diversity. They are also coming to understand that it is not just about access to higher education, but needing to create equity in outcomes. They are asking themselves whether they are graduating Latinos to the proportion of the representation of their first year in class.” Bensimon also pointed out palpable changes like that at LBCC – where systems and structures have been altered. Some schools, such as Los Medanos College in Northern California, are now focused on increasing transfers from community colleges with predominately minority populations. “We are seeing a shift from blaming students for their failures to becoming more equity-minded. Now schools are looking at what they are doing and what they can do differently,” she said. “Professors are discovering that their syllabi are authoritarian and not welcoming. They are realizing how they are not extending themselves to students. Now, they are making more structured time for students to see them (A lot of first-generation students are shy and don’t know what they would say if they met with faculty members. They often don’t come with a sense of empowerment). Some professors are becoming more of an advocate for their students.” While Bensimon has seen positive change in equity practices at schools partnering with the center, she also recognizes the current state of our nation. “There is greater inequality now then there has ever been. The U.S. has been ranked among one of the most unequal countries in terms of social equality, and if you look at the most elite institutions of higher education, they are predominately White. We are going to become more socially polarized if we don’t change. “I am only optimistic in that there are institutions and systems that want to work with us. They are willing to invest in doing something to change. This gives me hope.”

In the Trenches...

Why Intellectual Entrepreneurship Can Increase Diversity by Rick Cherwitz

Why

do talented minority students choose not to attend graduate school? Many admit not giving serious thought to traditional graduate degrees, preferring to enter law, medicine or business – not only because of money and prestige but also awareness of the societal impact of these pursuits. Students from a minority community or those first in their family to attend college might perceive withdrawal from the rough and tumble of everyday problems as dereliction. Minority and first-generation students might be very bright and capable of learning at the highest levels, yet feel the tug of social responsibility. But graduate education need not be viewed as an insular enterprise devoid of social relevance. At the University of Texas (UT)-Austin, “Intellectual Entrepreneurship” (IE) is an innovative vision and model of education that challenges students to be “citizen-scholars.” By engaging students in community projects where they discover and put knowledge to work, as well as requiring them to identify and adapt to audiences for whom their research matters, IE has documented, for 15 years, the enormous value to society of graduate study. What does the IE philosophy of education have to do with increasing diversity? IE was devised in 1997 to increase the value of graduate education for all students. Yet we discovered in 2002-03 that 20 percent of students enrolled in IE were underrepresented minorities, while this same group comprised only 9 percent of UT-Austin’s total graduate student population. Minorities reported that, by rigorously exploring how to succeed, IE helped demystify graduate school. More importantly, students noted that IE provided one of the few opportunities to contemplate in a genuine entrepreneurial fashion how to utilize their intellectual capital to give back to the community – something motivating many minority students. The spirit of intellectual entrepreneurship seems to resonate with and meet a felt need of minority and first-generation students, facilitating exploration and innovation. IE implores students to create for themselves a world of vast intellectual and practical possibilities, acquiring the resources needed to bring their visions to fruition. Put simply, IE changes the metaphor and model of education from one of “apprenticeship-certification-entitlement” to one of “discovery-ownership-accountability.” The IE philosophy’s potential to increase diversity in graduate school is

best documented by the “IE Pre-Graduate School Internship” begun in 2003-04. This initiative pairs undergraduates with faculty supervisors and graduate student mentors. Interns work with their mentors and supervisors on research projects, observe graduate classes, shadow graduate student teaching and research assistants, participate in disciplinary activities and explore their futures. IE interns function not as passive targets of recruitment but as “anthropologists,” immersing themselves in the day-today experiences and activities of graduate school and then interrogating the academic culture in which someday they may reside. Besides providing useful tools to undergraduates already certain about graduate study and committed to a specific academic discipline, the PreGraduate School Internship is an exercise in entrepreneurial learning: it affords opportunities for students to discover their passions, the value of academic disciplines, and the culture of graduate study – something that currently is not a staple of the undergraduate experience. Each year, between 55 percent to 60 percent of IE Pre Graduate School interns are underrepresented minorities and/or first-generation students; approximately 35 percent are Hispanic or African-American. Interns report that for the first time in their undergraduate career, a “space” existed to reflect on the role education plays in meeting their goals. IE empowered them to view academic disciplines not as artificial containers in which students are housed, but as lenses through which to clarify their visions and as tools by which their goals might be realized. Especially exciting – about 50 percent of IE Pre Graduate School interns pursue graduate study following completion of their baccalaureate degree. No wonder this initiative received an “Examples of Excelencia” Award as a top program for graduate institutions in the U.S. The value of IE as a mechanism for increasing diversity inheres in its capacity to allow students to become entrepreneurs – to discover otherwise unobserved connections between academe and personal and professional commitments. This potential owes to the fact that IE does not segregate intellectual, personal and professional development, as is the case on most college campuses today; instead they are linked parts of an entrepreneurial approach to learning. From IE, we have learned that to increase diversity the applicant pool must be expanded; graduate education must be transparent and relevant. Moreover, entrepreneurial education and experiences must be available for undergraduates, enabling them to discover how graduate study brings their visions to fruition. Entrepreneurial learning begins with students’ curiosities and goals driving their lives, challenging them to own and be accountable for their educational choices and intellectual development. Dr. Rick Cherwitz, professor in the department of communication studies at the University of Texas-Austin, is founder and director of the Intellectual Entrepreneurship Consortium in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.

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Community College Dropouts Expen$ive – New Reports Propose Changes by Frank DiMaria

“Taxpayers are investing billions of dollars to support students who

never complete their first year. And these students are paying tuition,

borrowing money, and taking time away from work to pursue

certificates or degrees they aren’t getting. We must pay far more

attention to the high costs of low retention rates.”

