The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine February 2017 by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine

VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 5 FEBRUARY 2017

El Paso Community College

Creates a Pathway to Graduation

BETSY DEVOS EN EL PROSCENIO PRESIDENCIAL

SERVING SAC’S BACKYARD A LOOK AT HOW SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE

WWW.HISPANICOUTLOOK.COM

FROM A PLUNGE TO A SOARING FLIGHT NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE

AAHHE, in partnership with ETS, is pleased to announce the 2017 Outstanding Dissertations Competition First Place Winner, 2017 Award Winners, & the 2017 Caminos Thesis in Food & Agriculture Competition First Place Winner

These winners will be recognized at the 12th Annual AAHHE National Conference March 9-11, 2017 Hotel Irvine, Irvine, California

Alfredo G. de los Santos, Jr. Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education (Sponsored by Hispanic Outlook) James E. Brenneman, President, Goshen College

Outstanding Latino/a Faculty in Higher Education: Research Institutions (Sponsored by Southwest) Armando Martinez-Cruz, Professor, Mathematics, CSU Fullerton

Outstanding Latino/a Faculty in Higher Education: Teaching Institutions (Sponsored by UPS) Cristina Alfaro, Associate Professor, San Diego State University

Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues in Higher Education Award Irma Alemar Lawrence, National Program Leader, United States Department of Agriculture Outstanding Latino/a in the Literary Arts and Publications Ana Castillo, Independent Scholar, Writer, and Artist

2017 AAHHE/ETS Outstanding Dissertations Competition First Place Winner Renata A. Revelo Alonso, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Engineering Familia: The Role of a Professional Organization in the Development of Engineering Identities of Latina/o Undergraduates 2017 Caminos Thesis in Food & Agriculture Competition First Place Winner Cristina Zambrana-Echevarria, Doctoral Student, University of Wisconsin

Genetic Diversity, Incidence and Occurrence of Papaya Ringspot Virus in Puerto Rico: Influencing Disease Management and Control Strategies

For conference registration, please visit the AAHHE website: www.aahhe.org

LATINO KALEIDOSCOPE SPEAKIE EL ESPAÑOL, CHICO Written by Carlos D. Conde

he Spanish language is considered to be one of the most popular modes of expression in our world. It’s the tongue of Cervantes, the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and the Mexican composer Agustin Lara and a few historical scoundrels. It can be elegant, or it can be crude. It could be pretentious or forthright. It’s a language steeped in history that is destined to prevail until the end of time so say the romanticists. Who knows if some day it might even reach outer space like Mars where funny looking specimens inhabiting the planetary outliers are talking like “oye Chico.” Right now, there is an interesting phenomenon taking place in the United States. More and more Americans are speaking Spanish, but it’s the gringos attempting its mastery while Latinos in the U.S. by choice are destined to speak less and less Spanish pretending not to know it due to their U.S. acculturation or preferring not to practice the language whatever their dominance might be. Some Latinos due to their socio-economic circumstances in the U.S. are stuck with Spanish and deficient in the upward-mobility of English communication. The Anglos and other cultures consider that being bilingual is progressive and Spanish as an exemplary example while some, like U.S. Latinos, look at it the opposite as being regressive and that its practice in some quarters can be stigmatizing, so they downplay this advantage or neglect it. A study not long ago by the Pew Hispanic Center brought this out citing figures but not really quantifying the reasons except to fuel it with the old adage propagated by some of our Latino elders that when in America by birth, destiny or professionalism you should make English your dominant language, as in “speak American.” It also tells that bilingualism in the U.S., preferably in Spanish, is better and advantageous.

It’s an interesting dichotomy, nevertheless, when the study suggests that more and more Anglos and non-Hispanics wish they knew how to speak Spanish or are learning Spanish while many Latinos in the U.S. feel burdened or psyched by their lack of adequate English and the socio-economic disadvantages it brings. Show your lack of English, particularly if you are Latino, and you’re apt to be labeled as illegal and/or illiterate weighed with the inequalities that failure at communication reveals. The Pew study tells an interesting kink among the projected Spanish speakers in the U.S. The number of Spanish speakers is projected to grow to about 40 million by 2020 from 37 million in 2011. Among Hispanics, the share that speak Spanish now is projected to fall from the current 75 percent to 66 percent in 2020. As the story goes, more and more nonU.S. Latinos or the Gringo element, want to learn and speak Spanish, and more and more Latinos are thinking like who needs it. The Pew Report cites Florida International University assistant professor of linguistics, Philip M. Carter who says schools nationwide today are set up to bring immigrant children into the mainstream, which means turning them into monolingual speakers. It pays a price by degrading the language of the Spanish culture, Carter adds saying that language is as much about value, culture, identity, context, emotion, behavior and usage. “They, therefore, cultivate identities that are rooted in English speaking.” As a second generation Latino—Mexican American, that is—I can identify with some of the study’s conclusions that the trend is for more and more of the younger third- and fourth-generation Latinos speaking less and less Spanish, their heri-

tage tongue, and embracing more their natal language, English, which derives from their U.S. born status. Growing up long ago in a predominately Mexican American community, our parents implored that if we wanted to succeed in in the U.S., we had to embrace English, so they switched us from a Spanish-language Catholic School to an all-English, all Anglo school. My brother and I so stressed our English-speaking abilities that our neighborhood Latino friends dubbed us “los guys” although Spanish continued to be our primary language. I had a first-hand experience when I visited my uncle in a Texas border town some time ago, and when I happen upon my younger cousins, he facetiously admonished me, “speak to them in English, they don’t understand Spanish that well.” And it’s true, they didn’t speak much Spanish in their younger years although they lived in a community where threefourths of the population are Mexican Americans along with a smattering of Mexican border illegals. Maybe we are on the cusp of losing our cultural identity in this country through the downsizing among Latinos of the Spanish language, a phenomenon that could only occur through a blending and thorough assimilation into a multi-cultural diversity community that drives our country. It won’t happen, not when more and more Americans want to learn the Spanish language, and more and more are beginning to appreciate the values of the Latino culture that continues to endure. •

Carlos D. Conde, an award-winning journalist, former Washington and foreign correspondent, was a press aide in the Nixon White House. Write to him at CDCONDE@aol.com www.HispanicOutlook.com • 3

THE HISPANIC OUTLOOK ON EDUCATION MAGAZINE VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 5

FEATUREDARTICLE After graduating from high school, Raymundo Rios, like many students, had a difficult time deciding between attending a university or a community college.

PUBLISHER JOSÉ LÓPEZ-ISA EDITOR IN CHIEF MEREDITH COOPER WASHINGTON DC BUREAU CHIEF PEGGY SANDS ORCHOWSKI CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MICHELLE ADAM, CARLOS D. CONDE, GUSTAVO A. MELLANDER EDITORS EMERITUS MARY ANN COOPER, MARILYN GILROY CHIEF OF HUMAN RESOURCES & ADMINISTRATION TOMÁS CASTELLANOS NÚÑEZ RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MARILYN ROCA ENRÍQUEZ ART & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR RICARDO CASTILLO DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING & FINANCE JAVIER SALAZAR CARRIÓN SALES ASSOCIATE SERGIO LUGO ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORS RIK NEAL BASER, ANDREA CWIEKA, LINDA CONNER LAMBECK, KERI MOE, GARY M. STERN

PUBLISHED BY “HISPANIC OUTLOOK PUBLISHING” Editorial Policy The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine® (ISSN 1054-2337) is a national magazine. Dedicated to exploring issues related to Hispanics on education, The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine®is published for the members of the education community. Editorial decisions are based on the editor’s 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 on 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 on 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 on Education Magazine®. Letters to the Editor The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine ® email: info@hispanicoutlook.com Editorial Office 299 Market St, Ste. 145, Saddle Brook, N.J. 07663 TEL (201) 587-8800 or (800) 549-8280 “‘The Hispanic Outlook on Education’ and ‘Hispanic Outlook’ are registered trademarks.”

4 • February 2017

on the cover PHOTO LICENSED BY EL PASO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

When we launched THE HISPANIC OUTLOOK IN HIGHER EDUCATION Magazine 27 years ago, our goal was to create an information source by and for Hispanic educators that would demystify the entire higher education experience for Hispanic students and their families. We understood then, as now, that Hispanics have faced unique daunting cultural obstacles, as well as a lack of actionable information that dampens chances of success in education. As Hispanic Outlook grew to a full-color magazine available both in print and online, so did Hispanic numbers at colleges and universities across America. However, a closer look revealed that while Hispanics were enrolling in colleges, they weren't thriving. In fact, they were dropping out at alarming rates! These statistics didn't escape our notice, and we began reaching out to schools across the country to learn directly from the higher education community why this was happening. The answer soon became clear: keeping Hispanics in higher education requires preparation that starts long before an acceptance letter arrives in the mail. It starts in elementary, middle and high school. After all, today's high school graduates become tomorrow's college students. That fact has served as the inspiration for Hispanic Outlook to continue to grow, and we are excited to announce that we are expanding our content, so we can cover even more of the education experience. Of course, higher education will always be the cornerstone of our magazine, and we will continue to bring you, our readers, the content that you know and love including our top college lists and our writers' columns. Now, however, you will also be able to find out about the latest news, trends and innovations impacting kindergarten through high school -- all while maintaining a unique Hispanic perspective. For 27 years, we have always brought you the Hispanic outlook in higher education. Now, let us bring you that and more--THE HISPANIC OUTLOOK ON EDUCATION

THE HISPANIC OUTLOOK ON EDUCATION MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017

Table of

CONTENTS 3

Latino Kaleidoscope

Speakie El Español, Chico by Carlos D. Conde

Stem in Higher Ed and Beyond

Grant Inspires STEM Study at California Community Colleges Including Sierra College by Gary M. Stern

6 • February 2017

ProQuest Releases Results of its 2016 Information Literacy Survey NJLA Launches Campaign To Call For Highly Effective School Library Programs Mentoring and Internships

Year Up Brings New Opportunities for Baltimore Youth by Andrea Cwieka, The Daily Record of Baltimore

Honors and Ovations

Top 25 Community Colleges for Hispanics

El Paso Community College Creates a Pathway to Graduation

From a Plunge to a Soaring Flight

Serving SAC’s Backyard

Money Matters

by Keri Moe, El Paso Community College

by Ric Neal Baser, Ed.D., Alamo Colleges District - Northwest Vista College

School Newspaper

Connecticut Ranks 21st in College Affordability by Linda Conner Lambeck, The Connecticut Post

Honduran Students Lead in Central American Enrollment in American Universities

Betsy DeVos en el proscenio presidencial

by Tomás Castellanos

School Library: Book Reviews

This month, Hispanic Outlook is reintroducing this popular feature. Books reviewed now span the entire education experience

