sdad 5590: american community college final paper

Running head: FINAL PAPER: BELLEVUE COLLEGE

Final Paper: Bellevue College

Kari Berkas, Kjirsten Eisentrout, Kelsey Nerland, & Kali Odell

Seattle University

SDAD 5590: American Community College

Dr. Erica Yamamura

June 9, 2015

FINAL PAPER: BELLEVUE COLLEGE 2

Cover Page

Name Section

Kjirsten Eisentrout Campus Profile

Kali Odell On-Site Synthesis

Kelsey Nerland Interview Synthesis

Kari Berkas Recommendations


Abstract

In an effort to identify ways to improve access, equity, and diversity on Bellevue College’s

campus, specifically for students coming from Middle College High School, our group

conducted on-site observations and interviews, and completed a literature review of policies for

community colleges and best practices for working with special populations of students. Three

themes emerged from our on-site observations, including mixed evidence of access and diversity,

effective centralization of student services with certain key services still lacking, and a strong

sense of student engagement and community. Three themes also emerged from our interviews,

including an open door commitment, investment in professional development, and limited

resources. Based upon these themes, our group proposed three recommendations to improve

access, equity, and diversity at Bellevue College, including helping students meet basic needs,

working towards student academic success, and instituting a mentor program.


Final Paper: Bellevue College

Executive Summary

We sought to understand practices at Bellevue College to find ways to improve access,

equity, and diversity there, particularly for Middle College High School students seeking success

in this environment. To do this, we first visited Bellevue College to observe key features, such as

student services and use of space. Second, we conducted in-person interviews with two college

stakeholders. Finally, we reviewed literature on key community college issues for an improved

sense of national and local policies and best practices for serving special student populations.

Three themes became evident when considering all of our on-site observations:

• Access and diversity are evident, but barriers still exist.

• While the centralization of student services is effective, certain services are still lacking,

and limited resources can also be a barrier to success.

• Student engagement and a sense of community appeared to be strong.

We also noticed three themes from our interviews:

• Bellevue College has a solid open door commitment and seeks to serve all students.

• Staff are invested in innovative and consistent professional development.

• Bellevue College lacks many vital resources.

Furthermore, based on the information gathered, we proposed three recommendations to

improve access, equity, and diversity at Bellevue College:

• Identify ways to help students meet basic needs, including increasing resources on

campus and developing partnerships off campus.

• Work towards students’ academic success by addressing campus climate and continuing

with opportunities for advisors’ professional development.


• Develop an optional mentor program that emphasizes personal autonomy.

Campus Profile

Located on 100 acres in the southern region of Bellevue, Washington, the main campus

of Bellevue College (BC) is known as one of the largest vocational and technical colleges in the

state. BC offers a wide variety of degrees and student services to support the needs of its

community. Our group was most interested in how the campus could be inclusive of students

from Middle College High School (MCHS) at Seattle University. With careful analysis of

Bellevue’s policies, programs, mission, and student demographics, resources that support

academic advising, mentoring, and basic student needs appear to be the most useful to students

and could be enhanced at the college to increase accessibility, equity, and diversity.

Mission

Open-door and open-access policies are fundamental commitments of BC’s mission.

These continue to play a significant role in student services at community colleges, generally,

and are viewed as both a challenge and opportunity for higher education (Kelsay & Zamani-

Gallaher, 2014). According to Bellevue College’s (2015d) Mission Statement:

Bellevue College is a student-centered, comprehensive and innovative college, committed to teaching excellence, that advances the life-long educational development of its students while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of its diverse community. The college promotes student success by providing high-quality, flexible, accessible educational programs and services; advancing pluralism, inclusion and global awareness; and acting as a catalyst and collaborator for a vibrant region.

In support of this, BC also created an Affirmation of Inclusion (Bellevue College, 2015a), which

offers another definition of how the mission is lived out through student and academic services.

Specifically, it states, “Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which

every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college,


free from harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue

College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with

dignity and respect” (Bellevue College, 2015a). With a strong mission to support their

commitment to open-door and open-access, BC is home to a diverse group of students.

