Executive Summary
Introduction
West Valley College (WVC) is located southeast of San Francisco in the Silicon Valley, a densely
populated and diverse community with an increasingly complex and demanding tech economy.
In fall 2015, WVC enrolled 8,409 students in credit courses. Of these students, 2,053 are full
time and 6,356 are part time. It is important to note that the vast majority of WVC students are
part time because they need to work in order to live in this area. Once a region with a range of
workforce opportunities and a strong middle class population hopeful to get ahead, this area
has emerged from recent dips as a segmented economy with an increasing number of people
considered as the “working poor,” struggling to survive but nonetheless anxious to improve
their lives. A region beckoning immigrants, the US Census Bureau noted that of the residents in
Santa Clara County, in the heart of Silicon Valley, 51.2% speak a language other than English in
their homes. Thirty-seven percent (37%) are immigrants; almost triple the 13% average
throughout the rest of United States.
When we developed the Student Equity plan, we carefully considered the demographic
information about our region. Thus, we identified essential support services and learning
opportunities for current and prospective students from this region. It also includes appropriate
professional development opportunities for faculty focusing on culturally sensitive pedagogy
addressing the diversity of student learning styles. The overall intended outcome is that the
strategies and practices proposed in our plan will result in mitigating some of the challenges
facing those who need better access to higher education programs and services in order to
accomplish their educational goals.
As will be shown throughout all areas of the West Valley College Student Equity Plan (WVCSEP),
the college upholds and protects the integrity of its practices. The college provides and
responds to the state requirements with accurate, complete, and readily available information.
Information on all aspects of the plan is clearly articulated in the goals and related activities.
The college is committed to maintaining access with success for its students, particularly those
from historically underrepresented groups. The discussions by representatives surrounding the
review of data and development of goals and related activities have been collaborative.
West Valley College (WVC) has taken deliberate and thoughtful steps to create a well-rounded
plan that utilizes the state funds prudently and appropriately among as many areas as possible
but will implement activities from multiple perspectives, keeping in mind that all activities will
focus on making improvements to the persistence and success of target groups identified in
the Student Equity Plan. Our campus-based research demonstrates that there are measures for
a small number of student populations that need improvement in course completion
particularly in math and English courses and improvements to lessen the percentage gap. WVC
has worked extremely hard to improve student outcomes. Consequently, WVC has maintained
a high level of success across all student groups. It is therefore important to note that no single
student population falls significantly below measures in all areas. This perhaps validates the
fact that the college addresses the diverse needs and learning styles of its students by providing
a variety of delivery modes, teaching methodologies, and support services that address the
learning needs of students. From this position of academic strength and integrity, coupled with
targeted support services, West Valley College delivers the Student Equity Plan which focuses
on further improving student access to college resources and enhancing student outcomes
particularly for students who are historically disadvantaged.
Improving student access to college resources includes making informational materials
available for our outreach team and counselors; student engagement activities that focus on
diversity and inclusion; professional development activities aimed to improve instruction and
the staff’s role in improving student success; support for specific programs that have shown
positive outcomes for underrepresent student populations; faculty/staff mentors who help
students navigate their way through the sometimes seemingly turbulent waters; tutors and
academic coaches; and other support services such as textbook, transportation; and
childcare assistance for those with the greatest needs; and professional development on
social justice and student equity.
Over the initial three to four year period, the overarching goal is to implement strategies that
promise the most potential to support improvements in academic performance and the overall
college infrastructure in order to ensure long-lasting and ongoing improvements to student
learning and achievement of students’ educational goals. In formulating the Student Equity
Plan, the college has designed activities with an end goal of: collaboration across the campus,
supporting categorical programs, creating a strong and vibrant student services program that
includes providing access to services anytime, anywhere, any place (to meet the needs of
students enrolled in distance education and part-time students who spend minimal time on
campus; and developing faculty and staff training.
Target Groups
We examined student equity data by using the tools recommended in the final Student Equity
Template provided by the state Chancellor’s Office as well as local tools. Data was discussed
and analyzed in the framework of the five student equity success indicators defined by the
Board of Governors: Access, ESL/Basic Skills Completion, Course Completion, Degree/Certificate
Completion, and Transfer. Each success indicator was analyzed using disaggregated subgroups
of gender ethnicity, age as well as foster youth and veterans. The methodology used was the
Percentage Point Gap, defined in the 2015 final Student Equity Template. The identified student
groups and sub groups emerged from the data analysis and are delineated in the following.
