The AZ HSI Consortium is pleased to announce the CURE Program as an AZ HSI Evidence Based Practice. After careful review from colleagues across the state of AZ, the CURE Program was shown to be an effective program in moving the needle towards greater college access, persistence, retention, transfer, and degree attainment for Latinx students in Arizona.
Please read below to learn more about the CURE Program at Phoenix Community College.
Overview of Institution
Phoenix College (PC) is a learner-centered, large, urban, comprehensive community college in the heart of the city of Phoenix. As a designated Hispanic Serving Institution, PC has a long legacy of providing accessible and low cost education through diverse pedagogical approaches and innovative and intentional student services. At PC, we hold an equity-based mission and values of open access to serve our low-income, nontraditional, first-generation, immigrant, and racial/ethnic minority student body. Overall, the college serves a large minority population representing the diversity of our state, with 76% of our students identifying with an ethnicity other than White. Latino students represent 56% of our student population, and are the largest racial/ethnic group we serve. Additionally, 66% of our students are first generation, with 37% having no prior college or university experience. PC’s student body speaks more than 50 languages and represents more than 100 countries of origin. The average age of our students is 25. 63% of our students are female and over 75% of our students are part time. Beyond our students, the college’s faculty and staff are also reflective of the diversity in our state. 26% of full time faculty and 28% of part time faculty identify with an ethnicity other than White. Similarly, 42% of non-instructional full-time staff and 59% of non-instructional part-time staff identify with an ethnicity other than White.
PC offers over 150 degree and certificate programs, including 3 online degrees and 2 bachelor degrees, and serves 17,000 diverse students annually. Holding a special place in the history of Phoenix and Arizona, PC meets key community educational needs through a wide range of programs, degrees, certificates, and services. By preparing students for university transfer, providing career and technical education, offering personal development and enrichment through robust continuing education, and hosting customized training to local companies, we continue to serve as a gateway to higher education and play a central role in the economic vitality and workforce development of our state. PC provides comprehensive education and support programs and services to meet the needs of all of its student population via its multiple locations: Main Campus, Center for Nursing Excellence, Center for Excellence for Healthcare Education, and Maricopa IT Institute at Phoenix College. We also support a large and growing Dual Enrollment student population, and high school students at the Phoenix College Preparatory Academy. In a diverse city and state, PC measures itself by whom we serve and include, and how they succeed.
Overview of Program
A barrier to transfer for STEM students at PC was access to undergraduate research (UR) opportunities that increased competitiveness with non-transfer students at 4-year colleges. To reduce this barrier, PC was awarded the NSF HSI STEM Grant to implement course-based undergraduate research (CURE). For underrepresented populations, the majority of whom begin higher education at community colleges, participating in undergraduate research has been inaccessible. A high-impact practice, particularly for Latino students, UR has many benefits, including improved self-confidence and communication skills, increased likelihood to pursue STEM careers, and increased transfer rates. UR is critical for Latino(s) who are underrepresented in the STEM workforce. PC created and implemented CUREs to address this gap and provide equity of access to UR for Latino and underrepresented students. This strategy has helped drive transfer within our STEM fields, and we recently opened to STEM and non-STEM pathways in biology, chemistry, math, physics, and psychology.
Areas program seeks to make an impact and how
At PC, 471 students have completed a CURE and of those 285 identified as Latino. 73% of Latino(s) completing a CURE are first generation. Latino CURE completers transfer to 4-year colleges at almost double the rate of their peers not completing a CURE (25 non-CURE or 34.7% vs 48 CURE or 66.7%). The differences are also significant for CURE participants earning an associate’s degree, where almost double the Latino students who participated in CUREs earned an AA/AS/AAS vs the controls. With 61% of students being Latino and the majority of them being first generation, CUREs exceed representation and have demonstrated impact on Latino student completion and transfer within STEM.
How does this program center servingness?
This program is focused on servingness through its focus on meeting students where they are and then helping them push further to discover new opportunities. The CURE program helps students explore opportunities which may have never previously been available to them to determine if they have an interest in the areas explored. Through the program they are guided and supported by our world-class, innovative faculty who not only serve as subject matter experts, but who also knock down existing obstacles and barriers to introduce students to new, enriching experiences. This program serves to help students identify unknown strengths and interests and broadens their opportunities, self efficacy and self awareness as a result.