Mark Schneider, vice president American Institutes for Research

hen a student drops out of a community college without completing a degree program, it is a sad proposition. But what many people don’t realize is that low retention rates and high dropout rates at community colleges are actually costing American taxpayers money. With one-fifth of all full-time community college students not returning for a second year, that’s a lot of waste. Over the past five years, federal, state and local governments have spent nearly $4 billion on full-time community college students who dropped out after their first year without completing their certificate or degree pro-

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grams, according to The Hidden Costs of Community Colleges, a report released by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). State and local governments appropriated close to $3 billion to community colleges to help pay for the education of students who did not return for a second year. States spent more than $240 million, and the federal government spent approximately $660 million in student grants to support students who did not return. For the 2008-09 academic year, the most recent year for which data are available, nearly $1 billion of taxpayer money was spent on first-year, full-time students who dropped out, about

35 percent more than five years earlier. Figure 1. State and Local Appropriations to First-Year Community College Students Who Subsequently Dropped Out “Taxpayers are investing billions of dol$700 million lars to support students who never complete their first year,” said Mark Schneider, $650 million a vice president at AIR who wrote the report. $600 million “And these students are paying tuition, borrowing money, and taking time away $550 million from work to pursue certificates or degrees they aren’t getting. We must pay far more attention to the high costs of low retention $500 million rates,” says Schneider. The hidden cost of community colleges is rising, according to $450 million Schneider, noting that community college enrollments have increased, while comple$400 million tion rates have decreased. 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2004-05 With the American economy in the doldrums the past several years, community colleges have been instrumental in helping Figure 2. Government Grants to First-Year Community College Students Who Subsequently Dropped Out unemployed Americans update their skill $300 million sets and get back into the workforce for a reasonable tuition. And many Americans $250 million have benefited from the education they received from community colleges. $200 million Labor force data show that the certificates and associate degrees awarded by community colleges generate significant $150 million returns on the investment that students and taxpayers make in these institutions. $100 million When compared to the costs of attending a bachelor’s degree-granting institution, the $50 million cost of attending a community college is usually far less. Therefore, it is not sur$0 prising that community colleges now earn 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 a high level of attention and respect from policymakers across the country. State Grants Federal Grants Total Grants “Community colleges are an important gateway to higher education. They have given the economic downturn a low tuition cost, accessibility and an open graduates by the year 2020. As America increasingly relies on community enrollment policy. They’re very important for many, many students, like colleges to play a vital role in increasing the number of Americans who first-generation and minority students. In some states, they are the only way have a postsecondary education and retraining jobless workers, more you get into a four-year school,” says Schneider. “And that’s what makes federal and foundation dollars are flowing to these institutions to educate them fundamentally important to America’s higher education system.” their students. For many low-income and minority students, community colleges are “The demands are really heavy on community colleges, and the expecthe only viable option to get an education and update or obtain workforce tations are really heavy on community colleges,” says Schneider. The averskills. As a result, enrollment at community colleges has been growing, age three-year graduation rate at America’s community colleges is about and policymakers are asking these institutions to play a bigger role in the 20 percent (40 percent if transfers are included). The four-year graduanation’s higher education system. More than six million students attended tion rate is about 40 percent. “This is the average. Unfortunately, if you community colleges last year, 25 percent more than a decade ago. During look at Black and Hispanic graduation rates, they tend to be half of the the last five years, the number of first-time, full-time degree- or certificate- national average,” says Schneider. seeking community college students has been increasing. In 2009, more Using U.S. Department of Education data, AIR analyzed full-time stuthan 800,000 of these students enrolled in community colleges. But as the dents who didn’t return for a second year, while adjusting figures to report reveals, far too few will ever complete their programs. account for students who transferred to four-year institutions. The cost of Community colleges are so important to America’s success that dropouts would be higher if AIR included part-time students and other President Obama has called for five million more community college government funding, such as direct federal support and capital expendi-

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tures, in the analysis. States and their taxpayers feel the economic pain of low retention rates and high community college dropout rates far more than the federal government because states spend more than the federal government on community colleges. With nearly every state facing serious budget shortfalls, the cost of community college dropouts to state taxpayers is especially troubling. The annual amount state and local governments appropriated for fulltime college students who dropped out before the second year grew by almost a third during the five-year period that AIR analyzed, rising from more than $500 million in 2004-05 to more than $650 million in 200809. Eight states spent more than $25 million in 2008-09 in grants and appropriations on dropouts. California spent the most, more than $100 million, while Texas and New York each spent more than $40 million that year alone. Federal grants that go directly to needy students have risen in recent years. Over five years, more than $650 million of this federal student aid, primarily Pell Grants, went to first-year community college dropouts, $64 million to California students alone. There is ongoing debate about why community college students have such low success rates. Business as usual is not working, according to the report, and community colleges have to change their approach to educating their students on various fronts. One of those fronts is student mathematics remediation. Part of the explanation for low success rates has to do with the difficulty of educating the many students who enroll in community colleges but might not have the math skills to handle college math courses. The report offers a solution to this problem – Statway, a remedial mathematics education initiative developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Currently 19 colleges employ Statway. Schneider says that students coming into community colleges have spent 12 years at the elementary and secondary level, and during those years they have been taught math, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. However, they never mastered the skills necessary to excel in any of these subjects. These students are placed in a 12-week remediation course during which their professors try to “re-do everything you didn’t learn in 12 years – here it is really fast,” Schneider says with a laugh. Statway is built on the premise that statistics, data analysis and quantitative reasoning are more important than algebra, calculus and trigonometry and are essential for a growing number of occupations and professions. Statway’s hope is that this focus will lead to increased student engagement and success. “For some bizarre reason, the math sequencing in the K-12 world aims at calculus. Students are not getting probability and statistics, which are way more important than calculus. Some community colleges are beginning to shift away from this traditional math – calculus, et cetera,” says Schneider. Schneider believes the American education system must rethink the K-12 career track, but he is not putting all the blame on America’s elementary and secondary schools. “It’s everybody’s problem. I think K-12 has done a good enough job in articulating its programs with community colleges and four-year colleges. I think far too many students are getting out with degrees and are not ready for college work. But I also believe that community colleges have not stepped up to the plate. They have not done everything they need to do to make sure that students succeed,” says Schneider. Students flow into community colleges from K-12 schools, yet educa-