Hispanic Outlook, Issue 2-20-17, Deadline 2-13-17, Full page ad

GRANT INSPIRES STEM STUDY at California Community Colleges Including Sierra College

akerspace, a new workplace concept that emphasizes collaboration, innovation and cutting across different disciplines, is driving a $17 million grant at California Community Colleges. Makerspace reflects the new economy where employees often work collaboratively, play off of each other’s ideas, inspire each other and develop better solutions jointly, explained Von Ton-Quinlivan, a vice chancellor at the California Community Chancel8 • February 2017

PHOTO LICENSED BY INGRAM IMAGE

Written by Gary M. Stern

lors Office who focuses on workforce and economic development. Ton-Quinlaven, a native of Vietnam who emigrated to the U.S. in 1975 and graduated from Georgetown University, said, “There’s a premium placed on the ability to experiment. Makerspace allows for someone who wants to try something one way, but if it doesn’t work, try it another way.” “Our community colleges are focused on doing what matters for jobs

and the economy. If you follow the economy, many are driven by STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills. And the makerspace movement is one way for us to further develop STEM skills,” Ton-Quinlivan noted. The grant launched in fall 2016 lasts for three years. Initially, noted Ton-Quinlaven, it intended to issue grants to 10 community colleges of the 63 that submitted letters of interest out of the 133 two-year colleges

PHOTO LICENSED BY ING RAM IM AG E

statewide. “The level of interest surprised us. We began rethinking the structure of the grant to be more inclusive than just ten,” she said. It decided to award mini-grants, including those already with makerspace programs and others just starting out. Larger grants offer $100,000 a year for three years or $300,000, and smaller grants offer from $15,000 to $25,000 annually, she said. The diversity of the students attending California’s 113 community colleges attests to the fact that many minority students will be taking advantage of makerspace programs. California’s community colleges on the whole consist of 42 percent Latino students, 27 percent White, 15 percent Asian and Filipino, six percent African-American and four percent multi-ethnic. California’s community colleges are nurturing the four c’s—creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. The world of work is changing, and makerspace enables

community college graduates to keep pace with it, she suggested. “We want to create the kind of environment that allows students to experiment with different types of careers including 3-D printing, woodworking or becoming a machinist. It encompasses a range of skills where you can become technicians in building trades or an entrepreneur that sells goods to Etsy,” Ton-Quinlivan described. Moreover, Ton-Quinlivan noted that these skills blend into what community colleges specialize in: mastering applied learning. Hands-on learning has always been emphasized at community colleges, and these skills ratchet them up a notch. The program also involves a slew of industry partners that offer mentoring and internships to support the learning that goes on within the community college and the makerspace concept. Examples of firms participating include Adobe, Intel, Northrop Grumman and AT&T.

Asked how the large Latino and minority population can benefit specifically from this grant and the makerspace movement, Ton-Quinlaven prefers to not focus on particular ethnicities. “We want to create more opportunities for students of all types to acquire these skills early and often. Who knows how they will be inspired? she responded. While liberal arts students will also participate in makerspace programs, Ton-Quinlaven said that STEM students fit naturally into it. STEM fields involve “critical thinking and problem solving. These are aptitudes that can take you further into STEM careers. If you want to be a biotech technician or go into advanced science, these skills transfer directly into STEM fields,” she noted. Asked what three outcomes she’d like California community colleges to derive from participating in the makerspace program, Ton-Quinlaven identifies: 1) acquiring critical skills will help students succeed in many www.HispanicOutlook.com • 9

fields; 2) introduce a bevy of new fields that haven’t been considered previously in health, robotics, medical technology and machinery; 3) mastering “soft” skills of communicating effectively and collaborating will help students thrive in many fields. Sierra College, located in Rocklin, Calif., about 20 miles from Sacramento, was one of the community colleges selected to participate in the $17 million, three-year grant. The grant gives bite to the initiative launched by the White House to create a “nation of makers.” With robots already here and increasing, and jobs lost overseas, the U.S. must take the initiative to train community college students for a new workforce. But Carol Pepper-Kittredge, director of the Center for Applied Competitive Technologies at Sierra College, which helps businesses connect with future workforces, explained that makerspace programs are not new to the college. In fact, Sierra established a partnership with profit-making Hacker Labs where students come to study, congregate with people of different disciplines and meet with business leaders. “We know that this model is working for us,” Pepper-Kittredge pointed out. At Hacker Labs students of all majors participate. “We have students majoring in economics or philosophy. Whether you’re developing a new product, computer app, a new system, a social good, it all requires a lot of cross collaboration and different skill sets,” she explained. Combining an accounting major who knows about finance with a marketer can produce positive and surprising results. 10 • February 2017

Spending time in these makerspace labs can produce results that differ from traditional classroom learning. Outside of classrooms or labs, “students often need more time to play, more time to think, cogitate, experiment, try and fail. Makerspace gives students an opportunity to explore new ideas, build additional and new skills, connect with businesses, industry and the community, and provide them with work-based experience,” she said. Sierra College encourages faculty to participate. “We’re looking to weave faculty in. At our space, we offer faculty free membership. We see it as an open lab for students and faculty to go and explore after class,” Pepper-Kittredge noted. Though the makerspace community college grant was just getting off the ground, Sierra College has already had meetings with businesses such as Adobe to see how it could get involved. “My expectation is they will be connectors for the community college with business and industry,” she said. Adobe is already exploring adapting some of its products into the community college classroom. Each participating community college, like Sierra College, Pepper-Kittredge noted, “will develop its own network of businesses, which will help drive what internships are available. These businesses will connect to suppliers, partners, businesses, at a local to global level,” she said. Pepper-Kittredge envisions that what transpires at makerspace will influence the curriculum at Sierra College. “We hope that it opens up possibilities for students to define what they want to do with their work life and help create new opportunities,”

“We want to create the kind of environment that allows students to experiment with different types of careers including 3-D printing, woodworking or becoming a machinist.” — Von Ton-Quinlivan, vice chancellor at the California Community Chancellors Office

she said. In the past, students taking an entrepreneurship class would take a year to learn how to write a business plan. Working at makerspace, they learn quickly how to test a business concept and define a target market, two keys to a successful business plan. Pepper-Kittredge notes that Latino students have had lower success rates in college than other students. She’s hoping that makerspace will exert a major influence on Latino students and “take their passion and help them define what they want to do,” she said. She’s hoping that it raises the number of associate degrees and motivates more Latinos to move on to bachelor degrees. She says programs like makerspace should inspire more students to pursue “entrepreneurship earlier in their career and test them out through student competition and internships.” •

MONEY MATTERS

ProQuest Releases Results of Its 2016

Information Literacy Survey Story courtesy of ProQuest

CHA RTS COURT ESY OF PROQUEST

consultations; research classes that OUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — proach these assignments with more and aspire creativityto anddo achieve A recent “We’re doing the ProQuest best wesurvey can,ofbut confidence we always more,”focus on general research skills or a specific type of research; LibGuides over 200 librarians from unimore success.” shares one librarian, discussing the information literacy instruction provided by the library to its users. While librarians seem versity, to widely community share this “do more” attitude regarding information and other asynchronous instruction Beyond possibleliteracy gaps instruction, in properit’s clear college, “We’re the best we can, we toeasy dolibrarthat teaching library users information literacy its always importance aspire not always ormore,” successful. guides; books and ebooks about the instruction, onlyis 21 percent of highdoing school and about public libraries re-butand This survey, featuring insights from 217 librarians from university, community college, high school and public shares veals one librarian, discussing the information literacy instruction provided by the library to its users. While research process; and video tutorials. ians surveyed said that they believe widespread concerns regarding libraries in North America, explores: librarians seem to widely share this “do more” attitude regarding information literacy instruction, it’s clear While a number of the survey’s their importance users recognize the importance information literacy. that teaching library users about information literacy and its is and not always easy or successful. • The perceived importance of information literacy among librarians their users respondents conveyed that impleof information literacy’s on life83 percent of the librar-from university, This survey, Though featuring insights from 217 librarians community college,effect high school and public • Current methods utilized by librarians to help their users gain information literacy skills librariesians in North America, explores: menting or improving assessment surveyed agree that information long success. • Ways in which librarians feel they could improve their information literacy instruction tools could allow their libraries to “No matter which field you literacy affects college graduation • The perceived importance of information literacy among librarians and their users better meet their users’ information enter,” one respondent explained, rates, and 97 percent • Current methods utilized conveyed librariansthat to help their Information Literacy andbyStudent Successusers gain information literacy skills “you to be literacy able toinstruction discern reli- literacy instruction needs, they also it contributes successfeelinthey thecould work• Ways in which to librarians improve theirhave information Librarians surveyed recognize that information literacy is important to the future successes of their users. volunteered other ideas on how to able versus unreliable sources to do force, 44 percent expressed that their “I see students with low information literacy struggling to understand and complete assignments,” shares one librarian. “Students who not possess [information literacy] skills approach assignments with more confidence achieve this aim. your workthese [and] be able to evaluate library does support informaInformation Literacy and Student Success and creativity and achieve more success.” 83.4% as of those surveyed believe thatacross information literacy affects One method that repeated came content you come in order to tion literacy instruction as much Librarians surveyed recognize that information literacy is important to the future successes of their users. college graduation rates, and a tremendous 97.2% believe that information literacy contributes to success “I see students with low information literacy struggling todeem understand and complete assignments,” shares one up was integrating information literor not important.” it should. in the workforce. “No matter which field you enter,” explains onewhether respondent, “youit’s have to be able to discern librarian. “Students who possess [information literacy] skills approach these assignments with more confidence reliable versus unreliable sources to do your work [and] be able to evaluate content you come across in order to within and across existing curricTo combat this perceived lack of acy “I see students with low informaand creativity and achieve more success.” 83.4% of those surveyed believe that information literacy affects deem whether or not it’s important.” ula, which would boost library users’ understanding, currently literacy struggling to understand collegetion graduation rates, and a tremendous 97.2% believe that informationlibrarians literacy contributes to success in the workforce. “No matter which field you enter,” explains one respondent, “you have to be able to discern skills. Similarly, many respondents and complete assignments,” one li- engage in a number of techniques reliable versus unreliable sources to do your work [and] be able to evaluate content you come across in order to said that the answer lies in workand employ a variety of tools, includbrarian shared. “Students who posyouit’s believe that information literacy affects college graduation rates? deem whetherDo or not important.” ing more closely with faculty and ing one-on-one, in-person research sess [information literacy] skills apother instructors – learning about 83.4% Yesbelieve that information literacy affects college graduation Dobelieve you rates? their needs, educating them on the Do you that information literacy affects college graduation rates? importance of information literacy I’m not sure 15.2% and the resources the library offers, 83.4% Yes No 1.4% and encouraging them to include I’m not sure 0 15.2% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% more research-based projects in their coursework. No 1.4% “We are badly in need of an in0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% tegrated presence in the curriculum,” Do you believe that information literacy contributes to success in the workforce? one respondent explained. Another Do you believe that information literacy contributes to success in the workforce? said that “partnering with faculty – Yes and showing faculty the need for [inDo you believe that information literacy contributes to success in the 97.2% workforce? formation literacy] – is the number I’m not sure 1.8% one thing we need to change. If facul97.2% Yes No 1% ty are on board, they will bring their I’m not sure 0 1.8% students – we have evidence of this.” 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1%

No 0

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www.HispanicOutlook.com • 11

asynchronous instruction guides (61.3%), books and ebooks about the research process (55.3%), and video tutorials (45.2%).

