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.::l COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Community Colleges Raising the Bar by Jeff Simmons undergduate fu-tie equivalent enrollent. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and
President Barack Obama's State of the thenation. Union for community colleges across
more atention in the la thee yea th they ha previously," sad Debora Santiago, vice presdent for policy and resch at Excelencia in Educaon,
Confronted with a stubbornly high national
a Washigton, D.C.-bas
organon endeavorig
unemployment rate and legions of Americans
to help Hianc students by focing on improvig
effort to convice Congress to formaly recognze campuses with high Hispanc enrollent as fed-
falling below the poverty line, the president
policies and practces. "This is much more positie
eraly designated HSIs and begi tagetig feder-
vowed to trai two mion Americans with ski
than the lite atntion they got in the pas."
al appropriations to those schools,
"Now you need to give more community col-
"To me, this is the right way to go," added Terry Kinzel, director of Title V Grants at Big
from 18 in 1986 to more than 400 today, and its
leges the resources they need to become com-
Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Wash.
ales subsequently urged Congress to appropriate
munity career centers - places that teach people
"You have to reflect your community, and you have to look at what your community needs are, the pathways that work in our communities so we can engage the people where they are and then move them forward."
money specifcaly for HSIs. In 1995, $12 mion in federal resources were granted. That number has grown. Last year, $104.3 mion were appro-
speech in January offered welcome news
that wi pave their way into the workforce.
skis that local businesses are lookig for right
now, from data management to high-tech manufacturig," the president said.
The president outlned ideas to "restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot," ai-
Universities, or HACU, in 1992 led the successfu
HACU, which has seen its membership grow
priated for the HSI undergraduate program under Title V of the Higher Education Act.
The speech also represented an acknowl-
"The main benefit is the opportunity for
edgement that community colleges are educatig
additional fundig targeted for Hispanc-Servg
have jobs waiting to be fied. And, he urged col-
greater numbers of Hispanic students, leading many of those institutions to edge beyond the
Antonio R Flores, HACU president and CEO.
leges and universities to ensure tution costs stay
threshold to become Hispanic-Serving
ing to narrow a skills gap that separates the long-term unemployed from businesses that
Institutions by the federal government," said
"One of the persistent challenges for
Institutions, or HSIs.
During the 2009-10 academic year, there were 293 Hispanic-Servng Institutions across the naton, and 137 of them - or 47 percent -
were community colleges, Santiago said. The percentae of HSIs that are communty colleges
has remaied consistently level, but their overal
numbers contiue to grow each year. "When I look at emergig Hispanc-Servg Institutions, institutions that are at 24 percent and don't hit the enrollent theshold to be eligible yet, t4ere are 83 institutions that fit that
band," she said. That 83 percent represents 41 percent of emergig HSIs overa.
With changing student demographics on communty college campuses often come shiing priorities, recasting a college's agenda to concentrate on retention and beef up student
support servces.
Additionaly, colleges that reach this level become eligible to apply for federal dollars to buttess their programs and offerigs. The U.S.
Department of Education's Hispanic-Serving
Antonio R Flores, HACU president and CEO
kens, dean of planning, research and effectiveness, Estrella Mountain c.c.
RenĂŠ Wille
Institutions Program provides grants to help low so that fiancial obstacles do not deter those
with higher education aspirations. Community college leaders and higher edu-
cation expert said the president's words spoke
grs and institutional stabilty.
to his recogntion that two-year public colleges
are a worthy investment in the future of the country's economic prosperity. "Defitely communty colleges have gotten a lot
24
HISPANIC OUTLOOK
HSIs with expandig educational opportnities for Hispanc students and enable the colleges to expand and enhance academic offerings, pro-
The deparent's Title V Progr doesn't pre-
cert intitutions as HSIs. In they must meet elgibilty requiements, priary that Hispancs must represent more than a quarter of their
. 03/26/2012
Hispanc-Servg Institutions in genera, not just for community colleges, is their underfnding relative to other universities and colleges. They only get about 66 cents for every dollar that the
rest of higher education receives annualy per student from al federal sources."
With ths smaler pool of money, many of these
two-year institutions are educating the neediest
as Hispanic-Serving Institutions students in the country. So federal support, such as Title V, alows them to "undertke and improve and expand their capacity to assist these students."
for Hispanic students.
