Frank X. Moraga
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805
With a success rate of 79 to 84 percent for students completing college courses with a C grade or better, compared to the college-wide rate of 67 to 70 percent, the Santa Barbara City College Foundation’s Gateway for Student Success Program has already proven itself a winner.
The program recently received a well-deserved boost to continue its efforts when it was presented with a $7,500 grant from Bank of America.
“The grant will help the program continue providing critical services to high-risk SBCC students, equipping them with the tools and support they need to succeed in college,” SBCC Foundation Director of Development Gretchen Hewlett stated in a media release..
“We know that when young adults succeed, they lay the foundation for sustainable financial stability as well as helping their communities thrive,” said David Prichard, Santa Barbara market president, Bank of America. “That is why Bank of America has made workforce development a top priority for the types of local nonprofits we support. SBCC’s Gateway for Student Success program continues to provide a tremendously effective combination of resources and personal attention to young adults starting their college education so they gain the right kind of experience necessary to thrive in today’s competitive workforce down the road.”
The program provides proactive academic and counseling support for challenged and “at-risk” students, particularly in the English and Basic Math Skills classes where attrition rates are most problematic.
Through Gateway, tutors are assigned to one class section and work with the instructor and students in class and after class during tutoring sessions in the Cartwright Learning Resources Center and the Gateway Center on campus.
The relationships between instructors, tutors and students allow for ongoing support and follow-up with each student, officials said.
Annually, the program works with more than 10,000 students.
Bank of America’s consistent support for the Gateway Program has helped thousands of students to graduate from college who would not have been able to do so otherwise, foundation officials reported. Bank of America is creating critical change in each student’s life – but the overall impact on the community is immeasurable. Education is an investment that contributes to the direct economic success of individuals, benefits the economy and attracts and supports business.
One unique element of the Gateway Program is the triangulated learning process, officials said.
Instructors identify students they feel may fall short of course completion and work with the tutors to ensure student success. The instructor guides the tutor, the tutor assists the student and the tutor reports back to the instructor, so that there is ongoing support and follow-up with each student.
With guided support and assistance, students are able to keep up with their courses, graduate from college and move into successful careers. Through Gateway, 82 percent of students are successful in their Gateway classes – a success rate well above the average college population.
About the SBCC Foundation: The mission of the SBCC Foundation is to support SBCC students and programs through sustained philanthropy.
For more information, call 805-730-4401 or visit www.sbccfoundation.org.
— Frank X. Moraga is editor/publisher of Amigos805. He has served as business editor, director of diversity and general manager of a bilingual publication at the Ventura County Star, and as a reporter in the community editions of the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News.