College Profiles

South Texas College Profile

Background

South Texas College (STC) serves Starr and Hidalgo counties, which straddle the U.S.-Mexico border in southeastern Texas. Approximately half of the residents of Starr County and one-third of the residents of Hidalgo County live in poverty.

STC’s student population is 96% Hispanic; it is designated as a Hispanic-serving institution by the U.S. Department of Education. More than 87% of the students speak Spanish at home. Half of the students are considered low-income, nearly 40% are first-generation college students, and 71% receive financial aid.

Achieving the Dream Goals

In 2005, STC conducted a qualitative study to identify barriers to student success. Two of the top barriers were college readiness and a lack of finances.

Operation College Bound

In order to address barriers of college readiness and finance, STC embarked upon a joint effort with their neighboring four-year university and the local public high schools. The schools scheduled a day for all high school seniors to convene in the gym, and 100 staff provided advising and laptops so that all seniors completed an application for admission to both institutions and the FAFSA financial aid application.

Hybrid Courses

In order to meet the demands of a rapidly enlarging student body, STC is exploring alternative instructional delivery modes. In the past five years, traditional course enrollment has expanded by 40%, while distance learning enrollment has expanded by 150%. STC analyzed student outcomes in both types of courses and found that student success rates were significantly lower in distance learning courses than in traditional courses. The flexibility and reduced class-time provided by distance learning are significant advantages, but STC was concerned that the lack of face-to-face interaction was affecting student success. In the fall of 2006, the college began offering Hybrid Courses that split instruction time between on-campus attendance and on-line interaction.

Results

STC has documented a 13% increase in post-secondary enrollment for schools participating in Operation College Bound, while the rate for non-participating schools only increased by 6%.

Student success in hybrid courses is higher than in either traditional or distance learning courses:

 

 

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