In addition to exceeding the 25 percent threshold, not less than 50 percent of al of a
HACU report that, geographicaly, the states
An additional $ 10.4 milion from the
with the highest numbers of Hispanic-servng
Promoting Post-baccalaureate Opportnities for
community colleges are Calorna (70), Texas
Hispanc Americans Program went to support 21
institutions that offer a post-baccalaureate cer-
(28) and New Mexico (IS). There are states without any, and others with low numbers
based Title IV aid for the college to become eli-
tificate or degree to help Hispanic Americans enroll and succeed in graduate study, a level of
include Washington (two), Florida (two), and Kansas and Massachusetts (each with three).
gible for Title V. Further funding is available
education in which they are underrepresented.
However, Flores notes that Florida's Miam Dade
college's students must be eligible for need-
under the Title II, Part A, program, which
"We advocate continually for them and on
authorizes the Strengthening Institutions, American Indian Tribal1y Control1ed Col1eges
their behal with the U.S. Deparent of Education
Big Bend Community College, tucked in
for better services and more importantly with Congress for better fundig opportlĂšties," Flores sad. "Money is approved by Congress, and so far
an extremely rural area in Washington, is one
and Universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaian-Servg Institutions Programs.
Institutions that receive grants then can apply their funding in myrad ways. For instace, they
is the largest HSI in the nation.
example of parlaying Hispanic growth into access to federal support.
it has not alocated enough money for every eligi-
Terry Kinzel, director of Big Bend's Title V
ble Hispanc-Servg Institution to get fundig, so
Grants, successfully wrote and landed three Hispanic-Serving Institution Title V grants -
can furnish scientific or laboratory equipment
they have to compete amongst themselves for li-
for teachig; construct or renovate instructional
ited resources," he said. "The majority of them
amountig to $ 1 1. mion - in the past three
facilties, bolster faculty development, academic
have some sort of grant, but unortnately, many do not. There is not enough money alocated by Congress on an anual basis,"
years: a Cooperative Lead in 2009, Individual
Deborah Santiago, vice president for policy and research at Excelencia in Education
Terry Kinzel, director, Title V Grants, Big Bend
tutoring and counseling programs; or, improve distace-learng academic instruction.
Dr. Joyce C. Romano, VP of student affairs,
Valencia Community College
The government's investment continues. In
HACU report somewhat higher numbers of
September 2010, 99 new five-year grant grants
HSI community colleges, indicating that 164 of
Title V in 2010, and an HSI STEM in 2011.
"We cover 4,600 square mies and are very
Community College rura and remote. We sit in
the middle of thee
counties we serve, and it's 70 mies to the nort and 70 mies to the south," she said, "and the
amounting to $60.1 milion were awarded to
the 311 institutions certified by the U.S.
enhance colleges that enroll a high percentae
Deparment of Education as HSIs are two-year
communities that are predomiately Latio are
of Hispanic students. With grants from the
colleges. Additionaly, HACU report that there
located furter from the campus than two larger
non-Latio communities."
$49.7 milion Developing Hispanic-Serving
are 242 emergig HSIs, 98 of which are commu-
Institutions Program, 78 institutions have since
nity colleges. Whatever the exact numbers are,
been able to expand educational opportnities
they speak to the same growth.
That posed a chalenge: how to capture and educate those Hispanc students who lived fur-
o 3 / 2 6 I 2 0 i 2 . HIS PAN I C 0 U T L 0 0 K 2S
reaches of its region. "Most of our Latino stu-
dents were a long way from campus, and trapped in jobs that were low w책ge, and they didn't have access to - or didn't feel comfort-
able borrowing - money to go school," she said. Big Bend, for example, revamped its Chid Studies Program, improvig its academic offer-
1967, rus six campuses and centers in Centra
Florida's Orange and Osceola counties, offerig
grats, Big Bend was able to create a better path-
and Osceola campuses are federaly designated
way for students pursuig technological studies. "Our data suggested that Latio students did
Hispanc-Servg Institutions with more than 27 percent of enrollent being Hispanc. Of the college's 59,018 credit students in the academic year 2010-11, 29.2 percent were Hispanc, the largest miority group in the sytem.
a student success center that provided more transparent inormation for new students." In fal 2010, Big Bend enrolled 2,132 stu-
overcome. So Big Bend explored ways to strengthen its distace-learg program.
dents, of whom 663 were Hispanc. The campus enrollent included about 80 percent first-generation college attendees, and among Hispanc students, the percentage of first-generation attendees was at 94 percent.
Big Bend's involvement, actualy, began when
However, the school encountered many students - 91 percent - who were underprepared
Heritage University, a four-year private school,
for college in at least one area, in math or
invited the community college to partner in a
English. Of the Hispanic students, 95 percent
cooperative five-year grant in 2005. At the tie,
were underprepared.
