Institution Bluegrass Community and Technical College State Kentucky Academic Level Associate Issue Area Retention Website https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/about/cultural-diversity/latinx/index.aspx Key Personnel Erin Howard Overview The Latinx Initiatives and Services Office (LISO) in the Department of Multiculturalism and Inclusion strives to provide access to high-quality educational opportunities for Latino students in the Commonwealth and to promote Latino student success during and after a student’s enrollment in and graduate from Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Over the past 20 years, Central Kentucky has experienced tremendous demographic shifts resulting increases in Hispanic/Latinx and immigrant populations. Nearly 50% of the students enrolled in Lexington's school system are students of color or ELL students and one in ten students at BCTC is Latinx, immigrant or ELL. LISO was established in 2005 to provide culturally and linguistically intentional educational outreach and student support services to the areas growing community. Program Description Since spring 2005, the Latinx Initiatives and Services Office (LISO) has served Kentucky’s Latino students by supporting their academic and social needs through specialized educational outreach, academic advising, family-based college coaching, career counseling, mentoring, student development, engagement, and development of community partnerships focused on student access and success. Main program components include:Educational outreach: Provision of college admissions coaching and intentional enrollment pathway supports (seamless transition from admissions to advising to orientation). Specialized programs include the LLCEC, Nuestra Orientacion, Festival de Futuros and personalized coaching to advising. Academic engagement: Culturally responsive, ethnic studies based programs for language acquisition, academic engagement and community building; LISO teaches HUM 120 (Spanglish Section) at the college and via dual credit, LAS 201, and FYE (first year experience courses) for Latinx and immigrant students.Advising and coaching: LISO provides advising to DREAM Scholars recipients and 75 additional students per semester and leads training for faculty/staff advisors in the Latinx/Immigrant Advising cohort. Outcome Increased college enrollment: In the 15 years the LISO office has served BCTC and the central Kentucky region, enrollment has increased from 154 students in Fall 2005 to 710 students in Fall 2019Retention: Fall 2018 to Fall 2019 retention rates of Latinx/Hispanic students at BCTC was 45.5% compared to only 30.9% for white students and 40.3 for African American students. Increased access to scholarship opportunities: In 2021-2022, 18 Latinx students were recipients of scholarships in comparison to only one Latinx scholarship recipient in 2018-2019. Learn more about Latino College Completion in Kentucky Return to Growing What Works Database
