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Challenges, Collaboration, and Leveraging: Efforts to Maximize Declining Resources and Achieve Student Success
In our Summer Edition, the writers provide observations on practical and pragmatic ways to support students and engage them in activities that will result in a positive outcome. College campuses are doing everything they can to improve access, graduation rates and the successful transition to a job, a four year university or a graduate degree despite draconian budget cuts. Facing the...
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Emerging Partnerships Increase Odds for Student Access and Success in a Time of Limited Resources
In this edition, certain academic and student service delivery systems necessary for our students to sustain access and success within reduced resources are examined. Looking at legislative impact, direct service, or changing demographics, the resiliency and creativity of our California community colleges becomes apparent in the continuing efforts to serve our students and helping them to...
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Issue 28 - Veterans & Veteran's Services: What Makes a Veteran-Friendly Campus
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are returning to college campus in large numbers. These are the largest numbers that colleges have experienced since after the Vietnam War. The articles in this edition identify the ways colleges are helping our veterans address mental health issues, personal issues, and career paths in a jobless marketplace.
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Pathways to Success and Higher Graduation Rates for Community College Students
In this edition, our writers share what is happening on their college campuses to improve access, graduation rates and successful transition to a job or a four year university. The issue also spotlights key state legislation and a plan approved by the Community College Board of Governors to address this issue. Our sponsor is the California Community College Chief Student Service Administrators...
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Overview of iJournal Issue 28
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are returning to college campus in large numbers. These are the largest numbers that colleges have experienced since after the Vietnam War. The articles in this edition identify the ways colleges are helping our veterans address mental health issues, personal issues, and find career paths in a jobless marketplace.
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Ten Reasons to Support the Recommendations of the Student Success Task Force
Linda Michalowski, Vice Chancellor for Student Services and Special Programs, shares her perspective on the recommendations of the Student Success Task Force. As a long-time champion for access and student equity, she presents 10 reasons why student services professionals and student advocates should enthusiastically support these reforms. The system is being challenged...
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Background on the California Community Colleges Student Success Task Force
In 2010, Senate Bill 1143 called on the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to convene a task force to make recommendations on how to improve student success. This article provides the background on the rational and the recommendations that resulted from this legislation. It is a companion piece to the lead article on Ten Reasons to Support the Recommendations...
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Conference: California Community Colleges Veterans Summit: "Learning to Better Serve Those Who Have Served"
Please join us for an opportunity to better understand the needs of student veterans and how to support their successful transition to higher education and careers. California Community Colleges are the number one destination for California veterans returning to civilian life and their numbers are expected to continue growing. Hear from California Secretary of Veterans A airs Peter Gravett...
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Engaging Students Across Institutional Lines
Engaging students intellectually, and working across traditional institutional lines, will be the key to meeting California’s goals for student success. Ongoing work to reform the lower-division general education transfer curriculum and to implement the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act illustrates different ways to make progress.
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Go2Knowledge and Foothill Find a Far-Reaching Solution
Finding a solution to providing successful college trainings and professional development needs is not an easy task. You can spend hours planning and implementing required trainings and professional development workshops and no one comes! Foothill College was experiencing frustration and a lack of success in participation in on-campus programs and sought another...
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Sponsor: Innovative Educators: Two Technology Programs that Work
Innovative Educators is dedicated to providing superior training focused on critical issues facing students and educators today. Our primary goal is to provide the information, training, and skills necessary to implement positive change on a personal, professional, and institutional level. This company has agreed to sponsor our next three editions. In their first article, the authors...
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Enrollment Priority Changes: Expanding Access and Success
The author examines a recent system initiative to establish enrollment priorities designed to ensure classes are available for students seeking job training, degree attainment or transfer to a four-year college or university and to incentivize students to make progress towards their educational goals. The new enrollment priority regulations and their...
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Establishing Partnerships to Provide College Health Care Support for Returning Veterans
Michael Goltermann is an attorney and dean of student services at West Los Angeles College. In addition to supervising the veterans benefits office, Mr. Goltermann teaches an “Introduction to Law” course every spring and is the administrator in charge of Admissions and Records, Outreach & School Relations, Financial Aid and International Student Services.
