San Jacinto College
San Jacinto College is currently closing the gap among its ethnically-diverse students’ college course retention and success; first-time-in-college students’ persistence rates are also increasing.
The First-Year Experience Calling Program and Mandatory New Student Orientation contributed to increases in fall-to-spring and fall-to-fall persistence among first-time-in-college (FTIC) students.
The First-Year Experience Calling Program employs student leaders to call FTIC students twice at strategic times during their first semester to check and see how they are faring with college courses and remind them about various services.
- The course success rate of African American women who received calls increased from 45% in Fall 2009 to 54% in Fall 2010.
- The course success rate of African American men increased from 44% in Fall 2009 to 49% in Fall 2010.
- The course success rate of African American students as a whole increased from 44% in Fall 2009 to 52% in Fall 2010.
- The gap in course success rates between African American and Caucasian students has decreased, from 17.4% in Fall 2009 to 11.1% in Fall 2010.
San Jacinto College’s three campuses serve the ethnically diverse residents of East Harris County near Houston, Texas. In Fall 2011, the college enrolled 29,392 students; 40.3% were Hispanic, 10.2% were African American, and 5% were Asian. In 2010-2011 30% of San Jacinto’s students received Pell grants.
San Jacinto College emphasizes student success in its strategic plan and its revised curricula, pedagogy, and student services. The board of trustees chair is an Achieving the Dream core team member.
Every member of the college community is encouraged to participate in the annual February College Community Day activities where data that has been collected and organized are presented and discussed. Break-out sessions highlight various student success initiatives.
San Jacinto College has several student success initiatives, including:
- Shared Counselors who provide career testing, academic advisement, and student success workshops at 13 area high schools; they are paid with funds designated for student success initiatives from a 2007 tuition increase
- The Men of Honor mentoring program designed to increase the retention, persistence, and graduation rates of African American males
- The Accelerated Learning Program of Study, which was brought to scale in Spring 2011, serves 510 developmental math students
- A College Student Success Course that all first-time-in-college students will be required to take beginning in Fall 2012
The Achieving the Dream Model
Achieving the Dream community colleges commit to our Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. Based on four principles, the model frames the overall work of helping more students, particularly low- income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree.
Each college approaches the work differently, but Achieving the Dream’s five-step process provides practical guidelines for keeping the focus where it belongs and building momentum over time. Throughout the process, Achieving the Dream coaches offer customized support and help each college’s core team implement data-informed programs and policies that build long-term, institution-wide commitment to student success.
Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges
Leader Colleges are demonstrating the power of the Achieving the Dream Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. They show us it is possible to raise persistence and graduation rates, close achievement gaps, and change lives. Leader Colleges embody the ultimate goal of Achieving the Dream, and as such, serve as mentors within our community of learners.
To be eligible for Leader College distinction, colleges must show three or more years of improvement on one or more of these five measures:
- Course completion
- Advancement from developmental to credit-bearing courses
- Completion of college-level math and English courses
- Term-to-term and year-to-year retention
- Completion of certificates or degrees