Demographics

According to the 2013-2014 fact sheet (Bellevue College, 2015b), BC is home to 33,364

students, studying either part-time or full-time annually. More specifically, BC’s student

population is broken down by race and ethnicity, gender, age, enrollment status, and area of

study.

Race and ethnicity demographics are shared through student-reported data and include

the following categories: Asian and Pacific Islander, 21.9%; African American, 6.5%; Hispanic,

12.5%, Native American, 0.7%; Multi-Racial, 3.4%; White, 52.7%, and Other, 2.4%.

Additionally, BC enrolls over 1,700 International Students each year. Gender demographics are

represented as 56.9% females and 43.1% males, and noted in the fact sheet footnote as “only for

students who identified within this characteristic” (Bellevue College, 2015b).

The median age of students is 24.8 and the average age is 30.4. BC also identifies the

median age of new degree-seeking students as 22.1. According to the footnote, “New Degree-

seeking students are defined as those who have indicated an intent to pursue a transfer or

professional-technical program of study and plan to attend BC one or two years or long enough

to complete a degree and have no previously earned postsecondary degree or certificate”

(Bellevue College, 2015b). Over 1,700 Running Start students are also enrolled at BC.

With 75% of all enrollments occupying a degree or certificate program, BC (2015b), also

supports 51.8% of students who are employed fulltime while enrolled at BC, 17.8% who identify


as having dependents, and provide services to over 1,000 students who identify with a disability

(2015b). Out of students enrolled at BC, about 29.4% are eligible for financial aid (2015b).

Student Outcomes at BC are documented in the fact sheet as the total academic year

2012-2013 awards conferred (2015b). Last year, out of the 2,840 awards, 41 were Baccalaureate

degrees, 103 were Associate degrees (AAS-T), 318 were Associate degrees for Prof-tech, 1,603

were transfer Associate degrees, 168 were certificates completed in one year and 551 in less than

one year, and 56 were high school completion awards (Bellevue College, 2015b).

Programs

In order to support the academic needs of students, BC employs over 1,500 faculty and

staff across a wide variety of programs on campus. Looking ahead to the recommendations for

our report to BC and MCHS, our group focused on functional areas within the Division of

Student Services at BC. This group is comprised of departments including Student Services,

Student Success, Student Programs, Financial Aid, Athletics, Enrollment and Registrar Services,

and International Student Programs (Bellevue College, 2015c). Within each of these

departments, a variety of offices and programs are housed to serve student needs in access,

equity, and diversity. Our group selected specific resources and recommendations, which may be

covered by multiple offices and programs currently at BC.

Resources

According to Munsch, Velazquez, and Kowpak (2014), “Leaders in open-access

institutions must recognize the varied needs of the diverse student populations served by their

mission” (p. 36). With a 77% college transfer placement rating within nine months after

completion, BC students are among “the largest number of transfer students to Washington

baccalaureate institutions, with over 1,500 BC students attending public and nearly 250 attending


independent colleges or universities” (Bellevue College, 2015b). To support students’ transfer

goals, BC offers a variety of critical support resources.

Academic Advising is a major department within Student Services at BC that supports

student success and is an important aspect of organizational structure on campus (Levin, Cox,

Cerven, & Haberler, 2010). This department offers academic support programs to orient first-

time-in-college and transfer students. Another department that offers support to students’

academic success is the Academic Success Center (ASC). This department houses Academic

Tutoring, Math Lab, Reading Lab, and the Writing Lab. Each of these academic resources at BC

assists students through individual or group meetings, topic-based workshops, and collaboration

with faculty to offer class presentations.

Quality mentorship support programs are not listed as a part of an individual department

at BC. However, Student Services has multiple resources through which students could gain

access to mentors. These include, but are not limited to, the TRiO Student Support Services,

Counseling Center, Disability Resource Center, Financial Aid, Office of International Education

and Global Initiatives, and Multicultural Services (MCS). Students also have the opportunity to

provide mentorship and leadership to other students in educational and community building

programs like the ASBC Student Government, Campus Activities Board, New Student

Orientation, and the Campus Information Center.

