Executive Summary

Introduction

West Valley College (WVC) is located southeast of San Francisco in the Silicon Valley, a densely populated and diverse community with an increasingly complex and demanding tech economy. In fall 2015, WVC enrolled 8,409 students in credit courses. Of these students, 2,053 are full time and 6,356 are part time. It is important to note that the vast majority of WVC students are part time because they need to work in order to live in this area. Once a region with a range of workforce opportunities and a strong middle class population hopeful to get ahead, this area has emerged from recent dips as a segmented economy with an increasing number of people considered as the “working poor,” struggling to survive but nonetheless anxious to improve their lives. A region beckoning immigrants, the US Census Bureau noted that of the residents in Santa Clara County, in the heart of Silicon Valley, 51.2% speak a language other than English in their homes. Thirty-seven percent (37%) are immigrants; almost triple the 13% average throughout the rest of United States.

When we developed the Student Equity plan, we carefully considered the demographic information about our region. Thus, we identified essential support services and learning opportunities for current and prospective students from this region. It also includes appropriate professional development opportunities for faculty focusing on culturally sensitive pedagogy addressing the diversity of student learning styles. The overall intended outcome is that the strategies and practices proposed in our plan will result in mitigating some of the challenges facing those who need better access to higher education programs and services in order to accomplish their educational goals.

As will be shown throughout all areas of the West Valley College Student Equity Plan (WVCSEP), the college upholds and protects the integrity of its practices. The college provides and

responds to the state requirements with accurate, complete, and readily available information. Information on all aspects of the plan is clearly articulated in the goals and related activities. The college is committed to maintaining access with success for its students, particularly those

from historically underrepresented groups. The discussions by representatives surrounding the review of data and development of goals and related activities have been collaborative.

West Valley College (WVC) has taken deliberate and thoughtful steps to create a well-rounded plan that utilizes the state funds prudently and appropriately among as many areas as possible but will implement activities from multiple perspectives, keeping in mind that all activities will focus on making improvements to the persistence and success of target groups identified in the Student Equity Plan. Our campus-based research demonstrates that there are measures for a small number of student populations that need improvement in course completion particularly in math and English courses and improvements to lessen the percentage gap. WVC has worked extremely hard to improve student outcomes. Consequently, WVC has maintained

a high level of success across all student groups. It is therefore important to note that no single student population falls significantly below measures in all areas. This perhaps validates the

fact that the college addresses the diverse needs and learning styles of its students by providing a variety of delivery modes, teaching methodologies, and support services that address the learning needs of students. From this position of academic strength and integrity, coupled with targeted support services, West Valley College delivers the Student Equity Plan which focuses

on further improving student access to college resources and enhancing student outcomes particularly for students who are historically disadvantaged.

Improving student access to college resources includes making informational materials available for our outreach team and counselors; student engagement activities that focus on diversity and inclusion; professional development activities aimed to improve instruction and the staff’s role in improving student success; support for specific programs that have shown positive outcomes for underrepresent student populations; faculty/staff mentors who help students navigate their way through the sometimes seemingly turbulent waters; tutors and academic coaches; and other support services such as textbook, transportation; and childcare assistance for those with the greatest needs; and professional development on social justice and student equity.

Over the initial three to four year period, the overarching goal is to implement strategies that promise the most potential to support improvements in academic performance and the overall college infrastructure in order to ensure long-lasting and ongoing improvements to student learning and achievement of students’ educational goals. In formulating the Student Equity Plan, the college has designed activities with an end goal of: collaboration across the campus,

supporting categorical programs, creating a strong and vibrant student services program that includes providing access to services anytime, anywhere, any place (to meet the needs of students enrolled in distance education and part-time students who spend minimal time on campus; and developing faculty and staff training.

Target Groups

We examined student equity data by using the tools recommended in the final Student Equity Template provided by the state Chancellor’s Office as well as local tools. Data was discussed and analyzed in the framework of the five student equity success indicators defined by the Board of Governors: Access, ESL/Basic Skills Completion, Course Completion, Degree/Certificate Completion, and Transfer. Each success indicator was analyzed using disaggregated subgroups of gender ethnicity, age as well as foster youth and veterans. The methodology used was the

Percentage Point Gap, defined in the 2015 final Student Equity Template. The identified student groups and sub groups emerged from the data analysis and are delineated in the following.

