Background
The Boston Globe published an article authored by the current President and interim Vice President of Rhode Island College on January 12th, 2023, about the college’s new status in relation to the Hispanic community. The authors write,
This year Rhode Island College became the first four-year baccalaureate school in the state to earn Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status, a designation from the U.S. Department of Education recognizing colleges and universities where at least 25 percent of undergraduate students identify as Hispanic/Latinx. As of 2021, there were 559 HSIs across 29 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, enrolling two-thirds of all Hispanic/Latinx undergraduates in the U.S.
As of hitting 2020, the college has hit that 25% threshold. They then go on to write how the college will now be able to apply for certain federal and other designated funds that are geared towards these efforts. Further, while noting the Hispanic population boom, it’s written that this status and these funds will be integral in helping assist and develop the infrastructure in aiding this population.
Opinion
As an active, involved alumnus, and regularly educated by members of the college’s Hispanic community, I have yet to observe the college taking any positive actions that warrant the increase. Indeed, while the article is written as if the college had made great strides to achieve this goal, it neglects to mention graduation rates and the length of time it takes to reach it. Interestingly, it noted that the Hispanic population in the state alone has increased tremendously in recent years. This population growth alone may be the best explanation and contributing factor, but in the case that it isn’t the sole one, I speculate that any additional increase may have come from a few other influences, specifically related to wealth disparity and culture.
Keeping note of the fact that RIC offers some of the lowest tuition in the state, the increases in wealth disparity may have played a role with who chooses to attend. Simply put, those from high-earning households may, over the years, have chosen other more “prestigious” and expensive universities, perhaps ignoring the need for higher education altogether. Additionally, those in the Hispanic community are often obligated to secure well-paying jobs quickly to support their families and overcome barriers that their counterparts don’t experience.
That aside, what really irks me is that RIC is trying to take credit for something it didn’t work to achieve, all the while hardly giving a nod to its Hispanic students. They parade around as the savior, all the while not being ready or truly willing to serve them. So, why is the college being recognized? Well, it technically qualified. The criteria seems both low and odd, however. Instead of just having a certain population threshold to achieve HSI status, why aren’t these universities required to actively apply and have their programs and efforts evaluated? Gaining access to additional funds just because you reached a certain threshold does not necessarily mean you’ll use any garnered funds effectively or with a genuine purpose in mind.
But instead of wagging my finger at everyone, I want to offer the college a few suggestions to improve the accommodation and accessibility for these students.
- Have dedicated advisors who understand their situations, particularly their culture, instead of saddling busy professors who may not understand the full context or background of these individuals. Often, these folks have immense family obligations and completely different financial situations than a typical student, affecting their learning needs.
- Do not falsely promise a four-year graduation. RIC is often dubbed “the 6-year school” by many of its students, and the statistics seem to support this—21% graduation rate at the fourth year. Furthermore, the nearby University of Rhode Island has almost a triple four-year graduation rate, around 55%.
- Improve access to non-car transportation and mobility. Some years ago, RIC implemented a free shuttle exclusively for nursing students. This shuttle would run frequently and often be empty. Why aren’t others allowed to use it? Additionally, there are also no sidewalks on many parts of the campus, no bike lanes, and the public transportation involving RIPTA is inconsistent at best.
- End punishing students for being late or missing class. It’s not uncommon to see classes with a high attendance grade, or professors even locking their doors to late students. Early classes, classes that require physical attendance, ones that not acknowledge RIPTA shenanigans or transportation issues, work, general life, etc., punish all students, but especially in these communities. Ultimately, they are paying adults and should be respected as such.
- Construct online programs and classes that don’t require you to always be there in person or at the very least, are flexible and accommodating. This can be done by facilitating learning and support for its professors and staff in using online-based technologies, scheduling classes that respect standard working hours, recording and posting of lectures, adopting online work assignment and grading platforms, and offering alternative work to individuals who cannot physically attend classes.
- Make financial aid more understanding, keeping in mind all of the factors that make up those with Hispanic cultures.
- Pay student workers, TAs, and graduate assistants more. The hourly pay in almost all cases is not even close to being livable. In the case of graduate assistants, the college waives a part of tuition if they work up to 20 hours per week. This appalling pay should also not be acceptable.
- A personal pet peeve of mine is the education programs specifically. Mandating students to work as teacher assistants for free while paying for the corresponding course on top of it is very burdensome. The Boston Globe article notes the need for diversity in these fields, yet, these obtuse course policies do not allow for it.
- Have a police force that is representative of the student population instead of this.
- Halt obligating science and math students paying for homework access and grading. Each individual class often requires sometimes spending over $100 on this in addition to the required books and materials. Like the education programs, science and math lack diversity, therefore, tacking on additional financial barriers ensures only certain populations will be prosperous in these programs.
- Implement accommodating library hours. Many folks don’t have adequate study spaces in their homes and communities.
- Offer financial aid, incentives, and accommodation for those in the community who wish to live on campus while respecting their background and needs.