2022-23 Unit Plan
Inspiring Scholars

Mission Statement

The goal of Inspiring Scholars is to help current and former foster youth get into college, stay in college, and reach their academic goals - be that an associate's degree, certificate or transfer to another college or university.

Program Description

The Foster Youth (FY) Program at Butte College offers support for Butte College students who were in foster care. The program has some funding to support any student who spent time in foster care. The majority of funding, however, is for CAFYES eligible students (students who were in foster care at any time on or after their 13th birthday and are under age 26). Inspiring scholars works to provide parity for both cohorts of students whenever possible.  Activities include bringing about campus-wide awareness, staff training, supporting the priority registration process for FY, developing academic support programs focused on the needs of current or former FY, and maintaining a center designated specifically for FY. The Program also conducts outreach to foster youth in Butte and surrounding counties and collaborates with agencies interested in supporting college access and college success of foster youth.

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

The Inspiring Scholars department helps meet the Vision for Success goals in the following ways:

Focus of equity and inclusion - foster youth are underrepresented in Community Colleges and have disproportionate outcomes in comparision to their peers.
Basic needs - providing food and financial assistance in the form of grants and giftcards as well as connecting community resources.
Retention - our high-touch program is aimed at retaining students via deliberate one-on-one appointments and events aimed at creating community.
Transfer to CSU & UC - create a pipeline for foster youth from community colleges to universites by creating partnerships with surrounding CSU's.
Mentoring - creating relationships with experienced students and incoming students to ensure a successful college experience.
Case Management - our dedicated counselor ensures students follow their education plan and are not taking unnessary units.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

n/a

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

Strategic Direction

The Inspiring Scholars team works to meet the following Vision for Success Goals:

3. Closing Equity Gaps: Foster Youth traditionally are on the Equity Dashboard. We are working to adjust these equity gaps specifically with male students and students of color.

4. Meeting enrollment targets: Through our retention strategies we've been successful in maintaining enrollment despite of the pandemic and have targeted outreach to non-enrolling and at-risk students.

5. Meeting student achievement goals: Inspiring Scholars has seen movement on the graduation rate for foster youth within our program and we continue to work on course completion and certificate attainment for all students.

6. Fostering a Culture of Inclusiveness: We do this through informing faculty, staff, and students about the unique needs of foster youth.

Program Review

Recommendations and actions still to be addressed:

Staffing – 1) Due to CAFYES program requirements (mandatory student appointments) and an increasing demand for one-on-one counseling, it is recommended an additional part-time counselor be hired, or to convert the current part-time counseling position into a full-time position. This would ensure regulatory compliance, as well as the potential to expand services such as providing more workshops and increasing a counseling presence for foster youth at the Chico and Glenn Centers. 2) It is also recommended that a part-time classified position is created and filled to advocate and liaison between the program and external entities, while holding offices in the Chico and Glenn centers. This position would also be responsible for recruitment and outreach efforts. A Full-Time Student Success Specialist was hired to help address staffing demands
Equipment & Facilities – 1) Build office(s) or whisper room(s) within the center to maintain confidentiality during counseling sessions. 2) Purchase laptops and other equipment to facilitate a lending system. Remodeling of the space was completed in the Summer of 2019 to create private offices and address this concerns.
Services & Resources – 1) Provide more in-house tutoring hours dedicated to college-level Math and English completion. 2) Increase workshop offerings focused on academic success. 3) Purchase and issue ILP Store vouchers. 5) Purchase and issue book vouchers (up to $500) every semester to qualifying students. Statistics tutoring is now being offered at Inspiring Scholars and the Student Success Specialist is assisting with English Tutoring
Student Learning Outcomes – Because program goals are solely focused on quantitative outcomes (e.g. retention, course completion, degree attainment and transfer rates), it is recommended to establish, measure and reflect upon qualitative-based SLOs that can help drive program decision making.
Structure & Student Accountability – 1) Solicit support from EOPS to launch the CAFYES program; establishing policies and procedures. 2) Establish participation requirements for all students (i.e. consequences for missed appointments), including rules of conduct while in the center. Inspiring Scholars and EOPS are now fully integrated programs.
Advisory Committee - Re-establish an advisory committee comprised of internal and external entities to maximize resources and strategize to better prepare students for academic and career success. An advisory committee has been re-established.
Technology - Implement technological solutions to increase engagement, message, market, and collect data (e.g. SARS and new forms of social media). Inspiring Scholars is utlizing social media, Office 365, and Remind.Com to increase engagement and marketing.

