Area Report for Board of Trustees

The division of Student Services operates on 3 Core Functions: Access, Supporting Student Success, and Engagement with a focus on equity.

The goals of student services for the 2020-2021:

• Goal 1: Strategic Enrollment
• Goal 2: Service Delivery Excellence
• Goal 3: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Student Access, Retention, and Success

Advising, Career and Student Employment (CASE), High School Programs and Running Start

• Academic Pathway Advisors have seen 441 students so far for the month of May. All advisors are available during registration periods to help assist with enrollment.
• The Transfer Center is preparing for fall and winter transfer fairs (likely hybrid in fall and in-person/virtual option in winter and spring). TC partnered with TRIO, Umoja, Tutoring, and Honors to offer the UW Martin Honors Transfer Scholarship workshop on April 27. This follows on the heels of the Martin Achievers Scholarship in which 2 of the 5 recipients selected were Highline College students. This is a highly competitive, multi-step scholarship. By-the-numbers: on average, at least 2 students per day come into the Advising Center for Transfer Advising. Since the start of May, 205 students have come to the Virtual Advising Center for Transfer Advising or degree completion assistance.
• The Career and Student Employment Center held 23 mock interviews Spring Quarter. A new format for a hiring event is planned for June in which employers will connect directly with students during class. CASE is coordinating with instructors to set aside either the first 15 minutes or last 15 minutes of class for employer-student connections.
• Running Start
  • WSAC has recently expanded the Running Start textbook scholarship awarded to Highline College to cover summer tuition, fees and books for Running Start students who are credit deficient in order to reduce any barriers students faced during the pandemic. This is an exciting new development in the way this funding can be applied. The Running Start Office will have an application available and information out to students and high school partners in early June.
  • In addition to regular appointments, and drop-in advising, Running Start advisors supported In-class advising sessions in 2 physics classes and 1 engineering class. Advising at this time of year includes supporting seniors with applying for Highline graduation and ensuring students are on track with high school diploma requirements.
• 293 eligible students were assisted with textbook stipends spring quarter, totaling $32K.

Counseling

• The weekly Tuesday evening Mindfulness, Relaxation, and Reflection Practices zoom series continues to grow in popularity and will continue weekly during Spring quarter.
• The Annual Day of Wellness events on May 4 was a success and included the following interactive zoom sessions: Using exercise psychology to boost motivation and increase adherence with Darin Smith at 12pm, May the force pause you with Joshua Magallanes at 1pm, and Indulge yourself with color with Gloria Rose Koepping at 7pm.
• Nicole Hoyes Wilson presented at the Y.E.L.L. (Young Educated Leaders Leading) conference on May 26. The session Reclaiming our mental and emotional health as an act of resistance, was attended by young women of color from area high schools.

Enrollment and Registration

• Advising led a messaging campaign to remind students about their upcoming enrollment dates. Students received text messages, email and ctcLink Message Center reminders of their assigned enrollment date.
• Running Start sent an Email campaign to Running Start students with important Fall enrollment information. In addition, the office hosted 2 informational webinars for prospective students with approximately 30 participants. Applications for new students and Enrollment Verification Forms for continuing students are now being accepted for Fall 2021.
• Admissions
  • Selective Nursing admission applications are open for the 2021-2022 academic year. 145 nursing applications have been received for the Fall 2021 quarter selection.
  • Admissions is working with the COVID-19 Relief Funding team to assist students with residency and record updates to verify the students’ eligibility for the relief funds.
  • CtcLink has increased the importance and transparency of accurately capturing a student’s intended certificate or degree program on their student record. Since conversion, Enrollment Services has processed 860 requests for updates to program/plan. This improves our ability to keep students on track towards their intended goal.
  • 720 general admission applications have been processed in the month of May.
  • Admissions and Registration continue to provide a combined Enrollment Services Zoom Lobby to assist students in getting enrolled for Summer and Fall quarter.
• Registration & Records
  • As of May 24- 1276 students enrolled for Summer and 933 enrolled for Fall. May 24 – open enrollment is now available for new students.
  • CtcLink gives students the option to apply to graduate in their student portal. Graduation applications have increased substantially since implementing this new feature with more than 1188 students who have applied for graduation since opening the graduation application feature.

