Hispanic-Serving Initiatives

Big Bend Community College embraces its HSI designation as a calling to proudly serve its diverse student body and surrounding communities.  The HSI status enables the institution to pursue special federal funding that can facilitate the design, implementation, and sustainability of academic programs, support services, and instructional facilities.  These projects aim to make significant gains towards closing the achievement gaps affecting Hispanic, low-income, and historically underrepresented students.

What is an HSI?

A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is an institution of higher education that has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Latinx. To become an HSI, an institution has to apply for designation via the US Department of Education.

HSI Events

No current events.

ESCALA Presentations
Current Projects

STEM Title III – Discretionary Grant (Research & Development) (10/2016 to 3/2022)

Title: Transforming STEM Pathways
Budget: $4,803,559
Timeframe: October 2016 to September 2021
Notable Projects:

  • Establish two new transferable degrees: an associate of science (AS) in Computer Science and an associate of applied science (AAS) in Manufacturing Technology.
  • Degrees supported by technology resources and industry-standard instrumentation
  • Align curricula with upper-level requirements leading to the bachelor of applied science (BAS) in Manufacturing Technology and the bachelor of science (BS) in Computer Science at Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg, WA
  • STEM pathway advising and mentoring will promote persistence, degree completion, and transfer.
  • Develop a new, three-course applied mathematics sequence aligned with college-level math required for transfer to equip underprepared students in professional/technical programs for baccalaureate transfer.

Title V Expanding Equitable Education (E3) (10/2020 to 9/2025)

Title: Expanding Equitable Education
Budget: $3,000,000
Timeframe: October 2020 to September 2025
Notable Projects:

  • Activity 1: Infuse Equity in Academic Programs
  • Activity 2: Improve Ability to Equitably Engage Diverse Stakeholders

Quick Summary:

Activity 1: Infuse Equity in Academic Programs will implement a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program. The program will position Hispanic and low-income students, particularly place bound and working adult students in the region, for managerial jobs.

Increase faculty professional development to improve quality of courses and teaching methods for engaging diverse students. As faculty learn and apply concepts of instructional design and infusing equity principles into these design concepts, they will help Hispanic and historically under- represented groups to find meaningful connections to course content, other students, and program faculty, resulting in increased engagement and greater overall student success.

Activity 2: Improve Ability to Equitably Engage Diverse Stakeholders expands BBCC’s institutional capacity to provide relevant, timely, web-based student support services for evening and online students.  The E3 project will invest in targeted staff professional development, specifically in the areas of leadership and equity. BBCC will also develop a new employee onboarding system and grow its institutional capacity by improving its ability to collect and display data through the creation of dynamic data dashboards. Finally, the project will support improvements to the computer network infrastructure in primary buildings used for instruction and student support services.

Past Projects
Increasing Access/Success for Hispanic, Low Income, Rural Students
(10/2009 to 9/2014)

Designed to ensure that Hispanic and low-income students in the most remote service areas of the BBCC district may access newly developed distance instruction and services. Project initiatives dramatically increased access to high-demand educational and professional opportunities.

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October 2009 to September 2014
Title V – Cooperative Grant w/Heritage University

Title: Increasing Access/Success for Hispanic, Low Income, Rural Students
Budget: $3,498,226

Summary: Designed to ensure that Hispanic and low-income students in the most remote service areas of the BBCC district may access newly developed distance instruction and services. Project initiatives dramatically increased access to high-demand educational and professional opportunities

  • Develop access labs in BBCC instructional centers in distant rural communities.
  • Expand Access to high-demand STEM and healthcare degree programs to flexible distance delivery formats.
  • Convert Student Services to Flexible Distance Delivery
  • Established a Transfer/Support Center Centralized
Creating a Dynamic Environment for Success in Engineering and other STEM Fields at BBCC
(10/2011 to 9/2016)

The STEM Center and implementation of STEM Advising engaged interested students and guided them on a clear career path. New equipment and a new program model strengthened redesigned courses.

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(October 2011 to September 2016)
Title III – STEM

Title: Creating a Dynamic Environment for Success in Engineering and other STEM Fields at BBCC
Budget Award Amount: $4,198,506.00

Summary: The STEM Center and implementation of STEM Advising engaged interested students and guided them on a clear career path. New equipment and a new program model strengthened redesigned courses.

Notable Projects: 

  • STEM Center
    Students have access to tutors working scheduled hours Monday through Friday and Sunday and includes post-calculus mathematics.
  • Emporium Math
    Redesign of these courses has resulted in students moving from developmental math into college-level math courses that lead to direct pathway for career choices.
  • Developed and Redesigned Curriculum
    Four new engineering courses were designed, and four others were redesigned to align with WA States common course numbering system. The newly purchased electrical trainer and manufacturing tabletop modules will support engineering and industrial-electrical courses. The CAD and Digital Logic labs are equipped with new hardware, including a new 3D printer. Both labs are equipped to support hybrid and online pilots.
  • STEM Advising
    Advising tools and resources were developed to support enrollment in math, science, and engineering courses. All students identified in the pre-engineering program completed a degree plan.
Pre-Engineering
(10/2012 to 9/2016)

The project successfully addressed the needs of the target populations (Hispanic and low-income students) as well as various gaps in services or infrastructure at BBCC through three major activities:

  1. Expanding Professional and Transfer Opportunities in Engineering With 4-Year Universities;
  2. Strengthening Mathematical Foundations; and
  3. Strengthening STEM Support.