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tion treats K-12 and community colleges as separate worlds. “Students come out of high school and they think they have math and writing when they graduated, and they have all these skills, but they get to college and they are told they need remediation,” says Schneider. The reason? – K-12 standards are not in line with those of community colleges. Community college students are not traditional college students. Many have already entered America’s workforce and attend classes when not working their full-time jobs. Because of the demographics of community colleges, they must offer more flexible scheduling to accommodate these students. Complete College America, a nonprofit that works with states to increase the number of Americans with quality career certificates or college degrees, issued a report called Time Is the Enemy in which it suggested block schedules with fixed and predictable classroom meeting times so students know with certainty when they need to be on campus and when they can go to work. The report also calls for shorter academic terms, less time off between terms and year-round scheduling to help these students complete their degree or certificate programs in a more timely manner and apply their new skills in the workforce more rapidly. The City University of New York, for example, offers what it calls the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs or ASAP. This initiative helps working students balance jobs and school and complete associate degrees more quickly by using block scheduling, student cohorts by major and other supports. The results speak for themselves as ASAP students have three times the graduation rate of their peers. Another way to expedite a student’s degree or certificate completion is to allow students to earn credits for proven competencies. The standard model of higher education rewards students for “seat time.” Students who attend the required amount of classes throughout the 14week semester and complete the minimum requirements for the course, receive credit. “That does not mean the student mastered any of the skills or any of the concepts that were part of it. It just means you were there long enough and sat through enough of it,” says Schneider. “Competency-based education is something we’re going to have to face up to and get behind.” Schneider calls competency-based education a perfectly legitimate method of determining if a student has earned a certificate or degree. Increasingly companies require certification skills and certification competencies, and there is a small movement in which policymakers in high education are talking about moving to competency-based education. One school that has made competency-education central to its model is Valencia Community College in Florida. Valencia was Aspen Institute’s selection as the best community college in America last year and boasts a graduation rate almost twice as high as the national average for community colleges. The competency-based education approach is also central to Western Governors University’s philosophy. The school has entered into agreements with a number of states to provide postsecondary degrees online. The AIR report also suggests that community colleges invest heavily in technology and combine adaptive learning, adaptive testing and social media into new “hybrid” learning platforms. Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative is often singled out as the current “best in class.” Although technological fixes have been used previously, says the report, the current environment seems to hold promise by increasing flexibility and personalizing the rate at which students attain necessary skills.

Since the states are taking the brunt of the financial hit, they must do some of the heavy lifting to increase community college graduation rates. The report suggests incentives to improve community college retention and completion rates. Today, one of the most common approaches is to introduce performance budgeting – rewarding colleges with more money if they improve the success of their students. This approach began with Tennessee in the mid-1970s but has recently gained momentum, with as many as half the states experimenting with various formulas for rewarding institutional performance, says the report. According to Schneider, the reality of low retention rates and high dropout rates at community colleges means everyone loses. Students invest

their time, money and energy to get a degree or a certificate, but they wind up dropping out in the first year. They might get some small labor market reward for trying, says Schneider, but the biggest bump would be in completing a degree program. Taxpayers, like students, also lose. Taxpayers subsidize the students’ endeavors with grants. “Community colleges don’t charge a lot, but they are not cheap. ... They’re less expensive than four-year schools, but if you standardize by the number of successful students, some of the degrees they produce are actually really, really expensive,” says Schneider.

Scholars’ Corner Attending and graduating from college is a huge milestone for many Latina/o students, and many of us face social and economic barriers along the way. The relatively few of us who are able to navigate the educational pipeline do so with the guidance of mentors, and with the help of insurgent programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program and the McNair Scholars Program. As a second-generation Chicana and first-generation college student from a low-income migrant family, I consider it my social responsibility to continue to carve out a path for future Latina/o students and other underrepresented minority students who want to pursue higher education. As a nontraditional student myself, I am especially interested in guiding young Latina mothers who have aspirations for college. One of my proudest accomplishments was earning my BA in sociology at California State University-Sacramento. I was a teenage mother at the time, and I had my child during the first year of my undergraduate education. I enrolled my son in on-campus child care, and I would drop him off, go to class, pick him up and then go home to read and do assignments, in addition to working part time. I enjoy working with students who are parents and other nontraditional students because I can definitely relate to their struggles. I earned my Ph.D. in sociology at the University of California-Santa Barbara, where I recently defended my dissertation, in the fall of 2011. My dissertation research investigates the racial and ethnic identity of Blaxican individuals who are the offspring of Black and Chicana/o interracial unions in the United States. By focusing on the identity of offspring from two historically oppressed groups, Blacks and Chicanas/os, my research is exciting because it breaks from the tradition of conceptualizing race in terms of a “monoracial” White/Black color line. Rather, I look at how Chicanas/os/Black multiracials construct a hybrid identity that blends Mexican- and African-American cultures and experiences. Being an American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Graduate Fellow was an exceptional experience. I had the opportunity to network with amazing Latina/o scholars, faculty and administrators from around the country. The AAHHE conference was a space for professional, intellectual and spiritual growth. I learned about the latest research on the Latina/o educational forefront and shared ideas with other scholars and practitioners who are passionate about the betterment of educational experiences for Latinas/os as a whole. Overall, the AAHHE program was a rejuvenation of the spirit because it was an atmosphere of encouragement, change and motivation for the future.

By Rebecca Romo Sociology Department, University of California-Santa Barbara, 2010 Graduate Fellow

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Hispanic Mentors Guide College-Bound Hispanic Students

by Mary Ann Cooper eople often say, “If I only knew then what I know now.” This sentiment is especially relevant to Hispanic high school students as they try to come up with a life plan before they complete 12th grade. Even if these students find their way to college and successfully navigate higher education, valuable time is wasted in their high school years if they are not exposed to mentoring. In addition, how many more students would approach higher education or job training with a purpose and confidence if they had a mentor to help them focus on their career goals? In 1992, Rolando Moreno, former football trainer in University of California-San Diego (UCSD) and alumnus of Escondido High School, gave a speech to UCSD students about skills necessary to make the professional connections required to succeed in their chosen careers. Students responded that they wished they’d been given this kind of targeted practical advice in high school. Five years later, Moreno created the program “Mentores Latinos de America” (Latino Mentors of America), which creates connections between Hispanic professionals and Hispanic students to guide them in career choices and career placement. He worked for seven years in colleges before introducing the program to Hispanic high school students. The mentoring program includes 50 mentoring professionals, including doctors and successful businesspersons, who visit schools and meet with Hispanic students. Mentores has been implemented in schools in San Diego, Los Angeles and Sacramento. Moreno posits that mentoring not only helps Hispanic students focus and excel in their chosen profession, it can also help these students find employment by allowing them to establish professional connections needed to network in their field. Hispanic mentors schedule conferences with students on a week-to-week or month-to-month basis. They often continue to mentor them after they’ve enrolled in college. All mentors in Moreno’s program are interviewed

