Running head: FINAL PAPER: BELLEVUE COLLEGE

Final Paper: Bellevue College

Kari Berkas, Kjirsten Eisentrout, Kelsey Nerland, & Kali Odell
Seattle University
SDAD 5590: American Community College
Dr. Erica Yamamura
June 9, 2015

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Cover Page

Name

Section

Kjirsten Eisentrout

Campus Profile

Kali Odell

On-Site Synthesis

Kelsey Nerland

Interview Synthesis

Kari Berkas

Recommendations

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Abstract

In an effort to identify ways to improve access, equity, and diversity on Bellevue Colleges
campus, specifically for students coming from Middle College High School, our group
conducted on-site observations and interviews, and completed a literature review of policies for
community colleges and best practices for working with special populations of students. Three
themes emerged from our on-site observations, including mixed evidence of access and diversity,
effective centralization of student services with certain key services still lacking, and a strong
sense of student engagement and community. Three themes also emerged from our interviews,
including an open door commitment, investment in professional development, and limited
resources. Based upon these themes, our group proposed three recommendations to improve
access, equity, and diversity at Bellevue College, including helping students meet basic needs,
working towards student academic success, and instituting a mentor program.

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Final Paper: Bellevue College

Executive Summary
We sought to understand practices at Bellevue College to find ways to improve access,
equity, and diversity there, particularly for Middle College High School students seeking success
in this environment. To do this, we first visited Bellevue College to observe key features, such as
student services and use of space. Second, we conducted in-person interviews with two college
stakeholders. Finally, we reviewed literature on key community college issues for an improved
sense of national and local policies and best practices for serving special student populations.
Three themes became evident when considering all of our on-site observations:

Accessanddiversityareevident,butbarriersstillexist.
Whilethecentralizationofstudentservicesiseffective,certainservicesarestilllacking,

andlimitedresourcescanalsobeabarriertosuccess.
Studentengagementandasenseofcommunityappearedtobestrong.
We also noticed three themes from our interviews:

BellevueCollegehasasolidopendoorcommitmentandseekstoserveallstudents.
Staffareinvestedininnovativeandconsistentprofessionaldevelopment.
BellevueCollegelacksmanyvitalresources.
Furthermore, based on the information gathered, we proposed three recommendations to

improve access, equity, and diversity at Bellevue College:

Identifywaystohelpstudentsmeetbasicneeds,includingincreasingresourceson

campusanddevelopingpartnershipsoffcampus.
Worktowardsstudentsacademicsuccessbyaddressingcampusclimateandcontinuing

withopportunitiesforadvisorsprofessionaldevelopment.
Developanoptionalmentorprogramthatemphasizespersonalautonomy.
Campus Profile

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Located on 100 acres in the southern region of Bellevue, Washington, the main campus of
Bellevue College (BC) is known as one of the largest vocational and technical colleges in the
state. BC offers a wide variety of degrees and student services to support the needs of its
community. Our group was most interested in how the campus could be inclusive of students
from Middle College High School (MCHS) at Seattle University. With careful analysis of
Bellevues policies, programs, mission, and student demographics, resources that support
academic advising, mentoring, and basic student needs appear to be the most useful to students
and could be enhanced at the college to increase accessibility, equity, and diversity.
Mission
Open-door and open-access policies are fundamental commitments of BCs mission.
These continue to play a significant role in student services at community colleges, generally,
and are viewed as both a challenge and opportunity for higher education (Kelsay & ZamaniGallaher, 2014). According to Bellevue Colleges (2015d) Mission Statement:
Bellevue College is a student-centered, comprehensive and innovative college,
committed to teaching excellence, that advances the life-long educational
development of its students while strengthening the economic, social and cultural
life of its diverse community. The college promotes student success by providing
high-quality, flexible, accessible educational programs and services; advancing
pluralism, inclusion and global awareness; and acting as a catalyst and
collaborator for a vibrant region.
In support of this, BC also created an Affirmation of Inclusion (Bellevue College, 2015a), which
offers another definition of how the mission is lived out through student and academic services.
Specifically, it states, Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which
every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college,
free from harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue
College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with

