Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo College
- Spring 2009
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Executive Summary
 Student Demographics
 Findings - Research Question #1
 Findings - Research Question #2
 Findings - Research Question #3
 Needs Analysis
 Solution Description
 Solution Criteria
 Solution Choice

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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
The
basis of our research project was to find our what the
student perspective at Cabrillo Community College actually
was.
There has been a lot of research about college students, but
not a lot of data from college students. As a result there has
been many preconceptions made about the demographics of
community colleges in our state, and the efficacy of these
institutions in serving the needs of their students.
 As three students attending community college, and as “nontraditional” students we felt that the information we gathered
from this research project could be helpful in understanding
what students are actually thinking, motivated by and aware of,
therefore disproving some of the assumptions made by policy
makers and the general public, in regards to Community
Colleges and their student population.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Elizabeth Gaona
 Rachel Cruse
 Edgar Fuerte

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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009

To collect information and data about:
 The

needs of Cabrillo Community College Students.
To create a proposal that will address:
 What
students feel they need to be successful at
Cabrillo, as well as area’s of the college that could
be improved.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Research question 1: How well informed are
Cabrillo College students on how to accomplish
their goals?
 Research question 2: Do Cabrillo College
students have the access to resources to be
successful?
 Research question 3: How are Cabrillo
students affected by the budget cuts?

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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Total Number of people Surveyed – 156
Women – 39%
Men – 61%
U.S. Citizens – 91%
Primary Language
 English – 78%
 Spanish – 30%
 Other – 3%
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
 Age
range of Student Population
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo College
- Spring 2009
Findings: Research Question #1
How well informed are Cabrillo College students
on how to accomplish their goals?
By Edgar Fuerte
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Findings: Research Question #1

We found that the majority of our respondents knew how to accomplish
their goals at Cabrillo Community College.

There was a ten percent drop in the knowledge base between the Aptos
and Watsonville campus in regards to adding, dropping and wait listing
classes, with 92% of Watsonville respondents reporting an
understanding as opposed to Aptos’s 82% .

Although the data from our research was high in regards to students
responding that they knew how to navigate the Community College
system. We found that 38% of respondents reported that it would take
them 3-5 years at Cabrillo to accomplish their goals, which leads us to
believe that students are not as confident as the previous data may
have indicated in their ability to navigate efficiently the Cabrillo College
system.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009

In addition, the majority of students surveyed had an
educational plan and understood what classes they
needed to take to fulfill their general educational
requirements.

76% of the combined campuses had an educational
plan.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo College
- Spring 2009
Do Cabrillo College students
have the resources to be
successful?
By Elizabeth Gaona
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Breakdown of financial assistance for students at Aptos and Watsonville
campuses:
We found that 58% of Aptos students and 75% of the Watsonville
students surveyed applied for and received financial aid.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Utilization of resources at Aptos and Watsonville
Campuses:


With 86% of total respondents reporting that they use
the Library, we have determined that it is the most
utilized resource on both campuses,
We found that more respondents in Watsonville then
Aptos utilized the tutoring services, and the computer
labs. This suggests that students in Watsonville have
a greater need for these resources.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo College
- Spring 2009
How are Cabrillo Students Affected by the
Budget Cuts?
By: Rachel Cruse
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009

How many respondents were affected by the
cancellation of classes due to budget cuts?
26% of total respondents reported that they had classes
canceled this year.
 25% of total respondents reported that over crowding in the
classroom does affect their learning.
From our data we have concluded that the shrinking of the
Cabrillo College budget has affected its ability to serve its
students by limiting the amount of classes offered and
therefore over enrolling existing classes.

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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo College
- Spring 2009
By Rachel Cruse
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Community College Students
here in our local community and
throughout the state of California.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
The need is evident when classes
and resources are unavailable or
insufficient.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009



Access to better resources and information for
all students.
Sufficient funding by the state for Community
Colleges.
Educational policy that addresses the needs of
the traditional and non-traditional community
college students, as per direct research data of
those student demographics.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009


The retention rate of Community Colleges is greatly
impacted by students inability to financially afford
college.
Community Colleges lack the funding by the state
to implement and expand programs or services that
could improve the quality of education for students
and faculty.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Students will be able to focus more of their
energy on school and less on their financial
ability to pay for college.
 Teachers will have stable employment and
better resources to assist their students with.
 The continued funding of State and Federal
Financial Aide which will guarantee all students
the ability to attend college, despite potential
financial hardships.

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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009



Students will be forced to spend a longer time at the
community college level due to the inability to focus on their
studies, because of other life obligations, therefore limiting the
number of available seats in high demand classes
The continued layoffs of teachers will result in further over
crowding and therefore a continued strain on students and
remaining staff.
The loss of vital financial aid from the State of California and
the United States Federal Government, bars people within lowincome brackets the right to go to College regardless of their
ability or scholastic aptitude.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo College
- Spring 2009
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Solution 1:

Inclusive Community based foundation
Every student will participate in a career guidance
class instructed by an academic counselor. Prior to
declaring their major students will have access to
mentors and paid internships so they can get
hands on experience in their fields of interest.
 Money generated from internships will be matched
dollar for dollar by students and business sponsors.
This will ensure the continued operation of the
Community Foundation.

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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Solution 2:

Sponsorship for Cabrillo College by local business
 Our
local businesses will be taking part in the
education of our students by donating books,
computers, or money vouchers strictly for
educational purposes. This will help build stronger
ties within our local communities, and allow for a
greater dialog between the college, local
businesses, and the Santa Cruz and Watsonville
citizens.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Solution 3:

Balanced Educational Policy
 Passing
of Educational Policy by the California State
legislature that separates Community College
funding from the K-12 system. More balanced and
equitable funding between the UC/CSU and
Community College systems
 Public policy safety nets in place for students who
would be barred from attending college due solely
to financial hardship. Continued financial support
by the state and federal government for all college
students.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009

We as students must stand together in
solidarity if we are to affect any real change,
and this must begin at home. We felt that
having a comprehensive solution that
addressed the needs both at local and state
levels was key.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009

Career foundation Care Package
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009


Students will attend career guidance classes and
establish their learning style to develop better
judgment in choosing their major. With the cooperation of local companies; mentors and paid
internships will be established to ensure that students
are on the right track.
The continued academic success of students will
ensure their eligibility to apply for money vouchers.
These vouchers will come from the foundation pool
created by the dollar for dollar matching of the local
businesses.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
Goals of Solution
A money saving process that enables funding
to be delegated without waste of taxpayers
dollars.
 Students will graduate in the least amount of
time creating jobs and generating tax dollars.
 State funding will continue without cutbacks.

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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009

Objective 1: Find local businesses interested in supporting the
mentoring program.

Objective 2: Establish the program within the Cabrillo College
system at both Aptos and Watsonville.

Objective 3: Implement program and recruit interested
students.
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo
College - Spring 2009
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Digital Bridge Academy - Cabrillo College
- Spring 2009
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