High-risk students are active

Community college students who are defined as “most likely to drop out,” as a result of extra adversity they face during college, work harder and are more engaged than their peers who do not face such challenges, according to a recent survey conducted by the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas-Austin last week.

The study classified students as having a high risk of dropping out of school if they are financially independent, ethnic minorities, first generation college students, non-traditional aged learners, single parents or unprepared for college-level work.

Despite these challenges, high-risk students were more likely to discuss career plans with advisors or instructors outside of the classroom and work harder to satisfy their professors’ expectations than their lower-risk peers.

But even with the added vigor, the study found that high-risk students are more likely to drop out of their first semester and not return for their second semester

“It is very likely that for some high-risk students, even the most engaging educational experience will not be powerful enough to offset the combination of financial, academic, personal and work-related challenges they face,” the study read.

This is contrary to a majority of studies that conclude students who work harder and are engaged are more successful.

“The more actively engaged students are – with college faculty and staff, with other students and with the subject matter they study – the more likely they are to learn and to stay in college until they achieve their academic goals,” the study said.

Administrators at Bunker Hill Community College agreed with the study, saying their own students who face more challenges often are more active and work harder.

“[High-risk students] do have an extreme interest in being engaged in the college,” said Janice Vonanno, head of student affairs at BHCC. “They want to be connected … Being connected with others in the college is one of the things that is very important for them.”

Brenda Mercomes, vice-president of academic affairs at Roxbury Community College, expressed similar sentiments.

“[High-risk students] seem to be more inclined to seek help because they know they need it,” she said. “Whereas those students who are better prepared say, ‘I don’t need this [advisor or instructor], I know this, I know that,’ and they may indeed, but they may not do as well.”

Both BHCC and RCC have instituted student outreach programs to spark greater student engagement, including partnerships with four-year universities such as Boston University.

Carolyn Assa, Interim Executive Director of Communications at BHCC, cited a mentorship program in which a current student contacts an incoming student before beginning classes, enhancing the integration process.

Mercomes said that Roxbury Community College requires students to take placement tests in subjects such as math, reading comprehension and writing to determine whether a student needs to take academic developmental classes.

“We are able to assess where [students] need to be, and what we need to do to help them get where they need to be,” she said.

Additionally, both community colleges participate in a scholarship program run by BU’s Metropolitan College, which enrolls 25 community college students per year for part-time studies in biomedical and clinical sciences, computer science, criminal justice, liberal arts and management at half of MET’s regular tuition.

“Forming partnerships with four-year colleges to help our students transition is another thing we do to keep students engaged and moving through the educational process,” Vonanno said.

Even with these initiatives in place, community colleges are still investigating new programs to enhance high-risk students’ engagement in school.

“[Student engagement] is critical,” Mercomes said. “We know it’s important, and we’re going to look at other ways to help students engage and succeed in their march toward graduation.”