CSN increases efforts to serve Latino students

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates employment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, also known as STEM, will increase to 13 percent between 2012 and 2022. That means approximately 1 million newly created jobs.

Because Latinos are the nation's fastest-growing student population, colleges are focusing their attention on persuading minorities to study in the STEM fields.

"For the past three years, we've been making efforts to serve our Hispanic population," said Clarissa M. Cota, business administration department chairwoman and professor/director of the paralegal studies program at the College of Southern Nevada. "We're keeping an eye on the Hispanic population, not only in terms of numbers but to make us more competitive for federal funding."

Earlier this year, the report, "Finding Your Workforce: STEM," by Excelencia in Education, ranked the CSN among the top 25 colleges in the nation to award associate's degrees to Hispanics. Excelencia in Education is a nonprofit that aims to accelerate Latino student success in higher education by providing data-driven analysis of the educational status of Latinos.

In 2012 and 2013, the report found that CSN awarded 342 degrees in STEM. Latinos received 79 of them.

Since the report was conducted, CSN has been designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, which is defined by federal law as not-for-profit, degree-granting institutions with a 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment.

Schools defined as a Hispanic-Serving Institution are eligible to apply for additional federal funding.

"We're the first institution of higher education in Nevada to receive that title," Cota said. "This title doesn't just serve our Hispanic students; it benefits the entire student population."

As part of CSN's efforts to serve this fast-growing population, Cota said the college formed a Hispanic-Serving Institution task force composed of upper-level administration, faculty and students.

Cota, who is chairwoman of the task force, said the group recently finished submitting a lengthy Title V grant proposal to generate more funding.

The reported found that although the number of Latinos earning credentials in STEM increased over the last four years, Latinos still earned a small percentage of credentials conferred in STEM.

It also noted that Latino representation is higher among STEM service than professional occupations, and Latinos working in STEM are concentrated in lower-paying jobs.

The top five academic programs that Latinos are choosing at CSN are associate of art, pre-nursing degree, associate of general studies, associate of business and associate of science, according to Cota.

There are a few things that make CSN's STEM programs stand out, according to Dr. Michael Spangler, dean of the school of advanced and applied technologies.

"All of our faculty members have an industry background," Spangler said. "Our students know that their teachers are skilled and connected in the business. The problem is that many students are offered jobs before graduating. The demand for these types of skills is huge."

Another thing that makes the STEM programs stand out is how they are tied to Southern Nevada.

"We're the only college in the country to offer a slot repair program," Spangler said. "The type of skills students learn here can be repositioned and used to work in other areas. If they enter the slot repair program, they can also use their skills to work on similar devices like ATMs or checkout counters."

Being a student in Las Vegas also has its advantages: Students in the theater technology program have the opportunity to intern with Cirque du Soleil, and students in electronics and telecommunications can interview with JT3, which provides engineering and technical support to four of the western test ranges for the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

CSN also offers certain classes in Spanish, such as media technology and information technology.

Maria Marinch, the executive director of community relations, diversity and multicultural affairs at CSN, said efforts are continuously made to attract more Latinos to the school.

"It's very important to have diversity in every field because it enriches the school experience for students and their classmates," Marinch said.

Visit edexcelencia.org.

— To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.