Minority Hispanic Students at GCC in California Graduation rates

Chapter One: Introduction

Overview

The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations to solve the problem of low graduation rates among minority Hispanic students at GCC in California. The problem is that 81.6% of Hispanic students at GCC failed to complete their courses on time (GCC, 2022). This introduction section covers the Organization Profile, Introduction to the Problem, Significance of the Research, Purpose Statement, Central Research Question, and Definitions.

Organizational Profile

The study's educational site is GCC, a public institution offering certificate and associate-level degrees in Los Angeles County, California (GCC, 2022). GCC was established in 1926 to provide vocational and academic instruction to the people of Glendale, La Crescenta, La Canada, Burbank, Pasadena, and Tujunga, California, who lacked access to higher Education (GCC, 2022). The overall mission of GCC is to assist students in realizing their informed educational needs through comprehensive instructional programs and student services (GCC, 2022). GCC offers programs in four areas: primary foundation education in reading, writing, mathematics, and English as a second language to enhance a student’s college-level success; general education to enhance self-development and help students lead meaningful and enriching lives; technical and career education to enhance job advancement or employment opportunities; and post-secondary education to help students transition to four-year courses at a university (GCC, 2022). GCC commits to open communication, equity, inclusion, collaboration, transparency in decision-making, innovation, and democratic governance. The institution offers financial and career

counseling, as well as distance education programs to help students accomplish learning efficiently.

The college is highly diverse. Statistics indicate that Whites comprise 52% of the student population, followed by Hispanics at 19%, Asians at 12%, and African Americans comprising approximately 5% (GCC, 2022). Roughly 58% of the student body is female, and 38% are working towards obtaining an associate degree and transferring to a university (GCC, 2022).

The institution has 1,074 employees, including 63 administrators, 204 full-time faculty, 485 adjunct faculty, and 322 classified staff (GCC, 2022). It is led by a superintendent who is assisted by four directors, three vice presidents, and seven deans (GCC, 2022). Administrative Services, Instructional Services, Student Services, and Human Resources vice presidents are assisted by the various sections’ deans, associate deans, and program managers. The president, vice presidents, deans, and administrative deans form part of the administrative cabinet. However, significant decisions have to be approved by the six-member board of trustees (GCC, 2022).

The institution began due to a public voting exercise when the residents of the targeting areas voted to have the Glendale Unified School District introduce a junior college (GCC, 2022). In the first semester at Glendale Union High School, there were 139 students enrolled. The student population multiplied over the first three years of operation, hitting 435 in 1929, with 27 faculty members. With the help of a Works Progress Administration grant and proceeds from a bond election, Glendale Junior College purchased and moved to the current 59-acre site in 1937. Its name officially changed to GCC in 1971. Today, GCC is a dynamic institution of higher learning, with over 25,000 students enrolled on various campuses (GCC, 2022).

Introduction to the Problem

The problem is that 81.6% of Hispanic students at GCC failed to complete their courses on time (GCC, 2022). According to the 2022 GCC College Profile, timely graduation rates are lowest among Hispanic students, who form the focus of this study. It also indicates that 34% of White students completed their certificate or degree-related outcomes, compared to only 18% of Hispanic students (GCC, 2022). According to Excelencial in Education (2023), state-wide data indicates a completion rate of 22% for Hispanic students, showing that GCC ranks lower than the state average in the completion rates of Hispanic students relative to those from other races

To address the problem of low graduation, GCC has conducted satisfaction surveys to obtain students' views on the campus climate and actions that could be taken to increase student retention. In the 2022 survey, 93.9% of students reported being satisfied with the campus climate, and 96% believed the instructional programs offered were high quality. However, only 68.7% thought they were progressing toward their educational goal as quickly as possible (GCC, 2022).

Recently, GCC began offering distance learning modalities and academic counseling programs to enhance retention and ensure students complete their courses on time. However, the institution has continued to report low graduation rates among Hispanic students.

Studies have shown that delayed college completion increases the chance of dropping out of college and results in lower post-college earnings (Witteveen & Attewell, 2021). GCC commits to helping students live meaningful lives and realize their best potential in the global community (GCC, 2022). However, the effects of delayed college completion

inhibit this mission. The findings of this study will be beneficial in informing GCC's policies as the management works towards realizing its mission.

Significance of the Research

Students and their families, the GCC faculty, and the workforce will all benefit from the findings of this study. Studies have shown that delayed college graduation affects chances of employment and reduces one's post-college earnings by 15% because employers tend to use delays as a proxy for low ability (Witteveen & Attewell, 2021, Casalone & Aina, 2020). For college students, reducing time-to-degree and ensuring they graduate on time may increase their chances of employment and open avenues for higher post-college wages (Witteveen & Attewell, 2021). Moreover, delayed time-to-degree is associated with higher tuition costs and a high risk of losing financial aid (Casalone & Aina, 2020). For families, timely college graduation may prevent unforeseen financial burdens, particularly when an overstayed student loses financial aid and has to search for alternative funds to finance their pending semesters.

For institutions, delayed graduation increases the risk of non-completion, which influences how potential applicants perceive the college or university, resulting in reputational concerns that limit the effective recruitment of students (Aina et al., 2019). The research findings may provide crucial insights to institutional policymakers on the factors that lead to delayed college graduation and strategies for addressing the same. High graduation rates may result in increased college ratings, a positive reputation, and a better ability to attract students. At the national level, delayed college graduation denies the workforce the skills students would offer post-college employment. Thus, identifying the factors that hinder timely college graduation may ensure that the workforce benefits from the additional skills and human resources students offer in post-college employment, resulting in higher labor productivity and increased revenues (Aina et al., 2019).

For the faculty, high graduation rates indicate high teacher efficacy, which measures how well they execute their instructor and mentoring roles to realize the best possible student outcomes. According to Shao (2023), high teacher efficacy is correlated with a range of positive educational outcomes, including commitment, enthusiasm, and persistence, which help the organization retain its top talent. High teacher efficacy enhances outcomes such as self-efficacy beliefs, motivation, and achievement for students, leading to improved academic performance.

The research is timely because while many studies exist on the factors hindering timely college graduation, most studies focus on four-year colleges, leaving community colleges understudied. The standards in community colleges differ from four-year colleges. Therefore, understanding the differences will help provide recommendations to solve this problem.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations to solve the problem of low graduation rates among minority Hispanic students at GCC in California. This study will use both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. As part of the qualitative data collection, semi-structured interviews will be implemented with five Hispanic students at GCC. The participants will be of various ages and at different levels of their education. The second approach will be a survey. Quantitative data will be accumulated through an online survey administered via the Google Forms web-based platform. The survey will be administered to 15 present and past students at GCC. The final data collection approach will be a document review, which will obtain insights into the institutional climate at GCC. This qualitative research will pinpoint and record patterns within the data collected. Documents of interest for this review will include past student surveys from 2020 and 2022 to identify annual trends in selected indicators of the institutional climate at GCC.