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dignity and respect (Bellevue College, 2015a). With a strong mission to support their
commitment to open-door and open-access, BC is home to a diverse group of students.
Demographics
According to the 2013-2014 fact sheet (Bellevue College, 2015b), BC is home to 33,364
students, studying either part-time or full-time annually. More specifically, BCs student
population is broken down by race and ethnicity, gender, age, enrollment status, and area of
study.
Race and ethnicity demographics are shared through student-reported data and include
the following categories: Asian and Pacific Islander, 21.9%; African American, 6.5%; Hispanic,
12.5%, Native American, 0.7%; Multi-Racial, 3.4%; White, 52.7%, and Other, 2.4%.
Additionally, BC enrolls over 1,700 International Students each year. Gender demographics are
represented as 56.9% females and 43.1% males, and noted in the fact sheet footnote as only for
students who identified within this characteristic (Bellevue College, 2015b).
The median age of students is 24.8 and the average age is 30.4. BC also identifies the
median age of new degree-seeking students as 22.1. According to the footnote, New Degreeseeking students are defined as those who have indicated an intent to pursue a transfer or
professional-technical program of study and plan to attend BC one or two years or long enough
to complete a degree and have no previously earned postsecondary degree or certificate
(Bellevue College, 2015b). Over 1,700 Running Start students are also enrolled at BC.
With 75% of all enrollments occupying a degree or certificate program, BC (2015b), also
supports 51.8% of students who are employed fulltime while enrolled at BC, 17.8% who identify
as having dependents, and provide services to over 1,000 students who identify with a disability
(2015b). Out of students enrolled at BC, about 29.4% are eligible for financial aid (2015b).

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Student Outcomes at BC are documented in the fact sheet as the total academic year
2012-2013 awards conferred (2015b). Last year, out of the 2,840 awards, 41 were Baccalaureate
degrees, 103 were Associate degrees (AAS-T), 318 were Associate degrees for Prof-tech, 1,603
were transfer Associate degrees, 168 were certificates completed in one year and 551 in less than
one year, and 56 were high school completion awards (Bellevue College, 2015b).
Programs
In order to support the academic needs of students, BC employs over 1,500 faculty and
staff across a wide variety of programs on campus. Looking ahead to the recommendations for
our report to BC and MCHS, our group focused on functional areas within the Division of
Student Services at BC. This group is comprised of departments including Student Services,
Student Success, Student Programs, Financial Aid, Athletics, Enrollment and Registrar Services,
and International Student Programs (Bellevue College, 2015c). Within each of these
departments, a variety of offices and programs are housed to serve student needs in access,
equity, and diversity. Our group selected specific resources and recommendations, which may be
covered by multiple offices and programs currently at BC.
Resources
According to Munsch, Velazquez, and Kowpak (2014), Leaders in open-access
institutions must recognize the varied needs of the diverse student populations served by their
mission (p. 36). With a 77% college transfer placement rating within nine months after
completion, BC students are among the largest number of transfer students to Washington
baccalaureate institutions, with over 1,500 BC students attending public and nearly 250 attending
independent colleges or universities (Bellevue College, 2015b). To support students transfer
goals, BC offers a variety of critical support resources.

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Academic Advising is a major department within Student Services at BC that supports

student success and is an important aspect of organizational structure on campus (Levin, Cox,
Cerven, & Haberler, 2010). This department offers academic support programs to orient firsttime-in-college and transfer students. Another department that offers support to students
academic success is the Academic Success Center (ASC). This department houses Academic
Tutoring, Math Lab, Reading Lab, and the Writing Lab. Each of these academic resources at BC
assists students through individual or group meetings, topic-based workshops, and collaboration
with faculty to offer class presentations.
Quality mentorship support programs are not listed as a part of an individual department
at BC. However, Student Services has multiple resources through which students could gain
access to mentors. These include, but are not limited to, the TRiO Student Support Services,
Counseling Center, Disability Resource Center, Financial Aid, Office of International Education
and Global Initiatives, and Multicultural Services (MCS). Students also have the opportunity to
provide mentorship and leadership to other students in educational and community building
programs like the ASBC Student Government, Campus Activities Board, New Student
Orientation, and the Campus Information Center.
Serving students basic needs is not the domain of a single office at BC. According to our
research and observations, departments that currently assist with students basic needs for
enrollment at BC include access to academics through programs like Running Start (also known
as dual enrollment), Career Education Options (CEO), general Enrollment and Registrar
Services, Financial Aid, and Financial Assistance. Students needs for successful enrollment at
BC vary, though, and each individual will rely on a different combination of services and
resources. As for basic needs beyond enrollment, BC has an on-campus cafeteria, the Wellness

