Executive Summary

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDABOUT SADDLEBACK COLLEGE

SaddlebackCollegeis oneofthetwo colleges that comprisetheSouth OrangeCounty

CommunityCollegeDistrict. Located in MissionViejo,Saddleback Collegebegan offering classes in 1968. Thecollegeserves the communities ofLake Forest, Mission Viejo,Laguna Niguel, Rancho SantaMargarita,SanJuan Capistrano,LagunaBeach,and San Clemente, as wellas alargeunincorporated areaofthecounty. Located at the approximatemidpoint betweenLos Angeles andSan Diego. Thecampussits on a200acrehillside closeto the coast, mountains anddesert. The areais largelysuburban with both multi-andsingle familyhomes.

Theaccreditation agency(ACCJC/WASC)reaffirmed thecollege’s accreditation in2010; the next accreditation visit will occurin 2016.

SaddlebackCollegeis thepostsecondaryeducational anchorofSouth OrangeCounty, offering over200programs ofstudyto 40,000 students ayear.In2012-13, Saddleback awarded 2440 degreesand certificates and prepared andtransferred 3500 students to 4-yearuniversities. Over its 46-yearhistory, Saddleback has developed awide arrayofoccupationaland careerand technical education (CTE)programs.

ThenumberonepriorityoftheCollegeis studentsuccess. From its renowned educational programs to its stellarstudent services,Saddleback Collegeworks tirelesslyto ensurethat students learn and achievetheirgoals, whetherthat beimprovingtheirEnglish abilities, transferringtoa four-yearuniversity, or retoolingforanew career. To servethediverseneeds of ourstudents, theCollegeoffers courses in avarietyofformats (face-to-face, online, hybrid, full term, and shortterm) andatmultiplelocations.

Saddleback Collegeis enthusiasticin developingaStudent EquityPlan which will transform services byrecommendingbest practices, activities and interventions to betterservestudents on campus.Thecollegeis committed to utilizingaparticipatory governancestructure, which includes administrators, faculty, students and classified staff.Thedisproportionateimpact within thetargeted populations will bevalidated with data collected byourOfficeofResearch.The Student Equityplan will remain alivingdocument which will guideus annuallyprovidestudents with interventions that will support student success and academicgoals.

TargetPopulations:

Saddleback College aligned its target populations with those required forplan development.As a

result, ourplan was drafted forthe following groups:

•AmericanIndians orAlaskaNatives

•Asian orPacificIslanders

•Blacks

•Hispanics

•Whites

•Men

•Women

•Person with Disabilities

•Current fosteryouth

•Low-incomestudents

•Veterans

DisproportionateImpactSummaryofFindings

MajorDisproportionateImpact(PI ≤ .70):
CourseCompletionIndicator:
None
ESLRemedial EnglishandMathIndicator:
 ESL Completion:
Age (35 to 39)
Age (40 to 49)
Age (50+)
Remedial EnglishCompletion:
Ethnicity(PacificIslander)
Remedial MathCompletion:
Ethnicity(African-American)
DegreeandCertificateCompletionIndicator:
30-Units RateCompletion:
Age (35 to 39)
PersistenceRateCompletion:
None
StudentProgress and AttainmentRate (SPAR)Completion:
Age (20 to24)
Age (25 to29)
Age (35 to39)
Age (40 to49)
TransferVelocity Indicator:
Age (35 to39)
Age (50 +)
Ethnicity(PacificIslander)
CalWORKs Students
Access Indicator:
Age (35 to 39)
Age (40 to 49)
Age (50+)
Disabled Students
EconomicallyDisadvantaged Students
Veterans
FosterYouth
ModerateDisproportionateImpact(PI= .71 -.85)
CourseCompletionIndicator:
Ethnicity (African-American)
Ethnicity (PacificIslander)
ESLRemedial EnglishandMathIndicator:
 ESL Completion:
Ethnicity (Hispanic)
 Remedial EnglishCompletion:
Age (40 to49)
Age (50+)
Ethnicity(African-American)
Ethnicity(Hispanic)
 Remedial MathCompletion:
Ethnicity(Hispanic)
DegreeandCertificateCompletionIndicator:
 30-UnitsRate Completion:
Age (20 to 24)
Age (40 to 49)
Ethnicity (American-Indian/AlaskanNative)
 PersistenceRateCompletion:
Age (17 orLess)
Age (20 to24)
Age (35 to39)
 StudentProgress and AttainmentRate (SPAR)Completion:
Age (50+)
Ethnicity(African-American)
TransferVelocity Indicator:
Age (20 to 24)
Age (25 to 29)
Age (30 to 34)
Age (40 to 49)
Ethnicity (African-American)
Ethnicity (AmericanIndian/Alaskan Native)
Ethnicity(Hispanic)
Access Indicator:
Gender(Male)
Ethnicity (WhiteNon-Hispanic)
MildDisproportionateImpact(PI= .86 -.99)
CourseCompletionIndicator:
Gender(Male)
Age (18 &19)
Age (20 to 24)
Age (25 to 29)
Ethnicity (AmericanIndian/AlaskanNative)
Ethnicity (Hispanic)
Ethnicity (Multi-Ethnicity)
DSPSStudents
Veterans
FosterYouth
ESLRemedial EnglishandMathIndicator:
 ESLCompletion:
Gender(Male)
Disabled Students
 Remedial EnglishCompletion:
Gender(Male)
Age (20 to24)
Age (25 to29)
Age (35 to39)
Ethnicity(AmericanIndian/AlaskanNative)
Disabled Students
EconomicallyDisadvantaged Students
FosterYouthStudents
 Remedial MathCompletion:
Gender(Male)
Age (18 &19)
Age (20 to24)
Age (25 to29)
Ethnicity(PacificIslander)
EconomicallyDisadvantaged Students
DegreeandCertificateCompletionIndicator:
 30-UnitsRate Completion:
Gender(Male)
Age (25 to 29)
Age (30 to 34)
Age (50+)
Ethnicity (African-American)
Ethnicity (Hispanic)
 PersistenceRateCompletion:
Gender(Male)
Age (25 to29)
Age (40 to49)
Ethnicity(African-American)
Ethnicity(AmericanIndian/AlaskanNative)
Ethnicity(Hispanic)
EconomicallyDisadvantaged Students
 StudentProgress and AttainmentRate (SPAR)Completion:
Gender(Male)
Age (18 &19)
Age (30 to34)
Ethnicity(AmericanIndian/AlaskanNative)
Ethnicity(Hispanic)
Ethnicity(PacificIslander)
Disabled Students
EconomicallyDisadvantaged Students
Veterans
TransferVelocity Indicator:
Gender (Male)
Gender (Unknown)
Age (18 & 19)
Ethnicity(Filipino)
Disabled Students
Access Indicator:
Gender(Male)
Age (19 and Less)
Ethnicity (Filipino)
Disabled Students

Goals:

Onceweidentified disproportionateimpact within each indicator, as demonstrated bydatawithin

each subgroup,goals andinterventions wereestablished to address strategies required toassist student achievementrates within theindicators.

•Activities:

•ACCESS:

•AGE(30-39, 40-49, +50)

Surveystudents within thethreesubpopulation ofAge at Saddleback Collegeto uncoverfactors that challenged andenhanced theiracademic experiences at thecollege.

Saddleback CollegewillhireoneProgram Outreach Specialist and Outreach Student EquityProject Specialists to target outreachefforts to theAdult Education communitybyprovidinginformation regardingthe matriculation process, financial aid, residency, counselingand other support services that areoffered at Saddleback College. This position will recruit and onboard students who would beinterested in Adult Education (noncredit course), CareerTechnical Education, AssociateDegrees or

Transferdegree.It will focus its outreach efforts in the communityand the collegetarget Adults in thedisproportionategroups (Adult School programs in theSaddleback ValleyUnified SchoolDistrict, Community Centers, CommunityLibraries, Educational Fairand Saddleback College ESLclasses).

As High Schools Adult Education programs beginits mergewith communitycollegesas part oftheAB86 initiative,Saddleback College will hireastipend, full time faculty(non-instructional)position to develop and review ofnew non-credit curriculum for courses sought out bythe adult community.

TheRe-EntryCenteris structured to reach itsgoals byofferingadvising, resources, referrals, support groups,and scholarships to returningstudents. In orderto help theefforts ofthe center, wewill houseaPart-time counselor aim specificallyto help meet the educational needs of adult students.

Hireastipend personnelthat will overseetheongoingplanningofthe Activities, Goals and Evaluation oftheAccessIndicatortarget populations.

Provideprofessional development funding forcollegewidepersonnel to attend training, seminars,workshops, conferenceor anyotherevent that is identified as aprofessional development activitybytheSEP Chair and/or administrator.

•ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

Conduct asurveyin orderto identifythenatureofstudents’ economic

barriers such as timemanagement, academicand/orvocationalgoals or other challenges that face this targetgroup.