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Simplifying the Transfer Maze in California: SB 1440
On September 29, 2010, California Governor Schwarzenegger signed a historic piece of legislation on transfer reform into law, Senate Bill 1440, Padilla. This landmark legislation established a streamlined transfer process from state's community colleges to the four year universities so that students would have a clear path to a bachelor’s degree. This will help California produce more...Sparkpoint at Skyline College: Services and Resources to Promote College Access and Success Despite Economic Condition
Through partnerships with a broad range of organizations and funders, SparkPoint at Skyline College brings added value to the services and resources Skyline College offers students and other members of the community. At a time when state and national budget crises threaten both the safety net of our society and the promise of higher education for a better life, SparkPoint...
What’s Next with the Basic Skills Initiative?
Many of us remember the history – in 2005 and 2006 – when basic skills came to the forefront as the proposal to “raise the bar” for our students, requiring them to take intermediate algebra level mathematics and college level English for the associate degree. As a result of the conversations on how to promote success for our students to meet these higher requirements, the...
Collaborative Partnerships: A Path to a Veteran-Friendly Campus
Almost half of the military veterans who are enrolled in college have contemplated suicide at some point, and 20 percent have planned to kill themselves, according to a recent study "Student Veterans: A National Survey Exploring Psychological Symptoms and Suicide Risk." As a recipient of the American Council on Education (ACE)/Wal-Mart grant, Los Angeles City College (LACC) has developed...
Leveraging Technology to Support Students, Faculty and Staff
Leveraging technology can be one solution for providing student services online to supplement on-campus programs. Some colleges are discovering that providing online alternatives for services has had many constructive outcomes not only for students, but also for college employees. There are numerous online and web-based programs and services currently available and abundant new opportunities...
Student Experiences Aid Transition from Community College to Four-Year Institution
Over 11 million students are enrolled in community colleges and nearly two-thirds of them indicate they plan to continue their education at a senior institution and obtain their bachelor’s degree. However, many of these students never accomplish that goal. Community colleges and four-year institutions must coordinate and collaborate in various ways to support the students’ dreams...
The STAR Act (SB 1440)
Envision Success Renaissance at Prince George’s Community College
This article presents one institution’s approach to meeting the “completion agenda” mandate from the President of the United States. Prince George’s Community College has used data to design and implement Envision Success, a college-wide initiative that will allow the students to graduate in a timely manner.
Mentoring New Faculty Women of Color in Predominately White Institutions
There is an enormous need to provide mentoring to new faculty women of color at predominately white institutions across America. This need is prevalent due to racial identity problems of not being accepted or feeling isolated on universities campuses. This article is organized in three sections. The first section will describe both my personal and professional narratives. It...
Reminder - The 31th Edition Submissions Deadline for the iJournal - Oct 1, 2012
The four budget crisis has placed many challenging demands on community colleges and its services. The Editorial Board seeks writers thoughts and insights on the general theme for Issue 31: Is the Mission under Siege? The challenges before us are great and now is the time to begin to look to the future.
Three Technology Partners Advance the Mission of Community Colleges
Taking the next step to actually partnering with third party technology service providers can be a positive investment for the college and students. Finding start-ups interested in supporting education and developing programs and services that assist students to reach their educational goals is a very constructive alternative to losing services due to budget cuts....
Veteran Resource Center: The One Stop Welcome for Returning Veterans
Returning veterans are a growing underserved population at college campuses around the nation. Expanded educational benefits in the new GI Bill, are increasing enrollment at campuses around the country, and this is challenging colleges to meet the educational and support needs of this traditionally at-risk group. At Cerritos College, veteran students are currently provided with a number of...
What is C-ID?
In light of the new associate degrees for transfer, the statewide course numbering system, C-ID, takes on greater importance. This article defines C-ID, explains its relationship to the AA-T and AS-T degrees, and outlines the resources specially developed for student services personnel to assist them as they provide information to students.
Baker's Corner: Common Ground in the Art of Student Development Beyond Collaboration
In Baker's Corner, you will find four articles and an End Note written by long time contributor. John Baker. He is joined by his son, Jeff and a colleague, Raul. Their insight is thought provoking and helpful in serving students in these difficult times.
In the first article, the author puts forth an argument that all vice presidents, instruction and student service, in the college...
Early Identification of at-Risk Students in On-line Classes Using Technology to Improve On-line Student Retention and Success
As more and more colleges offer on-line courses, the gap between on-line student retention and success and on-campus student retention and success becomes more apparent. On-line students can persist and be more successful if instructors take advantage of technology tools embedded in the course management system to identify and correct performance and participation issues of at-risk...