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Center, access to over 30 computer labs across campus, the Center for Career Connections,
Workforce Education, the Disability Resource Center, Early Learning Center, Online Services for
Students, Veterans Administrative Programs, and classes to support English Language Learners.
However, while these services meet a variety of students needs, some needs remain unmet. BC
does not currently offer a health center, on-campus housing, or after-hour access to the offices
listed above, creating concern about the limitations these place on access, equity, and diversity.
According to Munsch and Kelsay (2014), Students choose to attend a community
college for many different reasons (p. 57), therefore it is valuable for BC to know who their
students are and what they need. A variety of programs currently exist at BC to support basic
needs, but Bella, a current professional at BC, noted that there is always room to improve (Bella,
personal communication, May 4, 2015). As communities evolve and change over time,
community colleges need to regularly reevaluate their student populations and the resources
available to them. With its open-access, open-door mission, BC has the opportunity to forge
ahead and continue as the leader in Washington State as the largest technical and vocational
college, as long as it continues to reassess and adapt to students needs. Our group believes that
to continue this trend, and to effectively serve MCHS students, in particular, BC should consider
developing a new mentorship program for students, further enhance professional development
for staff, and explore additional avenues for meeting students basic needs.
On-site Observations
Demographic and program data provided our group with a basic understanding of BCs
context, but we deepened that understanding by each spending an hour on campus to observe its
environment. To maximize the usefulness of our observations, we visited at different times on
different days of the week, and focused on a variety of areas and resources in the campus space.

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Together, our observations centered around three themes: access and diversity, student-centered
services, and student engagement and community. Our findings in these areas helped inform our
recommendations for improving MCHS students access to and success at BC.
Access and Diversity
Essentially, The community college certainly serves a broader sector of the local
population than does any other higher education institution (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2014, p.
66). Indeed, while at BC, we observed many signs that indicate the college serves a highly
diverse student population, and that it makes strong efforts to provide support for those students.
However, despite the colleges open-access mission and interest in promoting equity and
diversity, it is still critical to ask the question: Who appears to be able to participate at BC?
Although about half of the students we saw on campus were white, which reflects BCs
demographic data, we did observe a wide variety of ethnic and racial identities among students
(Bellevue College, 2015b). Importantly, we also noted that student pairs and groups spanned
across these identities, indicating that even though some students might experience racial
discrimination on campus (Orozco, Alvarez, & Gutkin, 2010), generally BC is a space in which
students feel comfortable with diverse racial interactions. Such a quality has the potential to
promote enrollment and persistence among students of color. Along with racial and ethnic
identities, we recognized age as another salient identity that appeared to reflect BCs data. Most
students we saw appeared to be traditionally aged (under 25), and interactions did not seem to
transcend age differences. However, since none of us had the opportunity to observe BC during
the evening, it could be that nontraditionally aged are more present then. Still, the absence of
many nontraditional students from our observations indicates that there may be some barriers
(work or children, for example) that prevent them from utilizing the campus during the day.