Student Equity Measures
Access
ESL/Basic Skills Completion
Course completion
Identified Student Groups & Sub Groups
Hispanic, Asian students, Veterans, Foster Youth and
African Americans
African-American, Native-Americans, & Low-income
students
African American, Foster Youth & lowincome/economically disadvantaged students
Degree/Certificate completion
Transfer
Asian, African-Americans, & males
Hispanic, students with disabilities, African-Americans,
veterans, & foster youth
Goals
Participatory governance committees had an opportunity to review and comment on goals
developed by Student Success Core Team. The team membership is comprised of the
former chairs of what had been three separate committees representing the former
Matriculation Committee, the Student Equity, Access & Success (SEAS) Committee, and
Basic Skills Committee. Four specific college goals guided the development of the Student
Equity Goals:
2020 Educational Master Plan Goals:
• Diversity and Equity: Commit to developing and supporting values, practices and a
campus community environment that supports equity and diversity.
• Resources: Align campus and personnel to priorities supported by data.
Provide robust academic support services.
• Professional Development: Plan and implement a needs-base program of professional
development for the entire campus community.
• Course Offerings: Explore and shift course offerings depending on evolving student and
community needs (e.g. distance learning, noncredit, weekends, evenings, compressed
courses and community education).
The Student Equity goals focus (1) increasing Hispanic, African American, veterans, foster youth
and male students attending West Valley College; (2) increasing course completion rates of
African Americans, students with disabilities, and distance education students; (3) increasing
the number of Hispanic ESL students who complete a degree-applicable ESL course; increasing
the number African American, low-income, Native-Americans, and ESL students who progress
from a basic skills level English course and go on to complete a degree-applicable English
course, as well as increasing the success rates of African American students enrolled in basic
skills courses and go on to complete college level English and math courses successfully; (4)
increasing the number of Asian, African Americans and male students who earn a certificate
and those who earn an Associate Degree; and (5) increasing the transfer rates of Hispanic and
African-American students along with veterans, current and former Foster Youth, and students
with disabilities.
Goals and Actions that the college will undertake
A. Access: Priority Goal #1: Within the next 4 years increase Asian, Hispanic, African
American, Veterans, and Foster Youth attending West Valley College.
• Target outreach activities to high schools with largest African American and Hispanic
student populations; conduct outreach activities to veteran population and foster
youth.
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•
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•
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Develop a campus-wide mentoring/academic coaching program for at least 50 students
to have a connection with faculty staff to help them navigate to through college
pathway
Hire a new foster youth coordinator to design and implement ongoing targeted
activities
B. Course Completion: Within the next 3- 4 years increase course completion rates of
all target groups.
Provide cohort tutoring and supplemental instruction both in-person and online
Research and identify the students who are categorized as “Some other race.”
C. Basic Skills & ESL: Increase the number of basic skills and ESL students identified as
the target population who progress from Basic Skills math and English courses and
complete college level courses or who complete degree-applicable ESL course.
Increase the tutorial services for students in Basic Skills English and math; develop and implement
supplemental instruction for ESL students
Provide professional development and training for all faculty and staff to better
understand culturally sensitive pedagogy and student-centered teaching strategies.
Establish a faculty inquiry group to determine and analyze barriers preventing target
groups from succeeding in Basic Skills English and math courses.
D. Degree and Certification Completing: Priority Goal #2
• By 2020, increase the number of students from the target populations who complete
a degree or certificate.
• Increase the number of students who complete an educational plan.
• Collaborate with Admissions and Records to find more ways to inform more students
of certificate and degree opportunities.
E. Transfer: Priority goal #3: Improve transfer for the target groups and historically
underrepresented students by developing and implementing focused transfer
activities.
• Provide opportunities to take underrepresented students on campus tours.
• Develop specialized mentor matches with students and graduates of the
aspired four-year institutions
Student Equity Funding and Other Resources
The allocation of funding has been prioritized in order to successfully complete the goals:
Personnel are needed to implement the activities, to make progress toward achievement
of goals. A staff who specializes in foster youth outreach and support will be hired.
The WVC plan also includes an efficient budget which will be effectively administered.
Student Equity will be under the leadership of the Vice President of Student Services (VPSS).
The Director of Student Equity and Success will work closely with the VPSS to monitor the
budget and its relationship to the target goals/related activities. Together they will use a
comprehensive system to ensure proper and efficient administration for expending funds. All
financial transactions will be conducted within the guidelines enumerated in the current
Student Equity Handbook published by California Community College Chancellor’s Office. The
West Valley-Mission Community College District has an existing effective and efficient method for
checks and balances that ensure accountability through the request and approval process and for
district-wide audits.
The following table provides a summary of the use of funding to meet the needs of the
targeted groups for each student equity success indicator, the number of students impacted,
and the anticipated funding.