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by the program’s committee, schooled in the program’s philosophy and obligations, and pass a criminal record check. Recruiting Hispanic Mentors Mentores Latinos de America is one of a number of programs aimed at mentoring Hispanic students in their formative years. Big Brothers Big Sisters has its Hispanic Mentoring Program, which serves more than 45,000 children nationwide. Now in its 10th year, the program incorporates Hispanic families into the mentoring process to lend further support to each individual student. Its national partners in this effort include MetLife Foundation, Cargill, the Goizueta Foundation, Univision and Orci. The organization points to Census figures as its imperative for Hispanic mentoring. The Hispanic population has grown 43 percent in the past 10 years, accounting for more than half of the country’s population growth since 2000. The Brothers Big Sisters Hispanic Mentoring Program started with 10 pilot agencies. As of 2011, 175 agencies had Hispanic children in its mentoring programs, 18 percent (about 45,000) of all children served nationwide. Big Brothers Big Sisters recognizes the need for many more Hispanic mentors. A disproportionate number of Hispanic and AfricanAmerican boys are waiting to be matched with Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors. The unending quest for mentors is something that Big Brothers Big Sisters and Mentores Latinos de America have in common. Moreno has said that finding professionals qualified to give sound advice and information and able to devote time and energy to the program is its “biggest limitation.” Big Brothers Big Sisters launched a public relations effort to solicit its mentors by enlisting high-profile Hispanics to serve as its ambassadors. Last year, it kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month by announcing WBC World Welterweight Boxing Champion Víctor Ortiz as its new celebrity ambassador. Ortiz appeared in public service announcements in both English and Spanish dis-

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cussing the impact a mentoring relationship can have on mentor and student and encouraged adult males to “become champions” for local youths in search of mentors. Another organization, Future Leaders of America Inc., provides mentoring services in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County and parts of Los Angeles. It was a grass-roots response to the low academic achievement, lack of parent involvement and limited civic engagement witnessed by Gilbert Cuevas, a school counselor in Oxnard, among many Latino students and families. Its goals are to: • Motivate students to excel academically and access college admission and financial aid resources in order to earn a bachelor’s degree • Help underprivileged youth become leaders, effective communicators and positive role models for other youth • Instill an ethic of civic responsibility and the confidence to actively participate in the democratic process to better the lives of others Gender-Specific Mentoring Some noteworthy mentoring organizations are gender specific. Recognizing that in the past two decades, Latinas are becoming leaders in business and the community, in 2000, Juana Bordas established the Circle of Latina Leadership (CLL) to help “prepare the next generation of leaders.” CLL’s executive director is Martha Rubi Byers. Since 2003, Circle alumnae have run a youth mentoring program called Hermanitas (little sisters) with high-risk Latina junior high school girls. Hermanitas has provided positive role modeling, education, and personal development to more than 105 young women. Hermanitas spans the school year and includes monthly group educational programs, service projects, community networking events, as well as attendance at the annual LA RAZA youth conference. Hermanitas mentors are young Hispanic women who share the same cultural background as the youth they mentor. They stand as personal examples of how to achieve career goals and dreams.

In addition, the program is bilingual, so nonEnglish-speaking family members and students can be part of the program and discussion. The Circle targets Latinas at least 25 years old who are emerging community and grassroots leaders with a history of community involvement and volunteerism. They want Latinas who aspire to make a greater contribution to their community and heritage. Their ideal candidates want to learn, improve their skills, and commit to work for the advancement of the Hispanic community. The Circle works hard to represent the diversity of the Hispanic community and includes women from nonprofits, education, government and volunteers.

For Hispanic men, there is Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success) launched in 2010 by Dr. Víctor B. Sáenz, assistant professor, University of Texas (UT)-Austin, and his research team (made up of UT doctoral students and other collaborators). In recent years, Latinas have been attending and obtaining degrees in college at a more robust pace than Latinos. Project MALES approaches the need to close the Hispanic education gender gap through a program of mentoring and research. Research compiled in 2010 from the National Center for Education Statistics tells the tale. Latino males have the lowest high school

graduation rates as well as the lowest college enrollment and completion rates of any subgroup. Latinas earned 61 percent of all associate or bachelor’s degrees bestowed on Hispanics in 2009. Sáenz concludes (Sáenz & Ponjuan, 2009), “The educational future for our nation’s Latino male student population is in a state of peril. Even as the number of Hispanics attending college and attaining degrees has increased steadily in recent years, the proportional representation of Latino males continues to lag behind their female peers.” Along with its research program, Project MALES has a pilot mentoring project for Latino males at UT-Austin and the Central Texas community.

