California Community Colleges are mandated by state law to prepare and maintain an evidence-based Student Equity Plan (SEP) designed to coordinate services for disproportionately impacted student populations. Reaching equitable educational attainment outcomes within five success indicators (Access, Course Completion, ESL and Basic Skills Completion, Degree and Certificate Completion, and Transfer) and subsequently closing achievement gaps is the crux of this plan. Each of the 114 California Community Colleges entrusts primary responsibility for SEP activities, which include framing campus-based research efforts, to the Chief Student Services Officer (e.g., Vice President of Student Services) and their designated subordinates (e.g., Dean of Student Services, Student Equity Director/Coordinator, Diversity Manager, etc.). Although the intent of these plans is to utilize data-driven metrics toward the goal of creating policies and practices that support positive completion outcomes for students, many colleges do not currently integrate cultural competency or Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) initiatives into their existing SEPs.
The main purpose of this study was to conduct exploratory mixed-method research to investigate culturally competent student equity practices at California Community Colleges designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The goal was to subsequently design and implement a statewide student equity report card that is culturally sensitive to HSIs and can be utilized as a lens to gauge college-wide initiatives and strategic planning efforts within a multitude of organizational levels. Moreover, this embedded multiple case study examined several HSI-designated participant’s culturally competency practices embedded with their SEPs by investigating: 1) how equity is measured at the institutional level, 2) assessing how the college’s HSI designation impacts student equity and cultural competency practices, and 3) the organizational alignment of HSI designation within each participating college’s existing initiatives, policies, and norms. A cross-sectional web-based survey was administered to primary Student Equity administrators (N=25) at each of the 93 HSI-designated California Community Colleges. Eleven respondents subsequently agreed to participate in a 30-60 minute follow-up phone interview for the purpose of expanding on their initial survey responses and to gather additional qualitative and quantitative data within several thematic paradigms (e.g., Student Services/Success, Campus Leadership, Mission and Core Values, Collaboration and Collegiality, Integration and Capacity Building, Curriculum and Assessment, Organizational Learning, and Professional Development).
Research study findings revealed key thematic constructs that provide a lens for understanding the integration of equity and cultural competency efforts from a broader structural perspective that ultimately impacts access to completion outcomes for underserved and underrepresented students. Respondents indicated 1) Institutional Capacity, 2) Organizational Culture, and 3) Lack of Equity and Cultural Competency/Sensitivity Mindedness as primary focal points within the process of implementing effective strategies designed to support successful educational and career goals for students, with specific emphasis in Latinx populations.
