Overcoming Educational Racism in the Community College: Creating Pathways to Student Success

Overall, nearly half of all incoming community college students “drop-out” within twelve months of enrolling, with students of color and the economically disadvantaged faring far worse. Given the high proportion of underserved students these colleges enroll, the detrimental impact on their communities, and for the national economy as a whole at a time of diversifying demographics, is enormous. This live briefing addresses this urgent issue by bringing together nationally recognized researchers whose work throws light on the structural and systemic causes of student attrition, as well as college presidents and leaders who have successfully implemented strategies to improve student outcomes who serve Black, Latino, American Indian, and White students living in poverty.

Substantiating the call for understanding student experiences in the community college, Overcoming Educational Racism in the Community College compiles research, narratives, and promising practices for reimagining institutional culture as a means for helping historically marginalized students in higher education persist and complete community college. Taking its cue from a key finding of the American Association of Community Colleges’ A Report from the 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, several of the book’s chapter authors will address a single, persistent and troubling fact: Why do students of color and those in poverty end their community college experience twice as often as do middle to upper-income white students?

Dr. Angela Long, editor, will open the discussion by providing an overview of the book’s context which is organized into six parts; five of which are devoted to unearthing the social, emotional, and cultural conditions that characterize community college experiences for Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/American Indian, and Asian American/Pacific Islander students, as well as Caucasian students living in poverty. The aim of this work, as expressed in Long’s introduction, is to answer the difficult question: are minority students at community colleges disadvantaged by educational racism defined as: A cultural bias manifested either overtly or covertly by a system of education and educators that either benefits/rewards or inhibits/punishes students based on their culture, race, ethnicity, political ideologies and/or socioeconomic status?

Four of the chapter authors, namely, Dr. Jamillah Moore, Ms. Deborah Santiago, Dr. Cynthia Lindquist (Star Horse Woman), and Dr. G. Edward Hughes will discuss their research and proven strategies regarding Black, Latino, American Indian and Caucasian students in poverty with a focus on best practice programs that are helping institutional leaders eliminate structural inequities that impede minority and impoverished student success in our nation’s community colleges.

This live briefing will conclude with a review of the six fundamental factors for improving student completion among underrepresented students and allow time for questions and answers from participating audience members.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this live briefing, participants will:

• identify the educational disparities that exist between students of color and impoverished students from middle to upper-income white students attending community colleges;
• learn from top researchers and practitioners in the field who have formulated successful strategies that lead to increased student persistence and completion;
• list the six fundamental factors for improving student completion in the community college;
• gather key insights on methodologies that help students navigate the college system and stay on track; and
• formulate a plan-of-action leading to increased student achievement.