| For Release: IMMEDIATE | Contact: Public Affairs |
| Date: May 2, 2001 |
MEETING THE NEEDS OF A GROWING HISPANIC POPULATION
Community Colleges are Working to Meet Challenges Suggested by Recent Census
Data
Data released recently by the U.S. Census showed a 394 percent increase in North Carolina’s Hispanic population since 1990. This news did not surprise the faculty and staffs of North Carolina’s community colleges, who have been working diligently to meet the needs of this growing community.
Patrick Pittman, Coordinator of Adult Basic Education/English as a Second Language, (ABE/ESL) System Office, said that the system has seen an enormous increase in the number of students taking ESL classes. In the 1989-1990 academic year, a total of 10,759 students were enrolled in ESL classes. In the 1999-2000 academic year, the total number of students enrolled in ESL classes has reached 36,924. Note: These numbers also include students from Asian and other communities as well as the Hispanic community.
Jamie Espinosa, Director of the Latino/Hispanic Center at Pitt Community College said the dramatic increase poses many cultural challenges for colleges and their communities.
"For example, Hispanic children are taught that to show respect for their elders, they should not make eye contact," he said. "So, many Hispanic children will keep their heads low when talking to adults. In the American culture, of course, children are taught to make eye contact when speaking."
To make more people aware of the cultural differences, Espinosa recently taught a series of workshops for college personnel. "We want to help the college staff communicate with perspective Hispanic students so that everyone feels more comfortable," he said.
Espinosa said that Pitt is planning to establish five rural centers throughout the county to help the Hispanic students with computer and ESL classes. This idea is also being used in Wake County, said Lourdes Shelley, Director of Basic Skills at Wake Technical Community College.
"We go out to where the community is," said Shelley. "We conduct ESL classes all over the county."
Shelley also said that Wake Tech is working with Wake Medical Center. The center and the college are looking for grant money to establish Spanish language training for nursing assistants.
"We offer Spanish classes for health occupations and also for basic law enforcement training," said Shelley.
Shelley said that Wake Tech has focused on helping business and industry better serve the Hispanic community. This has also been a focus at other colleges. Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI) recently added several customized continuing education courses in conversational Spanish. Marla Christie, Public Information Officer said the courses were geared toward the specific needs of organizations such as the public library, banks, furniture companies and even the Post Office.
"We recently offered a class with the U.S. Postal Service that taught students the Spanish words for COD, money order, postage and others that participants would use on a regular basis in their respective fields," said Christie. Christie said that in the 2000-2001 academic year, the arts and sciences department of CCC&TI will host a number of events using a Latin American theme.
When Carolina Shoe announced it was closing its operations in Burke County, Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) stepped into action to help the displaced workers. "We had a special meeting for the Hispanic workers," said Cyndie Callaway, Public Information Officer. "We wanted them to be aware of the educational opportunities available to them."
A number of community colleges report that they are advertising in Hispanic publications. Stephanie Michael-Pickett, Public Information Officer for Gaston College said that Gaston is advertising in Somos Hispanos, the new Hispanic magazine in Gaston County.
"We have placed a number of public service announcements about our blueprint reading and forklift classes (which are in Spanish) at Spanish-speaking radio stations across the state," said Michael-Pickett. She also said the college’s radio station, WSGE, 91.7 FM, is developing public affairs programming geared toward the Hispanic community.
Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), Mitchell Community College and CCC&TI placed a joint advertisement about the Higher Education Bond Referendum in La Noticia, a weekly Hispanic newspaper. "We felt that it was vital to reach that audience," said Mary Miller, Public Information Officer at CVCC. "We continue to work with them."
Margarete Johnson, a Basic Skills Recruiter at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), said the college has had success by advertising in Acento Latino. "One student enrolled in an ESL class after reading an advertisement in Acento Latino," said Johnson. "She has now since completed her ESL studies and is now a student in our Adult High School Diploma Program."
A number of community colleges have or are currently planning to add messages in Spanish to their voice mail systems.
Each college contacted for this story said that there are a number of challenges to be addressed. Among the challenges mentioned were a need for more bilingual instructors; a need for more money to publish materials in Spanish and the fact that many Hispanic students are not literate in their own language.
However, the emphasis seems to be on the positive. "We have a number of very bright Hispanic students," said Espinosa. "The center is making a special effort to persuade them to continue in higher education."
Miller said that Jose Luis Meza, co-owner of the LaLuna Spanish Advertising Agency and Translation Service in Hickory, attended CVCC. "He completed his ESL studies here and attributes much of his success in starting his own business to the college," she said.
NOTE: This article includes just a few of the services available for the Hispanic community. For more information, contact your local community college.
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