In your opinion, do your users recognize information literacy’s effect on lifelong success?

In your opinion, 34.1% information literacy’s effect on lifelong success? Nodo your users recognize In your opinion, do your users recognize information literacy’s effect on lifelong success? I’m not sure No Yes

21.2%

I’m not sure Other (please specify) Yes

33.2% 34.1% 33.2%

11.5% 21.2%

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How does your library help users gain information literacy skills? How does your library help users gain information literacy skills? all that apply. Select allSelect that apply. One-on-one, in-person How does your library help users gain information literacy skills? 90.8% research consultations

Select all that apply.

Research classes that focus on research skills in general One-on-one, in-person

68.7%

research Research classes thatconsultations focus on one specific type of research project Research classes that focus on

CHARTS COURTESY OF PROQUEST

in general LibGuides research and otherskills asynchronous instruction guides Research classes that focus on one

specific type research project Books andofebooks about the research process LibGuides and other asynchronous instruction guides Video tutorials Books and ebooks about the research process Other (please specify)

45.2%

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Other ideas recommended included: • developing an information literacy curriculum • adding or improving existing online tutorials and resources • integrating information literacy instruction into the library’s strategic plan • increasing the number of librarians and library staff • increasing face-to-face instruction • increasing user access to computers, E readers, tablets and other electronic devices “We’re doing the best we can, but we always aspire to do more,” one librarian shared, discussing the infor12 • February 2017

90.8%

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mation literacy instruction provid0% 20% 30%its users. 40% While 50% ed by10% the library to librarians seem to widely share this “do more” attitude, this survey also supports that librarians often face similar problems. “Overall, lack of budget and limited staffing were reported as some of the greatest obstacles for doing as much as they would like to drive development of this important skill set,” said Kevin Stehr, ProQuest vice president of North American Sales. “But I think this response summed it up best – ‘We’re doing the best we can, but we always aspire to do more.’” Because the ways that librarians support information literacy vary,

60%

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ProQuest offers a range of bud70% 80% services 90% 100% products get-conscious and to help teach and reinforce this area of concern. ProQuest’s flexible acquisition models, for example, offer authoritative print and digital content including journals, videos, newspapers and working papers. ProQuest also offers affordable options to support researchers ranging from reference content to provide a foundation to titles that offer vast breadth and depth of coverage on specific topics. A report on the survey’s full results can be found here: www.proquest.com/documents/2016-Information-Literacy-Survey.html •

60%

NJLA Launches Campaign to Call for Highly Effective School Library Programs Story courtesy of the New Jersey Library Association

he New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) has launched a campaign Unlock Student Potential bolstered by a groundbreaking study and statement, calling on New Jersey to support highly effective school library programs. The study, which included a census of New Jersey School Library Media Specialists (SLMSs), was developed to coincide with the signing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which cites school librarians and school library programs as an essential component in education. SLMSs have completed training and certification requirements in both library science and education established by the N.J. State Board of Education. Signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2015, ESSA updates the landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, most recently known as No Child Left Behind. This reform legislation received bipartisan support in Congress and took steps to improve the achievement of Latino and English learner (EL) students by ensuring the following: • Students must be held to challenging academic standards at a minimum in reading and math • Latino student and EL academic progress must be measured and reported annually • Action must be taken when students are not succeeding academically • New funds are offered for after-school programs • Family-school partnerships are promoted through Statewide Family Engagement Centers The report details recent research on

the positive impact of certified teacher librarians in school settings, including increased graduation and literacy rates, higher standardized test scores, and greater proficiency in subject areas. “New Jersey has seen a frightening decline in certified school librarians,” said Pat Tumulty, executive director of NJLA, “especially where students need them most.” According to the study, there are approximately 20 percent fewer SLMSs in New Jersey than there were in 2007/2008, and more than 20 percent of high schools have no certified SLMS available to students. An overwhelming majority (89 percent of respondents) cite flat, decreased or no funding for their school libraries. This divestment directly impacts the potential for students to gain ground in information literacy, technology and critical thinking, the skills touted as necessary for success in college and beyond. The study also reveals particularly dire situations for school libraries in major urban areas in New Jersey where literacy rates are among the lowest and school reorganizations are common. Based on survey results, NJLA, the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) and Virtual Academic Library Environment (VALE)/New Jersey Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries, as well as the College and University Section for NJLA (ACRLNJ/NJLACUS) believe ESSA presents a critical opportunity to reinvest in school library programs, providing equity of access to information and resources. “School librarians play a vital role in education to help students develop skills

that will serve them throughout school, college and beyond,” said James Keehbler, co-author of the report and chair of the NJLA task force on Highly Effective School Library Programs. “In the Information Age, how can we not make dedicating resources for school library programs and information literacy a priority? Being able to find, evaluate and utilize information is at the very foundation of opportunity; an opportunity all New Jersey students should have regardless of their zip code.” VALE and ACRLNJ/NJLACUS recently released a statement in support of the campaign, citing experience with incoming students who are unprepared for college level research. The strain on information literacy resources creates a cause and effect that reaches well into adult life. “All educators comprise a continuum of intervention necessary to help students gain essential career skills,” the statement reads. “School media specialists have a well regarded place on this continuum.” Recent education reform in New Jersey and changes in performance measures have made collaborative planning between SLMSs and subject teachers on information literacy instruction more difficult, and the impact has been far reaching. According to NJASL, 49 percent of teachers report that student’s access to technology is one of the “biggest barriers to incorporating technology into their teaching” because the students are “often not digitally literate enough.” A 2015 NJASL study found that 75 percent of students “have no idea how to locate articles and resources they need for their research,” 60 percent “don’t verify the accuracy or reliability of the information they find,” and 44 percent “do not know how to integrate knowledge from different sources.” The full report can be viewed online at https://njla.org/sites/default/ files/2016ESSAandNJSchoolLibraryPrograms.pdf •

www.HispanicOutlook.com • 13

MENTORING AND INTERNSHIPS

Year Up Brings New Opportunities for

Baltimore Youth

Story courtesy of Andrea Cwieka, The Daily Record of Baltimore

ALTIMORE (AP) — Rodney Harris was working as a security guard in an office building when he met the one person who would put him on the path to change his life. Harris, now 23, tried to go to college after high school but struggled with loans. He left school and went to work as a guard, where he watched employees going to and from work every day. One employee, an intern at CareFirst, noticed Harris and reached out. “One day he just stopped by, asked if I was in school, and told me about program, and it sounded intriguing,” Harris said. “I started to look it up, and I saw videos of how it was helping a lot of students in one year. So I figured it was something I should do.” The program that the intern brought to Harris is an organization called Year Up, an intensive one-year training corps where young city residents ages 18-24 come together in a class of 40 students; they take college classes full-time for six months, then take on a full-time, six-month internship. Everything from classes to additional resources like business attire and transportation are provided, at no cost to the students. “We teach IT, cybersecurity and 14 • February 2017

general business,” said Roland Selby, executive director of Year Up Baltimore, “along with soft skills like office etiquette, email etiquette, and conflict resolution.” Students in Year Up have either their high school diploma or GED. Some have taken college classes, most have not. They might be employed, have children, live on their own or with parents or guardians. “We don’t want to assume where anyone is coming from,” Selby said. “Our students are representative of the community – they’re not charity cases or hard luck stories. They have grit, determination, vision. They want to do something more.” “Something more” was exactly what Keeya Green, 20, was looking for when she joined Year Up. “I wasn’t happy with what I was doing,” Green said. She took a year and half after she graduated high school to baby-sit when she heard about Year Up from her cousin, who graduated from the Arlington chapter, and her aunt, a guidance counselor. For Green, who struggled with social anxiety, the program’s handson staff took some getting used to. “At first I thought, ‘I’m just going to keep to myself,’ but everyone was so inviting,” Green said.

Other students struggle with the rigorous class schedule and the strict contract the program requires. “I have to wake up at 6 a.m. every day, Monday through Friday,” said Ike Olumese, another student in the program. “One of the biggest struggles is staying awake for a long period of time doing lots of different things until 5 p.m.” Students like Olumese and Green take classes for the initial six months every day at Baltimore City Community College to prepare them for entry-level jobs in areas of technology and cybersecurity. Students also have to attend training and events to hone their professional skills, such as mock interviews, public speaking, networking and etiquette workshops, and guest speakers. “They don’t only build your hard skills, but also who you are as a person,” Green said. “I’m so much more confident in myself, how I speak.” A contract signed at the beginning of the program ensures that students will stick to the rules of the program. Every week, students are evaluated during “Feedback Fridays,” where small groups get together to talk with staff members or “coaches” who give advice, while students discuss their week and receive feedback from their peers.

PHOTO LICENS ED BY IN GRA M I MAGE

One hundred percent of Year Up Baltimore’s most recent graduating class went on to work full-time in their field or went on to continue their education. “They give us advice and we become better,” said Olumese, who sees the staff as an invaluable support system who “make it their business” for the students to be successful. Students get points every week, and those points are taken away for infractions such as being late, showing up out of dress code (students are required to wear business professional attire every day), not turning in assignments or even having a bad attitude. If the bad behavior continues, students could become part of the “spotlight program,” where students get more frequent one-on-one meetings with staff and elevated support. The program also puts a spotlight on students who go above and beyond and reward them by taking them out to lunch. “Behavior is critical,” Selby said, “We like to say ‘companies will hire for skill, but fire for behavior.’” Year Up students get to put their training to the test for the second half of the program, when they are placed as interns at companies such as Johns Hopkins, T. Rowe Price, Morgan Stanley, Constellation Energy and more in the D.C.- Maryland-Virginia area. For young adults who may have started the program not knowing how to send a profeswww.HispanicOutlook.com • 15

PHOTO LICENSED BY INGRAM IMAGE

sional email, many feel prepared to join the professional world. “I feel ready,” said Green, who is waiting to find out where she’ll start interning in July. “They’ve given you all the skills to prepare and I know I can do a good job.” One hundred percent of Year Up Baltimore’s most recent graduating class went on to work full-time in their field or went on to continue their education. While the program doesn’t provide students with a degree, it does give some networking certifications and sets students up for entry-level jobs. “Having that (internship) experience really opened up a lot of opportunities and doors for me,” said Harris, who took his Year Up intern16 • February 2017

ship at Carefirst but didn’t get hired full-time by the company. “I never was really too much of a good communicator, I had never had that experience in corporate environment.” Year Up officials hope to double the number of students in the program to 160 in 2017. The program recently moved into a new office at Baltimore City Community College with 10,000 square feet. New staff members have been hired as well, in order to continue supporting the increase in students and ramp up marketing of the organization. “We’re moving to the next level of our trajectory – we’re working on an advisory board, a development team to raise money,” Selby said. “We’re primarily self-funded – only

recently are we starting to develop fundraising need” for additional programs and certifications. “Year Up has a phenomenal program with proven outcomes, but we are the best-kept secret,” Selby said. “I’ll feel like we’ve done our job when we have a waitlist without recruiting. We don’t want to be a fallback – we want to be one of the top options.” Information from: The Daily Record of Baltimore, http://www. thedailyrecord.com Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. •