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The other visible identity we investigated was physical ability. Although we noted that
the hallways in the Health Sciences Building were a bit narrow, most of our observations
indicated that BC provides a friendly space for students with physical disabilities. Elevators were
centrally located and all doors had automatic open buttons. Parking for students with disabilities
was also located right outside the Health Sciences Building, which, along with a gently sloped
ramp to the door, made it accessible. We had the opportunity to watch two students with
disabilities navigate the space, and they seemed to be able to do so without additional burdens.
In addition to observing visible identities, we also noted indicators of support for the
presence of invisible identities, as well. A Safe Zone sticker prominently displayed in an office
window suggested support for LGBTQI individuals, while a sign specifically welcomed veterans
to campus. Also, while some buildings still only have gender-specific bathrooms, there are
bathroom facilities in the student services building that are gender inclusive. While these signs
did not provide definitive proof that these identities receive widespread support, they do suggest
that people with these identities are accessing campus and do have supports available.
However, while our observations at BC indicated inclusivity for many identities, we also
noticed some clear barriers to access and diversity. Shannon and Smith (2010) recognize that
geography can place restrictions on a community colleges open-access mission (Shannon &
Smith, 2010). Because on-campus housing is not available and affordable housing around BC is
limited, most students must either drive or take the bus to campus. While the college does have
lots of parking and a number of bus lines, this means students must be able to afford these
transportation options. Furthermore, the buses that serve the college are primarily Bellevuebased, so students trying to access the college from other parts of the Seattle area may face
lengthier commutes. While this makes some sense given BCs geographical service area, it limits

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some prospective students options who might be interested in the special programs the college
offers, like its high-quality nursing program.
Student-Centered Services
Community college students tend to rely more on external support, like family and
friends, than on administrators within a college. However, the likelihood of persistence increases
when students receive support from both areas and are able to better integrate into their campus
communities (McFadden & Mazeika, 2014). At BC, critical resources are centralized in one
building so that students have easy access to services and the very act of engaging with one
service can educate them about other services that are available. Within the Student Center
(Building B), students can access the Center for Career Connections, Womens Center,
Counseling Center, Multicultural Services, High School Programs (including Running Start and
Summer Enrichment), TRiO Student Support Services, Disability Resource Center, Workforce
Education, Assessment/GED Office/Testing Center, Evaluations/Graduation office, the Financial
Aid Office, the Veterans Office, and the bookstore. Together, these services support students
academic pursuits and their holistic identity development. Furthermore, as we observed some of
these services, we witnessed several front desk staff members interacting with students. These
interactions demonstrated that staff were friendly and informative, making it a more comfortable
space to utilize.
While BC provides many great services and tries to make them as accessible as possible,
we also noticed some limitations on what the college provides. First, the college does not provide
students with services to meet some of their most basic needs, like housing and healthcare. We
later learned in an interview with Bella, a student affairs professional at BC, that students lack of
access to these resources limits their success (Personal communication, May 2015). Second, like

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many community colleges, BC has limited physical space (Jamrogowicz, 2014). Although BC
provides students access to computers and other critical electronic services, and has many study
spaces available in buildings across campus, we consistently saw that these spaces were full,
with all resources in use. The same was true of more social spaces, such as the colleges cafeteria
and social lounges, where we saw multiple students sitting on the floor because no other options
were available. These space and resource limitations have the potential to be highly problematic
for commuter students who are unable to return home between classes or who are unable to
afford computer access off campus.
Finally, the hours for many services are also limited. Most services are open between
8:00 AM and 5:00 PM on weekdays, although academic advising and financial services are open
until 6:00 PM a couple days a week. These services are not available on weekends. Since forty
percent of part-time community college students work fulltime, and research shows that parttime students often have difficulty accessing student services, hours could interfere with
enrollment and persistence (Munsch & Kelsay, 2014; Orozco, Alvarez, & Gutkin, 2010).
Fortunately, tutoring services, at least, are available into the late evening and for limited weekend
hours, so students at least have broader access to these services even if they are unable to be on
campus during the day.
Student Engagement and Community
Student involvement and integration into the college community is a strong indicator of
persistence, but community college students additional commitments mean that they are less
likely than their four-year counterparts to be involved in campus life (Cohen et al., 2014;
McFadden & Mazeika, 2014). Our group wanted to see how BC measures up to this trend and
what level of social engagement and community it could offer MCHS students.

