OCCC eyes more access to higher ed for Hispanics
In part due its location in southwest Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Community College long has partnered with the city’s Hispanic community on efforts to increase higher education opportunities among that group.
Working with Mexico’s new consulate in Oklahoma City, OCCC developed a new outlet for those efforts earlier this month, opening an educational guidance window at the consulate, 1131 W Sheridan Ave.
“This partnership aligns with OCCC’s mission of ‘Student Success. Community Enrichment’ and our role as an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution,” OCCC President Mautra Staley Jones said. “It provides a unique opportunity for OCCC to contribute significantly to the educational growth of our community, bolstering our engagement and reinforcing our dedication to accessibility. Our active participation in consular events will foster stronger community ties and elevate OCCC’s visibility and reputation in areas served by the Mexican Consulate.”
Mexico is one of only two nations (along with Guatemala) that operates a consulate office in Oklahoma City, said Christy Busch, the chief of international protocol and diplomacy with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Robert Ruiz, OCCC’s chief innovation and technology officer, played a role in helping convince Mexican and local and state authorities of the need to have a consulate in the city, and it opened in May. It draws more than 200 visitors a day and serves about 450,000 Mexicans who previously had to travel to Arkansas or Texas to access consulate services.
Ruiz said consulate offices partner with community groups to provide information about services and resources beyond what the consulate can provide, typically offering financial guidance, health guidance and educational guidance. The memorandum of understanding OCCC signed with the consulate on Dec. 7 covers the educational section.
At the educational guidance window – known in Spanish as the “Ventanilla de Orientación Educativa” – inside the consulate, OCCC can disseminate information about education programs and services in the region. The college also is involved in consular events, which Ruiz said will enhance OCCC’s community engagement and commitment to making education accessible to Oklahoma residents. OCCC regularly hosts Hispanic-themed events on its campus and the college sponsored Fiestas de la Americas, one of the largest Latino festivals in the Oklahoma City metro area, held this year on Sept. 30.
“Establishing a formal agreement between the Consulate of Mexico and the Oklahoma City Community College stands as a symbol of our neverending commitment to our community to facilitate the embracement of cultural, social and cognitive assets that will help them thrive and succeed in this country despite the many challenges they have to face,” said Mexican Consul Edurne Pineda. “The partner
ship with OCCC is tremendously valuable for the Consulate in this purpose.”
About 23.7% of OCCC’s approximately 18,000 students are Hispanic, Ruiz said. The college has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution and is working toward full HSI status, Jones said. That will be achieved when OCCC has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that’s at least 25% Hispanic, according to the federal agency.
Ruiz said there are also about 5,000 people involved with noncredit programs at the college, taking classes in subjects such as English as a second language, citizenship, adult literacy or high school equivalency.
“Those noncredit programs help them eventually become credit-seeking students,” Ruiz said. “We are glad to have a permanent presence in the Mexican Consulate. We want to make families aware of the resources that are available to them. There’s information about financial aid, FAFSA, scholarships, programs at OCCC and other resources in the community. We also can accompany the consulate when they travel to other parts of the state.
“OCCC has always played an extremely important role, especially in south Oklahoma City, but there’s also a great vision for the future for how we serve all of Oklahoma and beyond.”