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Recommendation 8.2

Invest in a student support initiative.

Description

Improved and expanded core student support services such as diagnostic assessments, orientation, and education planning are needed in order to help more students successfully navigate the community college environment. Bolstering these support programs will require reprioritization of resources at the state and local levels, and increased use of innovative technologies, as well as additional state investment.

While innovation and reprioritization of existing resources will be necessary, the reality is that without additional investment by the state, the ability of colleges to implement many key elements of this report, particularly in the area of student support services, is doubtful. Accordingly, the state and the community college system should set as a top priority for additional state funding the investment in a new Student Support Initiative.

  • The Student Support Initiative would rename and encompass the current Matriculation program thus elevating the prominence of the program.
  • Beginning with the 2012-13 State Budget, a top priority for new monies appropriated to the system would be to augment the Student Support Initiative.
  • These funds would be directed to community college districts to support activities and programs that are necessary to promote student success, including but not limited to implementing diagnostic assessments, orientation, and education planning.
  • Receipt of these funds by a district would be conditioned on the district developing and submitting to the Chancellor’s Office a local student success plan aligned with state and local district goal setting (as outlined in Chapter 7). Plans will identify specific strategies and investments over a multi-year period.
  • Further, as a condition of receiving Student Support Initiative funds, districts would be required to implement the common assessment proposed in Recommendation 2.1 and the accountability scorecard described in Recommendation 7.3.
  • The Chancellor’s Office will monitor district progress towards meeting goals, both in terms of programmatic implementation and also student success metrics.