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While on BCs campus, we observed quite a bit of social interaction. Although many
students chose to study individually, we saw several pairs working together in the library and
study spaces. They did so quietly, though, demonstrating a deep respect for others concentration
and indicating that these spaces are clearly designated for studying and not socializing. In social
spaces, though, like the cafeteria, the Student Center, and outdoor areas, students were actively
engaged in conversations, playing sports, and even singing together. This suggested to us that BC
students are open to building social relationships with one another.
Another indicator of community engagement was the abundance of flyers advertising
community and campus events. Flyers were easy to read and well-organized by the college staff
responsible for organizing the campuss bulletin boards. Some of the advertised events were
academic, but many were social and cultural. We noted that many of the flyer holders were
empty, as were the racks that hold the student newspapers. This suggests that students are
interested in staying informed about and involved in their community, even if other priorities are
limiting their time. Ultimately, we learned that while BCs students may not be involved on
campus to the same degree that many four-year students tend to be, they are engaged, which
allows BC to offer incoming students a more socially supportive educational environment.
Interview Synthesis
To gain an insider perspective of BCs efforts to promote access, equity, and diversity, we
interviewed Bella and Kahlua, two BC employees who work in student services and academic
advising. Through both interviews, the two BC student affairs professionals demonstrated a
distinct understanding of their institutions existing identities, as well as their campuss overall
commitment to access, equity, and diversity. Three main themes emerged around commitment to
an open door policy, professional development, and a lack of resources.

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Open Door Commitment

Bellevue College, the largest community and technical college in the state of Washington,
pushes the envelope of what community colleges can do (Bella, interview, May 4, 2015). It is
clear that BC has a high commitment to being an inclusive environment where every walk of
life is represented (Bella, interview, May 4, 2015). The open door commitment, which requires
that BC welcomes all comers as students, aligns effortlessly with BCs mission through the
Affirmation of Inclusion (Bellevue College, 2015a):
Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every
member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the
college, free from harassment and discrimination. We value our different
backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and
administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect.
Fundamentally, because BC welcomes such a diverse array of studentsall with specific and
unique needsit is vitally important that the institution be welcoming and supportive to anyone
who is a student on its campus (Bellevue College, 2015a). Bella specifically discussed how there
are services available for every kind of student, which aligns with the sentiment that to be a
community college, the institution must meet the needs of those within a designated service
area (Watson & Brand, 2014, p. 162). BC recognizes that its programs, mission, structure, and
policies cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach, but, rather, require a specialized approach.
BC commits to inclusivity through its mission and demonstrates that commitment
through the range of services it provides. When Bella talked about the Student Services offices,
her words were reminiscent of identity development theories and how transformational students
experiences can be when they have support in their identity development. Her words about
engaging students through these offices also reminded us of Astins (1999) theory of Student
Involvement because involvement with specific offices can build feelings of connection that

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motivate students to persist in college (Astin, 1999). By providing these specialized services that
offer students support and connection, BC creates an inclusive environment that is fundamental
to promoting an open door policy.
While BC remains strongly committed to its open door policy, Bella also discussed some
of the issues that arise from this mission. Specifically, Bella talked about how BC has been
coined as a revolving door institution instead of an open door one due to issues with retention
numbers. The open door commitment has no limits, which means that students can stop out and
start in again at any time. During their affiliation with BC, any type of student can get any kind
of service from the institution at any point, which ultimately makes tracking them and their
experiences difficult.
Professional Development
Kahluas interview highlighted that because they are dedicated to inclusivity and the open
door mission, professionals at BC are also committed to sharing responsibility for students
needs. This requires BCs student affairs professionals, staff, academic advisors, and faculty to
be responsive administrators who remain in tune with the ever-changing needs of the
community college student population (Munsch, Velazquez, & Kowpak, 2014, p. 38). Their
ethic of shared responsibility for student success also discourages staff members from ignoring a
students problem because it does not fall within their traditional professional domain
(McFadden & Mazeika, 2014). To meet this high standard for providing student services, BC
places a strong emphasis on professional development for staff members. Although community
colleges have tight resources to serve their highly diverse and complex student bodies, our
interviewees informed us that that has not stopped staff members from engaging in quality
professional development (Townsend & Wilson, 2006). Specifically, Kahlua described the

