Orange Coast College is among the twelve California community colleges selected to participate in the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) Fall 2022 Caring Campus partnership cohort.
Supported by IEBC coaching and guidance, teams at OCC will engage in a coaching-based approach to ensure that all Classified Professional staff play a role in supporting every student’s academic success. The Caring Campus partnership first began in 2018 and, to date, 62 California colleges have participated.
“We are thrilled to have been selected for this year’s IEBC Caring Campus cohort,” says OCC President Angelica Suarez. “Research has shown that many students leave college because they do not feel connected to the institution. Caring Campus recognizes and leverages the value of connectedness to increase the likelihood that students will continue towards, and succeed in attaining, their educational goals.”
Funded through the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), IEBC will work with 30 California community colleges (including OCC) during Spring and Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. The objective of IEBCs Caring Campus program is to increase student retention and success in community colleges by utilizing the expertise of staff to create and cultivate caring environments so that students feel welcome and a sense of belonging.
“OCC already exhibits many behaviors of a Caring Campus,” says OCC Human Resources Director and Caring Campus project lead Rebecca Morgan. “This initiative will further enhance and solidify our practices of being a welcoming campus and ensuring our students feel connected to our campus, which leads to an increase in student retention and success.”
More than 90 colleges currently are implementing Caring Campus across the country. They have seen improvements in course retention and success, increased term-to-term persistence, and improved completion and transfer. Achievement gaps are being closed rapidly among demographic groups, and job satisfaction and relationships between staff, faculty and leadership also improve.
“We are excited to see the ways in which Caring Campus will empower Classified Professionals at OCC by giving them the necessary tools to forge strong and productive connections amongst various campus operations,” says OCC Classified Senate President Jeanette Grimm. “I expect that these connections will not only benefit Classified employees, but also students by creating a warm and inclusive campus community.”
Staff interaction with students can set the stage for successful enrollment, persistence, and completion. It is particularly important for students from historically underserved populations, students less familiar with college, non-majority students, students from low-income households, and first-generation students to feel welcome and that they belong in college.
About the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC)
The Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping education stakeholders — community colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, employers, and others — use coaching, collaboration, and data to make informed decisions and craft solutions that improve practice and dramatically increase student success. Learn more about IEBC at www.iebcnow.org
About the California Community Colleges (CCCCO)
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 1.8 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; degree and certificate pathways; and basic skills education in English and math. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision for Success, a strategic plan designed to improve student success outcomes, increase transfer rates and eliminate achievement gaps. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website.