Theory into Practice In his article, “Planning a School-Based Mentoring Program,” published in Lessons Learned (volume 1, issue 4, November 2010), by Education Northwest, Michael Garringer lists four “lessons learned” in planning a school-based mentoring program. They provide the basis for any school-mentoring program. Develop a logic model that specifies how mentoring works for your students. Make sure to establish a logical connection between what your outcome will be and of what your program consists. Says Garringer, “Many school-based programs promise funders that they will impact areas like grades and test scores, drug and alcohol abuse, and family and peer relations, without ever really articulating how the intervention of mentoring is designed to achieve those results.” Just forming mentoring relationships does not necessarily achieve some of these positive goals. These goals have to be paired with a specific plan. Make sure your model has appropriate short- and long-term outcomes. Garringer explains, “While your program may have long-range goals such as increased college attendance or improved graduation rates for participants, keep in mind that they may be quite a ways off.” He says it is important to focus on more immediate positive results such as improved classroom discipline and study habits. Build a solid infrastructure for implementing the program. The one advantage that school-based mentoring (SBM) programs have is a brick-andmortar structure and personnel to launch and maintain the program. But there is still much work to be done and monies to be invested to make a successful SBM. Garringer suggests that the school assign a coordinator to run the program and keep it organized. If the program is being run at different schools, this coordinator should have a contact to deal with at each location. He also encourages schools to find partners in the community who can “provide mentors, expertise in managing the program, or access to fun and educational activities for your mentoring pairs.” Plan for the issues that the school year itself presents. A successful SBM programming is one that adapts to the school calendar and comes up with contingency plans for vacations, shortened days, conflicting schedules and the general chaos of the normal school environment. Garringer points out, “Short duration and a limited number of meetings hinder the development of many mentoring relationships in the school environment. Successful mentoring is all about quality interactions that take place consistently over long periods of time, and both the daily school schedule and the annual calendar of the school year can get in the way.” The best way to address those concerns is by careful planning. Hit the ground running. Don’t wait until the school starts to find and train mentors. Do it over the summer. Sign up students early by reaching out to their parents. And plan summer and holiday activities and meetings to keep the process moving. Prepare for the long haul from day one. There is no easy fix or finish line for SBM projects. One potential problem is a letdown once the hard work of establishing and funding the project is reached. Funding that suddenly dries up causes SBMs to close and mentored students to lose their one lifeline to learning and career advancement. This is more devastating to young people than never being exposed to mentoring in the first place. Garringer explains, “This situation also frustrates volunteers, parents, program partners, and the school administrators and staff. A failed mentoring program can sour an entire community on mentoring for a long time. While many programs are started on initial ‘seed’ funds, you must plan for alternative sources of support once that initial grant runs out.”

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The Hispanic Outlook In Higher Education

www.hispanicoutlook.com

Excelencia in Education Releases make their states and our country stronger,” New Research on Latino College said U.S. Rep. Charles González, chairman Completion in Each State of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. WASHINGTON, D.C.

To inform state-level action on Latino college completion, Excelencia in Education has released 50 separate research-based fact sheets detailing the current status of college completion among Latinos in each state. “The United States cannot retain its international competitiveness unless we improve Latino college completion. While there are things we must do in Washington to advance this cause, this is an issue that requires leadership at all levels – from school boards to statehouses across America. True to its unique ability to provide actionable data and to engage a multitude of stakeholders to accelerate Latino college completion, Excelencia in Education has given leaders in all 50 states information they can use to engage the talents of Latino students and

College Board Launches Affinity Network, Convening K-12 and Higher Ed Sectors to Create Best Practices RESTON, Va.

The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center has announced the launch of the Affinity Network, to build and strengthen connections between K-12 and postsecondary education systems and facilitate successful transition from high school to college. The network will bring together educators and administrators from across sectors to tackle a new critical issue each year that requires K-12 and postsecondary systems to work together in order to find solutions. More than 100 participants from 17 26

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June 25, 2012

Each fact sheet includes state-level data on the population, representation among K through 12 students, educational attainment of adults, multiple measures of equity gaps in degree attainment, and examples of promising practices across the country for improving Latino college completion. “The state-level data on Latino college completion show that today’s investment, or lack thereof, in Latino academic preparation and degree attainment can have a compounding effect on state populations, economies and communities in the near future,” said Deborah Santiago, Excelencia in Education’s co-founder and vice president for policy and research. “State policymakers as well as institutional and community leaders have opportunities to improve their educational attainment, economic strength, and community engagement by investing now in the academic preparation and achievement of Latinos.”

While the detailed data vary from state to state, several trends emerged from Excelencia’s research: • Latinos are much younger than the national and state populations overall • Latinos are a larger share of the K-12 public school population than they are of national and state populations overall • Latino adults have lower degree attainment levels than other groups • The graduation rates for Latinos are lower than that of White, non-Hispanics • The equity gap in undergraduate credentials per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) students between Latinos and White, non-Hispanics is smaller than other completion metrics • The equity gap in degree attainment between Latinos and White, non-Hispanics was highest for undergraduate credentials per 1,000 adults with no college degree To download an executive summary along with individual fact sheets for each state, visit: www.edexcelencia.org/eaf/ 50states/.

institutions (school districts, two-year and four-year higher education institutions) and six states (Georgia, Washington, Oklahoma, Indiana, Maryland and Nevada) gathered in April at the inaugural convening of the College Board Affinity Network. Affinity Network members, who include directors of curriculum and instruction, teachers, counselors, academic deans and department directors, professors, vice presidents of enrollment, vice presidents of academic affairs, and vice provosts, began to address key questions around the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). CCSS were created to ensure that students graduate from high school ready to enter and succeed in entrylevel, credit-bearing college courses without

the need for remediation. “To succeed, the Common Core State Standards will require integrated and aligned K-12 and postsecondary policies and practices. The Affinity Network is designed to help participants work to support CCSS implementation with the active engagement and full partnership between higher education and K-12 sectors,” said Christen Pollock, vice president for the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center. Through the Affinity Network, the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center provides expertise, curates and customizes content, and translates research for network participates to enable them to make informed decisions and generate inspired ideas and solutions.

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The Hispanic Outlook In Higher Education

Center for American Progress: How Rising Student Loan Interest Rates Disproportionately Hurt Students of Color WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Center for American Progress, anticipating a significant raising of the interest rate on federally subsidized Stafford Loans if Congress doesn’t act, recently issued its own fact sheet showing how the rate hike will have devastating consequences on more than seven million students nationwide who currently hold a Stafford Loan, and will hit students of color especially hard. Among the issues raised by the center: • Studies show that only 37 percent of students are able to repay their loans on time; students of color are more likely to depend on financial aid to attend college and have higher trends of student debt • Student college loan debt is now higher

Pew Hispanic Center: Net Migration from Mexico Falls to Zero – and Perhaps Less WASHINGTON, D.C.

The largest wave of immigration in history from a single country to the United States has come to a standstill. After four decades that brought 12 million current immigrants, more than half of whom came illegally, the net migration flow from Mexico to the United States has stopped – and may have reversed – according to a new analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center of multiple government data sets from both countries.