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Type: STEM Title III – Discretionary Grant (Research & Development)
Budget: $3.9M
Timeframe: October 2011 to September 2016
Summary:

The project successfully addressed the needs of the target populations (Hispanic and low-income students) as well as various gaps in services or infrastructure at BBCC through three major activities:

  1. Expanding Professional and Transfer Opportunities in Engineering With 4-Year Universities;
  2. Strengthening Mathematical Foundations; and
  3. Strengthening STEM Support.

Notable Projects:

  • Transfer articulations in Engineering with 4-year universities
  • Renovation of STEM Center and development and pilot of STEM summer institutes
  • Redesigning developmental math courses using the emporium model and incorporating supplemental instruction
  • Development of Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology and new AA degrees in pre-electrical and mechanical engineering programs
  • Academic/Career/Transfer Advising Systems
  • New Digital Circuitry and Computer-Aided Design labs
Expanding Educational Access for South Central Washington
(10/2014 to 9/2019)

The number of Hispanic students that have access to new programs increased in the Title V Individual Grant.  Nursing and computer science programs, improved math attainment with transferable degrees, and improved graduation rates for Hispanic students are other notable highlights.

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(October 2014 to September 2019)
TITLE V – Individual Grant

Title: Expanding Educational Access for South Central Washington
Budget: $3,248,376

Summary: The number of Hispanic students that have access to new programs increased in the Title V Individual Grant.  Nursing and computer science programs, improved math attainment with transferable degrees, and improved graduation rates for Hispanic students are other notable highlights.

Notable Projects:

  • Revived computer science program
  • New degrees were approved, and Curriculum was redesigned to meet changing technology needs and industry standards.
  • Improved nursing program instruction
    Smart classrooms now include lecture-capture equipment and high-fidelity audio equipment. Faculty trained on implementing a flipped classroom model influencing teacher/student engagement. Increased success rates in the nursing program were a result.
  • Increased student services
    This project institutionalized an online academic early warning system and other crucial online resources for students. By establishing seven Community Knowledge Centers in the BBCC rural service district, students had access to computer literacy workshops, laptops and internet services.
New Opportunities in Aviation/Unmanned Aerial Systems (NOA/UAS)
(10/2015 to 9/2020)

Increase post-secondary access and enrollment while improving high-need student persistence, graduation, and goal completion. Development of AAS options in Mechatronics and Unmanned Aerial Systems programs with curricula designed for blended delivery.

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October 2015 to September 2020 (with 6-month no cost extension)
TITLE V – Individual Grant

Title: New Opportunities in Aviation/Unmanned Aerial Systems (NOA/UAS)
Budget: $2,624,919

Summary: Increase post-secondary access and enrollment while improving high-need student persistence, graduation, and goal completion. Development of AAS options in Mechatronics and Unmanned Aerial Systems programs with curricula designed for blended delivery.

Notable Projects: 

  • Development of the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) program and credentials
  • Development of the Mechatronics program and credentials
  • Institutionalize a NEW Advising system for professional/technical programs
  • Renovated classrooms and install Smart instructional technology.
  • Construct an outdoor netted lab for UAS
A Partnership for Advancing Health Professions/A Cooperative Grant with Columbia Basin College
(10/2014 to 9/2019)

Establish access for students at both BBCC and CBC to new certificate, associate, and Bachelor of Science options in Simulation Technology, Medical Records, and Health Information, and Healthcare Administration in flexible, broadly accessible online and blended delivery. New support in the form of program-specific Healthcare Advising designed to promote persistence and credential completion.

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October 2014 to September 2029 (with 10-month extension to June 2020)
TITLE V – A Partnership for Advancing Health Professions/A Cooperative Grant with Columbia Basin College

Title: Partnership for Advancing Health Professionals
Budget: $3,249,094

Summary: Establish access for students at both BBCC and CBC to new certificate, associate, and Bachelor of Science options in Simulation Technology, Medical Records, and Health Information, and Healthcare Administration in flexible, broadly accessible online and blended delivery. New support in the form of program-specific Healthcare Advising designed to promote persistence and credential completion.

Notable Projects:

  • Shared certificate and Associate of Applied Science degrees in Simulation Technology.
  • A new certificate to baccalaureate degree pathway in Healthcare Administration
  • Development of curricula leading to the Certificate and Associate of Applied Science in Medical Records and Health Information.
  • Development of a new Healthcare Administration Bachelor’s degree.
  • Develop and pilot a professional speaker series.
  • Institutionalize Healthcare Advising
  • Website overhaul including translation for materials and website.
  • Development of an online student orientation
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