Serving students’ basic needs is not the domain of a single office at BC. According to our

research and observations, departments that currently assist with students’ basic needs for

enrollment at BC include access to academics through programs like Running Start (also known

as dual enrollment), Career Education Options (CEO), general Enrollment and Registrar

Services, Financial Aid, and Financial Assistance. Students’ needs for successful enrollment at


BC vary, though, and each individual will rely on a different combination of services and

resources. As for basic needs beyond enrollment, BC has an on-campus cafeteria, the Wellness

Center, access to over 30 computer labs across campus, the Center for Career Connections,

Workforce Education, the Disability Resource Center, Early Learning Center, Online Services

for Students, Veteran’s Administrative Programs, and classes to support English Language

Learners. However, while these services meet a variety of students’ needs, some needs remain

unmet. BC does not currently offer a health center, on-campus housing, or after-hour access to

the offices listed above, creating concern about the limitations these place on access, equity, and

diversity.

According to Munsch and Kelsay (2014), “Students choose to attend a community

college for many different reasons” (p. 57), therefore it is valuable for BC to know who their

students are and what they need. A variety of programs currently exist at BC to support basic

needs, but Bella, a current professional at BC, noted that there is always room to improve (Bella,

personal communication, May 4, 2015). As communities evolve and change over time,

community colleges need to regularly reevaluate their student populations and the resources

available to them. With its open-access, open-door mission, BC has the opportunity to forge

ahead and continue as the leader in Washington State as the largest technical and vocational

college, as long as it continues to reassess and adapt to students’ needs. Our group believes that

to continue this trend, and to effectively serve MCHS students, in particular, BC should consider

developing a new mentorship program for students, further enhance professional development

for staff, and explore additional avenues for meeting students’ basic needs.

On-site Observations


Demographic and program data provided our group with a basic understanding of BC’s

context, but we deepened that understanding by each spending an hour on campus to observe its

environment. To maximize the usefulness of our observations, we visited at different times on

different days of the week, and focused on a variety of areas and resources in the campus space.

Together, our observations centered around three themes: access and diversity, student-centered

services, and student engagement and community. Our findings in these areas helped inform our

recommendations for improving MCHS students’ access to and success at BC.

Access and Diversity

Essentially, “The community college certainly serves a broader sector of the local

population than does any other higher education institution” (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2014, p.

66). Indeed, while at BC, we observed many signs that indicate the college serves a highly

diverse student population, and that it makes strong efforts to provide support for those students.

However, despite the college’s open-access mission and interest in promoting equity and

diversity, it is still critical to ask the question: Who appears to be able to participate at BC?

Although about half of the students we saw on campus were white, which reflects BC’s

demographic data, we did observe a wide variety of ethnic and racial identities among students

(Bellevue College, 2015b). Importantly, we also noted that student pairs and groups spanned

across these identities, indicating that even though some students might experience racial

discrimination on campus (Orozco, Alvarez, & Gutkin, 2010), generally BC is a space in which

students feel comfortable with diverse racial interactions. Such a quality has the potential to

promote enrollment and persistence among students of color. Along with racial and ethnic

identities, we recognized age as another salient identity that appeared to reflect BC’s data. Most

students we saw appeared to be traditionally aged (under 25), and interactions did not seem to


transcend age differences. However, since none of us had the opportunity to observe BC during

the evening, it could be that nontraditionally aged are more present then. Still, the absence of

many nontraditional students from our observations indicates that there may be some barriers

(work or children, for example) that prevent them from utilizing the campus during the day.

The other visible identity we investigated was physical ability. Although we noted that

the hallways in the Health Sciences Building were a bit narrow, most of our observations

indicated that BC provides a friendly space for students with physical disabilities. Elevators were

centrally located and all doors had automatic open buttons. Parking for students with disabilities

was also located right outside the Health Sciences Building, which, along with a gently sloped

ramp to the door, made it accessible. We had the opportunity to watch two students with

disabilities navigate the space, and they seemed to be able to do so without additional burdens.

In addition to observing visible identities, we also noted indicators of support for the

presence of invisible identities, as well. A “Safe Zone” sticker prominently displayed in an office

window suggested support for LGBTQI individuals, while a sign specifically welcomed veterans

to campus. Also, while some buildings still only have gender-specific bathrooms, there are

bathroom facilities in the student services building that are gender inclusive. While these signs

did not provide definitive proof that these identities receive widespread support, they do suggest

that people with these identities are accessing campus and do have supports available.