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than all credit card debt in the country put together; nationwide, student debt is at $867 billion compared to credit card debt at $704 billion • A 2010 study by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center found that student loan debt levels of $30,500 or higher were more common among 27 percent of Black bachelor’s degree recipients compared to 16 percent of their White counterparts • Youth unemployment (ages 16 to 24) is highest among youth of color, with rates for African-American youth at 30 percent and Latino youth at 20 percent, compared to the White youth unemployment rate of 16 percent • Students who will lose eligibility or be cut from the Pell Grant program – a means of access to higher education and social opportunity for low-income families – will likely turn to loans to make up the difference • From 2001 to 2011, the number of

Latinos with a bachelor’s degree or higher education increased 80 percent from 2.1 million to 3.8 million, but by 2012 only 14 percent of all U.S. Latinos over the age of 25 had bachelor’s degrees, compared to 34 percent of Whites; this means that low-interest-rate loans are that much more important to Latino youth in completing their college careers • More students of color are taking out private loans, exposing them to more financial risk • Students of color are more likely to enroll in for-profit schools, which currently account for nearly half of student loan defaults • Students of color with higher student debt are left with fewer options. The Center for American Progress advocates for making college more affordable, particularly at a time when students need a good education to be competitive in the international economy.

The standstill appears to be the result of many factors, including the weakened U.S. job and housing construction markets, heightened border enforcement, a rise in deportations, the growing dangers associated with illegal border crossings, the longterm decline in Mexico’s birth rates and changing economic conditions in Mexico. “We don’t know whether the wave will resume, but we do know that the current standstill is more than just a temporary pause,” said Paul Taylor, director of the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. “Net migration from Mexico has been at zero – and perhaps less – since 2007.”

The report, Net Migration from Mexico Falls to Zero – and Perhaps Less, is based on the center’s analysis of data from five different Mexican government sources and four U.S. government sources. The Mexican data come from the Mexican Decennial Censuses, the Mexican Population Counts, the National Survey of Demographic Dynamics, the National Survey of Occupation and Employment, and the Survey on Migration at the Northern Border of Mexico. The U.S. data come from the 2010 Census, the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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HI S PAN I C S O N T H E MO VE Ortiz New Chancellor at Peralta Community College District

NSHMBA Elects Martin and Jara to Lead National Board of Directors

Fresno State Alumnus Patiño Built Bridges to College for Latino Youth

The Board of Trustees of the Peralta Community College District has announced the appointment of Dr. José M. Ortiz as its new chancellor to lead Berkeley City College, College of Alameda and Laney and Merritt colleges in Oakland, Calif. Ortiz, who had been superintendent/president of Allan Hancock College, will start his new post in July. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Master of Arts in teaching English as a second language from West Chester State University and a doctorate in education policy, planning and administration from the University of Maryland-College Park.

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs recently announced the election of new lead-

Phillip Patiño, retired coach, teacher and alumnus who founded a California State University-Fresno program to inspire young Latino males, recently passed away. He was 84. Patiño founded the annual Sí Se Puede Hispanic male conference with Fresno State University’s Outreach Services office to inform and inspire Latino high school boys. He supervised student teachers at Fresno State’s Kremen School of Education and Human Development for 10 years following his 1991 retirement. In August, the Chicano Alumni honored Patiño with its 2011 Chicano Alumni Legacy Builder, recognizing Fresno State alumni who have made significant contributions to the Chicano experience at the university and in the community.

López New CBO for Compton Community College District The Compton Community College District (Calif.) recently welcomed Felipe López as the new chief business officer (CBO) for the district. The CBO serves as chief financial advisor to the CEO and oversees all financial aspects of the district, including administration of fiscal and business affairs, longrange financial and operational planning, and budget development. López has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from California Baptist University and a certificate in accounting for governmental and nonprofit organizations from the University of California-Riverside.

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NLBWA Elects Sánchez as Board President The National Latina Business Women Association (NLBWA) announced the election of Suzanna Sánchez as national board president. Sánchez will serve a two-year term, overseeing operations of the national board of directors, focusing on growing the organization, aligning partnerships and supporting development of chapters across the country. Sánchez is president and founder of Savvy Solutions Inc., specializing in improving clients’ performance and growth by developing integrated business and new media solutions for new market entries.

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Barrueco Performs at Salisbury This spring’s Peter and Judy Jackson Chamber Music Series at Salisbury University (Md.) opened with classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco. The internationally recognized Barrueco has been described as a superb instrumentalist, and a superior and elegant musician, possessing an uncommon lyrical gift. His career has been dedicated to bringing guitar to the main musical centers of the world. His program at Salisbury included J.S. Bach’s Suite in D Major; Scarlatti’s Five Sonatas; Sierra’s Sonata Para Guitarra; Tárrega’s Capricho Árabe; and Albéniz’s “Cordoba” from Cantos de España, Op 232, No. 4, and “Torre Bermeja” from Doce Piezas Características, Op. 92.

ership for its national board of directors. Yvonne Martin (pictured l.), director for strategic accounts of the Integrated Business Solutions team at United Technologies Corp., is the new board chair. Stuart Jara (r.), managing director of Inti Associates, is the new board vice chair. Martin has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Bridgeport and an MBA from Northeastern University. Jara has a BS in mechanical engineering and a BA in international relations, both from Lehigh University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Interesting Reads Eldorado: The Archaeology of Gold Mining in the Far North Edited by Catherine Holder Spude, Robin O. Mills, Karl Gurcke and Roderick Sprague The gold rush in Alaska and the Yukon in the late 19th century brought with it thousands of individuals hoping to strike it rich. It also brought a network of supplies and services and more people north to fulfill those needs. In this volume, archaeologists, historians and ethnologists discuss their interlinking studies of the towns, trails and mining districts that figured in the northern gold rushes, including a first account of the archaeology of 20th-century gold mining sites in Alaska or the Yukon and such famous sites such as the Chilkoot Trail. 2011. 488 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-8032-1099-8. $55.00 paper. University of Nebraska Press, (800) 755-1105. www.unp.unl.edu

Latinamericanism After 9/11 By John Beverley John Beverley explores Latinamericanist cultural theory in relation to new modes of political mobilization in Latin America. He contends that after Sept. 11, the dominance of the United States began to fade in Latin America. At the same time, the emergence in Latin America of new leftist governments – the marea rosada or “pink tide,” as it is called – gathered momentum. Whatever its outcome, the marea rosada has shifted the grounds of Latinamericanist thinking in a significant way. Beverley proposes new patterns better suited to Latin America’s reconfigured political landscape. 2011. 168 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-8223-5114-6. $22.95 paper. Duke University Press Books, (919) 688-5134. www.dukeupress.edu.

