Long Beach, Calif. – The California-based College Futures Foundation has approved a $50,000 planning grant to the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) to support development of a program for California community college classified professionals leaders. The program’s goal is helping staff become leaders to support and institutionalize IEBC’s Caring Campus initiative. The planning grant is preparation for the next stage: implementation.
With this grant, IEBC will be:
- Developing a student success and leadership curriculum and supporting materials for Caring Campus staff leaders and mentor coaches.
- Confirming the support and roles for Caring Campus at multiple levels including the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, Guided Pathways Regional Coordinators, and the California Community Colleges Classified Senate (4CS).
- Identifying staff and college participants for the initial implementation phase.
“IEBC is a continuous improvement organization. We constantly learn from our ongoing efforts and incorporate what we learn to ensure we’re working most effectively,” said IEBC President and CEO Dr. Brad Phillips. “This grant will allow IEBC to prepare to better support the unsung heroes: Classified Professionals who interact with students each and every day.”
The objective of the Caring Campus program developed by IEBC is to increase student retention and success in community colleges by creating and cultivating Caring Campus environments through the intentional inclusion of faculty and staff in changing campus cultures to improve student success efforts.
Research continues to document that students leave college because they do not feel connected to the institution. Caring Campus recognizes and leverages the value of connectedness for increasing the likelihood that students will continue towards, and succeed in attaining, their educational goals. Faculty and staff interaction with students can set the stage for successful enrollment, persistence, and completion. It is particularly important for students from historically underserved populations, students less familiar with college, students of color, students from low-income households, and first-generation students to feel welcome and that they belong in college.
The mission of the College Futures Foundation is to ensure more students who reflect California’s diversity complete a bachelor’s degree. and access the opportunity for a better life. The Foundation believes this is best accomplished when California’s education system is designed to meet students’ needs, dedicated to fulfilling their aspirations, and ensures equitable outcomes.
The Foundation partners with organizations and leaders like IEBC across the state to catalyze systemic change, increase college degree completion, and close equity gaps so the vision of a seamless, student-centered educational path to opportunity becomes a reality—one that’s available to every student, regardless of zip code, skin color, or income.