Student Support Services
TRIO-Upward Bound
2014-2015
(Report Due: October 15, 2015)
Program/Service Description (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)Include Description/Mission Statement/Number of Years at COD/Benefits/Contact)
Description: The Upward Bound program serves low-income, first generation college students each year, providing supplemental counseling, academic coursework, and leadership development opportunities to eligible participants.
Mission Statement: To prepare local high school students to enter and graduate from college with a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree
Number of Years at COD: Since 1995
Participants in the program/service receive the following benefits:
· Individual and group counseling (UB ratio of approx. 1:40)
· Tutorial and counseling support
· Academic instruction in the areas of English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, and study skills
· Application workshops on college admissions and financial aid
· Laptop and Scientific Calculator Loan Program
· Access to college/university tours and cultural activities
· SAT/ACT preparation
· Summer residential program at a four-year college/university
· Annual award recognition ceremony
· Monthly stipends ($30 month from September to May; $50 June and July)
Contact Person/Title:
Angel Meraz, M. Ed., Director (760) 773-2543
Scott Cooper, Dean, Student Success and Student Learning (760) 776-7453
Population Served (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean) Include Number/Eligibility
Number of Students Served: Upward Bound served 85 students during the 2014-2015 year and will serve the same amount of students during the 2015-2016 year as required by our Upward Bound grant.
Student Eligibility: Students must attend either Low-income Coachella Valley, Desert Hot Springs, or Indio High School. 2/3 of our students must be both low-income (income guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Education) and first generation college-going. The other 1/3 can meet either one of the listed criteria.
FTES Generated: N/A
Program Requirements from outside agencies (source Faculty/Dir/Coord)
Upward Bound follows the regulations set forth by: (1) The U.S. Department of Education, specifically the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Title IV, Subpart 2—Federal Early Outreach and Student Services Programs, Section 403C, 1070a--13 Upward Bound; (2) Education Department’s General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), Parts 74 and 75; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21. Any revised regulations are published in the Federal Register. Key requirements are to:
· Submit an Annual Performance Report (known as the APR)
· Serve students from 3 high schools (see Student Eligibility above)
· Ensure that all participants meet income and other eligibility requirements
· Keep accurate and secure student records for at least one grant cycle (4-5 years)
Pogram/Service Outcomes (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)
OVERARCHING PROGRAM LEVEL OUTCOMES
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
1. Personal Development and Responsibility
Students utilizing this program/service will demonstrate an ability to
1.1 Display habits of intellectual exploration, personal responsibility, and physical well being.
1.2 Develop individual responsibility, personal integrity, and respect for diverse people and
cultures.
1.3 Value and accept people with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and abilities.
1.4 Understand ethical issues to make sound judgments and decisions.
2. Self-Awareness, Self-Understanding, and Self-Advocacy
Students utilizing this program/service will demonstrate an ability to:
2.1 Evaluate their own knowledge, skills, and abilities.
2.1.1 Display three components of an effective self-advocate:
· self knowledge.
· define their own needs.
· the ability to get what they need.
2.2 Develop realistic goals.
2.3 Appreciate the value of feedback.
2.4 Adapt to challenging situations.
2.5 Recognize that knowledge is the key to self-advocacy.
2.6 Teach the people around them.
3. Self-Sufficiency and Independent Learning
Students utilizing this program/service will demonstrate an ability to:
3.1 Identify and utilize services, programs, and resources to become life-long learners including, but
not limited to:
3.1.1 Study/Learning Labs
3.1.2. Supplemental Instruction
3.1.3.Computer-aided tutorials/instruction
3.1.4 Learning Communities
3.1.5 Student Development Courses
3.1.6 Tutorial Assistance
3.1.7 Counseling Services
3.1.8 Special Programs for Student Success
3.1.9 Admissions and Records
3.1.10 Business Services
3.1.11 Financial Aid
3.1.12 Scholarship information
3.1.13 Career/Transfer Center Resource
PROGRAM/SERVICE SPECIFIC OUTCOMES
Upward Bound
Upward Bound participants will:
· Demonstrate the ability to understand the A-G requirements for admission to a 4-year college/university
· Understand the difference between the A-G (college entrance) requirements and high school graduation requirements
· Develop skills to research colleges/universities, majors, and extracurricular activities
· Along with their parents, develop financial literacy skills regarding loans, credit, and financial aid
· Complete the FAFSA with their parents each spring during their senior year
· Obtain basic knowledge about various career and college major options
RESOURCES
Staffing for programs/service:Include Funding Budget Level/Current Staffing Level
2014-2015 Funding/Budget Level:
Salaries & Benefits / $254,128
Discretionary Costs / $27,837
Student Travel / $17,800
Student Aid / $29,325
Supplies, Meals, Other / $27,260
TOTAL Categorical/Restricted / $356,350
TOTAL General Fund / $0
Current Staffing Level:
Position/Title / Number / Full or Part Time / % Grant Funded / % College Funded