Student Equity Measures / Identified Student Groups Sub Groups
Access / Hispanic, Asian students, Veterans, Foster Youth and
African Americans
ESL/Basic Skills Completion / African-American, Native-Americans, & Low-income
students
Course completion / African American, Foster Youth & low- income/economically disadvantaged students
Degree/Certificate completion / Asian, African-Americans, & males
Transfer / Hispanic, students with disabilities, African-Americans,
veterans, & foster youth

Goals

Participatory governance committees had an opportunity to review and comment on goals developed by Student Success Core Team. The team membership is comprised of the former chairs of what had been three separate committees representing the former Matriculation Committee, the Student Equity, Access & Success (SEAS) Committee, and Basic Skills Committee. Four specific college goals guided the development of the Student Equity Goals:

2020 Educational Master Plan Goals:

• Diversity and Equity: Commit to developing and supporting values, practices and a campus community environment that supports equity and diversity.

• Resources: Align campus and personnel to priorities supported by data.

Provide robust academic support services.

• Professional Development: Plan and implement a needs-base program of professional development for the entire campus community.

• Course Offerings: Explore and shift course offerings depending on evolving student and community needs (e.g. distance learning, noncredit, weekends, evenings, compressed courses and community education).

The Student Equity goals focus (1) increasing Hispanic, African American, veterans, foster youth and male students attending West Valley College; (2) increasing course completion rates of African Americans, students with disabilities, and distance education students; (3) increasing

the number of Hispanic ESL students who complete a degree-applicable ESL course; increasing

the number African American, low-income, Native-Americans, and ESL students who progress from a basic skills level English course and go on to complete a degree-applicable English course, as well as increasing the success rates of African American students enrolled in basic skills courses and go on to complete college level English and math courses successfully; (4) increasing the number of Asian, African Americans and male students who earn a certificate and those who earn an Associate Degree; and (5) increasing the transfer rates of Hispanic and African-American students along with veterans, current and former Foster Youth, and students with disabilities.

Goals and Actions that the college will undertake

A. Access: Priority Goal #1: Within the next 4 years increase Asian, Hispanic, African

American, Veterans, and Foster Youth attending West Valley College.

• Target outreach activities to high schools with largest African American and Hispanic student populations; conduct outreach activities to veteran population and foster youth.

• Develop a campus-wide mentoring/academic coaching program for at least 50 students to have a connection with faculty staff to help them navigate to through college pathway

• Hire a new foster youth coordinator to design and implement ongoing targeted activities

B. Course Completion: Within the next 3- 4 years increase course completion rates of all target groups.

• Provide cohort tutoring and supplemental instruction both in-person and online

• Research and identify the students who are categorized as “Some other race.”

C. Basic Skills ESL: Increase the number of basic skills and ESL students identified as the target population who progress from Basic Skills math and English courses and complete college level courses or who complete degree-applicable ESL course.

• Increase the tutorial services for students in Basic Skills English and math; develop and implement

supplemental instruction for ESL students

• Provide professional development and training for all faculty and staff to better understand culturally sensitive pedagogy and student-centered teaching strategies.

• Establish a faculty inquiry group to determine and analyze barriers preventing target groups from succeeding in Basic Skills English and math courses.

D. Degree and Certification Completing: Priority Goal #2

• By 2020, increase the number of students from the target populations who complete a degree or certificate.

• Increase the number of students who complete an educational plan.

• Collaborate with Admissions and Records to find more ways to inform more students of certificate and degree opportunities.

E. Transfer: Priority goal #3: Improve transfer for the target groups and historically underrepresented students by developing and implementing focused transfer activities.

• Provide opportunities to take underrepresented students on campus tours.

• Develop specialized mentor matches with students and graduates of the

aspired four-year institutions

Student Equity Funding and Other Resources

The allocation of funding has been prioritized in order to successfully complete the goals: Personnel are needed to implement the activities, to make progress toward achievement of goals. A staff who specializes in foster youth outreach and support will be hired.