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innovative ways the staff take part in professional development to explore a range of social
justice, student development, and advising topics, even within their tight budget. Kahlua
explained how all academic advisors are trained in student development theory, which is a
foundation that McFadden and Mazeika (2014) argue is critical to improving student success.
When an academic advisor does not have a Masters in Education, Kahlua provides them with
training in student development theory.
Bellevue College also encourages professional development through innovative in-house
opportunities. For example, Kahlua explains how her office invites experts to watch advising
presentations to make sure they are accessible, and how they also encourage staff members to
train each other on relevant topics of interest and expertise. Watson and Brand (2014) support
BCs commitment to professional development by stressing that it is one of the strongest ways to
increase capital for marginalized populations. This makes BCs dedication to professional
development a key practice in the institutions efforts to increase access, equity, and diversity for
students.
Lack of Resources
Although Bella works closely with each department in her division to provide a wealth of
services that create a sense of belonging for students on campus, both Bella and Kahlua agree
that a lack of resources limits their professional efforts. For instance, there is a level of inequity
that arises from BCs reliance on adjunct instructors. Not only do adjunct faculty lack access to
private spaces where they can meet with students to offer support and help them navigate
personal and academic challenges, they also lack the time to meet with students because they
usually have to commute between multiple campuses. Kahlua also mentioned that while BC
depends heavily on its adjunct instructors, adjunct faculty members are not provided with the

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same training as the fulltime staff members. Tenure-track faculty and fulltime staff are paid to
pursue professional development and attend trainings, while adjuncts are not and seldom have
the resources to seek it on their own. Without this training for adjuncts, students pay the price.
Orozco et al. (2010) notes that racism and other prejudices are still prominent on community
college campuses, and members (including faculty and staff) need more diversity training and
exposure to address the problem. An increase in resources would prevent a lot of the issues that
students and adjunct faculty currently face. In the meantime, Bella explained that BC is very
intentional in its hiring process to balance out its limited resources. BC understands the
significance in hiring staff who understood [students] cultural background and could relate to
their life experiences (Orozco et al., 2010, p. 730). This way, students still have access to
culturally competent professionals on campus, even when BC cannot provide these professionals
with additions training.
While it makes strong efforts to serve students needs, BC still lacks resources for the
technology, training, space, and staff necessary to meet the wide variety of needs present in its
highly diverse student population. Bella particularly focused on the institutions lack of resources
for meeting students basic living needs, such as healthcare, food, and housing. With limited
financial aid opportunities and growing enrollment, Bella hopes Bellevue will eventually be able
to provide a place on campus for students to get additional assistance with healthcare, food, and
housing needs. Bella recognizes that if students basic needs are unmet, this will distract them
from achieving their academic goals. Barriers to basic needs will limit students ability to be
successful in their coursework and co-curricular activities, and will force the students to
eventually leave college. However, both Kahlua and Bella believe that access to more resources
would give BC the capacity to meet these needs for students.

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Ultimately, Bellas and Kahluas interviews demonstrated their clear understanding of

how BC both supports and limits access, equity, and diversity on its campus through its open
door commitment, professional development, and limited resources. Their feedback about their
institutions efforts, as well as their obvious commitment to student success, provided us with
valuable insights for making recommendations that would improve these efforts and
simultaneously support MCHS students in accessing and persisting at BC.
Recommendations
Based upon the information that we gathered on BC and MCHS, as well as key findings
from our research on policies and recommended practices for community colleges, we identified
recommendations to improve access, equity, and diversity at Bellevue College. These
recommendations will improve MCHS students abilities to succeed in this particular educational
environment and ultimately transfer to a 4-year university. The three recommendations that we
feel are most important for meeting these goals are: 1) to find ways to meet students basic needs,
2) to improve academic advising support, and 3) to institute quality mentor programs.
Basic Needs
Although it is often understood amongst higher education professionals that involvement
leads to success, we also know that community colleges serve students with diverse needs (Astin,
1999; Munsch & Kelsay, 2014). For many students, including MCHS students, involvement may
be the least of their concerns, as they have basic needs that must be met in order to succeed in
higher education. Martin, Galentino, and Townsend (2014) conducted a study of successful
students characteristics and found that basic services such as financial aid and English as a
Second Language courses were more important than involvement in determining persistence.
Merdinger, Hines, Lemon Osterling, and Wyatt (2005) found that several students in their study

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encountered multiple nights of homelessness, and Unruh, Povenmire-Kirk, and Yamamoto