Director / 1 / Full / 100 / 0
Adjunct Counselors / 1 / Part-time, up to 24 hours/week / 100 / 0
Secretary / 1 / Part-time up to 24 hours per week / 100 / 0
Grant Support Assistant / 1 / Part-time, up to 24 hours/week / 100
Adjunct Instructors / 5 / Approx. 18 hrs/mo. / 100 / 0
Student Worker / 1 / Up to 20 hours/week / 0 / 100 (Foundation)
Facilities (source: Faculty/ Dir/Coord/Dean)
1) List of all facilities (Please indicate if any of these were added last year):
The Upward Bound office is located in the Donald and Peggy Cravens Student Services Center (CSSC), second floor, Suite 249. Two TRIO programs (Upward Bound and ACES) share the space and some of the office resources. The common office space consists of two customer service counters with roll-up doors, a workroom which contains storage space, an open office area with two secretary workstations, plus space for a student worker, if needed, an area for tutoring, and a computer lab with 6 terminals. There are five offices and one adjunct faculty (UB counselor) and 1 grant support assistant who share one office space on an as needed basis. During the Upward Bound Saturday Academy the Upward Bound Program begins the day in the Multipurpose room of CSSC. The program instructors facilitate courses using 5 classrooms located within the Communications Building. Two of these classrooms are computer labs. This has provided our program with sufficient classroom space within close proximity to our program office. During the Summer Academy, our program uses three classrooms within South Annex, one of which was a computer lab. We also used the new classroom, ECE 101 during the morning hour and lunch hour for our meals.
2) Assessment of adequacy of current facilities:
The current facility provides adequate space for staff. The location of the building provides convenient access to parking and office facilities on Saturdays. However, after several discussions with other TRiO staff members, we do have a desire to have a common TriO space so we can collaborate and share more resources.
Equipment and Supplies (source: Faculty/ Dir/Coord/Dean)
Upward Bound has 5 desktops, 4 printers, a supply of 14 laptops and 54 scientific calculators available for student loan, a leased copier, a fax machine, 13 set of headphones and one shredder. A complete and updated inventory roster is available upon request. Our laptops are very outdated and have just been deamed as no longer operable by our Technology office. We will need to replace these Fall 2015.
Summary- Narrative Interpretation (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)
Staffing/Budget
The program Coordinator/Counselor position within Upward Bound was redesigned and has changed into a Director position. This reorganization has helped with making sure the Upward Bound program is more integrated with the mission, goals, and objectives of College of the Desert. This change has also allowed for more collaboration with other programs on campus. Specifically, Upward Bound worked with the Director and staff of the McCarthy Child Development Center to provide Summer Academy participants with healthy, substantial food options during the summer program. The food was prepared and served through the kitchen at the McCarthy Child Development center. Furthermore, Upward Bound plans to facilitate our new tutoring program through College of the Desert’s new online tutoring tool, Smart Thinking. In the past, Upward Bound would seek out our own tutoring vendors. However, this new collaboration will allow for our students to gain exposure to more systems used here at College of the Desert, helping them to become even more college ready.
Funding/Budget
The Upward Bound Program Director is responsible for the overall management of the program under the direction of the Dean of Student Success and Student Learning. The Program Director also works in collaboration with the campus Business Office staff in all areas related to the funding from the U.S. Department of Education to operate the Upward Bound program. In addition, the Program Director and the Director, Education Centers are familiar with the distinctions between the Department of Education’s and the COD campus requirements to operate the Upward Bound program.
COURSE INFORMATION (Complete only if Applicable)
Course Level Assessment Completed (source: Faculty & OAC Coordinator)Complete if applicable
N/A
PROGRAM/SERVICE ACHIEVEMENTS
Program/Discipline/Service Accomplishments (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord)· Retention: For 2014-2015, 97% (83/85) of participants continued or finished the program (2 students did not continue to participate in 2014-2015)
· GPA: At the end of Spring 2015, the GPA across all continuing or finishing Upward Bound students was 3.29
· Graduation: 22 out of 22 participating seniors (100.0%) graduated from high school as of June 2015
· College Plans: Of the 22 graduating seniors, 16 students planned to attend a 4-year college/university, 5 planned to attend a 2-year college in Fall 2015; and 1 student joined the United States Navy
· Summer Activities: 1 student participated in the Inland Enpire Future Leaders Program; Approximately 17 students completed AP or Honors coursework during the summer; 1 student completed a migrant summer program at California State University Fullerton; 1 student completed a summer program at Idywild School of the Arts; 7 attended summer at their local high school; 3 students took concurrent enrollment courses at College of the Desert; 29 students regularly attended the UB Summer Academy held at COD.
· Summer Residential: 33 students participated in San Diego Area Summer Residential Program visiting 4 colleges (UC San Diego, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University) from July 28- August 1, 2015.