Develop campaigns to effectivelycommunicateand educatestudents of financial assistance andcollegeresources with new innovated materials such as, updated handouts, videos, in-person orientations/workshops and multilingual resources.Further, an SEPFinancialAid Specialist along with SEPFinancial Aid Ambassadors/ outreachAides will provide outreachactivities focused on financial resources availableto students, includingspecialized populations, EOPS, CalWORKs, DSPS, VETS,

ActiveMilitary,Foster Youth, and High Schools and ROPprograms in the

Saddleback Collegeservice area.

•VETERANS

HireaVETS Program Outreach Specialist to provideSaddleback College

information regardingthematriculation process, residency, GIBill, VA assistance, counseling and othersupport services to theVETSpopulation at north baseCamp Pendleton, theWounded Warriors Battalion, and southern region oftheSaddleback Collegefeederarea. This position will also focus on efforts to develop campaigns such as videos, presentation/orientationsand update flyers that will communicate college resources moreeffectivelyforthedisproportionatelyimpactedgroup.

Inefforts to improveourstudent support services,wewill expand counselingservices toactivemilitaryand Veterans at various locations such as, Camp Pendleton and thesouthern region oftheSaddleback Collegefeederarea.Byincorporation oneto twopart-timeVeterans counselingpositions it will improve capacity(qualityand quantity).

•COURSECOMPLETION

•ETHNICITY (AfricanAmericans)

Organize focusgroups ofAfrican-American students to betterunderstand theneeds oftheAfrican-American student population. Utilize focus group discussions to collect opinions about on-campus support, useofprograms, theimpact of collegeStudent Success and StudentEquity's efforts, etc. Focusgroups will beled byResearchand Planning.

Provide resources forcollege-wideprofessional development to train facultyand staffon howto assist African-American students in overcomingbarriers thatimpede coursecompletion.

Institute first-yearexperiencelearningcommunities that will link counseling courses in math and English courses. Students will move

through thefirstyearas acohort whilelinked to asupportive counseling course.

Deliveroutreach to African-American students toencourageparticipation in student services dedicated to coursecompletion, including: Counseling, tutoring, and learningcommunities. Students willreceiveoutreach through in-person contact with counselors/student mentors, emails, and nudges.

HireSEPresearch manager funded 100%through SEP.

Hire additional peermentors (ofsimilar ethnic/racial background)to improvestudent support in thelearningcommunities and throughout campus.

•ESLANDBASICSKILLSCOMPLETION

•AGE(35-39, 40-49, 50+/BSI-ESL, 40-49, 50+/BSI-English)

Confirmwhetherstudents aretakingESLcoursesforsocial ratherthan academicreasons: Determineeducational goalsofthestudents inthe identified group, as well asthenumber/percentagewho areenrolled in college-levelESLorcollege-levelEnglish;who have enrolledonlyin ESLclasses; whoarestillenrolledat Saddleback; andthenumber/ percentageofstudents whostayed atSaddlebackformorethan oneyear.

Determinetheir employmentstatus andthenumberofhours employed perweek. Investigateifstudentsareapplyingforfinancialaid,and the typeofaid theyareapplyingfor(e.g., BOGfeewaiver, PellGrant, workstudy, etc.).

Investigate if students are entering the workforce immediately afterattendingSaddleback.

Determineiftheyaretakingonly30 unitsandleavingupon disqualificationforfurtherfinancialaid,oriftheyaretakingoneortwo classes.

Determinethepercentageofstudents who areimpacted byexternal factors(e.g., familybarriers andcrises).

Educate facultyand staffabout expandingservicesavailable(financial aid,tutoring,etc.)forstudents inthisagegroup.

Counselors outreachto ESLclasses toencourageuseofservices.

Financialaid workshops forstudentsinterested inFinancial

Literacy.

Considerdevelopingacommunityeducation platformforstudentswho just wantto takeacourseforsocialreasons.

ContinuetoextendhoursofLRC(LearningResourceCenter)on campus(earlierbeforeclassesmeetand laterintotheevening, from8 am–8pm)and Saturdaymorningtutoring(9am-2pm).

Establish an onlinetutoringplatform.

Extendtheonlinetutoringplatformto includeinstructoroffice hours.Connect withfacultyfromESLto begin offeringoffice hoursonlinethroughthisplatform.

Duringthein-personESLgroup advisement,not onlyhavea counselor conducttheadvisement, butalso haveanESLinstructorpresent.

