Retaining Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students of

Retaining Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students of Color in Higher Education. Danielle Thompson-Ochoa, Ph. D. Assistant Professor Department of Counseling

Overview: Racial Disparities in Higher Education • “College enrollment is racially polarized. White students are overrepresented in selective colleges — which have more resources to educate and support them — while African-American students are overrepresented in less-selective institutions. The table below comes from a 2013 study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, which also found that this polarization has grown more pronounced since the mid-1990 s”. (Supiano, B. Nov 10 th, 2015. Chronicle of Higher Education, Leadership and Governance section)

{Copied and Pasted from Supiano, B. 2015 article in Chronicle of Higher Education} Selective Colleges Are Disproportionately White students account for 75 percent of freshman enrollment at colleges in the top three tiers of selectivity, according to Barron's college guide. Just 7 percent of freshmen at such colleges are African-American. Data show freshman enrollment in 2009. Totals may not add up to 100 percent because of rounding. Race/ethnicity All Population age 18 -24 Enrollment Top 3 tiers of selectivity Middle tier Open-access 2 - and 4 -year colleges 100% 100% White 62% 63% 75% 70% 57% African-American 15% 16% 7% 15% 20% Hispanic 18% 13% 8% 9% 17% Asian 4% 6% 10% 5% 5% Native American 1% 1% 1% Source: Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce Get the data

• Colleges and Universities all over the United States of America are seeking ways on finding a balance of having an even number of racial/ethnic students on campuses. • Gallaudet University, the only university for the Deaf/ Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind has been facing the challenge of retaining students of color at the university.

• My research has been focusing on the statistics at Gallaudet University and nationwide, as well, as how other universities are retaining students of color. • Gallaudet University has implemented many programs tailored towards Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students of Color. Some programs have been successful while others have not.

About Gallaudet University (brief history) • Gallaudet University is the only university for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind. • During 1900’s, students were attending Gallaudet University to be in an all Deaf environment, i. e. an environment in which Deaf culture and sign language was used on a daily basis.

History of Gallaudet University • The education of White Deaf began in 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut with the establishment of the American School for the Deaf (ASD), (Van Cleve & Crouch, 1989). • Education of Black Deaf began after Civil War, in 1865 (Mc. Caskill, Lucas, Bayley & Hill, 2013).

Going back to Segregation • In the days of segregation, some states mandated Black students be taught by a Black teacher (Anderson, 1989). This was no different for Black Deaf Students. • This has a profound impact on education among the Deaf when they arrived to Gallaudet University. The Black Deaf and White Deaf had different educational backgrounds.

Current graduation rates in the United States of America (undergraduate). • • • In 2007 -2013: 59% first time, full time graduates: Public college/university: 58% Private college/university (non-profit) -65% Private college/university (for profit) 32% – Males: 56% and Females: 62% • (Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2015). The Condition of Education 2015 (NCES 2015 -144), Institution Retention and Graduation Rates for Undergraduate Students.

Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity/Gender (graduating within 4 years after start, both male and female Time to completion, gender, control of institution, cohort entry year. White Black (non Hispanic) Hispanic Total (White, Black, Hispanic) 2006 (starting 42. 7 20. 6 29. 3 39. 1 43. 3 20. 8 29. 8 39. 4 43. 7 21. 4 30. 4 39. 8 44. 2 20. 6 30. 5 39. 8 cohort) 2007 (starting cohort) 2008 (starting cohort) 2009 (starting cohort) Source: U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2017). Digest of Education Statistics.

Time to completion, gender, control of institution, cohort entry year. Asian Pacific Islander Total (Asian/ Pacific Islander) American Indian/ Alaska Native Two or More Races Nonresident Alien 2006 46. 4 24. 2 46. 0 21. 9 46. 6 44. 1 46. 7 25. 9 46. 2 23. 0 49. 1 44. 6 47. 7 26. 7 47. 1 23. 0 46. 5 46. 4 49. 4 26. 7 48. 7 24. 0 41. 0 49. 1 (starting cohort) 2007 (starting cohort) 2008 (starting cohort) 2009 (starting cohort) Source: U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2017). Digest of Education Statistics.

