WHITTIER, Calif. – Rio Hondo College’s Board of Trustees has unanimously adopted a student equity plan spelling out how the College will target services over the next three years for students who need the most support.

The plan, developed through an intensive planning process involving leaders from across the College, is designed to be updated annually.

“The equity planning process has been instrumental in allowing us to critically examine the students who are seeing success at our college and those who are not,” said Dr. Dyrell Foster, Rio Hondo College’s Dean of Student Affairs. “Through this process, we have identified effective strategies and critical programs and services that are necessary for students to reach their goals.”

According to the plan, Rio Hondo will strengthen recruitment of students of Hispanic and Pacific Islander descent to better match the demographics of its service areas and add a variety of programs to guide new students through courses of study.

Efforts will target students over age 25, a demographic representing those who face the greatest challenges, as well as disabled students, foster youth and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.

Programs also will focus on helping students to build stronger campus connections and helping to shepherd students toward transfer options to four-year colleges and universities.

Rio Hondo Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss said the plan will be an essential element in shaping the College’s approach to how it serves students.

“We intend to target these programs and services to our most disadvantaged students in an effort to close the academic achievement gap and improve student outcomes,” Dreyfuss said.

Rio Hondo has been allocated $845,031 by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to implement the plan. The College is expected to submit its plan to the Chancellor’s Office well in advance of the Jan. 1 deadline.