Higher education is a melting pot, and students are the key ingredients. In the Dallas County Community College District, the faces and lives of students represent the world at large.

Student Faces, Student Success
The faces, ages and backgrounds of DCCCD students also accurately reflect the communities within Dallas County. Fall 2006 enrollment showed the diversity of the student body, which comprised the following ethnic groups: 38.7 percent Anglo; 24.1 percent African American; 25.5 percent Hispanic; 8.5 percent Asian/Pacific Islander; and 0.5 percent Native American. DCCCD colleges also welcomed international students from more than 70 countries, who comprised 2.6 percent of the total student population. Teaching others about diversity and multicultural experiences is tailored to the needs and populations on each campus, and many organizations provide students, faculty and staff with opportunities to learn about and grow with each other.

DCCCD trustees and the district also offer minority students opportunities to grow and succeed through a number of programs: early college high school (for at-risk students), the Achieving the Dream Initiative (a national initiative funded by the Lumina Foundation); Future Achievers Succeeding Today (pilot program for students in developmental education courses); two mentoring programs for African-American males; Opening Pathways for Future Hispanic Teachers and Nurses; and others. And for undocumented students who wish to build a career, DCCCD—whose board members took the lead nationally—offers in-district tuition so that they can achieve their dreams.

Successful Completion by Minority Students and Others
Students who seek to overcome obstacles, pursue a college education and build professional careers sit in classrooms every day throughout DCCCD's seven individually accredited institutions. Some need more help than others to stay in school, and the DCCCD Foundation established the Rising Star program to provide the means for those students to succeed.

With the support of the DCCCD Board of Trustees, the Rising Star program removes economic barriers for students who might not be able to afford college. Students who graduate from a public Dallas County high school with a "B" average or better and who show economic need can qualify to receive money for tuition and books (up to two or three years) so that they can earn an associate's degree or certificate.

By fall 2006, the Rising Star class numbered more than 2,900; 70 percent were female students. That class comprised an ethnic minority mix that was 64 percent Hispanic; 20 percent African American; 7 percent Asian; 6 percent Anglo; and 3 percent "other." More than half of the fall 2006 Rising Star class received federal and state aid, including Pell grants.

Federal funding also provides minority students with assistance through programs like TRIO and Upward Bound, plus specialized areas such as allied health, nursing and teacher preparation.

Access to an education through DCCCD comes in other forms, such as dual credit, concurrent enrollment and programs like Tech Prep. Each program offers high school students different opportunities to earn college credit while they attend their own schools. These opportunities also benefit minority students because they save both time and money, especially since tuition for dual credit was waived by DCCCD's Board of Trustees. Almost 3,000 high school students took advantage of dual credit for the fall 2005 and spring 2006 semesters; once they graduated from high school, those credits transferred to a DCCCD college.

Another effort that assists students, including minorities, in higher education focuses on the seamless transfer of college credits from DCCCD to area universities through articulation agreements which, again, save time and money because students know their classes count toward degrees at other institutions. In fall 2006, DCCCD offered more than 45 transfer agreements to area colleges and universities, both public and private.

Finally, over the past 10 years, the percentage of minority students completing a DCCCD degree or a certificate has increased: 142 percent for African Americans, 298 percent for Latino students, 107 percent for Asians and 129 percent for American Indians.

For more information, visit the DCCCD Web site at www.dcccd.edu.

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