"So it was the Latino students who needed
quarter Hispanic - 19 percent - although its servce area was 47 percent Hispanc. As a result, Big Bend was able to look intro-
extra support when they came in the door
better defie a vision to broaden diversity at the
because they were often the fist in their famy to enter college as well," she said. "That meant they usually didn't have anyone at home who could guide them through the expectations and
institution. "The grant helped us to thk more
support avaiable at the community college."
clearly about how we might reach out to the greater needs in our area," Kizel said, It was durig the Heritage collaboration that
Big Bend crossed the 25 percent threshold and
began to exame how it, too, could seek federal
funding. The school subsequently received the Cooperative Partnership Grant in 2009, when enrollent was 29 percent Hispanc.
In ths instace, Big Bend became the lead
institution and parered with Heritae, which is about 40 miles away. The collaboration has
Federal support for the community college
allowed it to experiment, and "pilot without penalty," Kizel said. \
"
We're always working to help
students expand their view of what is
forged a strong pipelie for students to continue
their higher education studies. "We have the abilty to have a wider rage of access because al of the community colleges in
the state share costs of distace-learng inova-
possible for
themselves.
"
tions," Kinzel said. "Where Heritage was weak was in technology, Big Bend was able to 'mentor' that, so to spea. On our end, we lacked a cul-
tura inclusion, and they were very good at that. It was a great match-up for us." Funding alowed the school to do a much better job connecting with students in the far
26
HISPANIC OUTLOOK
credt and contiuig educaon progrs. Its East
Valencia's graduation rate for Hispanics is twce that of sim, large urban communty col-
leges as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. College-reay Hipanc student gais in
gruation rates at Valencia over the last decade have outpaced al students, increaing from 33.7 percent to 45.5 percent in the last decade. Additionaly, Valencia ranks first among the nation's two-year institutions for the tota num-
ber of associate degrees awarded and second in the number of degrees awarded to Hispancs. Dr. Joyce C. Romano, Valencia's vice president of student afai, said Valencia's Hispanc student
Big Bend's student population was less than a
spectively at its strengths and weaknesses, and
Fla., sees communty colleges as incredibly importat to the country's future. Valencia, founded in
ings so that students could progress to a four-
not transfer well, and we had a higher faiure
found distace - and fundig - too dauntig to
agai," she said. "The grants are critical. There is a huge abilty to stiulate change." Valencia Community College in Orlando,
year college program and earn a bachelor's degree. Additionaly, thanks to one of the federal
rate than that of our Anglo students," Kizel said. "We emphasized transfer, and were able to build
ther away and sought to attend college, but
"The grants alow you to pilot new practices and, if they don't work you can fi that and do it
Dr. Joyce C. Romano,
VP of student affairs,
populaton began to consistently exceed 25 percent about a dozen yea ago, a testaent to the
region's steadiy increaing Hispanc population. "Our growth has been because we've been
able to keep pace with the diversifcation of our area high schools," Romano said. "We have a population base that's very nch in the Hispanc culture, particularly with many Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Carbbean Islanders in our area." Valencia has helped pave the way by connect-
ing with Hispanc students and their parents to bridge the gap to higher education. "Famy in parcular holds a very high value in the Hispanc
cultue, and in some ways that makes commun-
ty colleges more attractive," she said, indicatig
that for many students local campuses alow them to remai close to home. "They want the
best of both worlds; they contiue to be par of the famy network and also go to college." The college's mission and pnonties evolved
over the years, and in the face of troublig low
completion and progression rates among Hispancs, it staed to pursue grant offerigs to buid intiatives to reverse those trends. "One of the ways the Hispanc-servg designation was usefu for us was that we became eligible for dierent pots of dollar, such as Title
Valencia Community
College
. 03/26/2012
V," Romano said. "We were able to get resources
to do some of the innovative work to improve student results."
As a result of its Title V funding, Valencia
focused on entry points and courses that students take early on in their higher education schooling. Valencia designed better faculty development intiatives and strategies as well as improved academic support systems. "The intention was to design somethg that
you wi be able to susta," she said. Valencia's effort have included Supplementa
Learg, which bolsters traditional courses with smal-group study sessions, led by
a student who
aleady successfuy took the class. Since 2006, alost 32,000 students have taken Supplementa
1992-93 academic year. Overall, including its SouthWest Ski center, enrollent swell to 15,00. More than hal of its student populon is
miority.