However, while our observations at BC indicated inclusivity for many identities, we also

noticed some clear barriers to access and diversity. Shannon and Smith (2010) recognize that

geography can place restrictions on a community college’s open-access mission (Shannon &

Smith, 2010). Because on-campus housing is not available and affordable housing around BC is

limited, most students must either drive or take the bus to campus. While the college does have


lots of parking and a number of bus lines, this means students must be able to afford these

transportation options. Furthermore, the buses that serve the college are primarily Bellevue-

based, so students trying to access the college from other parts of the Seattle area may face

lengthier commutes. While this makes some sense given BC’s geographical service area, it limits

some prospective students’ options who might be interested in the special programs the college

offers, like its high-quality nursing program.

Student-Centered Services

Community college students tend to rely more on external support, like family and

friends, than on administrators within a college. However, the likelihood of persistence increases

when students receive support from both areas and are able to better integrate into their campus

communities (McFadden & Mazeika, 2014). At BC, critical resources are centralized in one

building so that students have easy access to services and the very act of engaging with one

service can educate them about other services that are available. Within the Student Center

(Building B), students can access the Center for Career Connections, Women’s Center,

Counseling Center, Multicultural Services, High School Programs (including Running Start and

Summer Enrichment), TRiO Student Support Services, Disability Resource Center, Workforce

Education, Assessment/GED Office/Testing Center, Evaluations/Graduation office, the Financial

Aid Office, the Veteran’s Office, and the bookstore. Together, these services support students’

academic pursuits and their holistic identity development. Furthermore, as we observed some of

these services, we witnessed several front desk staff members interacting with students. These

interactions demonstrated that staff were friendly and informative, making it a more comfortable

space to utilize.


While BC provides many great services and tries to make them as accessible as possible,

we also noticed some limitations on what the college provides. First, the college does not provide

students with services to meet some of their most basic needs, like housing and healthcare. We

later learned in an interview with Bella, a student affairs professional at BC, that students’ lack

of access to these resources limits their success (Personal communication, May 2015). Second,

like many community colleges, BC has limited physical space (Jamrogowicz, 2014). Although

BC provides students access to computers and other critical electronic services, and has many

study spaces available in buildings across campus, we consistently saw that these spaces were

full, with all resources in use. The same was true of more social spaces, such as the college’s

cafeteria and social lounges, where we saw multiple students sitting on the floor because no other

options were available. These space and resource limitations have the potential to be highly

problematic for commuter students who are unable to return home between classes or who are

unable to afford computer access off campus.

Finally, the hours for many services are also limited. Most services are open between

8:00 AM and 5:00 PM on weekdays, although academic advising and financial services are open

until 6:00 PM a couple days a week. These services are not available on weekends. Since forty

percent of part-time community college students work fulltime, and research shows that part-

time students often have difficulty accessing student services, hours could interfere with

enrollment and persistence (Munsch & Kelsay, 2014; Orozco, Alvarez, & Gutkin, 2010).

Fortunately, tutoring services, at least, are available into the late evening and for limited

weekend hours, so students at least have broader access to these services even if they are unable

to be on campus during the day.

Student Engagement and Community


Student involvement and integration into the college community is a strong indicator of

persistence, but community college students’ additional commitments mean that they are less

likely than their four-year counterparts to be involved in campus life (Cohen et al., 2014;

McFadden & Mazeika, 2014). Our group wanted to see how BC measures up to this trend and

what level of social engagement and community it could offer MCHS students.

While on BC’s campus, we observed quite a bit of social interaction. Although many

students chose to study individually, we saw several pairs working together in the library and

study spaces. They did so quietly, though, demonstrating a deep respect for others’ concentration

and indicating that these spaces are clearly designated for studying and not socializing. In social

spaces, though, like the cafeteria, the Student Center, and outdoor areas, students were actively

engaged in conversations, playing sports, and even singing together. This suggested to us that

BC students are open to building social relationships with one another.

