The traditional college-going experience was not designed with adult students of color in mind. Inequitable policies and practices, ranging from enrollment and placement processes to access to financial aid and student services, unintentionally lead these students to believe they don’t belong and are not welcome in higher education. Culturally sustaining practices are designed to embrace students’ lived experiences and contribute to their sense of belonging in college. By replacing one-size-fits-all approaches with practices that acknowledge and account for students’ unique backgrounds, identities, or cultures, colleges can help ensure their ultimate success in their chosen pathways.

Shared Experiences

Hear from adult learners of color and the leaders and staff who are working to create welcoming spaces for them. Hear more practitioner perspectives »

Take Action

Everyone has a role to play. What’s yours?

Recruitment and Enrollment

  • Are you ensuring that different cultures and identities are represented in recruitment materials and on the institution’s website?
  • When referring to students’ cultures and backgrounds, are you using asset-based language in materials and on the website?
  • Do your enrollment processes take into account different cultural preferences? Do they allow for different scheduling needs adult students of color may have due to work, dependent care, and other responsibilities?

Advisors and Career Staff
  • Are you participating in ongoing professional development about culturally relevant advising practices?
  • Do you know which populations are underrepresented in specific academic pathways and careers?
  • Are you connecting adult students of color with potential employers and employment opportunities? Can you identify mentors of color or alumni contacts who could be a resource for students?
  • Are you tracking which pathways adult students of color are enrolling in to ensure they are not overrepresented in ones that lead to lower-wage careers? Are you coordinating with recruitment and enrollment staff to address the issue if they are overrepresented?

Faculty
  • Are you participating in ongoing professional development about culturally sustaining pedagogy?
  • Have you participated in a curriculum audit to assess cultural relevance?
  • Are you creating opportunities within the classroom experience for students to share their unique perspectives, interests, and backgrounds?

Student Support Staff

  • Are you offering diverse student events, organizations, clubs, and other non-academic offerings? Are there student populations that are being underserved or not served at all by these offerings?
  • Do you have relationships with off-campus partners that you can leverage to help students feel welcome in the broader community?
  • Are you creating regular opportunities for adult students of color to provide feedback on their experience through surveys and focus groups? Are you ensuring that feedback is being shared with decision-makers? 
REACH Collaborative Webinar

Capturing Student Voice

A real understanding of the needs of adult students of color and an ability to support those needs requires direct insights and input. Watch this recorded presentation from Jason Keist with the University of Pittsburgh on best practices for capturing and incorporating racially minoritized learners’ perspectives.

Play Video
REACH Collaborative Webinar

Community Cultural Wealth

Meeting adult students of color where they are now means learning where they come from and how it informs their goals and motivations. Watch a recorded presentation from Jason Keist with the University of Pittsburgh on why it’s important to tap into these students’ community cultural wealth and the best ways to do it.

Play Video
NEWSLETTER

Sign up to receive new resources and updates

Join our email list to stay updated on the latest resources, best practices, and impact stories from REACH states and colleges.

SUBSCRIBE

More student support strategies

What are you looking for?