(2009) found that juvenile offenders needed independent living opportunities before they could
focus on their education.
Our groups interactions with Bellevue College reinforced this theme from the literature.
Our interview with Bella revealed that students need additional assistance with healthcare, food,
and housing, and this hinders their ability to focus on academic success (Bella, personal
communication, May 4, 2015). Financial aid is also one of the services that is most in-demand
(Kahlua, personal communication, May 6, 2015), but it is difficult to access due to limited
opportunities and staffing (Bella, personal communication, May 4, 2015; Kahlua, personal
communication, May 6, 2015). Campus visits revealed that many student services offices have
limited hours, which then limits their usage for students who work fulltime or part-time off
campus. Furthermore, the campus does not offer on-site housing and is in a fairly affluent area
(Kahlua, personal communication, May 6, 2015). Physical space on campus is also quite limited
(Kahlua, personal communication, May 6, 2015).
Knowing that MCHS students have these basic needs that need to be met, including
housing, English language assistance, and finding viable hours to access campus resources due to
employment, we recommend that Bellevue College devote energy to finding ways to help
students meet basic needs. First, professionals need to conduct a comprehensive assessment of
student needs to identify what is limiting student success and to begin to identify priorities.
Second, professionals need to reassess the use of resources on campus, including both physical
space (increased computers, study areas, etc.) and staffing (more financial aid advisors, etc.).
Third, professionals need to understand the limits of what the campus can currently provide in
terms of meeting basic needs and work towards forming community partnerships with social

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agencies that may help students access other vital services, like housing. Although Bellevue
College subscribes to the no wrong door policy (Kahlua, personal communication, May 6,
2015), it seems unlikely that every need can be met on campus at this point in time. Looking
outward will be of utmost importance.
Academic Advising/Success
Listening to a key stakeholder with MCHS speak about student needs, we learned that
students are focusing on transferring to a 4-year university (personal communication, May 26,
2015). As such, they will require focused attention and support towards their academic success.
Orozco et al. (2010) write that academic advising is vital to student retention in that it
helps students become integrated, involved members of the academic and social systems on a
campus (p. 718). This idea was reflected in Kahluas interview, in which we learned that
academic advising is one of the top resources that students need at BC (personal communication,
May 6, 2015). However, while academic advisors at BC receive the training and professional
development they need to be effective with the students they meet, Kahlua also recognized that
due to student volume, access to advisors is limited. Not receiving academic advising, in turn,
becomes a barrier to students success.
Academic resources are particularly important when it comes to working with special
student populations. Student success courses especially help disadvantaged students by
providing crucial capital to navigate through higher education (OGara, Karp, & Hughes, 2009).
Furthermore, Zamani (2000) writes, Students of color are more likely to excel in institutional
environments that are culturally diverse, programmatically inclusive, and supportive of multiple
approaches to the acquisition of knowledge (p. 9). We learned from a MCHS stakeholder that
emotional counseling built into academic advising could be particularly helpful for this group of

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students, and this corresponds with Orozco et al. (2010), who write, Academic advising and
exposure to resources such as [] personal counseling on psychosocial concerns can contribute
to the academic persistence of community college students (p. 718).
With all of this in mind, there are several things that BC can do to increase access to
academic advising and support student success. On a basic level, BC must continue the robust
professional development that has been implemented for academic advisors, especially as it
relates to multicultural competence, as this helps with sensitivity to diverse student needs. BC
must also make sure that there are enough advisors to provide focused attention to all students.
Beyond this, BC needs to continue its focus on the overall institutional climate, as we learned
from Zamani (2000) that students will succeed in an inclusive environment. BC professionals
can do this by critically assessing BCs existing programming and devising innovative strategies
to involve more students in its programs so that everyone feels like a valued member of the
campus community. Furthermore, as we noted from the MCHS stakeholder and Orozco et al.
(2010), BC should explore ways to integrate emotional counseling with academic advising.
While we learned from Kahlua that her particular department trains students in student
development theory and hires staff with that background (personal communication, May 6th,
2015), training staff in counseling or hiring staff with a social work background could be another
effective route to explore.
Quality Mentorship Programs
Although mentorship programs were not a focus in our onsite visits or interviews, our
research indicated that such programs can be an effective method for ensuring student success
(Orozco et al., 2010). There is already a program in Washington State called the Washington
Achiever Scholars, which is a non-profit organization devoted to college access. It supports