Graduation Rates at Gallaudet University (Slide 1 of 5) Race/ Ethnicity Fall 2015 Enrollment Graduated Academically dismissed Withdrew Returned Fall 2016 International/ Non resident alien 79 18 1 4 56 American Indian/ Alaska Native 6 1 1 0 4 Asian 30 8 0 4 18 Black/African- American 126 18 1 16 91 Hispanic of any race 120 26 1 14 79 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 1 0 0 1 Two or More 113 28 8 75 2

Graduation Rates: Gallaudet University (Slide 2 of 5) Race/ Ethnicity Fall 2015 Enrollment Graduated Academically dismissed Withdrew Returned Fall 2016 White 481 116 5 47 313 Race and ethnicity unknown 33 1 1 5 26

Graduation Rates: Gallaudet University (Slide 3 of 5) Gender Fall 2015 Enrollment Graduated Academically dismissed Withdrew Returned Fall 2016 Male 474 92 9 47 326 Female 515 124 3 51 337 Hearing Status Deaf/Hard of Hearing 892 187 10 86 609 Hearing 97 29 2 12 54 Hearing Undergraduate (HUGS) 66 15 2 9 40 Non-HUGS 31 14 0 3 14

Graduation Rates: Gallaudet University (Slide 4 of 5) Class Fall 2015 Enrollment Graduated Academically dismissed Withdrew Returned Fall 2016 Freshmen 293 0 8 55 230 Sophomores 180 0 2 11 167 Juniors 220 24 2 16 178 Seniors 284 187 0 14 83 Second Degree 12 5 0 2 5

Graduation Rates: Gallaudet University (Slide 5 of 5) Academic Load Fall 2015 Enrollment Graduated Academically dismissed Withdrew Returned Fall 2016 Full-Time 959 194 12 92 661 Part-Time 30 22 0 6 2 Total for each category 989 216 12 98 663

Retention at Gallaudet University (Slide 1 of 7) Group in Cohort 2011 Cohort 2012 Cohort 2013 Cohort 2014 Cohort 2015 # In cohort 200 212 200 181 178 Male 114 91 86 83 99 Female 86 121 114 98 79 Students of 76 Color * 70 74 77 75 White 115 122 116 93 91 Deaf/Hard of Hearing 195 205 196 174 172 Hearing 5 7 4 7 6 Students of Color * (SOC) includes: Black or African-American, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and two or more races.

Retention at Gallaudet University (slide 2 of 7) Group in Cohort 2011 Cohort 2012 Cohort 2013 Cohort 2014 Cohort 2015 Hearing 3 Undergrad uate (HUG) 3 3 6 6 Non-HUG 4 1 1 0 2 HUG: Hearing Undergraduate student. Non-HUG: any student that is not hearing, nor consider themselves Deaf or Hard of Hearing. One possibility is Deafblind, and the students prefer not to identify themselves as such.

Retention at Gallaudet University Cohort 2011 (slide 3 of 7) Cohort 2012 2013 Cohort 2014 Cohort 2015 77% 69% 67% 80% Male 72% 67% 66% 59% 79% Female 84% 70% 67% 74% 82% Students of Color 72% 67% 62% 64% 79% White 81% 68% 69% 70% 81% Deaf/Hard of Hearing 77% 69% 66% 67% 80% Hearing 80% 71% 100% 71% 83% HUG Non-HUG 67% 100% 67% 75% 100% 67% 100% 83% N/A Group in cohort % Retained in Year 2

Retention at Gallaudet University (slide 4 of 7) Group in cohort % Retained in Year 3 Cohort 2011 Cohort 2012 Cohort 2013 Cohort 2014 64% 57% 55% 60% Male 61% 52% 55% Female 69% 60% 58% 63% Students of 59% Color 56% 47% 58% White 67% 57% 60% 59% Deaf/Hard of Hearing 64% 57% 55% 60% Hearing 60% 57% 75% 57% HUG Non-HUG 67% 50% 33% 75% 100% 0% 50% 100% Cohort 2015 N/A

Retention at Gallaudet University (slide 5 of 7). Group in Cohort cohort 2011 % Retained in Year 4 60% Cohort 2012 Cohort 2013 Cohort 2014 Cohort 2015 53% 57% N/A Male 54% 51% 56% Female 67% 55% 58% Students of 58% Color 66% 53% White 61% 54% 61% Deaf/Hard of Hearing 60% 53% 57% Hearing 60% 43% 50% HUG Non-HUG 67% 50% 33% 50% 67% 0%

Retention at Gallaudet University (slide 6 of 7) Group in cohort % Retained in Year 5 Cohort 2011 Cohort 2012 Cohort 2013 Cohort 2014 Cohort 2015 33% 29% N/A N/A Male 39% 30% Female 26% 29% Students of 33% Color 27% White 34% 27% Deaf/Hard of Hearing 20% 29% HUG Non-HUG 0% 50%

Retention at Gallaudet University (slide 7 of 7). Group in cohort Cohort 2011 Cohort 2012/ 2013/ 2014/2015 % Retained in Year 6 10% N/A Male 12% Female 6% Students of Color 9% White 10% Deaf/Hard of Hearing 19% Hearing 0% HUG Non-HUG 0% 0%

Where are the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students of Color? • Reframing the question to be: Where are the leaks in the pipeline?