TOP 25 COMMUNITY COLLEGES FOR HISPANICS

www.HispanicOutlook.com â&#x20AC;¢ 17

2015 ASSOCIATE DEGREES 2015 ASSOCIATE DEGREES GRANTED BY 2-YEAR SCHOOLS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

El Paso Community College Central New Mexico Community College Houston Community College Lone Star College System San Antonio College Tarrant County College District Citrus College San Jacinto Community College Santa Ana College East Los Angeles College CUNY Borough of Manhattan Comm College Northwest Vista College Pasadena City College Mt San Antonio College Chaffey College San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia CUNY LaGuardia Community College Pima Community College Northern Virginia Community College Imperial Valley College CUNY Bronx Community College Laredo Community College Hillsborough Community College Rio Hondo College San Joaquin Delta College

State

Total

Hispanics

Latino

Latinas

% Hispanics

TX NM TX TX TX TX CA TX CA CA NY TX CA CA CA CA NY AZ VA CA NY TX FL CA CA

3,214 4,974 5,953 5,569 2,672 5,323 2,487 3,185 1,978 1,799 3,435 2,169 3,146 2,081 2,042 1,989 2,527 2,848 5,643 1,120 1,543 938 3,732 1,159 2,282

2,736 2,172 1,901 1,717 1,448 1,426 1,381 1,356 1,328 1,327 1,269 1,249 1,168 1,130 1,090 1,086 1,055 1,039 1,036 1,009 979 916 901 897 890

1,019 757 658 579 508 500 483 519 519 431 494 500 449 444 383 315 416 396 384 368 378 352 369 371 337

1,717 1,415 1,243 1,138 940 926 898 837 809 896 775 549 729 686 707 771 639 643 652 641 601 564 532 526 553

85% 44% 32% 31% 54% 27% 56% 43% 67% 74% 37% 58% 37% 54% 53% 55% 42% 36% 18% 90% 63% 98% 24% 77% 39%

Source: NCES/IPEDS DATABASE ACADEMIC YEAR ENDING 2015

The above list is from the Department of Education’s IPEDS database that base their data on information provided directly by schools across the country.

18 • February 2017

ENROLLMENT ALL STUDENTS COMMUNITY COLLEGES ENROLLMENT ALL STUDENTS COMMUNITY COLLEGES -- 2015 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

East Los Angeles College El Paso Community College Lone Star College System Houston Community College Mt San Antonio College Santa Ana College Cerritos College Tarrant County College District San Jacinto Community College Long Beach City College Rio Hondo College Fullerton College Pasadena City College Central New Mexico Community College San Antonio College Austin Community College District Bakersfield College El Camino Community College District Chaffey College CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College Pima Community College Santa Monica College Fresno City College Riverside City College Northern Virginia Community College

State

Total

Hispanics

Latino

Latinas

% Hispanics

CA TX TX TX CA CA CA TX TX CA CA CA CA NM TX TX CA CA CA NY AZ CA CA CA VA

36,012 28,308 69,395 58,276 29,045 29,590 21,774 50,595 27,911 24,403 16,263 25,051 26,611 26,771 21,280 40,949 18,698 24,207 19,557 26,606 28,070 30,158 22,307 18,547 51,487

24,235 24,203 23,751 18,411 17,451 15,180 14,892 14,632 13,794 13,214 13,131 13,042 12,963 12,734 12,506 12,388 12,269 11,979 11,880 11,656 11,576 11,564 11,534 10,649 10,264

10,637 10,320 9,714 7,578 8,090 7,903 6,609 5,899 5,986 5,865 6,560 6,015 5,818 5,323 5,085 5,284 5,164 5,651 4,817 5,009 5,071 5,327 5,220 4,559 4,665

13,598 13,883 14,037 10,833 9,361 7,277 8,283 8,733 7,808 7,349 6,571 7,027 7,145 7,411 7,421 7,104 7,105 6,328 7,063 6,647 6,505 6,237 6,314 6,090 5,599

67% 85 % 34 % 32 % 60 % 51 % 68 % 29 % 49 % 54 % 81 % 52 % 49 % 48 % 59 % 30 % 66 % 49 % 61 % 44 % 41 % 38 % 52 % 57 % 20 %

Source: NCES/IPEDS DATABASE ACADEMIC YEAR ENDING 2015 2015 ASSOCIATE DEGREES GRANTED BY 4-YEAR SCHOOLS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Miami Dade College South Texas College Valencia College Broward College Palm Beach State College Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale College of Southern Nevada Seminole State College of Florida Monroe College Florida SouthWestern State College

State

Total

Hispanics

Latino

Latinas

% Hispanics

FL TX FL FL FL FL NV FL NY FL

10,318 3,179 7,625 5,873 4,069 3,593 2,833 2,775 1,338 1,937

6,978 2,963 2,341 1,865 1,019 915 659 602 592 465

2,824 1,112 895 755 369 321 250 214 192 171

4,154 1,851 1,446 1,110 650 594 409 388 400 294

37 % 35 % 35 % 34 % 35 % 35 % 35 % 38 % 39 % 32 %

Source: NCES/IPEDS DATABASE ACADEMIC YEAR ENDING 2015 The above lists are from the Department of Education’s IPEDS database that base their data on information provided directly by schools across the country. For the first time, Hispanic Outlook readers can purchase the extended versions of the lists featured in this article: a list of the top 100 2-year community colleges based on associate degrees granted to Hispanics, a list of the top 100 community colleges based on enrollment of Hispanics and a list of the top 50 4-year community colleges based on associate degrees granted to Hispanics. All three lists are available together for $49.95. We are also taking special purchase requests for the 5- to 10-year archived versions of each of these lists. For more information, call (201) 587-8800 or email meredith.cooper@hispanicoutlook.com

www.HispanicOutlook.com • 19

HONORS AND OVATIONS

El Paso Community College Creates a Pathway to Graduation

PHOTO LICENS ED BY FERNIE GARCIA

fter graduating from high school, Raymundo Rios, like many students, had a difficult time deciding between attending a university or a community college. Ultimately, he decided for many reasons including cost, that El Paso Community College (EPCC) was the best place for him to start. “From experience, attending a community college rather than a university was the best choice I made,” Rios, a Criminal Justice and Psychology major who is also an EPCC Tejanos Baseball player said. “The teacher-student ratio is fantastic; it is more personal, which makes the environment better and community college is less expensive.”

20 • February 2017

Written by Keri Moe, El Paso Community College Rios is not alone. Most students selecting EPCC do so because they recognize the unparalleled value of community colleges. “EPCC fills a vital role, one that offers access to both high quality education and affordable academic opportunities,” Art Fierro EPCC board of trustees chair said. “With its unwavering focus on success, EPCC prepares students to achieve their current academic goals, meet tomorrow’s challenges and be competitive in local and global job markets.” This is critical for the more than 37,000 students that EPCC serves each year where the majority are Hispanic and much of the overall student population is low-income, first-gener-

ation and underrepresented youth and adult learners. Located in West Texas along the U.S./Mexico border, EPCC has five campuses, 138 programs of study where students interact with exceptional professors in dynamic learning environments. In its 48-year history, nearly 78 percent of all degrees awarded have been to Hispanic students. Under the leadership of Dr. William Serrata, EPCC president, the college has become nationally recognized. In 2015, EPCC was named one of the Top Ten Community Colleges in the Nation by the Aspen Institute. AACC recognized the college with its Student Success Award in 2016. EPCC is an Achieving the Dream Leader College and is one of 30 schools accepted into AACC’s Pathways Project. The Women’s Cross Country team has four national titles. Impressively, all the athletic teams—baseball, softball and cross country—boast athletes with an average GPA of 3.19, which was recognized by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). EPCC also excels in academic competition where the speech and debate team has ranked among the top three teams in the country at national tournaments for nearly a decade. Individual students have been selected as Jack Kent

PHOTO LICENSED BY ING R ID LEYVA

“I am so proud of my Hispanic culture, and EPCC reminds you that your voice matters, you can make a difference and you can achieve your goals always.” —Camille Acosta, EPCC Graduate Cooke Foundation Scholars, others are selected to participate in a variety of internships and programs, and many transfer to four-year institutions successfully. EPCC is consistently recognized as a Military Friendly School and is rated number one for awarding associate degrees to Hispanic students among many other national recognitions. “It’s so important that education doesn’t leave Hispanics out. I am so happy and proud to say that I am Hispanic and going to graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree,” said Camille Acosta who graduated from EPCC in 2015 and will graduate from Western Kentucky University in May 2017. “I am so proud of my Hispanic culture, and EPCC reminds you that your voice matters, you can make a difference and you can achieve your goals always.” Not only is EPCC a top producer of associate degrees awarded to Hispanics, the college is also helping students transcend economic barriers. A recent study cited in the New York Times showed that students graduat-

ing from EPCC achieve impressive rates of upward economic mobility. According to The Equality of Opportunity Project, on the overall mobility index, the college ranks fifth out of all colleges surveyed meaning that 37 percent of EPCC students move up two or more income brackets after completing their degrees. Income mobility is extraordinarily significant for a city whose median family income is just over $40,000, which lags behind the State of Texas and the nation where more than 23 percent of the population is below the poverty level. As a result, EPCC has been a leader in improving economic mobility and increasing educational access. From developing innovative programs to serving diverse students to enhanced efforts to promote a college-going culture, EPCC is creating a pathway for more individuals to succeed in college. They have built impressive community partnerships with K-12 school districts as evidenced by nationally recognized Early College High Schools and a growing Dual

Credit Program. Because of these and other collaborations, students are better prepared for college, know that a degree is within reach and more students are graduating. EPCC is an institution that has proven itself to be a progressive educational leader that is committed to creating access to education and the success services necessary to serve diverse students and keep them on a path to completing their degrees. “EPCC is focused on engaging students, growing community partnerships and fostering a culture of excellence with measurable outcomes,” Serrata said. “By creating a college-going culture and implementing innovative student success initiatives, EPCC is opening the pathway to higher education, increasing the number of graduates and developing a better prepared workforce.” The results of these efforts are clear. Since its establishment in 1969, EPCC has a long history of transforming students’ lives. And if you don’t believe it, ask a graduate—all 70,842 of them. • www.HispanicOutlook.com • 21

HONORS AND OVATIONS

FROM A PLUNGE TO A SOARING FLIGHT Story courtesy of Ric Neal Baser, Ed.D.

