Medford, Oregon- In a bid to enhance support for parenting students, Rogue Community College (RCC) has teamed up with the Urban Institute to spearhead an initiative aimed at improving data collection on college students who are parents.
As part of the Data-to-Action (D2A) Campaign for Parenting Students, Rogue Community College will be among eight grantee colleges and universities, along with one citywide college system, embarking on this new journey. The initiative seeks to bolster data collection efforts concerning parenting students, with the overarching goal of enhancing educational opportunities and outcomes for this demographic.
Despite the significant proportion of college students who are also parents, there has been a noticeable lack of data at the individual school level regarding their enrollment, characteristics, experiences, and outcomes. To address this gap, Rogue Community College, in collaboration with the Urban Institute, will work to integrate data on parenting and single-mother students into its college data systems.
“More than 4.3 million undergraduate college students in the United States have children, yet this demographic remains largely invisible due to the absence of comprehensive data,” remarked Theresa Anderson, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute. “We are thrilled to partner with Rogue Community College to ensure that the educational needs of parenting students are not only recognized but also met.”
Through coaching, technical assistance, and peer learning, the D2A campaign supports a College Community of Practice comprising higher education institutions in California, Illinois, and Oregon. These states have taken proactive measures, including legislative action, to mandate the collection of parenting status data at the student-record level, with the aim of fostering better outcomes in higher education.
Rogue Community College will receive $60,000 over two years through the Urban Institute to facilitate data collection efforts and implement strategies aimed at supporting parenting students. Notably, a student employee at RCC, who is also a parenting student, will play a pivotal role in the initiative.
Lynne Hamblin, expressing her enthusiasm, stated, “As a parenting student at RCC, I am excited to see the impact of this important grant and to be part of bringing better support and resources to parenting students for years to come.”
The collaboration underscores the commitment of Rogue Community College and the Urban Institute to address the unique needs of parenting students, ensuring that they receive the support and resources necessary to thrive academically and beyond.
Source: RCC