Leaks in the Pipeline for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students of Color v School tracking starting too late (pass fifth grade level). Non-disabled students are “tracked” academically at third grade level. v Low income Deaf/Hard of Hearing students have a low chance of seeking college resources. v Latino/ African-American students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing are graduating with a certificate rather than a diploma (low expectations from elementary to high school). v Deaf/ Hard of Hearing children of color receive support services too late or never, which impacts their academic performance in school.

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students arrive to campus (2 yr. & 4 year colleges & universities within the USA) Pre- College Barriers while in college Insufficient academic preparation in high school. Institutional culture ** Lack of knowledge on college environment. Systematic racism. Cultural conflict * Financial constraints. Limited familial support. Balance of pre-college life and family. Financial constraints. Normalizing help seeking behaviors *** Low expectations of self or culture. Dilemma of the diversity commitment Low expectations from professors.

• * Cultural conflict: Deaf/Hard of Hearing students attend various high schools. Some attend mainstreamed high schools with a large Deaf program supported with teachers of the Deaf, sign language interpreters, note takers, etc. Other mainstreamed programs place the Deaf student in regular classrooms with an interpreter (sign language/ oral/ cued speech, etc. ). The student has no access to other Deaf peers. Deaf/Hard of Hearing students attending any college/university that is the opposite of the environment they are used to at the high school level, will experience cultural conflicts.

• ** Institutional Culture: how does the college/university the student is attending supports students with all disabilities? If the attitude displays a dismissive attitude, this will affect the Deaf/Hard of Hearing students who graduated from a school for the Deaf (where all classmates are Deaf), attending a mainstreamed university/college, they will be impacted by the institutional culture.

• *** Normalizing help seeking behaviors: in the “disability world”, too often we know students with disabilities attending a college or university, do not like to seek help from disabilities services. They normalize the behaviors, which affects their ability to succeed.

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students on campus • When Deaf and Hard of Hearing students arrive at any college campus, colleges and universities will refer the student to the disabilities office. However, when Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students of Color arrive on campus, the needs are different.

• Questions to consider when Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students arrive on your campus Ø What pre-college factors impact student performance at your institution? Ø What factors exist within your institution that impact student performance at your institution? Ø Are there any individual factors impacting students at your institution?

Start with Standards • Harper and Kuykendall (2012) have studied Black males on college campuses. • They recommend diversity offices on campus should have standards for students of color on campuses. They have designed eight standards for Black Male Campus Initiatives. These standards are not limited to Black Males, can be applied to all genders and racial/ethnic groups.

Standards could be ü Using data at your institution as a guide to developing institutional activities. ü Engage students of color when designing and implementing institutional activities. ü Develop a written strategy that is developed by various stakeholders at your institution (student affairs office to President’s office).

Not a “one size fits” all approach • Recognize students of color are not all the same. This is the same for Deaf/Hard of Hearing students of color.

Seek inspiration from role models • Seek out the faculty/staff of color on your campus and connect them with students of color on your campus. Ideal would be to have a Deaf person of color who could be connected to one of your Deaf students of color on campus.

Gallaudet University’s Programs for Students of Color • KTP: Keeping The Promise. • Multicultural Student Programs. • LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/ Questioning and Asexual/Ally Resource Center.

KTP: Keeping the Promise • “The Keeping the Promise (KTP) programs were designed to increase, encourage, support and advance the inclusion and educational success of collegians who are members of groups which are underrepresented in terms of retention and degree conferment. However these programs is open to all students” - Olubenga Aina –Director of Keeping The Promise at Gallaudet . • https: //www. gallaudet. edu/diversity-andequity/keeping-the-promise University

Pros and Cons of KTP Program Pros Cons High synergy among students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Conflicts between the Black and Brown students due to not recognizing/accepting different backgrounds. Increased creativity. Bureaucracy –institutional changes take extremely long to process. Seeking/finding staff or faculty of color to support the student. Dissimilar cultural identities and values. Encourages all members of the university to recognize and appreciate diversity on campus. Disunity –the program and the university does not have a clear understanding of how the program should be managed.

Multicultural Student Programs (MSP). • “The goal is to “Create, promote, and encourage a supportive and friendly campus environment that is welcoming and attractive to people of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, gender, sexual orientation, modes of communication and disabilities”. • Furthermore, MSP provides leadership training for students of color and international students, nurturing students of varying identities, foster an environment of tolerance, understanding and acceptance of different cultures, and to develop and strengthen alliances with internal and external communities to support diversity inside and outside of Gallaudet University. • https: //www. gallaudet. edu/diversity-and-equity/multicultural-studentprograms

Pros and Cons of MSP Pros Cons Exposes students to others who are similar to themselves. Creates confusion with two programs having similar goals (KTP and MSP) Allow students to develop a greater sense of racial/ethnic identity Typically geared towards undergraduate students. Allows them to have a “safe” space to address concerns, issues with the university. University stakeholders do not appear to have a clear vision of the program mission, which does not allow the program to thrive to it’s greatest potential.