ocated in a bustling sector of far northwest Bexar County, Alamo Colleges District - Northwest Vista College (NVC) has always strived to reflect the city it serves—San Antonio, Texas. But just a little more than 10 years ago, the Hispanic enrollment at NVC dipped to 44 percent, far below the city’s Hispanic population (63 percent) and still below the 60 percent Hispanic population represented in the college’s immediate and adjacent zip codes. This was alarming news for NVC faculty, staff and administrators who were used to hearing accolades related to enrollment. At the time, NVC was the fastest-growing community college in the United States. As a Hispanic serving institution, NVC needed to strengthen its outreach to one of its main target groups. Almost immediately, NVC faculty and staff engaged in research and discussions to determine what were the likely causes of this downward trend. Several factors were identified and were addressed over the next 10 years through various strategic objectives, college initiatives and grass roots efforts. During the 2014-2015 academic year, Hispanic students comprised 62 percent of NVC’s total enrollment, which now closely mirrors the 63 percent of self-identified Hispanics living in San Antonio, according to 2015 U.S. Census data. This year, NVC is being recognized by The Hispanic Outlook on Education (HO) Magazine as one of the top 25 community colleges for Hispanics in the United States, based on data from the Department of Education. NVC is listed at number 12 and is one of only 22 • February 2017

two colleges from San Antonio, Texas, on this list. For the past two years in a row, NVC was also listed as one of the best colleges in Texas by bestcolleges.com. The college ranked number two among Texas community colleges. Achieving such a remarkable turnaround required a college-wide effort and commitment to provide continued access to education by identifying and helping students who are educationally and economically disadvantaged. Coordinate Recruitment, Advising and Financial Aid Efforts Although Northwest Vista College had always participated in city-wide recruitment initiatives and strived to market to and recruit Hispanic students, reaching a larger part of the Hispanic population required a more coordinated effort. One such strategy was to make the college accessible to economically disadvantaged sectors of the city. Located only a few miles away from the main campus, NVC began to provide outreach, recruitment and enrollment services, as well as offering courses at an offsite location at the Westside Education and Training Center. A large portion of this effort came from one of the oldest programs the college offered: the Community Health Worker program. Its coordinator, as well as its students, were already serving that segment of the population through their practicum and internships. At the same time, the college quickly embraced and began to work collaboratively with its sister colleges on a College Connections program, a district-wide recruitment initiative. The program is a

Dr. Ric Neal Baser

partnership with area high schools whereby recruiters from NVC and other colleges within the Alamo College District assist high school students at their home campus in advising, financial aid and enrollment efforts. Through various focus groups and listening sessions with students, faculty and staff, NVC also began to offer Financial Aid Saturdays for families to address financial concerns for first-time college students and students who were economically disadvantaged. Programs such as Visit Vista Days, which occur on the weekend, are meant to break the mystery out of the enrollment process and assist working students and their families. The college’s recruitment, advising and financial support efforts have been recognized on a national level. In 2009, NVC was recognized for exemplary practices in integrating academic and career advisement by the National Academic Advising Association, an organization that promotes quality academic advising in institutions of higher education. In 2016, the Northwest Vista College Recruitment Team was recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics as one of the Bright Spots in Hispanic Education across the country for helping to close the achievement gap by increasing educational outcomes and opportunities for Hispanic students.

PH OTO CO URTESY O F NO RTHWEST VISTA CO LLEG E

The Remarkable Turnaround in Hispanic Enrollment and Success

PH OTO CO URTESY O F NO RTHWEST VISTA CO LLEG E

Hispanic student enrollment at Alamo Colleges District - Northwest Vista College soared from 44 percent in 2005 to 62 percent during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Embrace and Financially Support Grass Roots Academic Success Initiatives Northwest Vista College faculty and staff have done a phenomenal job supporting students in developmental education and gatekeeper courses, which are required for academic success yet pose challenges for many students. Math can be the largest obstacle to student success and degree completion. NVC math faculty have always engaged in intrusive advising efforts, as well as innovative teaching methods to reduce the length of time students spend in developmental education and enter college-level courses. The Math Advocacy Center provides one-on-one tutoring for any developmental math course and any college algebra course offered at the college, as well as math advising and counseling. Another support system is the Math Lab for Cooperative Learning, which is designed to help students with any math course offered at NVC. Students can work individually or with a group on homework questions, quiz corrections and test reviews and corrections. In 2009, NVC became a national leader in developmental education and received the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) recognition. At the time, NVC’s developmental math program was the only one in the nation to receive the NADE recognition at the Distinguished Level.

Since then, math faculty have strived to break down academic silos and collaborated effectively across the college to create opportunities for student success. Supported by a federal grant, Project Math Paths is a grass-roots effort to improve NVC’s three-year graduation rate through a streamlined enrollment, advising and placement process, as well as through the acceleration of students through the math core, by eliminating developmental math course hours. Focus, Promote and Support Degree Completion Initiatives In 2010, NVC engaged in a strategic objective to address degree completion gaps among all segment groups. A Degree Completion Team was established and strengthened through additional staffing and college-wide advising and marketing efforts. Student advisors and faculty groups across the college engaged in setting specific completion goals. A few years later, this effort was further solidified by a district-wide strategic focus on degree completion, which engaged all work teams in the academic area and among support staff. As a result of these initiatives, the number of degrees and certificates awarded began to grow exponentially. During the 2015-2016 academic year, there was a 51 percent growth in degrees and 13

percent in certificates from the previous academic year. NVC’s three-year degree completion rate for the first-time-in-college (FTIC) cohort, which began in 2012 and completed in 2015, was 23 percent. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, NVC’s latest FTIC cohort for 2013-2016 grew to 25 percent. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board notes NVC’s three-year FTIC graduation rate as 26.6 percent. Another outstanding factor is that a majority of these degrees and certificates — over 58 percent during the 20142015 academic year — were awarded to Hispanic students. NVC is making commendable progress in closing the gap for Hispanic students. Although there is still a four percent gap between Hispanic students enrolled and those earning degrees, it is a major progress from our past of 38 percent Hispanics earning degrees in 2005. This remarkable turnaround in Hispanic enrollment and success for Northwest Vista College students is a promise to San Antonio and Texas and our local economy as we prepare the next generation of citizens and employees. NVC is committed to our mission of creating opportunities for success by offering quality academic, technical and life-long learning experiences to its diverse communities in a collaborative, student-centered, data-informed and shared leadership environment. • Dr. Ric Neal Baser is the president of Alamo Colleges District - Northwest Vista College, located in San Antonio, Texas. He has 37 years of experience in higher education administration, teaching and research. NVC opened in 1995 with 12 students, and current enrollment exceeds 17,000 students pursuing associate degrees, certificates and marketable skills achievement awards. To learn more about Northwest Vista College, visit alamo.edu/nvc.

www.HispanicOutlook.com • 23

HONORS AND OVATIONS

dents, SAC’s new president Dr. Robert Vela created the Office of Outreach & Recruitment and launched the college into a new era. SAC would begin to address the barriers, which at times prevent students from enrolling in college. In May 2015, San Antonio College opened the Tino & Millie Duran Welcome Center, a state-of-the-art Center that serves as a one-stop location assisting prospective students with a slew of enrollment and registration services. The open-concept facility creates a friendly environment and follows the anticipatory customer service model used by Apple. “Time and time again, we hear that students, especially those in our own feeder schools, are not considering coming to SAC, or any college for that matter,” Vela said. “They believe that going to college—even a community college like SAC—is simply too far out of reach,” he continued. “It was clear to me that it was up to SAC to change that perception.”

SERVING SAC’S BACKYARD

A Look at How San Antonio College Is Addressing Issues of Access, Persistence and Completion Story courtesy of San Antonio College sociation of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and was named a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), a designation that is proudly still maintained today. A New Era San Antonio College has always been a pillar of excellence for the San Antonio community. Although, the path to college is still not guaranteed for many young people, especially those who are first-generation college students and may not have the familial support at home to fuel the desire of attaining a higher education. Many students—and parents alike— rely on high schools to provide college guidance. Unfortunately, many high school counselors will tell you that there are simply not enough counselors to provide adequate one-on-one support for all students. Knowing these challenges and recognizing the admissions process can be quite daunting for first-time college stu-

PHOTO COURT ES Y OF S AN A NTONIO COLLEGE

An Introduction Alamo Colleges District – San Antonio College (SAC) has a long, rich history spanning over nine decades. Founded in 1925 under the auspices of the University of Texas, SAC, then named “University Junior College,” was the first public institution in San Antonio and one of the first community colleges in the state of Texas. Throughout SAC’s 90-year history, there have been various trends with enrollment, instruction and delivery. Still, SAC’s goal always remained to educate the citizens it so proudly served. Like many community colleges, SAC began to really find its way in the 1960s and developed into the modern “SAC” that is more recognizable today. By the 80s, student enrollment began to grow by the thousands, and the student body started to more closely resemble the overall demographic breakdown of the city. In 1986, SAC became one of the founding members of the Hispanic As-

24 • February 2017

Find Your Future In September 2016, San Antonio College launched a new initiative called Find Your Future (FYF), which aimed to provide strategic outreach for students in SAC’s “backyard.” SAC’s “backyard,” a colloquial term coined by Vela, references the students in SAC’s immediate geographic area and within SAC’s main feeder schools. Although SAC serves a diverse community, the majority of the students who attend SAC (more than 60 percent) are of Hispanic descent. Coordinated by the Office of Outreach & Recruitment, the Find Your Future Tour, which took place throughout the Fall 2016 semester, included five stops at various high schools throughout the city and reached more than 3,000 high school seniors. The tour featured a one-hour keynote speech by nationally renowned motivational speaker Roy Juarez, Jr. As well, each tour stop incorporated a short presentation from a SAC recruiter about how to apply to college.

PHOTO COU RT ES Y OF S AN ANTONIO COLLEGE

Be SAC Proud As 2016 came to a close, the number of degrees and certificates conferred during the previous academic year reached a dramatic milestone. San Antonio College, after 90 years, had awarded an all-time high of 5,032 credentials within the 2015-2016 academic year. Surpassing 5,000 for the first time was a welcomed celebration; however, it did not come as a surprise. It is the direct result of numerous efforts by SAC’s dedicated faculty, staff and student body. The “Be SAC Proud” initiative was conceived in 2012 to highlight and promote the importance of earning a degree or certificate. A committee convened to develop a marketing plan and execute tactics aimed at building awareness of the importance of earning a credential. Ultimately, it would take the entire college to make the dream a reality. When the “Be SAC Proud” campaign originally unfolded, faculty and staff from across the college employed a number of strategies and actions related to the wildly important goal of student success. Soon, more and more students began to also take note. Students became enlightened about the benefits of earning a credential before transferring to a partner institution. The plan was working.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE

PHOTO CO URTESY O F SAN ANTO NIO CO LLEG E

More than providing a simple informational session about “HOW” to apply to college, the FYF Tour’s goal was deeper—to inspire young people and explain “WHY” they should go to college. The tour was SAC’s first major effort at redefining the basic college information session. Instead of telling students to meet with a recruiter to apply and get assistance with the enrollment process, the tour offered the added element of inspiration. Juarez, a community college success story himself, travels across the country sharing his life story with thousands of people each year. In minutes, magically, he was able to captivate the hundreds of teens in the audience at each of the tour stops. Immediately, his story of overcoming homelessness at the age of 14 drew in the students to hear the message: You can do it. Si se puede. Another project, similar to the Find Your Future Tour, focuses on empowering parents. Also initiated by President Vela, the Parent Leadership Academy is a trial program in its first year and partners with several local agencies and the San Antonio Independent School District to demystify college and create informed parental advocates within the community. Both programs incorporate the same elements of inspiration, education and empowerment.