Moral Problems in Higher Education Edited by Steven M. Cahn The editor and contributors discuss such topics as academic freedom and tenure, free speech on campus, sexual harassment, preferential student admissions, affirmative action in faculty appointments, and the ideal of a politically neutral university. Cahn selects two key readings in each area to offer an introductory guide to these subjects for students studying academic ethics and higher education policy. Individual chapters address possible restrictions on research because of moral concerns, the structure of peer review, telling the truth to colleagues and students, and concerns raised by intercollegiate athletics. 2011. 264 pgs. ISBN: 978-1-4399-0659-0. $39.95 paper. Temple University, (215) 926-2140. www.temple.edu

The Empire’s Old Clothes by Ariel Dorfman 224 pages. 2010. $21.95 paper. ISBN: 978-0-8223-4671-5. Duke University Press

this unique cultural critique, Ariel Dorfman explores the political and social implications of the benign and happy that take up residence in accepted children’s and family approved books, comics, and magazines. He reveals the ideological messages conveyed in works of popular culture such as the Donald Duck comics, the Babar children’s books and Reader’s Digest magazine. The Empire’s Old Clothes was first published in 1983. This 2010 edition includes a new preface by the author. Ariel makes the point that industrially produced fiction has become one of the most dominant shapers of emotions and intellect in the 20th century and beyond. The lessons they teach us on a subliminal level go far beyond the entertainment value of the works. He shows how even something so seemingly innocent as Disney comics and cartoons can impart powerful messages. And claims that such stories teach us the effects of certain forms of violence, latest fashion and social trends, and define the roles of the sexes in society. Donald Duck and the Lone Ranger can demonstrate how to succeed, how to conquer and how to forget the past. The author contends that pop icon figures, above all else, condition us not to be rebellious. This is all done, he says, with the industry wielding this influence yet insisting that these are just children’s stories and there is no hidden agenda on their part to influence the social mores of the community. Dorfman comes to these conclusions from the unique perspective of a migrant to the United States from Chile, with his family. What he intended as a one-year stop in his journey to migrate to Mexico and eventually return to Chile, after General Augusto Pinochet was either overthrown or allowed exiles such as himself and his family to return, turned into an indefinite stay. He was not able to obtain a visa for Mexico, and described himself as being “stranded” in the United States, “forced to make my living by what my wits might provide.” Two years after he arrived in America, The Empire’s Old Clothes was published. As only an “outsider” can, Dorfman analyzes the structure and message of popular cultural stories. He points out, for instance, that Disney classics almost never feature mothers. In most cases, the young Disney heroines are raised by stepmothers or widower dads. Extrapolating from Dorfman’s example, it should be noted that where mothers are introduced, such as in Dumbo or Bambi, these maternal figures are either shipped off or die not too far into the story arc. Also, Huey, Duey and Louey are overseen by their uncle Donald Duck, with no reference to their mother. The same can be said for Mickey Mouse’s three nephews. In another example, the author sees the Lone Ranger as the symbol of oversimplification of problems. Once the masked man rides out into the sunset, he leaves in his wake a sea of tranquility where every problem has been solved and every loose end has been neatly tied up. Dorfman’s point is that life is seldom that neat. This book is as timely now as it was in 1983 when it was first published. It is a cautionary tale on the effect mass communication has on the masses and on social policy. Reviewed by Mary Ann Cooper

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ESTUDIE CON LIBERTY UNIVERSITY EN ESPAÑOL Acreditada n Bilingüe n Cristiana ¿Porque debería escoger estudiar con Liberty en Español? » Tenemos doce programas, de niveles desde certificados hasta maestrías » Matrícula de bajo costo en comparación con las mejores universidades en línea » Formato flexible – usted decide cuando estudiar » Contamos con facultad completamente bilingüe » Además, somos el primer programa bilingüe Cristiano que se ofrece en Estados Unidos

(855) 222-8836 www.LUOnline.com/educacion Skype: LUenEspanol

La registración registrración para parra el Otoño Otoño de 2012 ya esta abierta abierta – ¡apliquee hoy! ho oy! Entrenando Campeones para Cristo desde 1971

VCU V i r g i n i a

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DIRECTOR OF ONLINE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Richmond, Virginia The Director of Online Academic Programs is a founding position in the newly forming Office of Online Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. This is an exciting opportunity for a forward thinking leader with an entrepreneurial spirit, to grow VCU’s online academic programs. The Director will play a vital role in identifying new and innovative programs that provide students with collaborative, accessible and highly interactive online learning experiences. Key responsibilities: • Conduct market research analysis to determine viability of online programs and manage needs assessment of programs. • Provide leadership that balances the need for advocacy, marketability and high quality instruction in the online environment. • Collaborate with schools and departments to explore and identify opportunities for developing new programs. • Consult with various internal and external academic stakeholders in establishing and supporting development plans and priorities for online, blended and distance education programs. • Budget management of online tuition and course fees to support new programs and faculty development. Key qualifications: • Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Curriculum and Instruction or appropriate combination of experience and education. • Three years coordination or leadership experience within online/educational programs in higher education. • Demonstrated ability to conduct needs assessments and market research analysis to determine viability of online programs. • Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU. Situated in the heart of historic Richmond, Va., VCU is one of the nation’s top research universities and enrolls more than 31,000 students on two campuses in the capital city. For more information and complete position description, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/facjobs/facjob.asp?Item=4604. To apply, mail or e-mail a résumé, cover letter and three references with contact information to: Virginia Commonwealth University Office of Online Education, Attn: Jake Khoury P.O. Box 842015 Richmond, Virginia 23284-2015 khouryjf@vcu.edu Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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Visiting Assistant Professor (212UC0886) The Department of Information Technology at the University of Cincinnati seeks to hire one visiting assistant professor to start in August 2012. The Department confers an ABET accredited undergraduate degree in Information Technology that covers the areas of Networking/Systems, Software Application Development, Database Management and Digital Media. Furthermore, the department confers a minor in Information Technology and several certificates. There are approximately 280 students in the Department and 7 full-time faculty members. The Information Technology degree is a five-year coop degree and is one of the first 10 in the nation to receive ABET accreditation. The Department of Information Technology is a vibrant and dynamic unit that works in an interdisciplinary college to prepare students to meet the needs of users within an organizational and societal context through the selection, creation, application, integration and administration of computing technologies. More information about the department can be found at http://cech.uc.edu/it. The Department seeks to hire one visiting assistant professor that will contribute to our department’s mission in terms of undergraduate teaching, scholarship and service. The visiting assistant professor will teach a wide range of core and advanced Information Technology classes, especially in the area of Networking/ Systems. Courses include System Administration, Network Infrastructure Management, Network Security, Cloud Computing, among others. Because of the hands-on teaching pedagogy of our program, applicants should have a strong commitment to teaching hands-on labs in addition to lecture classes.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is seeking to appoint outstanding scholars to tenure-track positions in Marketing beginning in the 2013-14 academic year. We are seeking the best possible candidates without regard to subfield of specialization. Applications are invited from individuals who have earned a PhD (or equivalent) or expect to receive a doctorate in the near future.

