Adult Re-entry Mentoring Program
College: Glendale Community College
1500 North Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208
College Contact:
Glady Kabateck
818-240-1000 x. 5448, 818-240-1345 or
kabatecl@glendale.edu
Target population:
Adult re-entry
students who are from under-represented populations: displaced
homemakers, single parents, those in transition, nontraditional
vocational students, students wishing to continue or complete their
AA, AS, or transfer to a university, college or vocational school.
Goals:
The goals of this
program are multi-faceted but increased retention and student
success are the primary aims.
Description:
The program, which
began in 1988, consists of a plethora of activities all aimed at
meeting the varied and individual needs of each student at Glendale
Community College. The staff and Director provide services for
between 30 and 40 students each semester. The services they provide
include:
Campus tours, Personal & Career Counseling, Student Educational
Plans, Computer skill enhancement opportunities
Group meetings and counseling addressing issues such as Self-esteem,
Reentry student barriers, Presentations and workshops on topics
including Personal finances, Student success, Self-esteem,
Assertiveness training, Time management, Career planning, Job search
strategies, interest inventories and career planning, Educational
opportunity information (e.g. certificate, AA, and transfer),
Scholarships (mentoring,
transferring, continuing education).
The staff and Director use a variety of methods to reach the
students including having program alumni return to talk to and
mentor the current program participants. They find that the bond
that the students and re-entry student-alumni mentors create is one
of the most important factors in student success. At Glendale CCD,
almost 1/3 of the 15,000 students are over the age of thirty-three.
This make the work the program does with reentry students
particularly valuable. Often the students are unsure if they can
make it, if college will work for them, and what problems they will
encounter. The program attempts to preempt major problem and
introduce students to the college so they do not get lost and so
that the students are able to meet their goals and become successful
in school and work.
Staffing:
The program
consists of a Director and Administrative Assistant. They work in
conjunction with the support of the general college counselors and
staff.
Facilities, equipment, materials:
The program has no special equipment and operates in a small center
with meetings etc. held in the president’s conference room. The
center is situated close to other student services and a computer
lab is directly upstairs, affording the ability to walk with a
student to the computer lab or to additional services.
Costs, funding source:
The funding has been cut from year to year. However, the salaries
are paid out of the general school fund, and the Associated Student
Body provides approximately $600.00 annually for books and financial
aid to students. In emergencies, Student Services provides funds as
needed.
Outreach and marketing:
The outreach and marketing is an on-going activity. Staff are
tireless advocates for their students. The Director makes
presentations on the program at available opportunities including:
· Community events,
· City council meetings,
· Business and professional women’s groups,
· Community organizations in Glendale and near-by communities.
Additionally, the Director communicates via classroom presentations
and faculty communication systems such as emails and written
correspondence.
Evidence of effectiveness:
While there is no formal measure of effectiveness, the large number
of students serving as alumni-mentors provides ample evidence of
success. In addition the center regularly receives appreciative
letters, phone calls, and visits from alumni.
Suggestions for replication:
In starting a new program, it would be necessary to get the word out
via newspapers, radio, outreach, word-of-mouth, campus newspapers
and flyers as well as to gain the support of the board of trustees,
administration and the college president.