With the help of countless faculty, staff members, current students and alumni, “Be SAC Proud” continues to embolden SAC students every day. What started out as a simple marketing ploy has taken its rightful role as an institutional anthem, and indeed SAC is extremely proud; proud to enter into a tenth decade of transforming lives and reinvigorating the San Antonio community. • www.HispanicOutlook.com • 25

SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

STUDY: CONNECTICUT RANKS 21ST IN COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY Story courtesy of Linda Conner Lambeck, The Connecticut Post

RIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — It is no longer possible to work one’s way through state college without incurring debt, according to a new study on college affordability. It would take 49 hours a week, on average, at a minimum wage job in Connecticut to pay the net full-time price at the University of Connecticut, the state’s research institution, according to a 2016 College Affordability Diagnosis. And while Connecticut has some of the most affordable two-year colleges in the nation, according to the report, the steep price tag of four-year private colleges is enough to bring the state down to a mediocre overall showing. It is ranked 21st in the nation. Attending a private four-year college in the state would require 68 hours a week of minimum wage to pay for the average year’s net cost. “The cost of college has gone from expensive to unaffordable for most low- and middle-income families,” Joni E. Finney, director of the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and one of the report’s authors. Finney said the analysis is intended as a wake-up call. Patrick Callahan, another one of the report’s authors, said the report is designed to give policy makers ammunition in trying to bring down costs. Students like Aijah Threats, a sophomore at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury is already awake.

26 • February 2017

“Looking at my future of loans is bleak,” Threats, a paralegal student, said. “It’s like I’m getting a lot of money but then sending it back.” Her hope is that the salary her intended field will yield will be able to get her through the loans. Brandon Murphy, a Stratford resident who just transferred from Gateway Community College to Western is more than concerned. “I’m very scared to get out of college and not find a job immediately,” said Murphy, who is a sports psychology major. The idea behind the study was not to look at average college costs and student loan debt but to determine the real impact of college cost on a family’s income based on where they live and what is readily available to them in their home state. The study ranked Connecticut 21st in the nation on the affordability of attending college. The ranking took an average of the cost of every college in the state, compared to the average family income. The sticker price to attend UConn, the state’s flagship school, next fall is nearly $28,000 for in-state residential students, but researchers for the study used a different measure — “net” cost — which factored in what students in various income brackets would pay after average student grants and scholarship aid are factored. The lower the family income, the more aid a student will likely get and the lower their “net” cost. But, families

earning less still end up paying a bigger percentage of their overall income to pay for higher education. A family in the state earning $30,000 or less would need to devote 15 percent of its income to attend community colleges like Housatonic or Norwalk. That percentage makes the state the sixth most affordable in the nation for junior college. By contrast, a family earning $110,000 or more would have to devote just five percent of its income toward college costs. According to the study, 35 percent of families in Connecticut make that much while just 15 percent make $30,000 or less. To attend a public university like Western in Danbury or Southern in New Haven, the family making $30,000 or less would have to use 30 percent of its income in the state. To attend UConn would take 36 percent and a private, four-year school like Sacred Heart or Fairfield University, up to 56 percent. And at private research institutions like Yale, the percentage of family income is 37 percent, compared to 50 percent five years ago. In Connecticut, the study shows the percentage of family income needed to attend college has increased since 2008 at all but private research institutions, like Yale. “The deck is stacked against low and middle income Americans,” the report concludes. Paul Broadie II, president at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, where tuition and fees this fall are up to $4,052 before financial aid is calculated, said affordability is a focus of the system. “That is what has helped make the system among the most affordable in the nation,” Broadie said. He acknowledges some students need to work while attending school but encourages them to seek jobs that are flexible and sensitive to the students’ academic demands.

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He also pointed out that attending a two-year college on the way to a bachelor’s degree can reduce the overall costs. That is why articulation agreements that prevent students from wasting credits, are so important. Maribel La Luz, director of communications for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities that oversees both the community colleges and regional universities agrees college tuition poses a real challenge to students and potential students. “It’s why we do everything possible to offset some of the costs,” she said. “CSCU colleges and universities have an ‘open admission’ policy so anyone can attend. We are working hard to reduce both the cost of education and the time to degree for students. According to the study, one third of the state’s college students are at twoyear schools and about 48 percent of working-age residents have an associate degree. That is higher than the national average of 40 percent, but still not enough.

By 2020, the researchers estimate that 70 percent of jobs in the state will require at least an associate degree. The state, they added, is not helping the situation. Connecticut contributes below the national average for per-pupil student financial aid. The state shells out $290 per student in need-based financial aid for students to attend public colleges and universities, compared to a national average of $474. The report also suggests that students are picking up a bigger chunk of the cost of public higher costs. In 2014, what students paid amounted to 52 percent of the cost of a public higher education compared to 30 percent in 2000. “I wish they would do more to help,” Jessica Mooney, from Ansonia said. Mooney just graduated with a nursing degree. They make good money, she concedes. “I still think it’s going to be difficult,’ Mooney said. Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com •

The sticker price to attend UConn, the state’s flagship school, next fall is nearly $28,000 for in-state residential students, but researchers for the study used a different measure — “net” cost — which factored in what students in various income brackets would pay after average student grants and scholarship aid are factored.

www.HispanicOutlook.com • 27

SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

Honduran Students Lead in Central American Enrollment in American Universities Story courtesy of Honduras Presidency

LOGO COURTE SY OF HONDURA S PRESIDENCY

EGUCIGALPA, Honduras — In 2016, the United States reached the highest number of international students in its colleges and universities, surpassing over one million. A particular subgroup of that million is composed of Honduran students whose enrollment in U.S. higher education has increased 12.8 percent, according to the 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. According to the Open Doors Report, almost 2,000 Honduran students

are currently studying in the United States, more than any other Central American country. As a part of current Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez’s plan to further develop the country, he has prioritized bilingual education for students across Honduras. Today, Honduras is the most bilingual country in Central America. The rational behind this emphasis on bilingual education is that bilingual citizens are able to better integrate

Honduras official country brand logo. “Honduras: Somos para ti” (Honduras: We are for you)

28 • February 2017

into new environments, most notably into American universities, and bringing together people from such different cultural backgrounds increases the chances of a deeper exchange of ideas, conversation and perspectives—three key aspects to a flourishing university environment. “I am so proud of the future of Honduras; to know that our students are among the highest numbers studying abroad means that they are enriching themselves to ultimately come back and enrich our country. These types of exchanges benefit all of the actors involved, including the students, professors, governments and universities,” said Hilda Hernández, Minister of Communications and Strategy for Honduras. These types of exchanges have the potential to encourage growth for both Hondurans and Americans on a variety of levels. They can add a more personal face to the country’s name while also opening the door for greater institutional integration between Central and North American political and business leaders. Locally, the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa has started to reflect larger initiatives pushed by the U.S. government that highlight numerous partnerships being developed with local universities, NGOs and academic organizations throughout Tegucigalpa. Overall, the increase in Honduran students in U.S. higher education has the potential to encourage students to embrace cultural exchange while learning to embody and share the positive aspects of their patria and to instill a global perspective on developing minds, which will hopefully create a strong foundation for the future of both countries. •

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tendencia del pasado, por lo cual parece injustificado que su nombramiento se haya convertido en un suceso de cobertura nacional. La votación en su contra de dos senadoras republicanas: Susan Collins de Maine y Lisa MurKowski de Alaska, trajo consigo la necesidad de que por primera vez en la historia, el vicepresidente acabase con el empate decidiendo su voto en favor a DeVos.

BETSY DEVOS

en el proscenio presidencial

PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.BETSYDEVO S.CO M

Written by Tomás Castellanos

a presidencia de Donald J. Trump ha sido, desde sus inicios de campaña hasta el juramento como líder de los Estados Unidos, sensacional. Sus adeptos y enemigos fueron –y son- el público que adorna un espectáculo que en cada acto levanta nuevos silbidos o aplausos. La confirmación como Secretaria de Educación de Betsy DeVos no estuvo exenta en la obra. El 24 de Noviembre del pasado año el presidente electo Donald Trump nominaba a DeVos para el puesto de Secretaria de Educación en un comunicado que argumentaba la selección de esta manera: ‘’ Betsy DeVos es una brillante y apasionada defensora de la educación. Bajo su liderazgo reformaremos el sistema de educación estadounidense y quebraremos la burocracia que está deteniendo a nuestros hijos para que así podamos darle una educación de clase mundial y posibilidades de escoger escuelas a todas las familias. Estoy complacido de nombrar a Betsy como Secretaria de Educación. ‘’ Como casi todo miembro del gabinete que Trump ha construido, DeVos no

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solo es multimillonaria, sino que fue una importante contribuyente a su campaña. Pero este suceso no se reserva solamente al presidente electo ni al partido republicano, en todas las presidencias anteriores ha habido nombramientos de renombrados contribuyentes. ¿Dónde encontraremos entonces el eje central de las críticas a DeVos? En la inexperiencia sin dudas, pero no caigamos en la tentación del olvido, DeVos no es la primera en recibir dicho cargo contando con un escaso recorrido en el campo educativo. Podríamos citar a quien ha estado por más tiempo en la historia de los Estados Unidos en frente del Departamento de Educación, el señor Richard Riley, quien ejerció por 8 años consecutivos bajo la presidencia del demócrata Bill Clinton. En su defensa, Riley sí contaba con un reconocido pasado como político y había dirigido anteriormente proyectos que contaban con sumas estratosféricas de dinero, requerimiento que se le suma a las carencias de la DeVos. Esta nueva nominación no constituye entonces una ruptura abismal con la

