Enrolling and Graduating in an Hispanic Serving Institution

1. Enrolling and Graduating in an Hispanic Serving Institution Dina Gonzalez-Pina, Assistant Dean for Multicultural Ministries Steve Varvis, Provost WASC ARC, 2014

2. Valley Hispanic Students • High percentage first generation • Poverty, field workers • High Pell Grant recipients • High(est) Cal Grant recipients • Many—English is second language • Brookings Institute: “concentrated poverty,” • Fresno County and Region: “this Appalachia” • Expectation: not private institution, low(er) academic • success

3. 16 Year History (Traditional Undergraduate)

4. Student Success: Fall to Fall Retention (FT/FT)

5. Graduation Rates (FT/FT) • 4 Year (50) 5 Year (60) 6 Year (63) • 2006 All 47% 56% 59% • Hispanic 46 56 61 • 2007 All 43 53 54 • Hispanic 41 52 54 • 2008 All 49 60 • Hispanic 49 61 • 2009 All 48 • Hispanic 49

6. Top 10 HSI Graduation Rate • “FPU has been ranked 10th nationally among Hispanic-Serving Institutions in graduating Hispanic students by The Chronicle of Higher Education. • According to the Chronicle’s 2013-2014 Almanac, FPU’s overall graduation rate for first-time, full-time students is 57.1 percent in six years (based on 2011 figures). The rate for Hispanic students is nearly identical at 55.2 percent. http://chronicle.com/article/The-Almanac-2013/141183” • (FPU Press Release, September 6, 2013)

7. Beginnings • Intentional Hire, Admissions, 1993 • Institutional Mission • Admissions Director meets Vicente Fox • Staff and Faculty Commitment • Financial Aid—Cal Grant (and return of), Pell Grant, academic aid, need based—using every resource available—affordability

8. Dynamics of Student Success • From Admissions to “Multicultural Ministries” • Family Trust; Trusted Mentors • Meeting with families in their homes • Residences, financial aid, registrar, university bureaucracy • Counseling • Encourage academic discipline

9. Dynamics of Student Success • Service learning; purpose, goals • Relevance, contextual learning • Clubs: Cultural Awareness and Knowledge Enrichment (CAKE) • Amigos Unidos, La Fe, Colors of India, Asian Flavor, Images • Conferences and International Travel (academic credit) • Validate culture, Central America • Conferences of Hispanic students • Graduate studies

10. Samaritan Scholars • 2001-02 Undocumented Students • Elementary and Secondary; not College • High School Counselors—No Options • Outreach/DiversityAdmission Director DeanPresidentBoard Chair • 2/year to 8; later academic aid added

11. Stories of Samaritan Scholars and Others • Nayely—deportation and US Senate • Javier--Graduate studies and return to rural area as Physician’s Assistant • Dulce—PhD Physics • Maribel--PhD Clinical Psych • Miguel--MBA • Edgar--Mexican Consulate • Siro—CPA • Lubia—Forensic Scientist, Dept of Justice • Mennonite Central Committee—legal assistance

12. Explanations and Developing Program • Administration’s questions • Program and needs • Cross-cultural understanding • Difficulty of measuring • Financial Aid • Samaritan housing—tuition or full cost? • Work-study, internships/research • Questions from other schools • Research and analysis

13. Recognition of Importance • Multi-cultural Ministries— • A place to be, work, learn, serve • Cal Grant Day, Sacramento—President Attends • Latina Action Day • Former Admissions Director/current board member now co-chair • Latina faculty and staff attend • Advocacy

14. STEM Partnership • Title V: College of the Sequoias/FPU School of Natural Sciences • Public/Private partnership • Creative Leadership: former Provost, Dean of Natural Sciences • Summer Bridge/Parents • Learning Communities • Sense of place • GE Core and Math/Sciences • Supplemental Instruction • Educating the entire campus

15. STEM: Hispanic/Latino Supplemental Instruction/Learning Comm.

16. Further Work • Development of Learning Communities • Network of Latino alumni • Other Ethnic Groups • African-American, Southeast Asian • Deepening understanding on the campus • Mentoring of young staff/faculty leaders • Hiring of staff and faculty