An earned PhD in Information Technology or a related area is required. Applicants with a minimum of ABD in Information Technology or a related area will be considered. Experience in teaching undergraduate students in a hands-on environment is preferred. Experience in working with a diverse population of undergraduate students is preferred. Job Description: On a full-time, limited term basis Visiting Faculty Members principal academic functions include teaching, discovering, creating and reporting knowledge. Min Quals.: An earned PhD in Information Technology or a related area is required. Applicants with a minimum of ABD in Information Technology or a related area will be considered. Ideal Qualifications: Experience in teaching undergraduate students in hands-on environment preferred. Experience in working with a diverse population of undergraduate students preferred.

The Hispanic Outlook Magazine® is also available in a digital format

To apply for position (212UC0886), please see www.jobsatuc.com

Members of our faculty are expected to conduct original research of exceptionally high quality, to teach effectively, and to participate in and contribute to the academic environment. Junior candidates will be judged on potential, and we will rely heavily on the advice of established scholars.

Each candidate should submit a curriculum vitae, a sample of written work, and at least two letters of reference from scholars qualified and willing to evaluate the candidate’s ability, training, and potential for research and teaching. Applications will be accepted online at http://facultyapply.chicagobooth.edu. We will begin formally reviewing applications on July 10, 2012 and strongly encourage you to complete your application by then. We will continue to accept applications until February 28, 2013.

The University of Cincinnati is an affirmative action/ equal opportunity employer. UC is a smoke-free work environment.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. www.hispanicoutlook.com for additional information

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P.O. Box 68 Paramus, NJ 07652-0068 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

P ri min g the Pump. ..

LATINO TEENS NEED TO LEARN NOT TO QUIT YET WHEN TO LET GO

Miquela Rivera, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with years of clinical, early childhood and consultative experience. She lives in Albuquerque, N.M.

eaching Latino youth not to give up is crucial in preparing them for higher education, but it is also important to help them determine when to let go. Though apparently contradictory, Hispanic teens need to keep trying despite failure or falling short of a goal that is truly attainable while also learning not to pursue something that is not working and over which they have no control. To know when to persevere and when to let go, Latino adolescents need to assess two fundamental factors: taking action (or not) and determining if one can control a situation (or not). Taking action is the natural, logical thing to do when a capable student seeks an attainable goal. With sustained effort, he masters a chosen area. Taking action is always a matter of choice. Determining one’s ability to control a situation, however, is trickier. How can one discern if frustration experienced while working for a goal is simply part of the process, or if that goal really can’t be attained? Sometimes it is hard to tell if greater effort will make the difference in reaching one’s goal. The essential question is whether the teen has the ability to control the situation or factors that are stymieing progress. If he can’t, the only viable choice to avoid frustration and preserve resources is to let go. Persistent attempts to overcome a situation that cannot be overcome is called “ceaseless striving” – continued efforts without results. The decisions boil down to these: taking action over things that can be controlled (mastery); not taking action over things that could be mastered (giving up); continuing to attempt the uncontrollable, to no avail (ceaseless striving); or not taking action over things that can’t be controlled (letting go). A Hispanic adolescent suddenly finds science exciting and decides he wants to study biology or chemistry in college. He enrolls in at least one science class per semester, joins the science club, becomes a laboratory assistant and competes in the regional science fair. He sets out to master the material and achieve his attainable goal. A different Latino teen struggling with algebra, though, decides to drop the class and take an easier course just to get the required credit. More con-

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centrated study, consistent class attendance and special tutorial help could take that student from frustration or failure to success in the class, but that isn’t the option the student chose. Instead, he gave up and dropped the class for an “easy A” elsewhere. A third Hispanic adolescent is struggling in an abusive romantic relationship. Despite her boyfriend’s appeals of remorse and promises to change, he continues to put the young Latina through the ups and downs of domestic violence and abuse. Because it is difficult for her to determine whether her boyfriend will change, she keeps trying, staying far longer than she should. After much trauma and degradation, she realizes she cannot control him, he will not change and her efforts are in vain. The best option, then, is to let go of the hope and end the ceaseless striving that simply doesn’t work. In higher education, Latino teens will be faced regularly with situations that present the question of persevering or letting go. Class material can be mastered with sustained effort and completion of the assigned work. If the student is capable, he must decide if he will do what it takes to succeed in the class. Choosing an active social life over academics, procrastinating on assignments, not attending class and not preparing for exams are all choices, too. Choosing not to act when one is capable and factors are controllable is giving up a goal that could have been attained – also a choice the student can make. A Latino might also get involved with unhealthy people on or off campus, hoping that the outcome will be positive. This is most likely a set-up for ceaseless striving – working to no avail. Finally, when the Latina student in higher education realizes she can only control her own actions, not those of others, the frustrating attempts stop, and she lets go to seek relationships that are healthier and more feasible. Letting go – shifting one’s path from an uncontrollable, hopeless situation to one that is feasible and can ensure success is not quitting. It is crucial to know the difference.