Chaffey College

Student Equity Plan

December 18, 2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Chaffey College has worked diligently over the years to provide resources to students who are traditionally considered underserved or underrepresented. In support of the community college mission, Chaffey College’s Student Equity Plan (SEP) is designed to ensure equitable access to and success in higher education. The 2014‐2015 Chaffey College SEP is congruent with current college‐wide conversations about addressing and closing achievement gaps.

Recognizing the importance of student equity, the college has embedded in it program services and review a requirement that programs review, reflect and report on strategies to reduce performance outcome differences by student characteristics. One of the institutional goals in the college’s strategic plan is decreasing the achievement gap. To achieve this goal, the college established two primary objectives:

1) Research key achievement gap indicators that affect student achievement and widely disseminate those findings.

a. Perform an annual gap analysis; 2) Increase the number of underrepresented students’ participation in programs and

support services. Some of the activities that are associated with those objectives include:

a. perform Gap Analysis annually to identify differences in achievement by those underrepresented groups;

b. develop explicit approaches to hiring a diverse apprentice staff, since this staff group tends to be on the front lines with the students;

c. provide cultural sensitivity training in support services; and d. create a faculty advising structure to engage students in specific programs

leading to persistence and completion.

During the 2013‐2014 year, the college engaged in extensive campus based research. Four distinct initiatives were identified that positively impacted some of the groups that experienced disproportionate impact. These areas are:

• Accelerated courses (Fast Track) • Supplemental instruction • Hope and mindset • Orientation and group educational planning.

To facilitate the creation of this student equity plan, the college’s Office of Institutional Research (OIR) first began by conducting and providing campus based research. The campus based research was the campus‐wide forums. The campus‐wide forums were held at the beginning of the academic year, across all three district sites and included faculty, staff and students. At the forums, participants were asked to review the research and brainstorm all the possible ideas of possible resources and activities.

Chaffey College Student Equity Plan—5

Chaffey College Student Equity Plan—6

The collection of information and ideas resulting from the forums were reviewed by President’s Equity Council subgroups who identified potential goals, resources and activities. Discipline specific feedback was provided by English, English as a Second Language, and Mathematics faculty, who engaged in dialogue and developed activities and resources for their own areas. Drafts of the plan were disseminated college wide and to the Governing Board for comments and feedback. The final copy was then approved by the college’s governing board at its December meeting.

Research revealed forty‐eight areas of disproportionate impact existed across the six required indicators. The six indicators were expanded to eight as Basic (Foundation) Skills were broken in three categories, English, Mathematics and English as a Second Language. The table below illustrates each group and the indicator(s) in which they were disproportionately impacted.

This SEP addresses goals, allocates resources and identifies activities to mitigate observed disproportionate impact for the following student populations:

Population Disproportionately Impacted Indicators Females Certificate Completion Males Access, Degree Completion Disabled Students Basic Skills Completion – Math, Degree Completion,

Certificate Completion, Transfer Economically Disadvantaged Transfer Foster Youth Access, Course Completion, Basic Skills Completion –

English, Basic Skills Completion – Math, Degree Completion, Certificate Completion, Transfer

Veterans Access, Transfer Ethnicity: African American Students Course Completion, Basic Skills Completion – English, Basic

Skills Completion – Math, Basic Skills Completion – ESL, Degree Completion, Certificate Completion

Asian Students Access Caucasian Students Access Hispanic Students Basic Skills Completion – English, Basic Skills Completion –

ESL, Degree Completion, Certificate Completion, Transfer Native American Students Course Completion, Basic Skills Completion – Math, Degree

Completion Pacific Islander Students Multi‐Racial/Ethnic Students Degree Completion

Chaffey College Student Equity Plan—7

Age Groups: 19 or Younger Degree Completion, Certificate Completion 20 to 24 25 to 29 Basic Skills Completion – ESL 30 to 39 Access, Basic Skills Completion – ESL 40 to 49 Access, Basic Skills Completion – English, Basic Skills

Completion – Math, Basic Skills Completion – ESL 50 or Older Access, Basic Skills Completion – English, Basic Skills

Completion – Math, Basic Skills Completion – ESL

1. Goals Institutionalizing key initiatives designed to reduce disproportionate impact is the best method toward making a significant difference in the achievement of the identified groups. It is also noted that while every group may increase in its success, the goal is to narrow the gap as all groups rise. The goals set for each group are manageable. However, recognizing that there are forty‐eight groups identified as disproportionately impacted, it will take time and hard work to make systematic, long‐term changes.

2. Activities

The activities and initiatives found in the plan fall under the oversight of the college’s executive team, primarily the Office of the Vice President of Student Services and the Office of the Associate Superintendent of Instruction and Institutional Effectiveness. They range from professional development across all employee groups of the college, to instruction based programs such as supplemental instruction, and student service based initiatives. A large initiative and activity across multiple groups is initiating and increasing faculty‐student engagement and relationships.

3. Resources

The college has committed resources through the SEP to fund activities related to the Veterans Resource Center, supplemental instruction, foster youth outreach and programming, professional development, tutoring, research, expanding accelerated course offerings, mentoring and support groups for disproportionately impacted groups, students with disabilities, and outreach.

4. Contact Person/Student Equity Coordinator

The primary contacts for the Student Equity Plan are Eric Bishop, Interim Vice President of Student Services, and Sherrie Guerrero, Associate Superintendent of Instruction and Institutional Effectiveness. These two primary contacts will assume the responsibility and oversight of the program.