Consideralternativelocationsand timesofESLcourses.

CreatealearningcommunitywiththeAdvancedESLcourses andthe

Counseling160 course.

EnhanceCareerandJobPlacementServicestoinclude developingresumes, coverletters,interviewingskills, internships, customerserviceskills, andjob training,etc.…

•ETHNICITY (AfricanAmerican/BSI-English,AfricanAmerican/BSI-Math, PacificIslander/BSI-English, Hispanic/BSI-Math)

Create1 part time (20hr/week), studentequitycasemanagers who will meet with the aforementioned cohort on aweeklybasis in orderto connect students with resources on campus, includingbutnot limited to academic/student support services: counseling, financial aid, EOPS,

DSPS, libraryservices, tutoringservices, mental/emotional health support, counseling,and health center. Additionally, thecasemanagerwill meet with students on aweeklybasis and provideacademicsupport byensuring students areprepared forquizzes, exams, essays, and other academic activities fortheir courseofferings.

Create1 full time (40hr/week), studentequitycasemanagers who will meet with the aforementioned cohort on aweeklybasis in orderto connect students with resources on campus, includingbutnot limited to academic/student support services: counseling, financial aid, EOPS,

DSPS, libraryservices, tutoringservices, mental/emotional health support, counseling,and health center.

(This full timeposition will support both the efforts and goals of both the

ESL/BSIand Completion cohorts).

•DEGREECERTIFICATE

•AGE(20-24, 25-29, 35-39, 40-49)

Conduct qualitative research on theparticularneeds ofstudents who start college forthe first timeoneormoreyearsaftergraduatingfrom high school (“gap”students)such as financial needs,childcareneeds, time constraints dueto work schedules, etc. This can bedone, in part, by addingquestions to thebiannual student surveyfrom targeted populations.

Identifythenegativeimpact from GIBill max. period(36 months)on Veterans’Degreeand Certificate completion ratebycoordinating closely with Veteran’s Office.

Align thelocal GE pattern with Title5, to complywith CSU andIGETC GE regulations (18 units).

Expand peer-led SupplementalInstruction programs targeted specifically forthis agegroup.

Createapeermentorprogram, usingAVID model, targeted specifically forthis agegroup.

Create“Fast Track Pathway”activities modeled aftertheFreshman

Advantagebut targeted towards the“gap”students.

•TRANSFER

•ETHNICITY (Hispanic)

Develop mentoring, campus visit and communityserviceopportunities for

Hispanicstudents with a focus on transfer.

TheChicano,Latino, Access, SuccessEmpowerment (CLASE) TransferMentorProgram will beapeer-to-peermentoringprogram in which current students (with morethan 40 units) and alumni who have recentlytransferred willprovidementoringand develop programs fornew Hispanicstudents with a focus on providingtransfer access, transfer successtransferempowerment.

In addition, Chicano/a-Latino/astudentswith Spanishspeakingparentswillbe includedina summer transferoverviewmeetingconductedin Spanish (Una Tarde:Exitos).

Students,parentsandsiblingswillbe invited. Refreshmentswereprovidedfor theinauguralExitoseventbytheTransferCenterandaSpanish-speaking counselorfromtheTransferCenterwillbepresent to answertransferrelated questionsofatechnicalnature.

•AGE(35-39, 50+)

ThereexistsadropinTransferVelocityaftersix yearsforstudentswho begin

collegeafterreachingage20.

Research willbeconductedon studentswhoentercollegeatage20 and olderto determine theircollegegoals, needsand possibleactivities tofacilitatetransfer forthisgroup.

Suggested research activities includesurveys, interviews, focusgroupsandexit surveys forthosewho withdrawfromclasses.

•DISABILITY STATUS

Conductresearchto help determinewhystudentswithdisabilitiesaretransferring

atalower rateaftersix years than studentswithoutdisabilities.

Conducttranscriptstudiesto determinepossibledropoffpointsand possible gatekeepercourses.

Surveystudentswhentheywithdrawfromclassesto determine reasonsforclass changesor withdrawals.

Workwith Disabled StudentsProgramsand Services(DSPS)andtheCareer Center todeterminewaysthattheTransferCentercancollaboratewiththisand other servicestoincreasetransferopportunitiesfor thisstudentpopulation.

Exploreoptionsforspeakersdirectedattransferand careeropportunitiesfor studentswith disabilities.

Educatefacultyand counselorson careers/majors forstudentswith disabilities.