Success Measures
Access
Basic Skills/ESL
Course Completion
Course Completion
Degree & Certificate
Completion
Transfer
All areas
Target Group
Foster youth,
veterans, African
Americans, Hispanic,
distance education
students
Hispanic, African
Americans, Disabled
Students
Disabled Students,
Hispanic, African
Americans
African Americans,
Hispanic, older
students & distance
education students
Older Students,
African Americans,
Hispanic
All Student Equity
Personnel
TOTAL BUDGET
# student impacted
500
Funding
$191.416
1,050—
150 tutoring
supplemental
instruction
500—research
400—Core services
300
$62,000
$125,000
650
$36,250
60
$38,750
Total target group
population
$201,486
$625,022
Other Sources of Funding
The following demonstrates the college’s commitment to ensure that collaboration and
coordination across the college will take place in support of the Student Equity Plan. The college
has existing sources of funding that contribute to the accomplishment of the goals and
activities and personnel who are highly capable of implementing and supporting these
activities. Please note that the Student Equity Plan is directly linked to the Student Success Plan
as well as to the college’s Outreach Plan; thus the existing resources reflect this.
Category & Percentage
Director of Student Equity & Success
20% Vice President, Student Services (SSSP
Coordinator)
15% Student Success Faculty Coordinator
5% Vice President of Instruction
5% Dean of Student Services
5% Dean of Instruction
15% College Researcher
Source of Funding
50% Student Equity; 50% General Funds
General Funds
10% Co-chairs Global Citizenship Committee
10% SUCCESS Coordinator/Counselor
10% SUCCESS Instructor
5% FYE coordinator
5% District IS Analyst
5% Transfer Center Director
5% Basic Skills Coordinator
5% DESP Director
5% EOPS Director
5% EOPS Specialist
5% TRiO Director
5% Tutorial Coordinator
5% First Year Experience Coordinator
20% Outreach Coordinator (per Outreach Plan)
20% Financial Aid/BFAP/Outreach Specialist
10% Puente Counselor
10% Puente Instructor
Involvement of Faculty (ESL, reading, math, English)
and counselors on an as needed hourly basis for
assessments, orientation, EdPlanning, coordination
of combined activities and other tasks
Student Ambassadors (20) on an as needed hourly
basis
General funds
General Funds
General Funds
General Funds and SSSP Funds
General Funds
General Fund
Basic Skills Funds
DSPS Fund 120
EOPS Fund 120
EOPS Fund 120
TRiO Fund 120
Fund 100
General Funds
General Funds
BFAP—Fund 120
General Funds
Fund 100
Combination of Student Equity, SSSP
and General Funds
Basic Skills & General Funds
General Funds
General Funds
General Funds
General Funds
General Funds
Evaluation
Within the framework of Institutional Effectiveness three overarching evaluation goals will
guide our evaluation process: (1) assess how well West Valley College is serving its community.
WVC needs to understand how well our community groups are able to access our services and
courses, and how successfully they are completing their coursework and academic goals; (2)
make the Student Equity Plan a permanent and meaningful part of the Program Review process.
Currently, individual departments and programs do not assess equity in their Program Reviews.
The College needs to know the impact of the student equity strategies on student learning at
the course and program levels; (3) conduct ongoing research and evaluation, and
identify the best practices that lead to improvements in teaching practices, service delivery, and
student achievement.
Data will be collected with appropriate methodologies to enable assessment of progress
toward solving identified gaps. A variety of data sources include enrollment, course completion
and success rates, graduation reports, survey data collected from students participating in
various activities and from faculty participation in professional development sponsored by
Student Equity funds will be routinely utilized. Outcomes data such as course completion and
success rates will be collected annually.
Benchmarks: Several members of the Student Success Committee have participated in the
statewide Institutional Effectiveness training on developing benchmarks to contribute to student
success, and they are highly motivated to lead the charge of establishing institutional
benchmarks.
Through the Student Equity planning process, participants learned that making changes is one of
most challenging aspects of working toward institutional improvements. Additionally, determining
institutional direction through the use of deliberate and informed decisions takes much time and
effort. Moving forward, the college will use benchmark institutions to assess WVC’s standing in such
areas as student access, diversity, retention and completion rates. Analysis of benchmark
institutions will inform decision-making to promote programmatic and student services changes and
enhancements. The Student Success Committee is currently in the process of establishing
benchmarks for each of the five equity indicators and will publish these on the Student Success
Committee webpage.
Contact Information: Dr. Victoria Hindes—Vice President, Student Services 408 741-2020
victoria.hindes@westvalley.edu
Herlisa Hamp—Director of Student Equity & Success 408 741-4616
herlisa.hamp@westvalley.edu