The fundig has alowed Estrella, like other community colleges, to forge better allances with schools in their surroundig areas servg
"I was glad to see a focus on community col-
kidergarten through 12th-grade students, and
leges, particularly in a way to get people back to work as quickly as possible," RenĂŠ Wilekens, dean of planning, research and effectiveness,
identi area where they can parer with their faculty on academic intiatives involvig mathematics, for instace.
said of President Obama's remarks. "Community
Estrella has visited schools in its surroundig
colleges are able to adapt quickly to the changing needs in the environment." Estrella has witnessâ‚Źd steady growth in its
western areas with Marcopa County and host-
Hispanic student population. More than a decade ago, the college had a 30 percent
Learning courses - one of the largest scale learning experiments to ever take place in a
ed math summts. And is lookig at replicatig ths effort with Englsh and readig.
"These efforts aren't based on playing a blame-game, but workig to algn the currcu-
lum between the feeder schools and college and partnering with high schools to offer faculty development," he said. Estrella has faced similar chalenges, with
community college in the nation. Additionaly, the Bridges to Success program
offers disadvantaged high school students free tuition if they enroll in Valencia right afer high
many students arrving needig developmenta,
school graduation, keep their grdes up and par-
80 percent of its full-time students who arrive require some sort of developmenta course.
or remedial, assistace or remediation. Roughly
ticipate in Bridges activities. And, DirectConnect to UCF, the University of Central Florida, has
"This is prett substatial," Wilekens said.
streamed the admssions, fiancial aid, advis-
"If you're in a developmental course, you've
ing and trsfer processes for Valencia students
added one or two semesters to graduation."
contiuig their education at UCE
Wilekens would like to spend more of the federal support on strengthening connections
"We found that the idea of 'learng communities' was realy importt to students who were not traditionaly successful in higher education,"
with feeder schools. "There are someties li-
tations within the grants of not being able to
Romano said. "Feeling that there is a social con-
work with our feeder populations," he said. Added Robles: "When you get one grant, it
nection is importt to puttg in the effort one needs to be able to learn"
enables you to leverae that and go fort and get
Community colleges, she said, help students
other grants. Gettg that first federa grat helps build a foundation and gives you credibilty so
clar a purpose and pathway. "We are always
working to do that better," she said. "We're always working to help students expand their view of what is possible for themselves." Valencia now has much to boast about. The
campus has experienced steady increases in its graduation rates for Hispanc students. In December, Valencia won the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Aspen offcial pointed out that over hal of the college's fu-time students graduated or transferred withi three years of enterig the school,
a much higher rate than the national average.
you can keep going forward." HACU expects to see greater things on the horizon, as the Hispanc population builds both
Hispanc student population. Today, that number stads at 40 percent.
off-campus and on. ''We hope for the future that we contiue to see
Estrella students "are a reflection of the com-
munity, how the local community changes impacts the demographics of our students. We anticipate continued increases in the Hispanc student population because 53 percent of our feeder high school students are Hispanc." As a result of its HSI status, Estrella was eligi-
consistent growt in Hispanc-servg Insttutions that emerge because of the population growth across the country, and we see in those states where we don't have HSIs but wi have them, such
as Georgia, Nort Carolia, South Carolia and other par of the south," Flores said.
"It was very humbling. We were thriled,"
ble to apply for federa fundig. Estrella applied
"We also see a greater awareness on the par of Congress and state legislatures about the
Romano said. "We feel especialy proud because
for Title V fundig to strengten its science, tech-
importce of these institutions to educate new
it was realy an award based on what our stu-
nology, engieerig and mathematics - or ST
generations of Latios for high-skied jobs that
dents had achieved."
- offerigs, said Jonathan Robles, Title V director.
the economy requires to improve the stadad of
Student achievement is a key focus at Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondae, Arz. Since openig in 1992, Estrella
"That was a real effort to increase the num-
living in this country," Flores said. "Obviously
ber of Hispanic students going into STEM
they tend to be at the cuttg edge of traig and
careers," he said, As a result, Estrella estab-
retrg new workers and keeping up to sup-
has worked to create a "sense of place" that
lished a NASA tutoring center, which provides
port the demands for jobs in the economy.
expresses the historical and cultural values of the surroundig communties. Located in the fastest-growig region of the
free tutorig, computers and study space for students in science and math courses. Then, in 2008, Estrella was awarded a sec-
the future is bright. I see a tremendous future for community colleges, and particularly for
county, Estrella Mounta enrolls approxiately
ond Tile V grant, as well as receiving further
Hispanc-Servng Institutions."
13,00 for-crt stdents anuay, a fa cr from
monies from National Science Foundation grats
the 2,376 anual stdents th were served in the
to fund STEM intiatives.
"There wi always be chalenges, but I th
l~
o 3 / 2 6 / 2 0 1 2 . HIS PAN I C 0 U T L 0 0 K 27