Program Components:  Outreach/recruitment

Business-community partnerships

Secondary postsecondary partnerships

Collaborative funding

     Project Access is designed to bring more inner city and urban students to

Laney College and the Peralta Community College District. Project Access consists of a

team of Laney College staff members. The project is headed by the Dean of Student

Support Services/Matriculation. The team consists of representatives from Admissions,

Financial Aide, Counseling, Matriculation, Assessment, EOPS, DSPS, and CalWORKs.

Each member of the team is linked with a particular school to visit and give presentations

on opportunities at Laney College. They provide prospective students with information

and materials including catalogues and class schedules. In addition to English, much of

the information is available in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Access team members

prepare reports of their visits and discuss successful strategies and difficulties at monthly

meetings.

Once each year the team sponsors a high school day where prospective students come to

the campus. In 2004, over 180 students participated. Students are given a sense of what a

college day is like. Particular attention is devoted to making students aware of vocational

training programs. Campus tours and information on student support programs are given.

Project Access also links with community organization to recruit older students. They

make presentations at churches, correctional facilities, the California Conservation Corps

and other community based organizations, and provide campus tours for these groups.

Project Access team members participate as part of their regular duties. B-FAP funds

(Board Financial Assistance Program) are used to increase the number of Pell grants and

to produce the marketing materials. Each year Project access holds a breakfast for

community leaders and school counselors. They inform these individuals that they will be

happy to come to their sites and provide information about Laney College.

In the four years the project has been operating there have been more calls for information

and requests for tours. Project Access plays an instrumental part in informing students of

options at Laney College.

To replicate this program it is best to recruit staff members who are energetic and

committed because participation is over and above their regular duties. It is also

important to provide training for the team, have consistent, scheduled meetings and

recognize team members for their efforts.

Dr. Matthew D. Kritscher, Dean of Student Support

Services/Matriculation

900 Fallon St

Oakland, CA 94607

510-986-6992, mkritscher@peralta.edu