International Student Programs

• Marketing/Recruitment Plan draft has been created for 2022. Will Leadingham, our Marketing and Recruitment manager and Jesse Aspree will finalize this plan by early June.
• Hired two students as International Marketing assistants to help with recruitment efforts to help translate, reach out to prospective students, social media, and creation of various collateral materials.
• A comprehensive international student retention plan has started that assesses a variety of different metrics with quantitative, qualitative, student groups, surveys to inform our office processes. Assessment had also been done at the onset of COVID to account for the changes in student/staff environment and changes in delivery of services.

Student Life

• Center for Leadership and Service and Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence hired 16 student leaders for the 2021-2022 Core Services Student Leadership Team. This core group of student leaders facilitates general support and inclusion of meaningful and purposeful co-curricular and extra-curricular events and activities. Areas of focus are the clubs program, graphic design services for all S&A funded programs, student government, programming for international students and our global community, peer mentors, service learning, and peer-led programs in the Inter-Cultural Center.
• On June 3rd, Center for Leadership and Service and Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence recognized 10+ students to receive Leadership Program Certificate of Completion. This event featured an exceptional student (Tessa Hunt), staff (Rashad Norris) and faculty (Laura Manning) to share their inspirational stories of leadership.
• Highline College ends the year with engaged and committed student leaders who have built vibrant virtual communities through 11 Recognized Clubs and 4 Certified Clubs. To learn more about the club from the president and/or vice president view the current club directory. Key supporters of this process are faculty and staff club advisors and Georgia Pirie who encourages club engagement and helps students reimagine club experience in a virtual context.
• The Inter-Cultural Center (ICC) hosted 21 formal programs this academic year and created virtual spaces for informal, planned programs, and responsive programming to current events. Edwina Fui has led the effort in partnering with our campus community to provide critical community building and reflective moments through the ICC. The ICC staff continue to work towards promoting campus diversity and multicultural understanding from an intersectional lens.
• On May 19, the Associated Students of Highline College, Center for Leadership and Service, and Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence honored 56 awardees for the 2021 Student Legacy Awards during the viewing party featuring the live streaming of the pre-recorded ceremony. With this event being virtual two years in a row, it took a community effort. Lead program organizer, Amy Bergstrom along with all award presenters ensured Highline’s tradition of celebrating legacy leaders or legacy scholars, continued. Additional key partners include: Kayla Pezolano, Chancellor of Ceremonies; Iesha Valencia, Aaron Reader, MOD student graphic designer Noah Lindborg, and logistical support from the Purchasing department, Print Shop, Public Health, Public Safety, Conference Services, and Mail Services.

Professional Development

Counseling

• Nicole Hoyes Wilson co-facilitated a 3-hour online Mental Health and Social Justice training for CTC Navigators across the state in partnership with the SBCTC on May 28.
• Nicole Hoyes Wilson facilitated a professional development training, Healing the healers: Creating nurturing spaces for professionals experiencing racial trauma, for the Multicultural Student Services Directors Council spring meeting on May 19.

