crossing borders: underrepresented & migrant populations in us higher education c. adolfo...
TRANSCRIPT
Crossing Borders: Underrepresented & Migrant
Populations in US Higher Education
C. Adolfo Bermeo, Ph.D.
Senior ScholarPell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education
FOR THE CHILDREN OF PRIVILIGE THE ROAD TO THE AMERICAN
DREAM IS WIDE OPEN
A DIRECT ROUTE NO ROADBLOCKS NO BARRIERS NO DETOURS
FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH COLLEGE
THERE IS AN EXPECTATION THAT THEY
WILL SUCCEEDWILL EXCELWILL ATTAIN THE
AMERICAN DREAM 2
BUT THAT WILL NOT BE THE CASE FOR THE CHILDREN OF STRUGGLE:
AFRICAN AMERICANS
LATINOS
NATIVE AMERICANS
THE POOR OF ALL RACES
AND IT WILL NOT BE THE CASE FOR MANY IMMIGRANTS
PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO COME FROM POVERTY IN THEIR OWN
COUNTRIES
We live in a world of Savage Inequalities
A world of Haves and Have-Nots A world of dreams, hopes, &
aspirations denied A world in which there is ready
access to the fruits of United States society for some
And closed doors for others
A World Turned Upside Down In Los Angeles County
The 50 richest people control $60 billion while 23% of families earn less than $20,000 p/year.
20% of families live below the federal poverty level of $18,100 p/year while
3% of families earn more than $200,000 p/yr and 43% of Latino children37% of African American children 21% of Asian and White children 13% of elderly of all races
Live in poverty
In California There Are 160,000 Male Prisoners
African Americans make up 1/3 of that population, approximately 55,000
inmates In fact there are more than twice as many African
American men in California prisons as there are African American undergraduates
Male and female combined On the 23 campuses of the CSU and
9 undergraduate campuses of the UC system combined
IT IS 7 TIMES MORE LIKELY FOR
African American male 18-25To be in prisonThan to be UC eligible
That is not only shameful, it is criminal
While African Americans and Latinos--- Men, women, & children combined---
made up 25% of the US population in the 2000 census
African American and Latino men made up 63% of the almost 2 million male inmates in the US prison population that same year
Patas Arriba: a society that puts more money into prisons than schools
OF EVERY 100 AFRICAN AMERICAN, LATINO AND NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN:
50 WON’T GRADUATE FROM
HIGH SCHOOL
10 WILL GO TO COLLEGE
8 0F THOSE WILL GO TO A
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
THE OPEN DOOR
BUT IN FACT, THE OPEN DOOR IS
A REVOLVING DOOR
• WITH LESS THAN 15% OF THOSE STUDENTS TRANSFERING TO A UNIVERSITY
AND OF THOSE WHO ENTER THE UNIVERSITY
BOTH AS FRESHMEN AND AS TRANSFER STUDENTS
LESS THAN 50% WILL GRADUATE
WE BLAME THEIR WORLD: CULTURE
POVERTY
ENVIRONMENT
DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES
BROKEN HOMES
PARENTAL INDIFFERENCE5
AND DEVELOP A LANGUAGETO DESCRIBE & DEFINE
THEM AS: Underprepared Culturally Disadvantaged Unmotivated At Risk
WE CREATE REMEDIAL PROGRAMS
Based on: Student Weaknesses Student Deficits
Rather Than On: Student Strengths and Student Experience
PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON: Academic Survival On Fixing the Student and On Changing the Student
To Fit the Institution
SO THE QUESTION IS:HOW DO WE DEVELOP SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS THAT ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO DREAM, ASPIRE, AND EXCEL?
THAT STAND FOR
ACCESSOPPORTUNITYEQUITYEXCELLENCESOCIAL JUSTICE
REQUIRES A RETHINKING OF OUR SCHOOLS, PROGRAMS AND SELVES
WHAT DO WE DO AND WHY DO WE DO IT?
HOW DO WE DO IT?
WHO DO WE DO IT FOR?
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE ABOUT OUR STUDENTS?
WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM OUR STUDENTS?
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF OUR EFFORTS?
HOW CAN WE IMPROVE?
