Long Beach City College Earns 2020 Seal of Excelencia

By developing programs specifically designed for Latinx students, Long Beach City College (LBCC), a two-year institution, has seen positive results.

In recent years, LBCC has been laser focused on racial equity, says Dr. Mike Muñoz, vice president of student services. The college has moved away from universal services that take a colorblind approach and implemented intentional practices that show improvement in access, success and completion among Latinx students as well as other student groups that haven’t achieved the desired success and completion outcomes.

Excelencia in Education CEO Deborah A. Santiago says she appreciates the institutional efforts of LBCC to link the students to the workforce as well as the sense of inclusion students receive. Rather than focusing on just enrolling students and letting them fend for themselves, LBCC — an open-access institution — has created a culture of inclusion and engagement, Santiago notes. 

“They’re seeing that manifest in their retention and completion, and that stood out as super impressive,” says Santiago. “Their way of bringing students a sense of belonging and connection … through multiple practices.”

Earning the Seal of Excelencia provides validation for all who have committed to these intentional practices, says Muñoz. “You’re trying to help people understand that equity is not about sameness; it’s about targeting services and supports for our students who are most in need to eradicate the gaps that exist,” says Muñoz.

Targeted programming