The WVC plan also includes an efficient budget which will be effectively administered. Student Equity will be under the leadership of the Vice President of Student Services (VPSS). The Director of Student Equity and Success will work closely with the VPSS to monitor the budget and its relationship to the target goals/related activities. Together they will use a comprehensive system to ensure proper and efficient administration for expending funds. All financial transactions will be conducted within the guidelines enumerated in the current

Student Equity Handbook published by California Community College Chancellor’s Office. The West Valley-Mission Community College District has an existing effective and efficient method for checks and balances that ensure accountability through the request and approval process and for district-wide audits.

The following table provides a summary of the use of funding to meet the needs of the targeted groups for each student equity success indicator, the number of students impacted, and the anticipated funding.

Success Measures / Target Group / # student impacted / Funding
Access / Foster youth,
veterans, African Americans, Hispanic, distance education students / 500 / $191.416
Basic Skills/ESL
Course Completion / Hispanic, African
Americans, Disabled
Students / 1,050—
150 tutoring supplemental instruction
500—research
400—Core services / $62,000
Course Completion / Disabled Students, Hispanic, African Americans / 300 / $125,000
Degree & Certificate
Completion / African Americans,
Hispanic, older students & distance education students / 650 / $36,250
Transfer / Older Students,
African Americans, Hispanic / 60 / $38,750
All areas / All Student Equity
Personnel / Total target group
population / $201,486
TOTAL BUDGET / $625,022

Other Sources of Funding

The following demonstrates the college’s commitment to ensure that collaboration and coordination across the college will take place in support of the Student Equity Plan. The college has existing sources of funding that contribute to the accomplishment of the goals and

activities and personnel who are highly capable of implementing and supporting these

activities. Please note that the Student Equity Plan is directly linked to the Student Success Plan as well as to the college’s Outreach Plan; thus the existing resources reflect this.

Category Percentage / Source of Funding
Director of Student Equity & Success / 50% Student Equity; 50% General Funds
20% Vice President, Student Services (SSSP Coordinator) / General Funds
15% Student Success Faculty Coordinator / Basic Skills & General Funds
5% Vice President of Instruction / General Funds
5% Dean of Student Services / General Funds
5% Dean of Instruction / General Funds
15% College Researcher / General Funds
10% Co-chairs Global Citizenship Committee / General funds
10% SUCCESS Coordinator/Counselor / General Funds
10% SUCCESS Instructor / General Funds
5% FYE coordinator / General Funds and SSSP Funds
5% District IS Analyst / General Funds
5% Transfer Center Director / General Fund
5% Basic Skills Coordinator / Basic Skills Funds
5% DESP Director / DSPS Fund 120
5% EOPS Director / EOPS Fund 120
5% EOPS Specialist / EOPS Fund 120
5% TRiO Director / TRiO Fund 120
5% Tutorial Coordinator / Fund 100
5% First Year Experience Coordinator / General Funds
20% Outreach Coordinator (per Outreach Plan) / General Funds
20% Financial Aid/BFAP/Outreach Specialist / BFAP—Fund 120
10% Puente Counselor / General Funds
10% Puente Instructor / Fund 100
Involvement of Faculty (ESL, reading, math, English)
and counselors on an as needed hourly basis for assessments, orientation, EdPlanning, coordination of combined activities and other tasks / Combination of Student Equity, SSSP
and General Funds
Student Ambassadors (20) on an as needed hourly basis / General Funds

Evaluation

Within the framework of Institutional Effectiveness three overarching evaluation goals will guide our evaluation process: (1) assess how well West Valley College is serving its community. WVC needs to understand how well our community groups are able to access our services and courses, and how successfully they are completing their coursework and academic goals; (2) make the Student Equity Plan a permanent and meaningful part of the Program Review process. Currently, individual departments and programs do not assess equity in their Program Reviews. The College needs to know the impact of the student equity strategies on student learning at the course and program levels; (3) conduct ongoing research and evaluation, and