Queens Congresswoman
aims to raise community
college graduation rates
By Carlotta Mohamed
This article was first published
Cby the Queens Courier. ongresswoman Grace Meng on
Tuesday introduced a new measure
that would improve graduation rates
at under-resourced public community
colleges with high percentages of low-income
and minority students to have
necessary funding to develop and implement
support services.
The goal of the legislation, The Community
College Student Success Act, is to replicate
nationwide the proven success of the City
University of New York’s (CUNY) Accelerated Study
in Associate Programs (ASAP). The acclaimed
initiative, which CUNY launched in 2007 at its then
six community colleges including those in Queens,
helps students earn associate degrees within
three years by offering a wide range of financial,
academic, and personal assistance.
The program has been found to consistently
double the graduation rates of participating
students. The community colleges in Queens
consist of Queensborough Community College in
Bayside and LaGuardia Community College in Long
Island City.
Meng originally introduced the Community
College Student Success Act in 2017 during the
last session of Congress. According to Meng,
community colleges play a critical role in American
higher education.
“Of the over 40 percent of undergraduates who
are enrolled at community colleges across the
United States, a large portion are first-generation,
low-income college students, and half are from
minority communities,” Meng said. Unfortunately,
many of the institutions they attend are under-resourced.
In addition, access to college means
little without degree completion. That is why I
am proud to reintroduce the Community College
Student Success Act, which is a holistic, student-centered
approach to ensuring that community
college students have the financial, academic, and
career support they need to obtain their degree.”
Meng added, “If Congress truly values the
importance of educating our next generation, we
must increase our investment in these colleges
and the students they serve. Everybody deserves
a quality education, no matter their background,
because education is a civil right.”
Meng’s measure would provide:
• Academic Advising: Advisors would provide
ongoing academic and personal advising to
students including helping to clearly lay out a
three-year graduation plan and creating strong
transfer pathways for students interested in
continuing their education.
• Academic and Career Support: Students on
academic probation or those have been referred
to developmental courses would be required to
meet weekly with a tutor. Students would also
meet with an on-campus career counselor or
participate in career services events at least
once a semester to promote career planning
and success.
• inancial Support: Students would receive a
tuition waiver to cover the gap between tuition
and fees and financial aid. Additionally, students
satisfying all of the above meeting requirements
would receive a financial incentive, such as a
gas card or pass for transportation, at least
once per month.
According to CUNY, ASAP has served more
than 46,000 students over 12 years and has an
average three-year graduation rate of 53.4 percent
versus 25 percent for matched comparison group
students. Additionally, ASAP students transfer to
baccalaureate programs and earn their bachelor’s
degrees at higher rates than non-ASAP students.
“As a former community college president, I have
personal experience with the specific challenges
facing community college students, and ASAP has
proven, time and again, to be a solution to those
challenges by dramatically improving graduation
rates and providing an incredible support system
for our students,” said Felix Matos Rodriguez,
chancellor of CUNY.
Timothy Lynch, interim president of
Queensborough Community College, thanked
Meng and her fellow House members for making a
strong commitment to community college success.
“Queensborough is incredibly proud to be
one of the inaugural ASAP community colleges
and the program has exceeded all expectations,
consistently demonstrating that with the right
support system and resources, our students
can achieve unparalleled graduation rates,”
Lynch said.
Image via Getty Images
QNS.COM
8 FALL 2019
/QNS.COM