Another indicator of community engagement was the abundance of flyers advertising

community and campus events. Flyers were easy to read and well-organized by the college staff

responsible for organizing the campus’s bulletin boards. Some of the advertised events were

academic, but many were social and cultural. We noted that many of the flyer holders were

empty, as were the racks that hold the student newspapers. This suggests that students are

interested in staying informed about and involved in their community, even if other priorities are

limiting their time. Ultimately, we learned that while BC’s students may not be involved on

campus to the same degree that many four-year students tend to be, they are engaged, which

allows BC to offer incoming students a more socially supportive educational environment.

Interview Synthesis

To gain an insider perspective of BC’s efforts to promote access, equity, and diversity,


we interviewed Bella and Kahlua, two BC employees who work in student services and

academic advising. Through both interviews, the two BC student affairs professionals

demonstrated a distinct understanding of their institutions’ existing identities, as well as their

campus’s overall commitment to access, equity, and diversity. Three main themes emerged

around commitment to an open door policy, professional development, and a lack of resources.

Open Door Commitment

Bellevue College, the largest community and technical college in the state of

Washington, “pushes the envelope of what community colleges can do” (Bella, interview, May

4, 2015). It is clear that BC has a high commitment to being an inclusive environment where

“every walk of life is represented” (Bella, interview, May 4, 2015). The open door commitment,

which requires that BC welcomes all comers as students, aligns effortlessly with BC’s mission

through the Affirmation of Inclusion (Bellevue College, 2015a):

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect.

Fundamentally, because BC welcomes such a diverse array of students—all with specific and

unique needs—it is vitally important that the institution be welcoming and supportive to anyone

who is a student on its campus (Bellevue College, 2015a). Bella specifically discussed how there

are services available for every kind of student, which aligns with the sentiment that “to be a

community college, the institution must meet the needs of those within a designated service

area” (Watson & Brand, 2014, p. 162). BC recognizes that its programs, mission, structure, and

policies cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach, but, rather, require a specialized approach.

BC commits to inclusivity through its mission and demonstrates that commitment


through the range of services it provides. When Bella talked about the Student Services offices,

her words were reminiscent of identity development theories and how transformational students’

experiences can be when they have support in their identity development. Her words about

engaging students through these offices also reminded us of Astin’s (1999) theory of Student

Involvement because involvement with specific offices can build feelings of connection that

motivate students to persist in college (Astin, 1999). By providing these specialized services that

offer students support and connection, BC creates an inclusive environment that is fundamental

to promoting an open door policy.

While BC remains strongly committed to its open door policy, Bella also discussed some

of the issues that arise from this mission. Specifically, Bella talked about how BC has been

coined as a “revolving door” institution instead of an open door one due to issues with retention

numbers. The open door commitment has no limits, which means that students can stop out and

start in again at any time. During their affiliation with BC, any type of student can get any kind

of service from the institution at any point, which ultimately makes tracking them and their

experiences difficult.

Professional Development

Kahlua’s interview highlighted that because they are dedicated to inclusivity and the open

door mission, professionals at BC are also committed to sharing responsibility for students’

needs. This requires BC’s student affairs professionals, staff, academic advisors, and faculty to

be responsive administrators who “remain in tune with the ever-changing needs of the

community college student population” (Munsch, Velazquez, & Kowpak, 2014, p. 38). Their

ethic of shared responsibility for student success also discourages staff members from ignoring a

student’s problem because it does not fall within their traditional professional domain


(McFadden & Mazeika, 2014). To meet this high standard for providing student services, BC

places a strong emphasis on professional development for staff members. Although community

colleges have tight resources to serve their highly diverse and complex student bodies, our

interviewees informed us that that has not stopped staff members from engaging in quality

professional development (Townsend & Wilson, 2006). Specifically, Kahlua described the

innovative ways the staff take part in professional development to explore a range of social

justice, student development, and advising topics, even within their tight budget. Kahlua

explained how all academic advisors are trained in student development theory, which is a

foundation that McFadden and Mazeika (2014) argue is critical to improving student success.

When an academic advisor does not have a Master’s in Education, Kahlua provides them with

training in student development theory.

