Community Colleges Raising the Bar

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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