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racially, ethnically, and economically underserved student populations through collaborations

with high school districts (Cowan & Goldhaber, 2015). Scholarship recipients are assigned to
mentors at the end of their junior year, and this helps them progress towards attending college.
Hu and Ma (2012) conducted a study on this program and found that a mentor (typically of
similar race and gender to the student) positively relates to the probability of mentees persisting
in college.
Although mentor programs seem promising, there are several considerations in instituting
a successful mentor program. A key stakeholder from MCHS said that lack of trust is an issue for
students, so this makes referrals to services difficult. Along these lines, multiple studies have
found that students are reluctant to ask for help (Dworsky & Perez, 2010; Martin, Galentino, &
Townsend, 2014). Watt, Norton, and Jones (2013) found that foster youth were actually unhappy
to be assigned a mentor, as this limited their personal autonomy (para. 35). Orozco et al. (2010)
write that it is important to find counselors who understood [students] cultural background and
could relate to their life experiences (p. 730). The MCHS stakeholder said that there is an
attempt at an existing mentor program within the school in which students find someone they
respect in the community to mentor them over Skype regarding their interest or needs.
With these considerations in mind, there are multiple steps that BC can take to institute a
successful mentor program. First, professionals must identify what students hope to experience
from a mentor program and base the program around their actual needs and expectations.
Second, they must always allow students the option to opt in or opt out of the mentor program.
Although it may take a while to build a base of trust and support, this is more likely to be
established if students are voluntarily entering the program. Third, professionals need to recruit
mentors from many different backgrounds to increase the chances that students will find a

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mentor with whom they personally identify. Reaching out to alumni may be an effective
recruitment tool. Finally, students need to be allowed to select their own mentors, rather than
being assigned one, as this preserves their autonomy.
Conclusion
As an institution, Bellevue College has much to recommend it. It is one of the largest
vocational and technical colleges in the state, and it offers a diverse, friendly community for
students to engage. It also provides student support services that are conveniently centralized and
can help students find academic success and a holistic developmental experience. Furthermore,
because of BCs strong commitments to its open door mission and professional development, the
staff members who deliver services are prepared to work with students according to their unique
strengths and challenges. These are all assets that could support MCHS students interested in
attending BC. However, our onsite observations, interviews, and research have demonstrated,
there is still room for improvement at BC. Based on our findings, we believe that identifying new
ways to meet students basic needs, improving access to academic advising, with a new emphasis
on counseling skills, and developing a mentor program, will address some of the more significant
barriers students encounter at BC. By using creative methods to implement these
recommendation, BC can improve access, equity, and diversity on its campus and particularly
offer greater support for MCHS students interested in attending the institution.

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Appendix A: On Site Observations

Date/Time of Observation
Area(s)/Event(s) Observed
Kari Berkas

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Transportation: bus stops and

parking lots

11:30 am 12:30 pm
Building D: Library
Building C: Student Union Building
Kjirsten Eisentrout

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Campus community spaces

Website: campus profile, campus
map, parking

10:30 am 12:00 pm
Campus signage, visitor parking,
and community spaces (outside)
Building R: Health Science &
Education Office

Kelsey Nerland

Friday, April 10, 2015

Building B: Student Service

resources and signage
Building B: Bookstore, Student
Services, Counseling Center

1:45 3:00 pm
Kali Odell

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

10:30 11:30 am

Building C: Student Union Building

(SUB)
Building R: Offices (hours of
operation), classrooms, technology,
accessibility throughout building
(elevators, space limitations, and
mobility), community spaces and
furniture.
Building B: Student Services
Building C: Student Union Building
Academic Success Center (tutoring)

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Appendix B: Interviews

Kari
Berkas

Date/Time
of Interview

Interviewee
Name
(Actual)

Interviewee
Name
(Pseudonym)

Current Position

Stakeholder
Group

Wednesday,
May6th,
2015

Maria A.
SefchickDel Paso

Kahlua

Director,
Academic
Advising

Professional

Ana
Blackstad

Bella

Dean, Student
Success

Professional

3:00pm
Kjirsten
Eisentrout

Monday,
May 4th,
2015
11:00 am