The Role of Community Colleges in Closing the Gaps in Access and Success

1. The Role of Community Colleges in Closing the Gaps in Access and Success El Centro College Karen Laljiani Rick Leyva Presented at the 28th Annual Conference of the Texas Association for Institutional Research, February 2006, Austin TX.

2. Objectives • High Risk Students • Where are the Men? • Students of Color • El Centro Programs • Student Engagement at El Centro College • Future programs: H.S.I. Grants

3. High Risks Students • Students attending community colleges are three to four times more likely than their counterparts in four-year colleges and universities to reflect four or more of the key risk factors. The risk factors are: • being academically underprepared, • not entering college directly after high school, • attending college part-time, • being a single parent, • being financially independent, • caring for children at home, • working more than 30 hours per week, and • being a first-generation college student. CCSSE Survey 2005 Results

4. A Large Percent of El Centro Students Require Remedial Coursework Self Reported on CCSSE, 2005

5. Many El Centro Students Juggle School and Children Self reported on CCSSE, 2005

6. First-Generation Studentsat El Centro College

7. El Centro College Students Contend with Competing Priorities 56% 75% Source: El Centro Student Data System Source: El Centro CCSSE Results

8. Closing the Gaps • Where are the gaps in college access and success? • What are the strengths of the community colleges in narrowing these gaps?

9. The Gender Gap: Where are the men?Women outnumber men on college campuses • Between 1970 and 2001, women went from being the minority to the majority of the U.S. undergraduate population, increasing their representation from 42 percent to 56 percent of undergraduates (Freeman 2004). • Between 1980 and 2001, women also received a majority of associates degrees (55-60%) and bachelor’s degrees (50-57%) (Peter and Horn, 2005).

10. The Gender Gap: Where are the men?Women outnumber men on college campuses • The percentage of young men going from high school to college today has scarcely changed since 1968, hovering around 61 percent. By contrast, the percentage of women enrolling in college increases every year, reaching 72 percent in 2004. • This male-female disparity exists across all racial groups. Among white 18- and 19-year-olds in 2002, women outnumbered men on campus by about 2 percentage points. Among blacks, the figure was 6 percentage points and 5 percentage points for Hispanics. In all cases, the gap widens as the student population ages. Michael H. Hodges / The Detroit News

11. Education of Minority Groups • Steve Murdock, State Demographer, says Hispanics are fastest growing population in Texas, but are not entering college at the same high rate. • If the education of minority groups does not improve, per capita income would drop from $23,404 in 2000 to $22,222 in 2020 — a decline of $1,182 or 5 percent when adjusted for inflation, the study predicts. Alison BertGannett News Service

12. Education of Minority Groups • “Over the past decade, the gaps have narrowed between whites and other ethnic groups in the proportions of students earning certificates and degrees relative to the numbers enrolled. Nonetheless, substantial gaps remain.” • Measuring Up 2004: The State Report Card on Higher Education (Texas)

13. The Ethnic Gap: Success Rates of Students of Color Graduates, Spring 2005

14. El Centro Demographics

15. El Centro Male Distribution

16. El Centro College Programs for “High Risk” Students • Brother to Brother Mentoring Program • Rising Star • TRIO • SURGE • Other Student Services (CCSSE) • Future: Hispanic Serving Institutions Grants

17. 2005SP to 2005FA Retention Rates

18. ECC Programs Graduation Rates Based On 2001FA Cohort

19. Brother to Brother African American Mentoring Program • Encourage academic excellence and success among the African American Male Students (ages range from 18-50 yrs old) • Mentors work on a volunteer basis with students in the program • Create lasting relationships and support networks among African American Men by bringing students, staff, faculty, and administrators together in variety of programs and activities

20. Brother to BrotherQualifications • Must be enrolled at El Centro College • Invitations were sent via email to all African American male students • Currently, the program is expanding to include Hispanic males