Student Success Data -Program/Service (source: Upward Records and National Student Clearinghouse)
Student Succes Data:
Upward Bound at College of the Desert
Graduation and Fall Enrollment for Students Who Completed the Program
Class of 2007 to 2015
As of Oct. 2014
Graduating Class / Number / Graduated from HS / Percent Graduated / Fall Enrollment* / Percent Enrolled
Class of 2015 / 22 / 22 / 100 / TBD / TBD
Class of 2014 / 20 / 20 / 100 / 20 / 100
Class of 2013 / 20 / 20 / 100 / 18 / 90
Class of 2012 / 20 / 19 / 95 / 14 / 70
Class of 2011 / 19 / 18 / 95 / 17 / 89
Class of 2010 / 17 / 17 / 100 / 14 / 82
Class of 2009 / 17 / 17 / 100 / 16 / 94
Class of 2008 / 20 / 19 / 95 / 19 / 95
Class of 2007 / 15 / 15 / 100 / 15 / 100
Averages / 98% / 90%
*College enrollment in Fall semester immediately following high school graduation; TBD November 2015
Summary - Narrative Interpretation (source: Faculty/Dir./Coordinator/Dean)
The chart above shows that UB COD maintains overall very strong high school graduation and college enrollment rates. Upward Bound alumni from the class of 2015 enrolled in college at a rate of 100%, a 10 % increase over the class of 2013.
CHALLENGES/OBJECTIVES/GOALS
Program/Service Challenges: (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)(1) The new Director came into the program mid year. Although the previous coordinator and the interium director maintained a very effective, well run program, this did bring about some challenges. We had two students drop from the program, and in February the program was not serving the amount of students required by the grant. However, the Upward Bound program is a highly sought after program with a great community reputation. As a result, we were able to fill the program to capacity by May.
(2) This year, the Upward Bound program experienced a high turn over of staff. The coordinator resigned in September to accept a different position at another Community College in California. The Upward Bound adjunct counselor received a full-time counseling position at another Community College in California. The Upward Bound Secretary moved to another department within College of the Desert. As with all transitions, this proved to bring some challenges to the program, as all new staff came to the College of the Desert from outside organizations. Learning the policies, procedures, and structure of COD took some time. However, all previous staff members kept exceptional records which allowed all new members to have all necessary information to run an effective program. One additional challenge came in the form of salary savings for the grant. Although this is usually a wanted problem, extra money, it becomes a challenge when dollars are restricted by the U.S. Department of Education. This challenge did allow for an opportunity for more students to participate in our summer residential program. This was a very welcomed opportunity.
(3) During the beginning of the year, there were some payroll errors within Upward Bound that created additional challenges. Several Upward Bound staff were receiving payment for their work within UB from other departments on campus. Although this issue was resolved, it created many hours of extra work for several people and also cause some concern with out grant program officer because grant dollars were not being drawndown from the Department of Education G5 system in a timely manner.
(4) The students in our program continue to struggle with transportation to the College of the Desert campus. We serve three high schools, in three school districts. Each high school is a minimum of 15 miles from campus. Although we provide bus passes for our program participants, the time it takes to reach campus on a bus proves to be a challenge each year, specifically in during our Summer Academy when students travel to campus four days a week for five weeks.
Program/Service Objectives/Goals for 2014-2015 (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)
1. Participate in the Summer Food Program during the Upward Bound Summer Academy..
2. In partnership with target area high school counselors and administrators, increase UB fall enrollment in college among graduating seniors to a minmum of 85% (stated objectives minimum is 70%).
Results:
1. During the summer of 2015, UB established itself as a sponser site in California’s Summer Food Program. We collobrated with the McCarthy Child Development Center to provide free meals to the students in our program. The collaboration was great, as we were able to provide healthy, substantial food options for our students. We also received a reimbursement per meal from the state by participating in this program. We will continue this program and ensure that our students receive a healthy, substantial breakfast, lunch and snack
2. In Progress. We will check the status of our Class of 2015 college enrollment during our APR process in November. However, each graduate did self report that they are currently enrolled in a college. We will verify this report in November through the National Student Clearning House.
Program/Service Objectives/Goals for 2015-2016 (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)
1. The Upward Bound Director will seek out low cost staff development oportunites for Upward Bound staff. Severl staff members are not only new to the college, but also new to their professions. This year will be a year of learning and growing, and the Director will look for ways to make sure staff have as many of these opportunities as appropriate.
2. Improve sign in/sign out procedurs for our partipants to decrease the amount of time it takes to check in every Saturday and record attendance in our student information system.
3. Collobarate with College of the Desert Faculty and Staff to provide credit bearing courses to all Upward Bound Summer Academy participants
4. Provide access to online tutoring through Smart Thinking, College of the Desert’s new online tutoring tool.
Results: In Progress
Program/Service Objectives/Goals for 2016-2017 (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)
1. Secure funding for 2018-2023
2. Increase the amount of Upward Bound students who participate in summer programs outside of the Upward Bound summer academy
Completed by