Student Support and Funding Services

• We are currently working with Highline Public Schools in the submission of the 2022-2027 TRiO Upward Bound grant. If awarded, the grant would provide approximately 1.3 million dollars to develop and operate a student success program for our students at Mt. Rainier High School. Thank you to Dave O’Keefe, Eileen Jimenez, Ay Saechao and our partners with Highline Public Schools, Sativah Jones and Janet Blanford in this joint effort.
• We recently submitted two SBCTC grant, Student Emergency Assistance Grant Program, and Support College Student Experiencing Homelessness. If awarded, the combined amount of both grant would provide the college approximately $516,000 for emergency student funding and to create a SSEH Advisor and Support Specialist to serve our homeless students. Thank you to our community partners for their support of our grant effort: – College Success Foundation, Lakesha Knatt, Interim Program Director, Seattle Region; King County Housing Authority Amy Kickliter, KCHA Interim Director Homeless Housing Initiatives, Stephen Normal, Executive Director, Kristy Johnson Senior Director of Policy, Research and Social Impact;  United Way King County, Charlotte Gavell, College Success & Housing Stability Program Manager; Treehouse, Sarah Mazur, Program Manager, Financial Resources;  Dave Upthegrove, King County Councilmember, District 5; Highline College Foundation, Josh Gerstman Executive Director. Thank you to the core grant writing team: Mariela Barriga, Loyal Allen Jr., Dave O’Keefe, Ay Saechao.  Thank you to colleagues who supported the grant effort: Dave O’Keefe, Loyal Allen Jr., Eileen Jimenez, Emily Coates, Mariela Barriga, Laquita Fields, Kathy Nguyen, Aaron Reader, Kari Cantey, Shakira Ericksen, Tim Wyre, Tatyana  Andreychenko, Josh Gerstman, Nou Lee, Skyler Roth, Asha Bhaga, Kharmyn Williams, Cathy Cartwright, Tatyana Andreychenko, Justin Dampeer.
• 13 months for the hard work in creating and managing the COVID-19 Financial Relief Fund (AKA CARES Act, CRRSAA, APA). Through the team’s effort, over $1.7 million have been disbursed to over 1,700 students who have experienced tremendous hardship due to COVID-19 related disruptions. Thank you: Eileen Jimenez, Josh Gerstman, Aaron Reader, Mariela Barriga, Justin Dampeer, David Nguyen, Ta’Yanna Davis, Loyal Allen Jr., Fawzi Belal, Tony Johnson, Raechel Dawson, Cathy Cartwright, Quynh Mihara, Chau Trac, Suzanne Scheldt, Iesha Valencia, Lily Oh, Kendra Ferrer, Victoria Solano, Kevin Pham, Ay Saechao, Samantha Barros, Marie Harrison, Titus Kariuki, Feney Perez, Sean Kerr, Brandy Marioni, Brittany Phillips, Iris Thiel, Lauren Wearsch and the many who assisted with our application workshop.

Staff

Counseling

• SB 5194: Equity & Access for CTC students was signed into law by Governor Inslee on May 12. Along with other equity initiatives, this bill will provide increased funding for counseling services in the CTCs statewide. In addition to serving on the HB1355 Task Force on CTC Counselors for the past year, Nicole Hoyes Wilson was invited to provide testimony in support of increased mental health services four times during the legislative session to the House College and Workforce Development Committee and Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.

Enrollment and Registration

• Registration & Records filled the Program Coordinator for Student Enrollment vacancy as Mary Kiando has moved into a position as a faculty member. Dheyaa Alameedee will join the Enrollment Services team June 1. In this role, Dheya will focus on processing student enrollment transactions and proactive communication with students regarding enrollment. This is a role Dheya is well prepared for as a previous Highline student and former student employee. He earned his AAS in Network Security Engineering at Highline in 2018, and  worked at Highline’s IT Help Desk and as a teacher assistant in the ESL department.  Most recently Dheya will be joining us from Bellevue College where he is an Administrative Assistant and student mentor. He also works as a linguist for World Relief.

Student Life

• Doris Martinez, Director for the Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence completed her 2 year elected term as President of the SBCTC Multicultural Student Services Directors Council (MSSDC). This council centers and promotes the recruitment, retention and successful completion of educational programs for students of color across the Washington state community and technical college system. In addition to her leadership at Highline College, Doris has proudly served as co-chair for the 27th, 28th,  and 31st annual student of color conference and as Vice President of MSSDC. Doris’ steady commitment to the annual Students of Color Conference (SOCC) has directly benefited over 100 Highline College students and many more across the state. Doris is ending her term as President of MSSDC and will remain engaged and represent Highline College in MSSDC. Doris, Highline Community College alumna, attended SOCC as a student in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Report submitted May 27, 2021, by Vice President Aaron Reader