Saddleback College Veterans Education and Transition Services
The Veterans Education and Transition Services (VETS) Program at Saddleback College provides a comprehensive selection of services to support veterans, active military and military families from application to graduation. Working closely with current and past student veterans, the VETS Program has created unique partnerships and has become a key piece of the success for thousands of veteran...
The Development and Use of TMCs
What students have always needed, and what other legislation has attempted to achieve, is common major preparation such that a student could complete one package of major preparation courses and be admissible to any CSU that offers the major the student wishes to pursue. It is with this goal in mind that Transfer Model Curricula (TMCs) became the process that not only provided a coordinated...
The Student Success Act of 2012
Matriculation has been around for quite awhile- just ask any seasoned Student Services professional. As far back as the 1980’s, community college staff responded to the call for innovative New Student Orientation programs and enrollment procedures to ensure that entering students would be successful. Since then, the job market, our student bodies, and the...
Baker's Corner: Observations on Student Success
The author shares his view points on student success and the challenges for professionals to avoid labels as he asks the question, who is at risk. He then offers a way to help students in the leadership lab.
California Community College Districts' Enrollments: How Diverse are the Enrollees in the Districts?
This study used a measure of ethnic diversity, the Generalized Variance (GV) approach to investigate the diversity of students who enrolled in twenty one large California Community College (CCC) districts in 1992-93 and 2010-2011 academic years. It also calculated CCC system-wide diversity index and used it as a target to determine the proximity of each CCC district to the system-wide target....
Developing a Comprehensive State-wide Veterans Re-Entry Education Program
With increasing numbers of service members, veterans and their families, colleges and universities are searching for ways to better serve this population. Becoming a veterans friendly campus requires the development of direct services and the development of policies that support this service. In Minnesota, these services and this policy infrastructure have been built through statewide...
Enhancing Student Services: EOPS Small Group Counseling Session
With declining state budgets and increased pressure to serve more students with limited resources, the author outlines how counselors in Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) at City College of San Francisco continue to serve as innovative and creative student services leaders with the recent development and implementation of small group counseling sessions. With EOPS being at...
Los Rios Implements an Electronic Integrated Student Educational Plan (iSEP) in Support of the Proposed Ed Code Language for the Student Success Act of 2012
The information needs of our students are rapidly changing. Increasingly, new generations of students are expecting 24/7 access to information that facilitates their ability to make decisions about their academic future. The pace of change and availability of technology and information has put pressure on institutions of higher education to become more digital and responsive to...
Celebrating our Veterans
This article describes two recent events for veterans at Long Beach City College, one of which had few veterans in attendance while the other drew large numbers. The differences in these events are described and a model for veteran programs is proposed. It is argued that the celebratory model is the most effective in getting veterans to participate.
Collaboration At Its Finest —The West Valley College Veterans Resource Center—A Home Base For Veterans
The challenges and needs of veterans are complex and not always easy to identify and address, but one effective way to understand their needs is to start with the basics: Let them talk to each other and listen. This is precisely what a core group of staff and faculty at West Valley College did when “the best laid plans of mice and men” went astray. Not unlike other...
Los Medanos College’s Transfer Academy and AVID
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is an elementary through post-secondary college readiness system that is best known for its success in preparing Latino, low income, first generation to college, English Learners and African American high school students for college, is now playing a central role in accelerating the transfer process for first time freshmen at a Bay Area...
Baker's Corner: Information Delivery to Enhance Student Success at Citrus College
The author shares information that went out to faculty, students, and staff at Citrus College. The handout for faculty colleagues and the table tents for students were both created to help enhance student success on the Citrus College campus. These tools have helped inform and educate our colleagues, as well as our students, of the available resources the Counseling faculty provide....
Baker's Corner: The Writing Project at Citrus College
Always concerned about student success, the writer, who sits in Baker's Corner, provides insights on his thoughts on this special project. At the various colleges I have worked, I have invited people in the college to participate in a writing project. He details how the project evolves and the most recent version at Citrus College. The writing project...
Diablo Valley College’s Focus on Athletic Success
Increasing national and statewide focus on student athlete success, increased complexity in student athlete advising due to ever-changing NCAA rules and regulations, shrinking resources to and greater demands on student services and counseling within California community colleges (Luan, 2011), all have led Diablo Valley College to develop educational planning templates for student athletes....