Bellevue College also encourages professional development through innovative in-house

opportunities. For example, Kahlua explains how her office invites experts to watch advising

presentations to make sure they are accessible, and how they also encourage staff members to

train each other on relevant topics of interest and expertise. Watson and Brand (2014) support

BC’s commitment to professional development by stressing that it is one of the strongest ways to

increase capital for marginalized populations. This makes BC’s dedication to professional

development a key practice in the institution’s efforts to increase access, equity, and diversity for

students.

Lack of Resources

Although Bella works closely with each department in her division to provide a wealth of

services that create a sense of belonging for students on campus, both Bella and Kahlua agree

that a lack of resources limits their professional efforts. For instance, there is a level of inequity


that arises from BC’s reliance on adjunct instructors. Not only do adjunct faculty lack access to

private spaces where they can meet with students to offer support and help them navigate

personal and academic challenges, they also lack the time to meet with students because they

usually have to commute between multiple campuses. Kahlua also mentioned that while BC

depends heavily on its adjunct instructors, adjunct faculty members are not provided with the

same training as the fulltime staff members. Tenure-track faculty and fulltime staff are paid to

pursue professional development and attend trainings, while adjuncts are not and seldom have

the resources to seek it on their own. Without this training for adjuncts, students pay the price.

Orozco et al. (2010) notes that racism and other prejudices are still prominent on community

college campuses, and members (including faculty and staff) need more diversity training and

exposure to address the problem. An increase in resources would prevent a lot of the issues that

students and adjunct faculty currently face. In the meantime, Bella explained that BC is very

intentional in its hiring process to balance out its limited resources. BC understands the

significance in hiring staff “who understood [students’] cultural background and could relate to

their life experiences” (Orozco et al., 2010, p. 730). This way, students still have access to

culturally competent professionals on campus, even when BC cannot provide these professionals

with additions training.

While it makes strong efforts to serve students’ needs, BC still lacks resources for the

technology, training, space, and staff necessary to meet the wide variety of needs present in its

highly diverse student population. Bella particularly focused on the institution’s lack of resources

for meeting students’ basic living needs, such as healthcare, food, and housing. With limited

financial aid opportunities and growing enrollment, Bella hopes Bellevue will eventually be able

to provide a place on campus for students to get additional assistance with healthcare, food, and


housing needs. Bella recognizes that if students’ basic needs are unmet, this will distract them

from achieving their academic goals. Barriers to basic needs will limit students’ ability to be

successful in their coursework and co-curricular activities, and will force the students to

eventually leave college. However, both Kahlua and Bella believe that access to more resources

would give BC the capacity to meet these needs for students.

Ultimately, Bella’s and Kahlua’s interviews demonstrated their clear understanding of

how BC both supports and limits access, equity, and diversity on its campus through its open

door commitment, professional development, and limited resources. Their feedback about their

institution’s efforts, as well as their obvious commitment to student success, provided us with

valuable insights for making recommendations that would improve these efforts and

simultaneously support MCHS students in accessing and persisting at BC.

Recommendations

Based upon the information that we gathered on BC and MCHS, as well as key findings

from our research on policies and recommended practices for community colleges, we identified

recommendations to improve access, equity, and diversity at Bellevue College. These

recommendations will improve MCHS students’ abilities to succeed in this particular educational

environment and ultimately transfer to a 4-year university. The three recommendations that we

feel are most important for meeting these goals are: 1) to find ways to meet students’ basic

needs, 2) to improve academic advising support, and 3) to institute quality mentor programs.

Basic Needs

Although it is often understood amongst higher education professionals that involvement

leads to success, we also know that community colleges serve students with diverse needs (Astin,

1999; Munsch & Kelsay, 2014). For many students, including MCHS students, involvement may


be the least of their concerns, as they have basic needs that must be met in order to succeed in

higher education. Martin, Galentino, and Townsend (2014) conducted a study of successful

students’ characteristics and found that basic services such as financial aid and English as a

Second Language courses were more important than involvement in determining persistence.

Merdinger, Hines, Lemon Osterling, and Wyatt (2005) found that several students in their study

encountered multiple nights of homelessness, and Unruh, Povenmire-Kirk, and Yamamoto

(2009) found that juvenile offenders needed independent living opportunities before they could

focus on their education.

Our group’s interactions with Bellevue College reinforced this theme from the literature.

