Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - 02150055
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED295708 AUTHOR: Walker, Doris Kay Parker
TITLE: Strategies for Increasing Retention of Hispanic
Students in Community Colleges.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1988
NOTE: 149 p.; Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Texas at
Austin.
ABSTRACT: A study was conducted to determine the strategies
used by 145 community colleges in Arizona, California, New
Mexico, and Texas to meet the educational needs of Hispanic
students and to investigate the relationship between these
strategies and Hispanic student retention rate.
Questionnaires were sent to the presidents of Southwestern
community colleges with a 5% or greater Hispanic enrollment,
requesting information on retention rates and strategies in
effect. Study findings, based on responses from 88 colleges,
included the following: (1) 50% of the colleges actively
recruited Hispanic students; (2) 37.5% offered financial
aid; (3) 92% provided academic advising about
transferability of courses, 70.5% career counseling into
selective programs, 88.6% academic support services, and
21.5% special orientation; (4) 38.6% offered bilingual
courses, 55.6% English as a Second Language (ESL) courses,
50% Hispanic studies courses, and 100% developmental
courses; (5) 89.8% had mandatory assessment, and 64.8% had
mandatory placement; (6) 31.6% provided staff development to
increase sensitivity to the problems of Hispanic students;
and (7) 2.6% had a proportional ethnic composition of
faculty and staff. An analysis of retention rates showed
that retention was improved by proportional financial aid,
career counseling into selective programs, bilingual
education, ESL classes, and Hispanic studies classes. The
study report includes an extensive literature review on
population trends, the Hispanic socioeconomic cycle,
Hispanic participation in higher education, and recruitment
and retention programs and strategies. The study instrument
and a list of 111 references are appended. (EJV)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Academic-Advising; Affirmative-Action;
Community-Colleges; English-Second-Language; Program
Effectiveness; Sensitivity-Training; Student-Placement; Two
Year-Colleges
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Enrollment-Influences; *Hispanic
Americans; *School-Holding-Power; *Two-Year-College-Students
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