WASHINGTON, D.C. – Not long after Dr. Elsa Nunez assumed her role as president of Eastern Connecticut State University in 2006, she saw a need to enroll more Latino students who were unlikely to go to college but still had the potential to succeed.
Her quest led to the creation of the school’s Dual Enrollment program, whereby guidance counselors from nearby Hartford High School helped identify the students that Nunez had in mind.
Although their fellow students at Eastern didn’t know, the students were then enrolled in developmental courses at Quinebaug Valley Community College and took at least one course at Eastern, with the hopes that eventually they would enroll at Eastern on a full-time basis.
They also lived on campus, got campus jobs and stipends so they could go out for pizza and other things just like other students.
Consequently, Latino enrollment grew by 50 percent since the program launched five years ago. And not only are more Latino students enrolling—they are graduating as well, program officials say.
Those involved in the Dual Enrollment program had a retention rate of 70 percent versus 76 percent for the campus overall.
“The fact that the retention rate is only 6 percent lower is really remarkable, because (the students) came from the most challenging backgrounds,” said Rhona Free, vice president of academic affairs and head of the Dual Enrollment program at Eastern.