The Art of Secondary and Post-secondary Articulation: Aligning Expectations by Creating Community
In this article, the authors provide an overview of the development and evolution of a collaborative set of relationships amongst writing faculty at a research university, community colleges, and high schools. Prompted by concerns about challenges facing students transitioning to a four-year university from local high schools and community colleges, the authors ...
The Case for Club Lacrosse in CA Community Colleges
Lacrosse, as of fall 2012, has a presence in four California community colleges. As word continues to spread about the success of lacrosse at Diablo Valley College, which formed in 2008 and three subsequent programs at Cabrillo College, San Diego Miramar, plus the latest team at Sierra College, players at the other 108 community colleges are beginning to ask the question, "Why not here?"...
Baker's Corner: Demystifying the Diverse Entrance Requirements and Policies of Local Associate Degree in Nursing Programs. (1 of 3)
This one of a trilogy of articles on best practices in nursing counseling and service by Emily Versace, who was a Nursing Counselor at Citrus College. This is part of the Writing Project originated by John Baker at Citrus College. In this first article, the ADN program at Citrus is only able to accept around 36 students per year. Annually the number of qualified students who applied...
Baker's Corner: My College - A Safe Haven
The author shares his views on campus safety and what it entails. His premise is the safety is a result of a collective effort by all college professionals.
Presidents', Chief Financial Officers’ And Chief Instructional Officers’ Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning is more common now that it has been in the past few years. This article presents a study conducted in California Community College on the effectiveness of strategic planning. The author compares perceptions of Presidents, Chief Business Officers (CBOs) and Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) on the effectiveness of strategic planning. To continue the increase of...
Spring Edition: Unemployment Impacts on Students and the College Response - Deadline - May 15, 2012
The high national and statewide unemployment has placed challenging demands on community colleges and its services. We would like your insight on how colleges are coping and what new ways have been identified to help our unemployed students, our students with disabilities and other groups challenged by the current condition of the state and national economy. Articles will be accepted...
Student Centered Counseling: An Appoach To Student Success
Today’s nontraditional community college students are in dire need of a new brand of counseling that will seek to focus on the individual needs of each student. First generation college students, particularly in the community colleges, who do not have the academic and personal support of parents, other relatives, or friends,...
Baker’s Corner: Nursing Information Workshops to Increase Access to Nursing Counselor and Information (2 of 3)
In this second article on best practices in nursing, author Emily Versace explores how to address the demand for information about the ADN program by offering frequent Nursing Information Workshops. This is part of the Baker's Corner Writing Project on Best Practices in Student Services.
Book Review: Capacity for Meaningful Learning Assessment in Community Colleges
Capacity for Meaningful Learning Assessment in Community Colleges, is a new book by Jerry Somerville, which he has self-published under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. It is available for download at http://jasomerville.com/resources at no charge as long as the conditions of the licensing agreement are followed. The book is a result of an investigation of community colleges by a...
My Path “From a Misguided Youth to Counseling Faculty Member”
In this essay, counseling faculty member Natalie M. Paredes discusses the origin of her experiences as a misguided/misinformed high school student, the person who changed her outlook on her academic and professional future, experiences which led her to seek a career in the helping professions, and motivation for assisting people reach their personal and educational...
Baker's Corner: Class visits to provide early information for pre-nursing students (3 of 3)
In this last article on best practices in nursing counseling, author Versace offers whys by which nursing counselors can address informing students about the many strict entrance requirements for Community College Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. Because students did not always see a nursing counselor before taking core science classes, the author shares ways to reach...
EOP&S Probation Program “Getting Back on Track”
The EOP&S (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) Department at Citrus Community College provides academic counseling intervention for students identified as being on academic probation due to substandard grades. The EOPS Probation Program consist of three components: Understanding Academic Probation, a Follow-up counseling appointment, and the...
Baker's Corner End Note: Why a Name Tag?
The author shares a rationale for Name Tags and student connections.
The 32nd Edition Submissions Deadline for the iJournal - Feb.28, 2013
The theme for the 32nd edition is How new student service and instructional efficiencies and technologies might impact the Mission of the Community Colleges. The deadline for articles is February 28, 2013, and the article submission details are provided for the next edition of the iJournal.
Theme for 33rd Edition: Will These New Mandates on Enrollment Priorities and Student Success Redefine Our Mission and Transform Community Colleges?
The editor provides the theme for the next issue of the iJournal, which will be released in mid summer. The theme will focus on the impact of new regulations impacting student access and student success. The deadline for submission of articles will be June 15, 2013.
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