Our interview with Bella revealed that students need additional assistance with healthcare, food,

and housing, and this hinders their ability to focus on academic success (Bella, personal

communication, May 4, 2015). Financial aid is also one of the services that is most in-demand

(Kahlua, personal communication, May 6, 2015), but it is difficult to access due to limited

opportunities and staffing (Bella, personal communication, May 4, 2015; Kahlua, personal

communication, May 6, 2015). Campus visits revealed that many student services offices have

limited hours, which then limits their usage for students who work fulltime or part-time off

campus. Furthermore, the campus does not offer on-site housing and is in a fairly affluent area

(Kahlua, personal communication, May 6, 2015). Physical space on campus is also quite limited

(Kahlua, personal communication, May 6, 2015).

Knowing that MCHS students have these basic needs that need to be met, including

housing, English language assistance, and finding viable hours to access campus resources due to

employment, we recommend that Bellevue College devote energy to finding ways to help

students meet basic needs. First, professionals need to conduct a comprehensive assessment of


student needs to identify what is limiting student success and to begin to identify priorities.

Second, professionals need to reassess the use of resources on campus, including both physical

space (increased computers, study areas, etc.) and staffing (more financial aid advisors, etc.).

Third, professionals need to understand the limits of what the campus can currently provide in

terms of meeting basic needs and work towards forming community partnerships with social

agencies that may help students access other vital services, like housing. Although Bellevue

College subscribes to the “no wrong door” policy (Kahlua, personal communication, May 6,

2015), it seems unlikely that every need can be met on campus at this point in time. Looking

outward will be of utmost importance.

Academic Advising/Success

Listening to a key stakeholder with MCHS speak about student needs, we learned that

students are focusing on transferring to a 4-year university (personal communication, May 26,

2015). As such, they will require focused attention and support towards their academic success.

Orozco et al. (2010) write that academic advising is “vital to student retention in that it

helps students become integrated, involved members of the academic and social systems on a

campus” (p. 718). This idea was reflected in Kahlua’s interview, in which we learned that

academic advising is one of the top resources that students need at BC (personal communication,

May 6, 2015). However, while academic advisors at BC receive the training and professional

development they need to be effective with the students they meet, Kahlua also recognized that

due to student volume, access to advisors is limited. Not receiving academic advising, in turn,

becomes a barrier to students’ success.

Academic resources are particularly important when it comes to working with special

student populations. Student success courses especially help disadvantaged students by


providing crucial capital to navigate through higher education (O’Gara, Karp, & Hughes, 2009).

Furthermore, Zamani (2000) writes, “Students of color are more likely to excel in institutional

environments that are culturally diverse, programmatically inclusive, and supportive of multiple

approaches to the acquisition of knowledge” (p. 9). We learned from a MCHS stakeholder that

emotional counseling built into academic advising could be particularly helpful for this group of

students, and this corresponds with Orozco et al. (2010), who write, “Academic advising and

exposure to resources such as […] personal counseling on psychosocial concerns can contribute

to the academic persistence of community college students” (p. 718).

With all of this in mind, there are several things that BC can do to increase access to

academic advising and support student success. On a basic level, BC must continue the robust

professional development that has been implemented for academic advisors, especially as it

relates to multicultural competence, as this helps with sensitivity to diverse student needs. BC

must also make sure that there are enough advisors to provide focused attention to all students.

Beyond this, BC needs to continue its focus on the overall institutional climate, as we learned

from Zamani (2000) that students will succeed in an inclusive environment. BC professionals

can do this by critically assessing BC’s existing programming and devising innovative strategies

to involve more students in its programs so that everyone feels like a valued member of the

campus community. Furthermore, as we noted from the MCHS stakeholder and Orozco et al.

(2010), BC should explore ways to integrate emotional counseling with academic advising.

While we learned from Kahlua that her particular department trains students in student

development theory and hires staff with that background (personal communication, May 6th,

2015), training staff in counseling or hiring staff with a social work background could be another

effective route to explore.