La poco común audiencia de DeVos El 18 de enero se llevó a cabo la audiencia de Betsy DeVos, este hecho constituyó la antesala a la votación del pasado 7 de febrero. La senadora de Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, hizo una serie de preguntas directas y cerradas a Betsy cuyas respuestas eran conocidas con anterioridad. Dicho interrogatorio de confirmación tenía un solo objetivo: exponer la falta de preparación de DeVos y ridiculizar su nombramiento. Warren inquirió sobre la experiencia de DeVos dirigiendo un programa de préstamos de un trillón de dólares como el de educación. Contrario a lo que parecía sugerir la senadora, no es común encontrar un político que haya participado o dirigido un programa de tal magnitud antes de ser nombrado en un cargo de alto rango, DeVos parecía intimidada o mal preparada para contestar a las preguntas que se le hicieron. Arne Duncan, quien fuese secretario de educación durante la mayoría del mandato de Barack Obama, tampoco tenía experiencia alguna acerca de cómo manejar un programa con tal suma de dinero; sin embargo Duncan no estuvo expuesto a responder preguntas de esta índole durante su audiencia. La senadora Warren mantuvo un tono acusativo, a menudo interrumpiendo las respuestas de DeVos y ridiculizando las mismas, Betsy no ofreció resistencia alguna. Por su parte el senador Tim Kaine elaboró una pregunta que entrelaza el nombramiento de DeVos con la revisión de una nueva política de educación superior y el enriquecimiento personal que

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podría obtener el presidente, puesto que Donald Trump es propietario de una institución de nivel superior: Trump University. A esto se le suma que DeVos es dueña y miembro de la junta directiva de Neurocore, un centro de investigaciones neurológicas enfocadas en la recopilación de datos y tratamiento de enfermedades como el trastorno por déficit de hiperactividad y atención (TDHA), autismo, ansiedad, depresión y manejo de estrés entre otras. El New York Times ya había apuntado en un artículo el pasado 20 de enero el conflicto de intereses que causa el nombramiento de Betsy puesto que estaría al mando de un sector donde un 10.2% de los estudiantes entre 5 y 17 años, aproximadamente 9 millones de niños, son diagnosticados cada año solamente con TDHA. De establecerse preferencia en la contratación de Neurocore en las escuelas autónomas, se produciría un incremento sustancial de sus ingresos. Tim Kaine dirigió el resto de sus preguntas al mismo lugar donde Warren ya había indagado anteriormente: la inexperiencia en el sector público, sobre todo en K-12. El propósito era exponer la distancia que separa a DeVos de la media estudiantil estadounidense, y por lo tanto, de la porción donde descansa la mayor parte de su responsabilidad. Entre todas las intervenciones de la audiencia, la declaración más tajante fue la del senador y excandidato presidencial Bernie Sanders, quien luego de hacerla admitir que su familia había donado un aproximado de 200 millones de dólares al partido republicano, le preguntó: “¿Cree usted que si usted no fuese una multimillonaria, si su familia no hubiese donado cientos de millones de dólares en contribuciones al partido republicano estaría usted sentada hoy aquí?” DeVos contestó que sí, acompañado por una vaga explicación para justificar la afirmativa. Bernie Sanders encarnó la antítesis de sí mismo 8 años atrás cuando increpó, de manera educada y alentadora, a Arne Duncan durante su audiencia.

¿Qué podemos esperar? El nombramiento de DeVos como Secretaria de Educación de los Estados Unidos es ya un hecho, y con ello la política que regirá nuestra educación en los próximos cuatro años. Hay dos puntos que sobresalen si nos enfocamos en la línea de trabajo e intereses de Betsy: primeramente los school vouchers o vales escolares; y luego los charter schools o escuelas autónomas. Los ya controversiales vales escolares no son otra cosa que bonos que el estado entrega a estudiantes que cumplen determinadas condiciones como bajo nivel de ingreso de los padres, niños con discapacidad o que residen en áreas con poco acceso a la educación pública. Los vales cubren el costo de la educación del estudiante en una escuela alternativa. Dicho programa ayuda a ampliar las posibilidades de elección para los alumnos pero trae consigo una desestabilización entre el sistema público y el privado. El apoyo a las escuelas autónomas está intrínsecamente unido al interés por ampliar los vales escolares debido a que estos últimos podrían constituir una fuente considerable de ingresos. En un estudio

realizado por el Dr. Robert M. Costrell, un profesor de la Universidad de Arkansas, y publicado en Education Next, se presenta cómo el proyecto de bonos llevado a cabo en Milwaukee (MPCP), el más amplio realizado hasta el momento, ha demostrado que esta alternativa es económicamente más efectiva que el costo por estudiante en el sector público. En todo caso los problemas que se han tenido en Milwaukee pertenecen al criterio utilizado para seleccionar a los estudiantes que merecen participar en el programa. Aún es muy temprano para poder vaticinar cual será el resultado de este nuevo gabinete de educación. Cabe pensar que DeVos será un ente directivo, es en su gabinete organizativo donde descansa el deber de trazar los programas y las líneas de pensamiento que regirán la enseñanza de nuestro país. Si tuviese que apostar a una postura determinada, diría que nuestra nueva Secretaria de Educación será parte del decorado de un proceso que se inicia sin una estrategia clara o alentadora. Esperemos que las especulaciones queden en no más que silbidos y aplausos. •

www.HispanicOutlook.com • 31

SCHOOL LIBRARY For many years, Hispanic Outlook ran book reviews that covered a wide variety of topics related to academia, higher education and the Hispanic community. This feature was so popular that not only are we bringing it back but also expanding it, so it encompasses more of the education experience. Like a real library, the new book reviews will be split into sections: one that will continue to be dedicated to higher education and the Hispanic community, and one showcasing books that are ideal for primary and secondary education majors and professors, as well as teachers currently working in grades K-12. HIGHER EDUCATION “ACHIEVE THE COLLEGE DREAM: YOU DON’T NEED TO BE RICH TO ATTEND A TOP SCHOOL” By María Carla Chicuén Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers ISBN-13: 978-1475827347 In “Achieve the College Dream,” education equality advocate María Carla Chicuén provides advice on important aspects of the path to college such as pursuing a strong high school curriculum, preparing for standardized exams, complementing learning at school, developing leadership and finding expert help and role models—all through affordable strategies. In addition, she also guides students through the college application and selection processes, as well as the steps to obtain enough financial aid. Beyond making recommendations, Chicuén also shares her own journey to Harvard, demonstrating by example that students with few resources can succeed at the top universities in the U.S.

“THE SCHOLARSHIP & FINANCIAL AID SOLUTION: HOW TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR NEXT TO NOTHING WITH SHORTCUTS, TRICKS, AND TIPS FROM START TO FINISH REVISED 2ND EDITION” By Debra Lipphardt Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1601389503 This revised edition of “The Scholarship & Financial Aid Solution” is an updated, comprehensive and detailed guide to obtaining financial assistance for a college education. It explores the different types of general scholarships available, where to look for these scholarships and college application hints. It also offers assistance on writing a resume, filling out applications and writing essays. In addition, it offers shortcuts and tips to make the application process easier, as well as advice on how to reap the most benefit from letters of recommendation and interviews. This guide also delves into critical information about state grants, FASFA and scams.

32 • February 2017

“SUCCESSFUL STEM MENTORING INITIATIVES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS: A RESEARCH-BASED GUIDE FOR FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS” By Becky Wai-Ling Packard Publisher: Stylus Publishing ISBN-13: 978-1620362952 This step-by-step research-based guide is written for higher education faculty and administrators who are charged with designing mentoring programs to recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups including women, students of color, transfer students and first-generation college students. Written by an expert in the field of STEM mentoring, it describes the real and perceived barriers that underrepresented students encounter when considering enrollment, or participating, in science courses; considers the issues they face at the various transitions in their education, from entering college to declaring a major and moving on to a profession; and sets out mentoring options available to program designers. “PAYING IT FORWARD - THE PHD PROJECT: CREATING TOMORROW’S LEADERS IN BUSINESS THROUGH ACADEME” By Ned Steele Publisher: The PhD Project ISBN-13: 978-0578143453 The PhD Project’s vision of a significantly larger talent pipeline of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans for business leadership positions is becoming reality. This is the story of its origins and growth, as well as the journeys of many of its participants and professors—the mentorships that sustain them, collaborations that propel them and their commitment to pay it forward. When The PhD Project was created in 1994, there were only 294 doctorally qualified African-American, Hispanic American or Native American professors in all U.S. university business schools. When it turned 20, there were 1,237 professors and an additional 332 working toward their doctorates.

SCHOOL LIBRARY K-12 “THE STORYTELLER’S CANDLE/LA VELITA DE LOS CUENTOS” By Lucía González Illustrated by Lulu Delacre Publisher: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN-13: 978-0892392377 Grade Level: Preschool - 3 Teachers Guide: https://www.leeandlow.com/ books/2804/teachers_guide The winter of 1929 feels especially cold to cousins Hildamar and Santiago who arrived in New York City from sunny Puerto Rico only months before. Their island home feels very far away indeed especially with Three Kings’ Day rapidly approaching. But then a magical thing happens. A visitor appears in their class, a gifted storyteller, as well as New York City’s first Latina librarian, Pura Belpré. She opens the children’s eyes to the public library and its potential to be the living, breathing heart of the community. The library, after all, belongs to everyone—whether you speak Spanish, English or both. The University of Alabama School of Library and Informational Studies has provided a book discussion and activity guide for this title, which was created by Jenni Arvin and Sylvia Garcia with Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo (https://www.leeandlow.com/uploads/loaded_document/61/Storyteller_Candle_BG.pdf ). “POEMS TO DREAM TOGETHER/ POEMAS PARA SOÑAR JUNTOS” By Francisco Alarcón Illustrated by Paula Barragán Publisher: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1584302339 Grade Level: 2 and up Teacher’s Guide: https://www.leeandlow.com/ books/2433/teachers_guide A young boy dreams that “all humans / and all living / beings / come together / as one big family / of the Earth.” So begins this delightful collection of poems that illustrate how dreams can guide and inspire. As readers travel through the boy’s colorful universe, they learn about his family and community working together and caring for each other and their world. Neighbors help repair adobe homes. The boy and his family share photographs, tend their garden and pamper Mamá who “works day and night.” Tribute is paid to those who toil in the fields and to César Chávez. Teaching Tolerance—a project created by The Southern Poverty Law Center for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity, and respect for differences in schools—has created learning activities for this title (http://www.tolerance.org/poetry-month).

