The Opening the Pipeline/Closing the Gaps program comprises a pipeline from secondary to postsecondary level that provides instructional services, and academic support, through collaboration with community outreach, and university and college level faculty and staff. The program reaches across interdepartmental lines and by using resources provided by Trio and Title V Grants, fosters a college-going culture among low income, first generation, predominantly Hispanic youth so that they can eventually obtain a baccalaureate degree. At all three levels, High School, Community College and University, it provides various level-appropriate menus of mentoring, tutoring, advising, counseling, workshops, summer bridge programs, travel to universities, parental information, and assistance with college admissions and college financial aid.
Institution:
Texas A&M Corpus Christi/Del Mar College
Academic Level:
Baccalaureate
Issue Area:
Retention
Year:
2007
Designation:
Examples of Excelencia
Designation:
Honorable Mention
Key Personnel:
Guerra, Veronica
Address:
Texas A&M Corpus Christi/Del Mar College
Address 2:
6300 Ocean Drive
City:
Corpus Christi
State:
TX
Zip:
78412-5818 Goal/Mission:
The chief mission of the Opening the Pipeline/Closing the Gaps program is to provide academic support services to students who are predominantly low income, first generation, academically at risk and predominantly Hispanic or Minority. The purpose of the program is to help students enrolled at the various Coastal Bend High Schools, at Del Mar College and at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi attain a postsecondary education and obtain a baccalaureate degree.
Outcome:
The various grant components of the Opening the Pipeline/Closing the Gaps program has demonstrated the success rates in retaining students and in graduating students from high school and from the university with a baccalaureate degree from 2000 to 2005. The high school graduation rate from 2000 to 2005 has been 100%. The college admission rate from 2000 to 2005 has averaged between 93 and 100%. Seventy percent of Upward Bound high school seniors who completed the program six years ago in 2001-02 are still in a postsecondary institution and scheduled to complete their baccalaureate in 2007-2008. Within the Go Centers, from 2002 to 2005, retention has averaged at 100% (from 1,656 to 1,741 students); from 2002 to 2005, high school graduation has averaged at 99.5%; from 2003 to 2005, college admission and enrollment has averaged at 46.7% (814 out of 1,741 students). For Student Support Services, from 2001 to 2005, retention has averaged between 84.8% to 98.8%. Out of The TAMUCC SSS Freshmen class of 29, that began in 2001, 23 or 79.3% graduated in 2005 with a baccalaureate degree. In the Title V ACE (Academic Center for Enrichment), from 2001 to 2005, retention rate has averaged between 95.1% to 97%. Out of the TAMUCC ACE class of 45 that began in 2001, 62.2% students have graduated in 2005 with a BA degree. The Title V Del Mar College Learning Communities, in 2004-2005, 467 or 65.2% out of 717 Learning Communities students successfully persisted in their Learning Communities Classes; from 2001-2002 to 2005, the average persistence rate in the Learning Communities Classes has averaged from 67.0% to 68.2%.
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