A PEDAGOGY OF EXCELLENCE MUST BE GROUNDED IN THE BELIEF
THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE:
• RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION• CAPACITY TO LEARN• POTENTIAL TO EXCEL• ARE AT POTENTIAL RATHER
THAN AT RISK
A PEDAGOGY THAT: COMMUNICATES CONFIDENCE IN EVERY STUDENT MOTIVATES & ENCOURAGES ALL STUDENTS TO:
EXPLORE THEIR TALENTS & ABILITIES ASPIRE TO PERSONAL & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE SET THE HIGHEST STANDARDS FOR THEMSELVES TAKE THE MOST CHALLENGING COURSES ACT TO CHANGE THE WORLD
REQUIRES A CAMPUS COMMUNITY THAT:
SETS THE HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS FOR EVERY STUDENT
SETS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS FOR EVERY STUDENT
AND PROVIDES THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SUPPORT FOR EVERY STUDENT
REQUIRES A LEADERSHIP THAT:
PRIORITIZES RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS OF STRUGGLE HAVE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED
AND TO EXCEL
REQUIRES FACULTY AND COUNSELORS THAT:
WORK WITH STUDENTS TO: PLAN THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRAM MONITOR THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRESS
INFORM THEM ABOUT: FINANCIAL AID GUIDELINES & DEADLINES SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNIITES CAMPUS PROGRAMS & SERVICES
AND THAT BUILD ON: THE LIFE EXPERIENCES
STUDENTS BRING TO THEIR EDUCATION
THEIR LEGITIMATE RAGE AT THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR WORLD
THEIR DESIRE TO CHANGE AND IMPROVE THEIR WORLD AND THE BROADER SOCIETY
Work with the strengths that students bring to the table
With their resiliency & courage to flourish amidst: The everyday terror
Of poverty Of unemploymentOf underemploymentOf lack of access
To educationTo healthcare
Theirs are not deficits but strengths
A CAMPUS COMMUNITY THAT: IDENTIFIES INSTITUTIONAL OBSTACLES
SEEKS SOLUTIONS TO THOSE OBSTACLES
HOLDS ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY
STUDENT’S ACADEMIC SUCCESS
ENCOURAGES EVERY STUDENT TO EXCEL
DEVELOPS PARTNERSHIPS FOR EXCELLENCE
WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS & LEADERS PARENTS BUSINESSES AGENCIES CHURCHES, MOSQUES
WITH ALL SEGMENTS OF EDUCATION SCHOOLS COLLEGES UNIVERSITIES TRIO PROGRAMS
DEVELOPS AN ACADEMIC COMMUNITY
Focused on excellence, engagement, and participation
One that stresses to every studentThat the program, the school, the college,
the university is theirsThat they belongThat they have a placeThat they have a right to every
ResourceServiceProgram
A COMMUNITY IN WHICH ALL STUDENTS:
• ARE FULLY ENGAGED IN CAMPUS LIFE
• PARTICIPATING CITIZENS WHO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR ACADEMIC LIVES
WHILE ALWAYS REMEMBERING
THE BIGGER PICTURE
THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE:
• IMMIGRANTS
• LOW INCOME
• FIRST GENERATION
• UNDERREPRESENTED
• UNDERSERVED
WHOSE LIVES ARE OFTEN ON THE BOUNDARIES:
CULTURAL, POLITICAL, & ECONOMIC
DISLOCATION AND MARGINILIZATION
FAMILY PRESSURES & RESPONSIBILIITES
FINANCIAL PRESSURES & RESPONSIBILITIES
SOCIAL PRESSURES & DEMANDS
INDIVIDUAL FEARS & ANXIETIES
IN EVERY ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS, CLASSROOMS, AND PROGRAMS
There is a doctor who will care for the ill
There is a teacherfor a better tomorrow
There is a lawyer who will give voice to the voiceless
There is a community organizer to work with the powerless
THAT IS WHY WE MUST REMAIN COMMITED TO:
MAKING EDUCATION AN INSTRUMENT FOR
SOCIAL JUSTICE
OPENING DOORS
INCREASING ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY
BUILDING A MORE JUST & HUMANE
SOCIETY FOR ALL
DEVELOPING LEADERS WHO WILL
TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES & OUR SOCIETY
The Results at UCLA 1985-20051985 Graduation Rates for African American
and Latino/a Students in AAP: 45%2005 Graduation rates for African American and
Latino/a students in AAP: 83% The highest graduation rate for historically
underrepresented students of any public research university in the country.
This Was Accomplished by: Developing and Implementing the
Pedagogy of Excellence Prioritizing Resources for Direct Services
for Students Expanding Tutorial, Counseling, and Peer
Counseling Services Developing a Graduate Mentor Program Moving AAP and its Students from the
Margins to the Center of Academic Life
AAP’s Budget of $3 million Provided:
A Freshman and Transfer Summer Program for more than 400 students
Tutoring, Counseling, Peer Counseling, and a Graduate Mentor program for 6000 students
A Community of Engagement, Participation, and Citizenship
But In A World Turned Upside Down This administration has spent
over $500 billion on the war in Iraq
$5 billion per month$100,000 per minute
I close with a quote from a Native American poem
"It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have; I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children."