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July 11, 2024: Student Services

Home/Area Reports, Division: Student Services, Meeting 07-11-24/July 11, 2024: Student Services
2024-09-06T15:46:39+00:00 Print Page

July 11, 2024: Student Services

Area Report for Board of Trustees

Dear Board of Trustees,

I am still savoring the beauty and excitement of Commencement 2024. Our graduates looked outstanding, and they were so excited about their accomplishments. I was great to celebrate with our graduates, their families and friends, faculty, staff, and you. Commencement co-chairs Associate Dean Juliette Kern and Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Services, Kylie Mellott, did an amazing job leading Commencement efforts. In this month’s report, I am sharing a bittersweet update about Associate Dean Kern (see under the Student Life section of this report). Quynh Mihara, Director of Enrollment Services and Registrar complied data reflecting Commencement 2024 that I want to share with you: Enrollment Services Data-Commencement 2024.

I can hardly believe that July is here. Where has the time gone? The week after Commencement, Student Services staff worked hard to support students with enrollment and registration, orientation, financial aid awards, and more for summer quarter 2024 and for the 2024-2025 academic year. At the time of writing this report, I am thrilled to share that enrollment is on the rise, especially in Running Start, Workforce Education, and ELCAP. We will continue to monitor FTE and provide updates to you.

Under the Counseling section, I encourage you to review the data and brief report provided by Larisa Wendfeldt, Director of Counseling. She highlights the significant increase in need for mental health support for students at Highline College. Larisa and the counselors are doing magnificent work, and the data reflects that additional counseling support would be beneficial.

Felisciana Peralta, Executive Director of Equity in Education at the Puget Sound Education Service District (PSESD), conducted a three-part, year-long training session to guide staff in the division to develop the Student Services-specific mission statement, vision statement, and values, which closely align with the College’s overall plan. All division staff were given many opportunities to provide input and to review the information. Starting summer 2024, the division will move towards implementation of the division-specific mission, vision, and values. Staff may include information pertaining to the division-specific mission, vision, and values in upcoming Institutional Effectiveness (IE) plans.

July marks the end of Executive Cabinet members’ engagement with the Board of Trustees until September. I hope that you all have a great summer! I look forward to seeing you at the beginning of the Fall Quarter. Take care!

Kind regards,

Dr. Jamilyn Penn- Vice President of Student Services and Co-Acting President

Student Success and Funding Services

  • Dean Saechao and Grants Director Dave O’Keefe attended the TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) Grant Proposal Writing Training in Philadelphia where they joined over hundreds of other professionals from around the country to prepare for the writing and submission of the 2025-2030 TRiO SSS grant competition. The college plans to renew and continue the TRiO SSS grant through this process, and we will submit a new TRiO SSS STEM grant application. If awarded both grants, if awarded both grants, it would equate to a total of 2.7 million dollars for Highline College to provide intrusive support and academic services for 265 plus first-generation, low-income and students with disabilities. The grant submission deadline is July 15, 2024. Grantees will be notified in June of 2025 of their award status. If awarded, the grant cycle starts September 2025 to August 2030.
  • TRiO is excited to announce the onboarding of two new TRiO staff, Jan Patrick as the TRiO Talent Search Advisor and Dakne Blanco Ramirez as the TRiO Student Support Services Advisor & Retention Specialist for. Jan is starting his role in mid-July and Dakne will join the team in early August.
  • Associate Dean Loyal Allen Jr. is leading Workforce’s partnership with Catholic Community Services with a cohort of 20-30 students to begin classes later this summer towards a Case Management Certificate. Interested students will be applying for Workforce grants and will be funded based on student eligibility. This partnership will allow those students to advance their careers through earning the Case Management Certificate.

Counseling

*Counseling appointments are generally 60 minutes each (some longer, some a bit shorter)

Counselors scheduled 1574 appointments during Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of 2023-2024. That is 339 more scheduled appointments than 2022-2023. That is a growth of 28%. Counselors completed 1092 counseling sessions with students during Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of 2023-2024. That is 280 more counseling sessions than in 2022-2023. That is a growth of 35%. Counselors also had 30 drop-in/urgent appointments for this period. Counseling made outreach attempts for 56 CARE cases during Fall, Winter, and Spring–A majority replying and scheduling for continued care or at least a follow up session.

Advising and Enrollment Services

Entry Advising:

  • Explore Highline Orientation
    • Spring 2024 to Summer 2024 orientation – 9 sessions held; 693 students completed orientation. 1 Spanish orientation held, 30 students completed and declared a degree pathway.
  • Summer 2024-Fall 2024
    • 13 sessions scheduled orientations
    • First orientation will start on Wednesday, July 17 6:00pm-8:00pm
  • Workforce Education Services (WES) Peer Application Support
    • 23 people attended the workshops and applied for WES funding for Summer 2024
  • Staff Throughout the Student Services department collaborated to help with High School Admissions Clinics. Staff supported graduating seniors in Tukwila, Federal Way, and Highline School Districts with the admissions process to Highline College and helped students complete the admissions application, provided placements for math and English, registered student for orientation, and provided funding support
  • Staff visited 9 High Schools
    • Total of 20 visits across the school sites
    • 150 students served
    • 140 students completed admissions
    • 55 students registered

Student Life

  • The Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) congratulations incoming Associate Students of Highline College (ASHC) for the 2024-2025 academic year:
    • Hussein Al Badri-ASCH President
    • Kushnoor-ASHC Vice President
  • Juliette Kern has resigned from the Associate Dean of Student Life position. Her last day with the College will be July 15, 2024. Juliette will be joining the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). The Highline College community will miss Juliette’s leadership, energy, and spirit immensely.

Athletics

  • There are seven months before the start of fall sports. Athletic staff continue to support current student-athletes, while also recruiting new student athletes to Highline College. To date, there are 121 student athletes enrolled at the College.
  • The Pavilion floor has been refinished and is ready for the new year. Because athletic staff make every effort to fundraise and to use those dollars to refinish the floor each year, the College is still able to use the original floor from 1964-65.

Report submitted by Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Jamilyn Penn