Coastline College was founded in 1976 and is located in southwest Orange County. The College was recently designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. The College was founded with the intent of providing access to college education for anyone who could benefit. There was no main campus and classes were held at over 100 locations throughout the service area. In addition to the onsite classes, the teachers utilized a variety of delivery methods to provide classes at a distance. The student body was made up of many people who could not attend a traditional college or did not feel comfortable on a traditional college campus. The distributed campus model was very appealing to working adults who previously had limited access to a college education. The College set a record by having an opening enrollment of over 20,000 students in their first semester.

While Coastline College in 1976 was very innovative in increasing access to college for non-traditional students, the College continued to evolve and provide even more flexibility. The college was quick to adapt instructional models to leverage the newest technology as they became available. Over the years, the College adopted audiocassettes, VHS tapes, CD-ROMs, and eventually fully online classes and programs. By leveraging these technologies, students always had access to higher education and flexibility of where and when to study.

In the 1970’s graduating with just about any college degree would result in good jobs and an adequate salary. However, as we fast forward to today, it is critical that students graduate with a degree or certificate that prepares them for a fulfilling career and provides a living wage. Similar to many colleges across the nation, Coastline College has focused on improving student success through guided pathways and an equity lens. As a result, the College focused on helping students to choose the career that will be fulfilling for them and provide clear educational pathways that lead to success. Unfortunately, we know that many of our students are not aware of the resources available to help them in making their career choice. And this is especially true of Hispanic students and first-generation college students who are often reluctant to ask for help from support services.

As I spent time reviewing our own processes and support for career exploration, I was happy to hear about the level of collaboration between our outreach team, career center, counseling, and academic programs as they worked together on student recruitment. The outreach staff shared information about the college with the students and their parents. And if the parents needed information in Spanish, the outreach specialist (Sara Estrada) didn’t just provide handouts in Spanish, she would speak to the group in both Spanish and English. Also present at these events, you will often find our careers center coordinator (Dr. Paolo Varquez). By working together, Sara and Paolo help the students and the family learn about the College and how we will help them consider the career options that align with their goals, aspirations, and unique characteristics. Since the students have already met Dr. Varquez at the initial outreach or information events, we are confident that more students feel comfortable asking for help and advice from the career center.

The collaboration with the Career Center does not end with the outreach program. In our vocational programs, many students already know the career they wish to pursue. However, the teachers and staff often reach out to the Career Center to help students with resume building and interviewing skills. Furthermore, the collaboration between the counseling department and career center continues to increase. As a result, students may complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Personal Style Scales of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) in their Career Exploration class, or by visiting the career center.

As our society becomes more accustomed to entertainment, shopping, and services on demand, our career center has been providing services to meet the preferences of the students. The students may contact the center by phone or, email, and many of the tools may be accessed 24/7. For example, Dr. Varquez uses an app on a cell phone to answer calls from anywhere on or off campus. In addition, he has created a library of videos that provide students with brief presentations on a variety of topics. He has also included videos from other departments such as the Library, Intercultural Resource Center, Counseling Department, and College Webinars, which help students learn about new and exciting careers.

I should point out that the previous Presidents of Coastline College were strong advocates for professional development and degree attainment for our current employees. As a result, many employees have an education that far exceeds the minimum requirements for their positions. Dr. Varquez recently completed his doctoral dissertation on “Career Counseling and Decision-Making for Latinx Transfer Students.” I am confident that the creative and engaging videos, webinars, and career advising provided by Dr. Varquez and many others at Coastline College are a direct result of the support provided for continuing their education.

We understand that guided pathways have been helping many colleges break down silos and increase collaboration between departments and programs. However, we believe the intersection of the work between our Career Center, Outreach, Counseling Department, and Vocational Education programs has increased the number of Hispanic students utilizing career advising, and the students are better informed when choosing career options.

I look forward to providing a follow-up report where we can share positive outcomes. First, we are working on specific intervention strategies to help more Hispanic students enroll in College, select careers that match their personal traits, graduate with degrees, and earn a living wage. The need to close educational attainment and wage gaps for the Hispanic population is a critical priority for Coastline College.

Author Bio: Dr. Vince Rodriguez has worked at Coastline College for 23 years in a variety of roles. He completed his college education while working at the College and began his latest assignment as President of the College on July 1, 2021.