LGBTQA Resource Center • “The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Ally (LGBTQA) Resource Center strives to provide related programs, services, trainings, and activities on campus. The Resource Center houses a library as well as information for networking and referrals for the LGBTQA community at Gallaudet University and the broader campus. We strive to serve as a catalyst to ensure a responsive and supportive environment that promotes equity, inclusion, academic success, and social justice for individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions at Gallaudet University. ” • https: //www. gallaudet. edu/diversity-and-equity/lgbtqa-resource-center

Pros and Cons of LGBTQA PROS CONS Center is equipped with resources to support students who are LGBTQA. Center is an easy target for discrimination. Students may feel safe finding a center Stakeholders at the university does not that is catered specifically to them. have a clear mission for the center. Unique lavender ceremony for students who are members of the LGBTQA community. Center does not receive enough support on addressing campus wide discrimination

What is needed to ensure these programs thrive? Ø Clear missions of each program. Ø Streamline all three programs to provide services that benefit all students, e. g. Dreamers Program that support undocumented students. Ø.

Ø Mandatory leadership training in multiculturalism for all staff working in these programs (currently it is voluntary). Ø A Equity, Inclusion, Identity and Culture Leadership Training Certificate program should be established that will allow critical engagement between the staff of these programs and university stakeholders to begin critical discussions of retention of students of color on campus.

Ø A strong collaborative relationship with KTP, MSP and LGBTQA and Academic Affairs departments need to occur. Currently at Gallaudet University, Academic Affairs functions solely on it’s own with very limited collaboration with the programs to support students of color.

Recommendations for Retaining Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students of Color at Two and Four year institutions.

Programs on Campus • Ensure your institution has programs on campus to support students of color. E. g. Multicultural Center, Black Student Union, Native American Center, etc. If none exist, establish a center that will provide these programs.

Strength Based Approach • Study the success rate of students of color who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing on your campus. What factors allowed them to be successful? • Study the challenges areas that can be improved. E. g. more scholarships, etc.

Understand Academic Expectations • What is the academic expectation of students at your institution? E. g. If your institution is religious based, is that the primary goal of the institution, to gain greater awareness of a higher being?

Question • Question the retention and graduation rates of students of color who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (or have any other disability) on your campus. Why are they not graduating? E. g. lack of qualified sign language interpreters available?

Debunk Shared Responsibility Mindset • Recall students of color are from various cultures. Collectivism is part of Deaf culture and often true for many other ethnicities and races. The “we are all the same” approach will not work. • Adopt an institutional responsibility approach that supports students of color.

Work with Academic Affairs • Academic affairs office is crucial in supporting a strengths based approach and improve student retention.

Educate Everyone on Campus • Educate families, students, staff, faculty and other support networks on the needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students of Color.

Support Micro-Communities • Support the micro-communities on your campus that can support students of color who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. E. g. student organizations, advocacy student groups, dyslexia student support club, etc. The interaction between different communities can provide greater support for everyone involved.

Community Engagement • At the university level, the stakeholders need to ensure community engagement occurs.

Look Beyond “exceptions” • Seek ways involved Students of Color who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Partner with Local High Schools • K-12 and post secondary partnership is extremely important with ensuring the leaks in the pipeline does not occur. Partner with programs such as, Upward Bound, etc. )

Citations • • • Anderson, J. (1989). The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860 -1935. North Carolina: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Press. Harper, S. & Kuykendall, J. (2012). Institutional Efforts to Improve Black Male Student Achievement: A Standards-Based Approach. Magazine for Higher Learning, Vol. 44 , Iss. 2, 2012 Mc. Caskill, C. , Lucas, C. , Bayley, R. & Hill, J. (2013). The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL: Its History and Structure. Washington, D. C. : Gallaudet University Press. Supiano, B. Racial Disparities in Higher Education. The Chronicle of Higher Education (2015). Nov. 10, 2015 issue. United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2015). Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http: //www. nces. ed. gov/fastfacts Van Cleve, V. & Crouch, B. (1989). A Place of Their Own: Creating The Deaf Community in America. Washington, D. C. : Gallaudet University Press.

Special Thanks • Office of Academic Quality, Gallaudet University for providing results, statistics of graduation, retention and programs of study. • Office of Diversity and Equality staff at Gallaudet University.