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
Running Start
Highline College’s Running Start program has been selected to serve as a pilot site for the Washington Dual Enrollment Scholarship pilot program (administered by WSAC) for 2020-21. The college will receive approximately $120,000 to provide scholarships to low-income Running Start students to cover costs for textbooks and course materials. These funds will supplement the existing fee waiver and book assistance program currently offered to eligible students. Approximately 40% of Highline’s Running Start students were eligible for fee waiver and book assistance in 19-20. Running Start is offering virtual Information Sessions for prospective students on August 18th, August 29th, September 3rd and September 9th. With high school counselors returning for the 20-21 academic year, enrollment by both new and continuing Running Start students is expected to resume. It is not too late to begin as a Running Start student this Fall.
Advising
Academic Advisors have been calling new students to assist with next steps in the enrollment process. In addition to asynchronous new student orientations, Academic Pathway Advisors and Admissions staff have offered advising and registration sessions via Zoom to assist with registration. In collaboration with the Program Manager for Faculty Advising, the Advising Center hosted our inaugural Faculty Course Preview on August 12th. This program provided a venue for faculty to share information and promote upcoming courses and programs with advisors, faculty, and others. 14 faculty presenters provided insights into programs including BAS programs, Ethnic and Gender Studies, Global Programs and Honors. The virtual program was recorded for those unable to participate in the live session.
The Career and Student Employment Center (CASE)
CASE is beginning a drive through/walk-up process for new student employees to submit required documentation and begin employment. The process adheres to health and safety guidelines while facilitating our strong student employment program in anticipation of Fall campus employment needs.
Campus View
Campus Vie has maintained a continued focus on connecting with residents in a virtual setting – i.e. weekly emails and bi-weekly Zoom events. Developed a plan to perform in person Health & Safety Inspections while still ensuring the health and safety of staff conducting inspections and students. The most recent inspections provided the first opportunity for direct contact with Campus View staff since March. Socially distanced face to face conversation was successful as staff addressed areas of concern and utilized this interaction for general social conversations that have been missed by everyone involved.
Counseling
Students have been heavily utilizing the counseling center for issues of depression, anxiety, career counseling, racial trauma, and the impacts of COVID-19. At the busiest point of the quarter, the wait for a counseling appointment was two weeks (outside of emergency drop-in times).
Enrollment and Registration
Registration & Records /Advising/Enrollment Services Staff started Data Validation Cycle 3 Aug 21-Sept 9 to continue meeting GoLive date of February 2021 which includes auditing and cleaning existing data in SMS/HP9000 to PeopleSoft ctcLink environment.
Admissions has processed 5,325 applications for Fall quarter (July-1,247; August-1,021). Admissions staff are reaching out to students who may be eligible for a change in their residency status to notify them of the process for establishing Washington State residency for tuition purposes.
International Student Programs
Creating a 2-credit College Success class for international students to fulfill new immigration requirements to study in the U.S.
Developing new course for remote Papuan students for fall quarter study
Student Support and Funding Services
We are proud to announce that we have received official notification from the US Dept of Education of our 1.3 million dollar grant award for the 2020-2025 TRiO Student Support Services Grant. This will enable our current TRiO program to continue their important work with our students. Unfortunately we also received notification that our new grant submission for a TRiO Student Support Services STEM grant was not awarded. We received a 109 out of 110 points. We were deducted a point due to the fact that our eligible TRiO students at Highline cumulative GPA (2.89), when compared to ineligible TRiO Students cumulative GPA (3.09) did not demonstrate a significant difference. Only grants that earned a 110 points or more were awarded.
For summer quarter, 326 students received CAREs Act Funding totalling $129,799. Combined with Spring quarter, 1,263 students have received CAREs Act Funding totalling $851,395.
Student Life
Team ThunderWeek is composed of student, staff and faculty volunteers who will be crucial in helping students build connections with each other. September 28 – October 2 the Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence and Center for Leadership and Service will host a week of 12 programs designed to welcome all students to Highline. ThunderWeek 2020: Connect to Possibilities, as a theme encompasses the digital world we’re all occupying while encouraging connections with each other, and focuses on what’s still possible this year at Highline.
Professional development
Advising, Career and Student Employment (CASE), High School Programs and Running Start
Advisors participated in a NASPA Student Affairs Commitment to Racial Justice Day of Action, a virtual event on August 12th. The executive leaders of 10 different student affairs organizations presented half hour sessions from the perspective of their content area including counseling, leadership and student conduct. The day concluded with a capstone session on combating racism in student affairs. Dean Jennifer Scanlon participated in a NASPA webinar titled the Intersections Between Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Creative Leadership in a Times of Disruptive Transformation on August 18th. The Advising team participated in the University of Washington’s Highway to Husky transfer planning training for community college advisors on July 22nd.
Campus View
Hired 4 Resident Assistants for 2020-2021 and is preparing to engage in an ACUHO-I virtual RA training in addition to Highline College’s Fall Student Leadership Training.
Counseling
Nicole Hoyes Wilson served as co-chair of the campus-wide Exploratory Pathway committee this summer. This team of faculty and staff, including Daryllyn Harris, participated in the Washington Center Summer Institute where they developed a foundational College/Career 100 course for students in the Exploratory Pathway.
Enrollment and Registration
Registration & Records/Advising/Enrollment Services Staff started PeopleSoft ctcLink Canvas courses related to student administration from recruitment, admissions, student records, advising, and student communication in Campus Solutions pillar. While this series of 14 self-paced courses are available to staff in Canvas, the Advising and Enrollment Services team has scheduled time to complete these courses together with the support of our ctcLink Project Analyst, Jill Hammitt.
International Student Programs
ISP staff attended three different online workshops including: “Transgender, what does it mean to ID as or Gender- Nonconformation; and Xenophonic Bystander Training; and Commitment to Racial Justice: Day of Action
Student Support and Funding Services
Throughout the past three months, Dean Saechao as been working with Dean LeZheo from Seattle Central College to include the Mienh and Hmong ethnic groups in the ctcLink/PeopleSoft admission system. Through their work with SBCTC, starting August, our Mienh and Hmong students can now identify with their ethnicity. This significant step forward towards data equity was showcased at a press release by the organization, Southeast Asian Resource Action Center. The Press Release can also be found online at the Southeast Asian American Education Coalition Facebook page, for which Dean Saechao is the President of the organization.
Student Life
The Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence and Center for Leadership and Service converted their annual Fall Student Leadership Training to a virtual format taking place September 8-24th for their 29 student leaders. During the week of September 14th, they will be welcoming numerous student leadership teams for a variety of virtual leadership development and social justice focused workshops.
Report submitted on Aug. 31, 2020 by Vice President Aaron Reader