21. Brother to BrotherBenefits • 1 on 1 Advising with Mentor (encouraged to meet with mentor as often as possible) • Financial Aid assistance- applying and answering questions • Scheduling of Classes assistance • Build network with other students in program (two meetings per semester) • Assistance finding employment

22. El Centro African American Male Population vs Brother to Brother Completion Percentages

23. El Centro African American Male Population vs Brother to Brother Success (ABC Grades) Percentages

24. ECC vs Brother to Brother Retention Rates

25. Rising Star Program This Foundation guarantees high performing high school students the opportunity to earn a two-year college education from any one of the seven Dallas County Community Colleges with tuition covered.

26. Rising Star Qualifications • Graduating from any Dallas County public high school or Dallas CAN! Academy • Meet eligibility guidelines for financial assistance • Graduate in the top 40% of class or have at least a "B" average or pass the required skills assessment exam (TSI) before enrolling in college classes

27. Rising Star Benefits • Academic support services • Assigned advisors • One on one tutoring • Promote student engagement through community projects, field trips, new student mentoring, and other special programming • Up to $4,000 for tuition and books (covers two years of college) • Funded by private corporations • Special introduction to college course for Rising Star cohorts

28. El Centro Population vs Rising StarCompletion Percentages

29. El Centro Population vs Rising StarSuccess (ABC Grades) Percentages

30. ECC Rising Star Students Taking Developmental Courses Percentages

31. ECC vs Rising Star Retention Rates

32. El Centro and Rising Star 2005FA Ethnic Distributions

33. El Centro and Rising Star 2005FA Gender Distributions

34. TRIO- Educational Opportunity for Low-Income and Disabled Americans The program assists students to overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education. Individual attention is provided to the TRIO student in a personalized, supportive relationship with their TRIO Advisor who assists the student in setting and achieving educational goals. TRIO services enhance successful retention, graduation and transfer outcomes

35. TRIO Qualifications • El Centro student enrolled in at least 6 credit hours each semester • Must meet two of these qualifications: • Either low-income, disabled, or first generation college students (neither parent has received a bachelor’s degree)

36. TRIO Benefits • One to one or group tutoring assistance • Advising/Counseling for degree/course selection, career and registration • Assistance with Financial Aid and Scholarship Applications • Transfer planning for 4-year college or university including field trips to four year colleges • Referrals for social services, personal counseling, as needed

37. TRIO Benefits cont. • Workshops such as time management and study skills as well as cultural events in the arts, music, dance and theater • Monitoring of academic progress and early intervention if problems arise • Special events where students meet and reinforce each others' successes including Summer Orientation • Information via weekly email and bi-annual newsletter on activities, trips, scholarships, jobs, etc. available only to TRIO students.

38. El Centro Population vs TRIOCompleters Percentages

39. El Centro College vs TRIOSuccess (GPA)

40. El Centro Population vs TRIOSuccess (ABC Grades) Percentages

41. ECC vs TRIO Retention Rates

42. El Centro and TRIO 2005FA Ethnic Distributions

43. El Centro and TRIO 2005FA Gender Distributions

44. El Centro and TRIO 2005FA Age Distributions

45. Students in Underrepresented Gender Education (SURGE) Program This program offers male students who are in need of financial assistance and pursing degrees in male underrepresented programs such as: • Paralegal • Nursing (LVN, RN or Medical Assisting) • Interior/Fashion Design • Office Technology • Accounting

46. SURGE Qualifications • Financial need- if eligible for FA, they are also eligible for financial assistance from this program (Perkins Grant money) • Must have a degree plan on file that shows they are a male in a female dominant program

47. SURGE Benefits • $300.00 per semester for books and supplies • Participation in early intervention program • Advising by an ARC counselor

48. El Centro Male Population vs SURGE Completion

49. El Centro Male Population vs SURGE Success (ABC Grades)

50. ECC vs SURGE Retention Rates