New research from the Center for Critical Race Studies in Education examines the need for stronger supports and partnerships to improve academic outcomes for underserved and underrepresented students.
A new research brief, “Revisiting Latina/o Transfer Culture: Recent Trends and Implications for California,” has been published by the Center for Critical Race Studies in Education at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies to accompany the launch of the center’s new website. Co-authored by Patricia A. Pérez from California State University, Long Beach, Miguel Ceja from California State University, Northridge, and José Del Real Viramontes from the University of California, Riverside, the brief examines the significance of transferring from a community college as an entry point to higher education for Latina/o students, many of whom are underrepresented and first-generation college students.
The brief illustrates how Latinx students often begin postsecondary education at a community college because they are placed in a non-college track throughout K-12, are uninformed, and receive limited guidance from school personnel. In addition, they cannot afford university tuition and/or do not leave high school with the English language skills necessary to succeed at a four-year institution.
The brief also notes that over 60% of first-time college-going Latinx students in the U.S. enrolled in a community college during the spring of 2022. Furthermore, Latinx students who start their postsecondary education at a community college report aspiring to earn a bachelor’s degree via transfer and view community college as their sole option in this journey.
Additionally, the research brief highlights the necessity for culturally responsive interventions, enhanced partnerships across all educational sectors, and institutional support systems to overcome barriers and challenges, ensuring academic and social success for Latinx students in community college and beyond.
Pérez serves as the associate vice president of faculty affairs at CSU Long Beach. A triple Bruin, she earned her PhD in the Division of Higher Education and Organizational Change; her MA in Higher Education; and her BA in Chicana/o Studies at UCLA. Pérez was also a visiting scholar at UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). Miguel Ceja, professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at CSU Northridge, is also a triple Bruin having earned his PhD and MA in Higher Education and Organizational Change; as well as his BA in political science, all at UCLA. José Del Real Viramontes is an assistant professor, in the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program at the UC Riverside School of Education.
Visit this link to read “Revisiting Latina/o Transfer Culture: Recent Trends and Implications for California.”
The Center for Critical Race Studies in Education relaunched its website earlier this month. To learn more about the center, visit ccrse.seis.ucla.edu.