“MY DIARY FROM HERE TO THERE/ MI DIARIO DE AQUI HASTA ALLÁ” By Amada Irma Pérez Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez Publisher: Children’s Book Press ISBN-13: 978-0892391752 Grade Level: 1 and up Teacher’s Guide: https://www.leeandlow.com/ books/2799/teachers_guide One night, young Amada overhears her parents whisper of moving from Mexico to the other side of the border—to Los Angeles. As she and her family make their journey north, Amada records her fears, hopes and dreams for their lives in the U.S. in her diary. How can she leave her best friend behind? What if she can’t learn English? What if her family never returns to Mexico? From Juárez to Mexicali to Tijuana to Los Angeles, Amada learns that with her family’s love and her belief in herself, she can make any journey and weather any change—here, there, anywhere. Achieve the Core, a Student Achievement Partners website designed to help educators understand and implement the Common Core State Standards, has provided a teacher-created lesson plan for this title (https://www.leeandlow.com/uploads/loaded_document/13/ My_Diary_from_Here_to_There_lesson_plan_by_Achieve_the_ Core.pdf ). “¡OLINGUITO, DE LA A A LA Z! DESCUBRIENDO EL BOSQUE NUBLADO/OLINGUITO, FROM A TO Z! UNVEILING THE CLOUD FOREST” By Lulu Delacre Illustrated by Lulu Delacre Publisher: Children’s Book Press ISBN-13: 978-0892393275 Grade Level: Kindergarten - 6 Teacher’s Guide: https://www.leeandlow.com/ books/2916/teachers_guide With lyrical text, readers travel to the magical world of a cloud forest in the Andes of Ecuador and discover the bounty of plants, animals and other organisms that live there. But this isn’t just a sightseeing tour. A zoologist needs help to find the elusive olinguito, the first new mammal species identified in the Americas since 1978. Not the usual ABC book, the alphabet is an organizing feature to introduce children to rich vocabulary. Exquisitely illustrated with colorful, realistic images, the book includes articles about cloud forests and an extensive glossary with the scientific names of the species pictured. Lee & Low Books Inc.’s main website provides an activity kit for this title (https://www.leeandlow.com/uploads/loaded_document/264/ Olinguito_Activity_Sheet_Laser.pdf ).

www.HispanicOutlook.com • 33

Why Bellevue College?

PEDIATRIC UROLOGIST/RESEARCHER The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Department of Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in either the non-tenure clinician-educator track or the tenure track. The successful applicant will have experience in the field of pediatric urology with a focus on major surgical reconstructive techniques in children with urologic problems. Responsibilities include patient care, including open, endoscopic and, in particular, robotics surgery; teaching of medical students and residents as well as pediatric urology fellows; and research in the areas of clinical outcomes, stone disease and reconstruction. Applicants must have an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. or equivalent degree. They must also be certified by the American Board of Urology or eligible for such certification. All candidates must have completed training through an ACGMEapproved pediatric urology fellowship. A strong basic science background and demonstrated potential for developing independent research will be preferred. We seek candidates who embrace and reflect diversity in the broadest sense. The University of Pennsylvania and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are EOEs. Minorities/Women/Individuals with disabilities/Protected Veterans are encouraged to apply. Apply for this position online at: https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty_ad/index.php/g336/d4567

Special Offer Exclusively for HERC Members

BC is the third largest college in Washington state with over 33,000 students, 12 bachelor’s degrees, 23 associate degrees, and over 100 certificates. We value the diverse backgrounds of our students and employees, recognizing how varying viewpoints, cultures & experiences enrich the learning environment. Excellent benefits include reduced tuition, vacation & a friendly work environment.

Teaching Opportunities in: Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Interior Design, English Learning Institute, Network Services & Computing Systems, Digital Marketing, and more!

www.bellevuecollege.edu/jobs/ Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; creed; color; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates.... Please see policy 4150 at www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/.

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58329 CUNY Hispanic Outlook 4.875” X 9.75” 2.13.17 p1

PRESIDENT THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK The City College of New York, our country’s first free public institution of higher education and the flagship campus of the City University of New York, seeks a new president, a leader who will chart the college’s course – and steward its core commitments to access and excellence – into the future. Located in Harlem, on a beautifully historic campus, City College has long represented one of the nation’s great experiments in public education and, today, it remains one of the country’s great democratic achievements. For generations of students, many of them working class and immigrants, City College has been life changing, an engine of economic mobility and a pathway to a brighter future. City College supports an excellent faculty totaling 1650, including 628 full-time faculty and over 1000 adjunct faculty who support the core teaching of the college. City College continues to attract an increasingly strong and diverse student body, which today numbers just over 16,500. Throughout its continued growth and evolution, City College has remained true to its legacy of access, opportunity, and transformation, and it boasts a deeply loyal and impressive alumni base. The college’s graduates include nine Nobel laureates and numerous nationally recognized leaders in diverse academic, cultural, social, political, scientific, and commercial fields.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Minnesota State University, Mankato invites applications for the following positions to be listed this semester. • Tenure-track faculty positions in Corrections, History, Law Enforcement, Sociology, and Urban and Regional Studies (2). • Fixed-term faculty positions in Applied Organizational Studies, Economics, and Nonprofit Leadership Minnesota State University, Mankato and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences have a longstanding, successful commitment to diversity and are actively seeking to expand the gender, cultural, racial and ethnic diversity of our university community. Complete information is/or will be posted under Employment at MSU on http://www.mnsu.edu/hr/. AA/EOE and a member of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities

The president of City College reports to the Chancellor of the CUNY system and works closely with the College’s senior leadership team. She or he will provide strategic, transparent leadership and will work to galvanize the college community around a shared vision for City’s future. In addition, the successful candidate will bring an astute sense for managing organizational dynamics, a strong commitment to exceptional scholarly inquiry, a proven record of leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion, demonstrated financial and managerial acumen, experience supporting and strengthening student success, and the capacity to fundraise for and represent City College externally. The next president must bring uncompromising personal and professional integrity to the role, the highest standards of ethics and accountability, and a style of communication that is values-based, honest, and inclusive. The president must also be passionate about City College’s core mission and, more broadly, about the purpose and impact of public higher education in our country. Today, City College stands at the intersection of its historical past and the promise for a vibrant future. It has strong programs with excellent student appeal, and, looking forward, it has the opportunity to add to its menu of academic choices and sharpen student success, aiding both mission and the financial resources available to the institution. With strong leadership, this is a moment in City’s history when it can maximize its many assets and step confidently into its next chapter.

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City College has engaged Isaacson, Miller to assist with this search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted in confidence at www.imsearch.com/6091. The anticipated start date for the president will be fall 2017.

Diversity and inclusion are core values of The City University of New York. We believe adherence to these values creates an environment that best allows our students, faculty and staff to learn, to work and to succeed. CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer. www.HispanicOutlook.com • 35

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND PROVOST The University of Alabama at Birmingham is conducting a global search for its next Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost. The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to March 15, 2017. For a complete position description, please visit the Current Opportunities page at http://www.parkersearch.com/uab-provost. Laurie C. Wilder, President Porsha L. Williams, Vice President lwilder@parkersearch.com || pwilliams@parkersearch.com Phone: 770-804-1996 ext: 109 Fax: 770-804-1917 UAB is committed to equal opportunity in education, and employment, and the maintenance and promotion of nondiscrimination and prevention of discriminatory harassment in all aspects of education, recruitment and employment of individuals throughout the university. Five Concourse Parkway | Suite 2900 | Atlanta, GA 30328 770.804.1996 | parkersearch.com

Hispanic Outlook 1/4 page Issue 2-20-17 Deadline 2-13-17

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is conducting a global search for its next Chancellor. The Chancellor Search Advisory Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to March 13, 2017. For a complete position description, please visit the Current Opportunities page at http://www.parkersearch.com/uno-chancellor. Laurie C. Wilder, President Porsha L. Williams, Vice President lwilder@parkersearch.com || pwilliams@parkersearch.com Phone: 770-804-1996 ext: 109 Fax: 770-804-1917 The University of Nebraska is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, which seeks and encourages expression of interest from minorities and group traditionally under represented. Five Concourse Parkway | Suite 2900 | Atlanta, GA 30328 770.804.1996 | parkersearch.com

Hispanic Outlook

Located in one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the United States and with exceptional connections to industry, Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) is a model of sustainable excellence in education, research, and service. STHM is the largest provider of tourism, hospitality, sport and recreation management education in the Philadelphia region, an international model for innovative teaching and research, and is now inviting nominations and applications for the position of Associate Dean. Reporting to the Dean and Senior Associate Dean of both STHM and the Fox School of Business, the successful applicant will be responsible for the overall administration of STHM, with its approximately 40 full-time faculty and staff. The Associate Dean of STHM will work with a team of leaders, including an Assistant Dean, two department chairs, and several Directors. The role of the Associate Dean is inclusive of, but not limited to the broad overall management functions of: strategic planning, budgeting, marketing, enrollment management, curriculum, academic programs management, faculty recruitment and management, personnel administration, internships, placements, industry relations, development, public relations, space procurement and distribution, special events, and team morale. QUALIFICATIONS

CHANCELLOR

36 • February 2017

ASSOCIATE DEAN SEARCH SCHOOL OF SPORT, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT (STHM)

Successful applicants should have an academic record appropriate for appointment as a full professor with tenure and at least three years of administrative experience as a Director, Chair, Associate Dean, or similar level of responsibility. A terminal degree in an STHM related discipline is required. Successful candidates should have the ability to work effectively with numerous stakeholders, an understanding of elements critical to enhancing the academic distinction and reputation of STHM, effective communication, negotiation, motivation and decision-making skills, and an entrepreneurial spirit to help leverage all of STHM’s available assets. All applications will be held in the strictest of confidence. Review of candidates will begin immediately. TO APPLY: Please submit a current CV and letter of interest electronically to: Janine Gudknecht @ STHMhire@temple.edu Temple University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to excellence through diversity.

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) provides products and services to ease the law school admission process and is best known for administering the Law School Admission Test (LSAT®). LSAC seeks the following:

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

45% OFF

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Hispanic Outlook

Responsibilities include reporting to LSAC’s Executive Director for Diversity Initiatives, the assistant director will collaborate in developing and administering educational programs and initiatives to increase the number of lawyers from under-represented racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ, and other groups that contribute to the diversity of the legal profession. Frequent travel is required. The ideal candidate will have a college degree, strong oral and written communication skills, experience in all forms of social media, and a commitment to encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to pursue college and graduate school degrees. Must possess some knowledge and understanding of issues affecting the educational attainment of students from diverse backgrounds, ability to analyze complex data, experience preparing technical reports, and the ability to exercise discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information. Excellent organizational and time-management skills are essential. The ability to meet project deadlines is also required. Preference will be given both to candidates with advanced degrees in related fields, including law, education, business, and other disciplines, and to candidates with similar prior experience in nonprofit organizations, educational associations, or colleges and universities.

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For details, please visit our website, LSAC.org. To apply, please forward resume and a one-page cover letter summarizing the candidate’s qualifications for and interest in the position, along with salary history or expectations and Job Code, to: C. Rommel, HR Section Law School Admission Council PO BOX 40, Newtown PA 18940 Job code: ADDI-HO Fax: 215.504.3808 Email: employment@LSAC.org Only resumes with salary requirements will be considered. Application review will begin on March 11th and continue until the position is filled.

e-mail: info@hispanicoutlook.com phone: (201) 587-8800 fax: (201) 587-9105 299 Market Street, Suite 145 Saddle Brook, NJ 07663 “‘The Hispanic Outlook on Education’ and ‘Hispanic Outlook’ are registered trademarks.”

LSAC takes great pride in its dedication to being an EOE/AA Employer. All qualified individuals, including minorities, women and people who are differently abled, are encouraged to apply. www.HispanicOutlook.com • 37

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Celebrating Our Diverse Communities

San Antonio College & Northwest Vista College Ranked Among the Top 25 Community Colleges for Hispanics in the Nation by Hispanic Outlook