The Transitional Bilingual Learning Community (TBLC) program is a two-semester, full-time college credit initiative, which has become an effective mechanism for recruiting and serving nontraditional Latino students. TBLC offers Latino students who are learning English an opportunity to earn more college credits than are usually available to them in a traditional program. Unlike other programs at Truman (GED, Adult Learning, ESL), TBLC students receive college credit for the majority of the courses taken while enrolled in the TBLC program. Except in the English class, both English and Spanish are the languages of instruction at the beginning of the program. Spanish language instruction gradually diminishes during the second semester.
Institution:
Truman College
Academic Level:
Associate
Issue Area:
Access
Year:
2009
Designation:
Examples of Excelencia
Designation:
Finalist
Key Personnel:
Llamazares, Carlos Martin
Address:
Truman College
Address 2:
1145 W. Wilson Avenue
Address 3:
Room 1435, Office H8
City:
Chicago
State:
IL
Zip:
60640 Goal/Mission:
The overall goal of the TBLC is to increase the enrollment of Latino English learners in Truman College's credit program. The TBLC assists Latino English learners to build and strengthen their English language skills and knowledge and to learn the culture of higher education while supporting their bilingual identities and experiences. The program supports their completion of an AA or an AS degree, with the assistance of bilingual faculty and staff in the learning community. Additionally, efforts are made to build a strong community among and between students and faculty through classes designed around a central theme.
Outcome:
Since the first cohort was launched in 2002, a total of 173 Latino students have participated in the program. Accomplishments include the following:
- Retention from the first to second semesters was: Cohort 1, 82%; Cohort 2, 96%; Cohort 3, 83%; Cohort 4, 79%; Cohort 5, 86%; and Cohort 6, 92%.
- Students who finish the two-semester program have an average retention rate of 88% and an average GPA of 2.77.
- After completing their first year, 60% enrolled as full-time students; their GPA average is almost 2.9.
- Forty of the 150 TBLC completers have graduated with an AA/AS degree or transferred to a four-year university.
- The associate degree completion rate for Cohorts 2 through 5 is projected to be 63% by spring 2010.
- Two individuals from Cohorts 1 and 3 are currently pursuing MA degrees.
- As a result of the success in the TBLC, new learning communities were implemented in fall 2008: Math and Science Learning Community, QUICK Learning Community for developmental classes, and a second TBLC program starting Fall 09.
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