Department Goals

Inspiring Scholars has the following goal for the 21-22:

Increase Participation in Peer Mentoring Program
Identify and Increase Number of newly eligible CAFYES Students Served
Specifically Target Students who are on EOPS and/or Academic Probation
Continue to Provide Statistics Tutoring/Support

Future Development Strategies

Strategy 1 - Peer Mentoring

Increase number of mentors and mentees in the Peer Mentoring program that began in Fall 2019.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

Mentoring has proven to have positive impacts on student outcomes including, retention, completion, GPA, graduation, and transfer. Most foster youth lack positive role models in their lives. Having a mentor to model behaviors that lead to achievement of goals in education and/or employment helps increase the educational outcomes of our foster youth which leads to increased self-esteem, improved mental health and financial independence. Studies also show mentors also benefit from being mentors, providing help for two students at the same time.

Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: Yes
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: Yes
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: Yes
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: Yes
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: Yes
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: Yes

Strategy 2 - Increase Number of Newly Eligible CAFYES Students Served

Increase recruitment and retention of newly eligible CAFYES students served.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

Beginning in January 2022, CAFYES funding has been expanded to serve foster youth who were in care age 13 years or older and under the age of 26. We would like to increase recruitment and retention of these students. We would also like to increase the number of eligible students who seek support through Inspiring Scholars, but don't end up becoming CAFYES students. These students are vulnerable and could use additional academic support. By reaching these students, we can provide them funding and resources to allow them to succeed in college.

Strategy 3 - Specifically Target Students who are on EOPS and/or Academic Probation

To increase retention, increase staff contacts students who are on academic and/or EOPS probation to provide early interventions.

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

Inspiring Scholars has observed that some students are excellent at seeking support from staff members. Others are less likely to seek support. Sometimes staff members learn too late of an issue with a student that, if caught earlier, could have allowed a student to remain in college. Inspiring Scholars plans to incentivize contacts with staff members for students who would be less likely to seek support. We would also like to provide incentives for students to take existing Critical Skills Workshops through the Center for Academic Success.

Strategy 4 - Continue to provide Statistics Tutoring/Support

Provide tutoring and academic support for Inspiring Scholars students enrolled in statistics

Initiatives

Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

Statistics is an extremely important class for foster youth. This class must be passed for students to transfer to a four-year university. Student Equity data has revealed that Foster Youth continue to have low passing rates in statistics as compared with their peers. Student Success Specialist, Eddie Aguiar, will identify.

Inspiring Scholars students enrolled in statistics and offer tutoring and, if possible, audit a statistics class with Inspiring Scholars students to provide imbedded support.

Requested Non-Financial Resources

District Approval for use and purchase of work cell phones to support student success on an ongoing basis.

Current Financial Resources

Walter S. Johnson Foundation- $18,000 Rollover of original grant funds which ended in December of 2016.

YESS-ILP Grant- $22,500 annually for activities supporting the educational, financial, daily living, and employment education of current and former foster youth attending Butte College. Grant secured October of 2016.

Student Equity and Achievment (SEAP) Funding- Currently Funding the amounts below:

Vance Edwards-10%, $9,667.00
Susan Roberts-10%, $6,522.00
Eddie Aguilar- $72,910.00 (Full-Time Student Success Specialist)
Non-CAFYES Student Support- $18,901.00

EOPS Funding-Currently providing textbook credit and 50% funding of Kia Vang, the academic counselor assigned to Inspiring Scholars.

CAFYES-For the 21-22 Year providing $704,674 for funding of salaries and program operations to serve students who were in foster care at age 13 and are under the age of 26.