College has low success rate with Hispanic students

January 17, 2012
By Joe Ramirez

“Low success rates at community colleges” is the title of a recent article in the Houston Chronicle (Nov. 23) about the low success rate of Lone Star College, resulting in $3.8 million taxpayer annual losses.

Information is reported by Mark Schneider of the American Institutes for Research. This is an organization that was commissioned by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The fact is there are too few students that begin and that ultimately earn a degree or transfer to four-year college. Only about 12 percent of all college students earn a degree within a three-year period and 30 percent graduate after six years. This means dropout/attrition rates of 88 percent at a three-year period and 70 percent at a six-year period, and certainly an indicator of college efficiency of the overall population. LSC officials will not provide data that relates to the Hispanic race.

RACIAL DISPARITY

The Hispanic enrollment varies from campuses that have up to 50 percent enrollment at North Harris with less than 5 percent of bilingual faculty. Similar comparisons can be made at the Kingwood campus with a 25 percent enrollment rate and a 3.3 percent bilingual faculty.

The Lone Star College System has grown to include 85,000 students. In conclusion, Lone Star College does not want or seek help developing a diversity program that will begin to improve this racial disparity. Not only is the major concern to taxpayers losing $3.8 million a year, but a disservice to each of the communities for which the colleges were established.

According to published information, the No. 1 priority at the college is “student achievement.” Clearly the Hispanic community or the overall community is not getting value received in this regard, referring to the aforementioned article. It seems that the college does not care to engage in discussions with community organizations that can help with recruiting and attracting candidates worthy of consideration.

HESI HISTORY WITH LSC

After a four-year relationship with Lone Star College, I have had an opportunity to evaluate some of the reasons why there is a very low success rate with young Hispanic/Latino students. I learned of a serious faculty disparity and began bringing it to their attention with no response or interest.

Recent audits for the last two years of 2010-12 reflect a huge racial disparity of bilingual faculty who speak the language or understand the culture, which attribute to low “student achievement” among Hispanic students. Lone Star College promotes the college system as having 90,000 students with a Hispanic student enrollment of more than 25 percent, or 22,250, Latinos with only 5 percent, or 43, Hispanic/bilingual faculty employed by the college.

These numbers calculate into 523 Hispanic students for each bilingual teacher.

CEASE AND DESIST

Hispanic Executive Society International was banned from entering any of the campuses and was threatened with legal action if any information was published about the college’s diversity program.

As of this date, HESI does not have any kind of relationship with Lone Star College. HESI is seeking to clear its name as a result of allegations and investigate the matter and the actual reasons for doing so. After several attempts to discuss this matter, Lone Star has not expressed interest in any kind of due diligence to verify any of the presumed facts.

RESPONSES FROM LSC

When asked for a copy of its recruiting history and plans for the future, there was no further comment or follow-up. The cavalier attitude toward diversity clearly indicates that it is not a priority.

No doubt there is a racial disparity of faculty at Lone Star College and changes need to be made quickly to reduce the dropout rates and waste of taxpayer monies.

Anyone that has information or seeks to render an opinion on this article is encouraged to contact the Hispanic Executive Society founder at joeramirez@hispanicexecutivesociety.org or through the website www.hispanicexecutivesociety.org.

Source: The Humble Observer