Quality Mentorship Programs

Although mentorship programs were not a focus in our onsite visits or interviews, our

research indicated that such programs can be an effective method for ensuring student success

(Orozco et al., 2010). There is already a program in Washington State called the Washington

Achiever Scholars, which is a non-profit organization devoted to college access. It supports

racially, ethnically, and economically underserved student populations through collaborations

with high school districts (Cowan & Goldhaber, 2015). Scholarship recipients are assigned to

mentors at the end of their junior year, and this helps them progress towards attending college.

Hu and Ma (2012) conducted a study on this program and found that a mentor (typically of

similar race and gender to the student) positively relates to the probability of mentees persisting

in college.

Although mentor programs seem promising, there are several considerations in instituting

a successful mentor program. A key stakeholder from MCHS said that lack of trust is an issue for

students, so this makes referrals to services difficult. Along these lines, multiple studies have

found that students are reluctant to ask for help (Dworsky & Perez, 2010; Martin, Galentino, &

Townsend, 2014). Watt, Norton, and Jones (2013) found that foster youth were actually unhappy

to be assigned a mentor, as this limited their personal autonomy (para. 35). Orozco et al. (2010)

write that it is “important to find counselors who understood [students’] cultural background and

could relate to their life experiences” (p. 730). The MCHS stakeholder said that there is an

attempt at an existing mentor program within the school in which students find someone they

respect in the community to mentor them over Skype regarding their interest or needs.

With these considerations in mind, there are multiple steps that BC can take to institute a

successful mentor program. First, professionals must identify what students hope to experience


from a mentor program and base the program around their actual needs and expectations.

Second, they must always allow students the option to opt in or opt out of the mentor program.

Although it may take a while to build a base of trust and support, this is more likely to be

established if students are voluntarily entering the program. Third, professionals need to recruit

mentors from many different backgrounds to increase the chances that students will find a

mentor with whom they personally identify. Reaching out to alumni may be an effective

recruitment tool. Finally, students need to be allowed to select their own mentors, rather than

being assigned one, as this preserves their autonomy.

Conclusion

As an institution, Bellevue College has much to recommend it. It is one of the largest

vocational and technical colleges in the state, and it offers a diverse, friendly community for

students to engage. It also provides student support services that are conveniently centralized and

can help students find academic success and a holistic developmental experience. Furthermore,

because of BC’s strong commitments to its open door mission and professional development, the

staff members who deliver services are prepared to work with students according to their unique

strengths and challenges. These are all assets that could support MCHS students interested in

attending BC. However, our onsite observations, interviews, and research have demonstrated,

there is still room for improvement at BC. Based on our findings, we believe that identifying new

ways to meet students’ basic needs, improving access to academic advising, with a new emphasis

on counseling skills, and developing a mentor program, will address some of the more significant

barriers students encounter at BC. By using creative methods to implement these

recommendation, BC can improve access, equity, and diversity on its campus and particularly

offer greater support for MCHS students interested in attending the institution.


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Appendix A: On Site Observations

Date/Time of Observation Area(s)/Event(s) Observed

Kari Berkas Thursday, April 16, 2015 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Transportation: bus stops and parking lots Building D: Library Building C: Student Union Building Campus community spaces

Kjirsten Eisentrout Thursday, April 16, 2015 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Website: campus profile, campus map, parking Campus signage, visitor parking, and community spaces (outside) Building R: Health Science & Education Office Building B: Student Service resources and signage

Kelsey Nerland Friday, April 10, 2015 1:45 – 3:00 pm

Building B: Bookstore, Student Services, Counseling Center Building C: Student Union Building (SUB)

Kali Odell Wednesday, April 15, 2015 10:30 – 11:30 am

Building R: Offices (hours of operation), classrooms, technology, accessibility throughout building (elevators, space limitations, and mobility), community spaces and furniture. Building B: Student Services Building C: Student Union Building Academic Success Center (tutoring)


Appendix B: Interviews

Date/Time of Interview

Interviewee Name

(Actual)

Interviewee Name

(Pseudonym)

Current Position Stakeholder Group

Kari Berkas

Wednesday, May 6th, 2015 3:00pm

Maria A. Sefchick-Del Paso

Kahlua Director, Academic Advising

Professional

Kjirsten Eisentrout

Monday, May 4th, 2015 11:00 am

Ana Blackstad

Bella Dean, Student Success

Professional

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