Action Project • Increase the Number of Ethnically Diverse Learners
Institution: Colorado Mountain College
Submitted: 2002-05-06
Timeline:
Planned project kickoff date:
Target completion date:
Actual completion date:
A. Give this Action Project a short title in 10 words or fewer:

INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ETHNICALLY DIVERSE LEARNERS

 
B. Describe this Action Project's goal in 100 words or fewer:

This goal is to increase the number of diverse learners to 20% of students.  Although Colorado Mountain College considers diverse learners to include students needing remediation, students with a variety of educational goals, communities undergoing strains from population growth, and students with different ethnic backgrounds, this Action Project deals specifically with ethnically diverse students.

As noted in the access, discussion, minority populations in the CMC district and service area have doubled.  ESL courses now account for 12% of total FTE (credit, non-credit, and ESL); up from 8% just one year ago.

C. Identify the single AQIP Category which the Action Project will most affect or impact:

Primary Category: Leading and Communicating

D. Describe briefly your institution's reasons for taking on this Action Project now -- why the project and its goals are high among your current priorities:

CMC faculty and staff are mostly Caucasian (approximately 6% report some other ethnic group, and another 3% did not report ethnicity).  Our communities have seen a large influx of Hispanic residents; some K-5 schools in the area are over 50% Hispanic.    This growing population should be able to look to CMC to meet its educational needs.

In addition, Communities are looking for ways to deal with the strains of rapid population growth.

Because our students and our communities are increasingly ethnically diverse, this is a vital project for CMC.

E. List the organizational areas - -institutional departments, programs, divisions, or units -- most affected by or involved in this Action Project:

Pre-Enrollment Services, Counselors, Marketing, ESL Faculty and Supervisors, Development Studies, Student Access and Success Task Force, Institutional Research, Human Resources, The Learning Council, Full-Time and Community Faculty

F. Name and describe briefly the key organizational process(es) that you expect this Action Project to change or improve:

Diversity training for staff and faculty

Early warning systems

Student support systems

Student tracking (tracking goals and success)

Faculty training regarding cultural factors and their relationship to learning styles

G. Explain the rationale for the length of time planned for this Action Project (from kickoff to target completion):

Monthly agenda topics at each decision-making group meeting

Use of intranet communications, including e-mail, listserv, and other on-line resources

Collaborate with community leadership groups, such as Central Rockies Leadership, the American Leadership Forum, Leadership Steamboat, and other such groups.

H. Describe how you plan to monitor how successfully your efforts on this Action Project are progressing:

Bridging from ESL and developmental courses to college-level courses

Providing an expanded tool kit for faculty to use

I. Describe the overall "outcome" measures or indicators that will tell you whether this Action Project has been a success or failure in achieving its goals:

Comparison of CMC student population with the 2000 Census; compare diversity measures

Number of Latino students enrolled

Increased number of diverse learners receiving financial aid

J. Other information (e.g., publicity, sponsor or champion, etc.):

Increase opportunities at each campus for intercultural exchange, with the goal of creating culturally-competent communities.  Hold at least one forum at each of CMC's 14 locations.Increase from 8% to 12% the graduation rate for Latinos.  Address the extreme gender imbalance at Alpine and Timberline Campuses among residential students.

Last Action Project Update: 2006-09-14
A. Describe the past year's accomplishments and the current status of this Action Project.
Last year the College Administrative Leadership Team (ALT), a group of about 50 district representatives, felt that although we had passed our target of 20% for overall ethnic minority enrollment (currently at 23%), CMC was still sorely lacking in diversity and that this goal needed a different approach. Thus, over the past year, this goal has essentially been incorporated within the AQIP Access goal and the Diversity Council initiatives (led by our Chief Student Development Officer), which have a part of college wide Access strategic planning goal. The Diversity Council, with college wide representation, has been working towards initiatives that will help weave diversity throughout everything CMC does. Using best practices observed during visits to Moraine Valley & Valencia, as well as other research and knowledge our Chief Student Development Officer has spearheaded access-related efforts, so that CMCís student population will better reflect the CMC service area demographics, with the ultimate goal being to increase to 18% the college wide participation rate of Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in non ESL/GED college courses.

The goals of the group have been to: give strategic direction and support that influence campus and functional area strategic plans; create and oversee 6 Diversity Action Teams (DAT-includes strategic planning support, researching best practices, trainings, student perspective, website enhancement and community connections); diversify faculty, staff, and student populations; facilitate inter-group relations skills building of faculty, staff, and students; diversify curriculum; acknowledge, share, and celebrate CMC accomplishments in diversity e.g. regularly published diversity factoids via email and on eNews.

Other diversity-related initiatives in the past year included: HERO (at over $750,000) and other scholarships/grants (e.g. TRIO, Evenstart, Literacy, Department of Local Affairs-Energy Impact, etc.), many for Latino students; the many successes of ESL learners e.g. Rifle, Aspen, Roaring Fork, & Vail Eagle Valley Campuses; and Aspen Campusí Community Survey (administered in English & Spanish). Language classes were most frequently taken and Spanish-speaking respondents overwhelmingly indicated that they would like to either learn English or improve English language skills. Timberline Campus is in the process of developing its survey. Our 3-year cycle of surveying community needs will be completed in 2007.
B. Describe how the institution involved people in work on this Action Project.
The key to involvement can be credited to the work of the AQIP Access Team and the various Diversity Action Teams, which have representatives from District Office and the 7 campuses and are lead by our Chief Student Development Officer. Considering the spread of our many sites, this is no small feat. They have given direction to diversity-related campus and functional area initiatives. They presented their progress to the College leadership and developed an annual report that was disseminated college wide. After reviewing their data (e.g. CMC Hispanic participation rate for credit courses at 11% in 2005), they have begun to implement their 2006-07 strategic initiatives e.g. increase Spanish presence in brochures, the Web, etc.
C. Describe your planned next steps for this Action Project.
With the progress that is being made through AQIP Access, Diversity Council and campus strategic initiatives, this project will be retired or cancelled soon.
D. Describe any "effective practice(s)" that resulted from your work on this Action Project.
We have effectively used data to become more focused in our approach to diversity. The Diversity Council studied demographics and determined a target for increasing credit course participation rate of Hispanic high school graduates. This is a big step for CMC, as the College has historically not consistently used data based decision-making.

Despite the great distances between CMC sites, there has been increased collaboration across our various sites with our enthusiasm and shared focus on increasing diversity throughout CMC. The Diversity Council and its subgroups have created college wide involvement and commitment for diversity-related initiatives. This increasingly collaborative and caring culture that is there to help create an optimal environment for learning and diversity is one CMCís greatest strengths.
E. What challenges, if any, are you still facing in regards to this Action Project?
One of our biggest challenges continues to be recruiting diverse qualified faculty and staff. This makes it more difficult to integrate diversity into our culture. The cost of living is one factor, not only in employee recruiting, but with student recruitment. Economic survival is a priority for residents, particularly minority groups.
F. If you would like to discuss the possibility of AQIP providing you help to stimulate progress on this action project, explain your need(s) here and tell us who to contact and when?
This will be unnecessary since we are retiring this project.