As a child, Dr. Dilcie Perez traveled the world with her military family and though she received a nontraditional education, she was raised in a college-going culture, had college-educated parents, thoughtful educators, and very few obstacles in her way.
After she completed her doctorate in educational leadership, Dr. Perez considered, “If I needed help getting through all of that, how much more help would someone who was experiencing all of those barriers need?”
A national leader in diversity and equity, Dr. Perez has since dedicated her career toward working to break silos and create support structures that encourage student success. She is an expert in navigating crisis situations and has pioneered an opportunity to remove social barriers that obstruct students.
Today, Dr. Perez is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Equity and Belonging at California State University, Office of the Chancellor. In a recent episode of Higher Education Coffee and Conversation, she shared how leaders can create a culture shift to improve student outcomes and equity.
Solving the most important problems first
Cerritos College has created unique programs to support students from all walks of life, and in June 2020, expanded its services by developing the Village, which addresses student homelessness by providing housing for up to 28 students. That same year, the college received $2.1 million from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to work to secure housing near the campus for students over the age of 25, or those with children.
“We have an opportunity to serve a population not often served by social service agencies, to help students and their families,” Dr. Perez says. As the former Vice President and Assistant Superintendent of Cerritos College, she was commonly asked, “why are college campuses taking on this responsibility?” The answer is grounded in the issue of social justice.
“We have to understand and consider the institutional and societal systematic oppression that hinders a student’s ability to navigate financial and mental health concerns in order to support our students.”
Subconsciously, it’s easy to profile the demographics of students who are referred to the housing program, but the average GPA of this student population is above a 3.0, which Dr. Perez takes as proof that students want to commit to education, but first need help removing obstacles.
Centralized support removes barriers
In addition to the Village, the college also has the Falcon’s Nest (named after the college mascot), where students can find a care manager, a resource office, and more community resources. There is Franco’s market, set up like Trader Joe’s, and Franco’s Closet, that offers professional clothing attire for interviews and career preparation.
“The most important aspect to providing basic needs support is that our students have dignity and respect,” Dr. Perez explains. “We want to centralize our service and support so that students don’t have to hunt for access.”
At Cerritos College, getting help is as simple as visiting the Falcon’s nest, and speaking to a case manager, who can help assess student needs, connect students to on campus resources, and recommend long-term resources.
“How can you perform well academically when you have not eaten, when you don’t know where you’re sleeping, and you’re not in a good mental health space?” Dr. Perez asks.
Academic institutions must stay focused on their academic mission— and getting students connected to outside community agencies can help. At Cerritos College, a goal is that every initiative on campus should connect to achieving a student’s educational goal.
Committing to a philosophy of integrity
The president, council, and board of Cerritos College share a primary commitment to remove all barriers to student success by providing basic needs support with dignity and respect. It’s easy to lose sight of this important aspect, but the college embodies this philosophy…down to the physical design of the community space.
Often community colleges offer food pantries in less than desirable places, such as a cellar or closet, without the supportive environment for students to shop for food. The philosophy removes the stigma around attaining assistance and can be seen through the environmental decisions in student spaces on campus.
The Falcon’s Nest intentionally does not resemble a social service office, but a community center, where students can feel comfortable hanging out as a part of the student community.
Shift college culture to putting student outcomes first
The philosophy at Cerritos College considers traditional transactional relationships between students on campus and departments like admissions and financial aid— and reframes how the institution operates. Weaving student outcomes into services creates holistic student support—which can be evaluated at any time to determine the next move—and ultimately can close the achievement gap.
Whether by fault or design, academic elitism can create a form of hazing that forces students to jump through hurdles and be extra resourceful. Putting students first defies the inflexible rules of large institutions and their processes. By considering questions like, are these deadlines punitive measures helping students or just making institutional processes easier?, higher education can prevent gatekeeping, and students can find more equitable and accessible avenues to success.
“For the hardworking people committed to equity, it’s easy to become insensitive to the impact some of these structures have on students,” Perez explains. “But when they see the cultural shift, a lightbulb goes off, and they understand it as an equity issue, too.”
Continuing a culture of inquiry and discussion
Educational institutions often start something wonderful, whether it be a discussion around equity or a program for students to succeed, but without creating a culture around these seeds, they cannot continue to grow as new leaders and new students join an organization.
Perez suggests being open to new ideas to solve challenges, “because ideas do not know hierarchy,” and anyone in the institution might have a bright idea to help students in the future.
Leaders should slow down and create spaces to think together and reflect on who they are, what they want, and how they can encourage students to be successful— because creating a culture of inquiry and discussion is key.
How to Create a Culture Shift
To get your community started on discussions to serve students in new ways, Dr. Perez recommends this mindful approach to build momentum and consensus.
- Create Space to Listen to Students
Creating space to talk to students and receive qualitative and quantitative data about their experiences and challenges goes a long way— and you might even discover commonalities across campuses.
If a student drops out, is there a mechanism in place to contact them and ask why? In Dr. Perez’s experience, many students drop out for reasons within an institution’s control, and sometimes inviting a student back is enough to get them to return. Especially when a student realizes you notice who they are, you care about them, and they are not just a number to you— that is investing in the now.
“It’s a constant communication and goal to be a learning organization that’s always reviewing in a place of inquiry because it’s easy to become blind,” Dr. Perez says.
- Consult with Faculty and Staff
It is critical to speak to faculty and staff because they understand students and are on the frontlines. Students trust faculty and staff with their unique challenges and personal experiences— these leaders are transparent and authentic innovators, and a valuable resource to strategize for the future.
- Be a Courageous and Reflective Leader
We need courageous leaders who are willing to look at the organization in a reflective manner to see what needs to shift, and then be willing to engage others in those discussions.
“It’s very important not to place blame or point fingers,” Dr. Perez explains, “It doesn’t matter how we got here, it’s about coming together collectively to prioritize the needs of our students.
- Pay Attention to Students at Risk
Dr. Perez’s most crucial piece of advice is to pay attention to the students you lose and the students who are at risk— those are the students that need your help the most. Although it may be more effort, those individual stories are key to closing the achievement gaps.
No matter what comes of these conversations, the results will be great. Perfection is not the goal, instead, it is to learn, grow, and shift the initiative into a culture that creates space for new ideas and reflects for a better future.
Authentically Communicating Diversity on Campus through the Written Word
Handing a Higher Ed Crisis Tips and Best Practices
This article is based on an episode of Higher Education Coffee & Conversation, a podcast featuring higher education experts to discuss trends in marketing, communications, advancement, and student success. Subscribe via Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you don’t miss future episodes!
