Vantage Point
Spotlight on an institution in one of the constituent groups: small institutions, community colleges, comprehensive/doctoral institutions, or research universities
By Dennis Klaus and David Richardson
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Partnership Supports Access, Employment
Our nation's educational systems have proposed many pathways for helping students access a college education and prepare them for future employment. At Salt Lake Community College, we've addressed these goals by actively initiating a three-way collaboration among our college, local high schools, and several of our area businesses—the Partnerships for Accessing College Education (PACE).
The main thrust of the collaboration is to help students gain access to higher education and prepare them for careers. But, we anticipate other related benefits, such as increased enrollment and retention, and strong community economic growth.
Early response to the idea has been promising, with Zions Bank contributing $50,000 for the first scholarships and $25,000 for operations. Questar has contributed $5,000, and the Larry H. Miller Group has provided one scholarship. Ongoing work from the development office is aimed at recruiting other businesses for the project, and we will soon extend PACE's reach to include more high schools and business partners.
A Positive Start
PACE was developed under the leadership of President Cynthia Bioteau, who was interested in doing something significant to coordinate local resources to benefit students, the community, and the college. Various entities (including the community, our state, and local private enterprises) had shown a tremendous interest in helping minority students, first-time college-bound students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals to access a college education.
We developed the PACE criteria to be incentives for academic and career success. To be selected for the program, students must:
- Maintain an excellent attendance record.
- Achieve an above-average grade-point level.
- Take a prescribed set of courses in mathematics and social sciences, as designated by high school counselors.
- Receive a Career Readiness Certificate before they graduate from high school.
Multiple Motivations
The partnership gives participating PACE students the opportunity for employment during summer recesses and potential internships during the academic year. Local business can participate in several ways:
- Provide a one-time or annual donation to be used for funding scholarships.
- Offer internships for summer employment opportunities.
- Mentor participating students as they progress through the program.
In addition, high school students who complete the PACE criteria and graduate in eight consecutive academic terms receive full two-year academic scholarships to attend Salt Lake Community College. Since SLCC already has an excellent transfer record with four-year Utah colleges and universities, this can open the door to degree completion.
Pilot Project Under Way
The plan calls for recruiting 90 students from West High School, located in the Wasatch School District and selected as the pilot high school in the PACE partnership. So far we've confirmed 30 participants and the number is slowly growing. To heighten awareness of the PACE opportunity, the college's institutional marketing department used a four-part approach:
- Distributed a printed brochure during one-on-one meetings with potential business partners.
- Created a Web site for the program, placing a link to the site on the SLCC home page, giving visibility to the PACE project.
- Placed advertising in Utah Business magazine, as well as in ICOSA, a national publication.
- Mailed letters to parents of nearly 600 students of West High School, directing them to the Web site.
We all know that the future is uncertain. But PACE strives to establish a sound foundation that helps students visualize the future, provides some stepping-stones to achieving those dreams, and, along the way, helps bring economic stability to Utah's communities. Salt Lake Community College's pivotal role positions the college as a powerful force for the future.
SUBMITTED BY Dennis Klaus, vice president, business services, and David Richardson, PACE program coordinator, Salt Lake Community College, Utah
