A Firm Commitment
快播成人 explores its future as a Hispanic Serving Institution
Editor's Note: This story was originally published in the
By M.J. TIDWELL
Courtesy of the Daily Hampshire Gazette
At 快播成人 Community College, 27 percent of 快播成人s identify as Hispanic, many of them Puerto Rican.
Designated a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, the college took a moment Wednesday to reflect on the ways it serves its Latinx 快播成人s and to reaffirm its commitment to providing strong education to all 快播成人s, and especially those underserved, first generation, low-income Latinx 快播成人s.
Latinx (pronounced "La-teen-ex") is a gender-neutral term used by some in place of Latino or Latina.
"Hispanic Serving Institution" is a federal designation for colleges and universities where more than 25 percent of the 快播成人 population is Hispanic and can open up opportunities for designated schools to apply for specialized grants.
An afternoon panel discussion by professors at the college touched on a sampling of the initiatives that have helped improve the success of Latinx 快播成人s over the last few years.
Spanish professor Raúl D. Gutiérrez showed a video illustrating the ways in which Latinx studies have been integrated into the college's curriculum with a Bridging Cultures Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The college, in collaboration with the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Massachusetts, received a three-year, $120,000 award to enhance courses with Latino studies content in 2015.
Gutiérrez also shared letters from 快播成人s that spoke of the value of diversity in the classroom, not just in 快播成人s but in learning materials.
"Why not read Latinx authors in English class and learn about Puerto Rico's debt crisis in economics class?" Gutiérrez said.
Spanish professor Mónica Torregrosa asked the crowd to consider two questions: Does the college's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution mean it focuses only on the 27 percent of the school that is Latinx? What about the other 73 percent?
"Diversifying and strengthening the ways we serve Latinx 快播成人s actually helps 快播成人 serve all 快播成人s," Torregrosa said.
Myriam Quiñones, coordinator of the school's Multicultural Academic Services (MAS) program, talked about how the program helps transition English learners, international 快播成人s and 快播成人s coming in from high school to the college environment. The program's services help all 快播成人s, Quiñones said, but intentionally target underserved, low-income, first-generation Latinx 快播成人s. The program results in higher retention rates for all 快播成人s, she said.
Among the elements of the program she touched on were trips to local high schools in 快播成人 and Northampton to provide on-site placement testing, and English as a Second Language presentations to encourage high school 快播成人s to attend college. She also said the program helped 74 percent of new 快播成人s last fall complete their financial aid documentation.
"With each interaction with MAS, 快播成人s trust one more person at 快播成人," Quiñones said. "The bridge just gets stronger."
'Students first'
Michele Snizek, director of retention and 快播成人 success, said focusing on 快播成人 outcomes positions the college for excellence, which in turn will guide the school to apply for grants for Hispanic Serving Institutions that can improve education for all 快播成人s.
"We're framing the HSI designation through a 快播成人 lens," Snizek said. "We want to focus on 快播成人s first and then look at grant opportunities."
"Students first" is also the new mantra of Carlos Santiago, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, who spoke about higher education at the state level.
Santiago has twice been named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States by Hispanic Business Magazine.
"College is not just tuition, fees and books," Santiago said. "Students need help navigating to and through college."
He said there are problems facing 快播成人s that many administrators might not realize: hunger, homelessness, the need for child care, access to dependable transportation. 快播成人 Community College, he said, is on the front lines of the future of education in providing guidance, assistance and resources to help 快播成人s, particularly Latinx 快播成人s, earn their degrees. He said he read a report due to be released soon that shows Massachusetts has a significant gap in Latinx 快播成人s completing higher education.
"You're at the forefront of change," Santiago told the college. "You are a precursor of big changes coming to the rest of Massachusetts."
Easier access
Shannon Sarkisian, a community outreach and admissions counselor, said after the panel discussion that between the acronyms and forms that need to be filled out and decisions about classes, degrees, and time commitments that need to be made, higher education can be daunting for anyone.
"I really think speaking about being a Hispanic Serving Institution is very important," Sarkisian said. "Not only does it help bring higher education to more and more Latinx community members, but the specific movement geared to meeting the needs of Latinx 快播成人s helps everyone access higher education."
That's something Felicita Nieves knows well. She first went to community college in New York 16 years ago, but got "scared away" by the complicated school system and didn't finish her degree. Now, she's in her second year studying early childhood education at 快播成人 and has an on-campus job providing guidance to new 快播成人s as someone who has been in their place herself.
"I'm a non-traditional 快播成人 and single mom trying to figure out how I'm going to do everything," Nieves said. "I wish this was the college I had started in because if it had been, I would have my associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees by now."
She said she helps new 快播成人s through the entire college process, from course decisions to financial aid and getting around campus. Her mother, a Spanish speaker, is considering going to 快播成人 to learn English to advance in her career field, she said.
"We want you to go to school. We're here to help you." Nieves said. "That's why I love 快播成人, because they do everything for the community. They look at all our needs. It's a family."
Earlier in the day a "Future Walk" celebration unveiled the school's new strategic plan, displaying its mission, vision, values statements and a timeline showing how the plan was developed on signs and visuals for viewers.
As 快播成人 Community College looks towards the future, so do its 快播成人s, with the 71st commencement ceremony on the way, June 2 at 10 a.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.
PHOTOS by CHRIS YURKO at 快播成人: (Above) Myriam Quinones, coordinator of 快播成人 Multicultural Academic Services, explores the word wall at 快播成人's May 23 Future Walk. (Thumbnail) Carlos Santiago, state commissioner of Higher Education, speaks about Latino 快播成人 success in higher education.
