North Carolina community colleges provide for Latino student success

WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Bonnie Watts Winecoff (Creator)
Institution
Western Carolina University (WCU )
Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Advisor
Ann Alexander

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe implemented and planned Latino student success activities in North Carolina community colleges and to examine variations in these activities based on the degree of Latino settlement in the college service area. This study was designed to answer the following research questions: (1) What Latino student success provisions, programs, and processes have been implemented in North Carolina community colleges? (2) What Latino student success provisions, programs, and processes have been planned in North Carolina community colleges? and (3) Are there variations among North Carolina community colleges’ Latino student success provisions, programs, and processes based on the degree of Latino settlement in the college service area? Leaders from 44 North Carolina community colleges, representing a variety of institutional areas, participated in this descriptive, quantitative research, conducted through electronic surveys. The survey sample was identified by recommendations from chief academic officers serving North Carolina community colleges. Participants were recommended based on their knowledge of implemented and planned Latino student success activities at their institutions. The response rate for the survey was 75.9%. The most frequently reported implemented Latino student success 10 activities were from the areas of academic and student services. These activities were related to providing welcoming and safe campuses for Latinos, making an overt commitment to global diversity in institutional goals, listening to Latinos to determine their needs, and encouraging Latinos to be active on campus. The least reported Latino student success activity was using Spanish portals of communication for recruiting Latino students. The most reported planned activities for Latino student success were increasing Latino student recruiting, increasing recruiting of diverse staff and faculty, increasing awareness of Latinos as an asset to the campus, making an overt commitment to Latino student success, and faculty workshops on Latino student success strategies. The least reported planned activities were a campus news service in Spanish, translation/interpretation services, faculty-student mentoring for Latino students, a Latino college readiness program, and advertising in Spanish. Three Latino density measures were identified and used in the study to determine if variations in Latino student success activities were related to the degree of Latino settlement density in the college service area. The density measures were: percent of Latino population in the college service area, perceived significance of Latinos in the college service area, and percent of Latino settlement change since 1990. Overall study findings did not support settlement density as a key force for implementing or planning of Latino student success activities in North Carolina community colleges.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Community college, Latino, student success
Subjects
Hispanic American community college students -- North Carolina
Community colleges -- North Carolina
Academic achievement -- North Carolina

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