Utilization of High Technology and Computer Tracking
System to Enhance Services to Under-Represented Students

Collaboration with: GCC College Research Services, Matt Ashcraft, 845-3968, Director, Amber Daines, Research Assistant, 845-3601; Jose Mendoza, Multicultural Affairs Program, 845-3079, Maggie Carrasco, Staff Assistant, 845-3565; Rosemary Cooke, Financial Aid Technician, 845-3469

Program Description

Methodology: Enrollment Management: Data base tracking systems can help student services programs monitor enrollment and registration, and gauge the overall effectiveness of minority recruitment efforts through personalized enrollment management strategies. Such systems assess where the students are coming from, compile the processes that have been completed, and highlight those processes that have yet to be completed and recruiters or registration staff can take action to assure enrollment and registration.

The tracking system can personalize individual follow-up correspondence and permit staff to be much more pro-active in assuring follow-through and enrollment. Research findings based on actual and longitudinal (10+ years) data and research, show that GCC minority enrollment reflects the community percentage in the local population. This is noteworthy considering the lower educational attainment of minorities in public schools, as well as economic and educational disadvantages which are very real obstacles. The high technology data base has provided the tools and information that have permitted the college to supply added recruitment efforts. As a result, the college either meets or exceeds the community percentage of under-represented students in all categories.

Case Management: The Tracking and Monitoring System allows the program to focus resources, tracks all services provided, and has helped assure that students receive comprehensive student resources, such as: financial aid, individualized guidance and educational planning, and student follow-up.  It also documents services provided to assure that all students receive the equal services or extra services where needed. The result is that minority students (over a ten year time span) have student success and retention rates comparable (and in some cases higher) to those of the general student population. Their retention rates are approximately 80%-- and in many cases close to 90%-- when assessing credits attempted and earned for the various cohorts which have been identified.

Criteria:

Quality:  The Data Base Tracking and Monitoring System assures timely and comprehensive services are provided to under-represented students because it archives all historical data and keeps track of additional services needed for each student.

Efficiency: There is evidence that the innovation does provide for more effective, complete, and pro-active services to enrolled students by eliminating obstacles and tracking needed services.

Cost Effectiveness:  The program does not have prohibitive costs to develop and maintain.  It uses a shared server and an existing File Maker data base which is already utilized throughout the campus network.

Replication:  The Program can easily be replicated, through programming by the College Research Services, and can easily be updated to extract data and information. The system easily adds users and does not require extensive training to utilize the data base.

Creativity:  The higher education research indicates that tracking and monitoring programs are still relatively new in higher education and have generated a great deal of interest.  GCC’s  program was presented and discussed at the Technology Education Conference sponsored by the Community College Foundation in April 2005.

Learning:  These results can be shared with colleges with similar needs and limited resources. There is evidence that many student services programs are interested in the development and implementation of such initiatives.

Collaboration:  The data base program demonstrates the student services enhancements achieved by collaboration with the research arm of the college. The program goal’s are closely aligned with the “institutional efforts” when documenting “student success.”

The Community College Foundation hosts the “annual” Tech. Ed. Conference on April 4-6, 2005, in Pasadena, California, and drew thousands of attendees. There is tremendous interest in tracking systems in higher education.  This innovative program was a part of the “electronic poster session” which was presented at the Conference.  This year, the Conference wanted a general presentation as a part of their conference offerings and requested the presentation.  However, scheduling did not provide the opportunity to attend.

The presentation template is available on PowerPoint and available upon request.

In addition, The Educational Research Information Center (ERIC), a Clearinghouse for Community Colleges, has five (5) research journal articles on the subject, all published by José Mendoza and available upon request.