Guiding questions
What infrastructure do community colleges in New York have to support BIPOC adult learners? What are best practices for anti-racist and equity-supporting infrastructure?
According to the American Association of Community Colleges (2021): “In 2020, more than half (52%) of both Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native undergraduates were enrolled in public two-year colleges” nationwide; the number for students from Black communities was 40%.
These numbers are reflected in the percentage of BIPOC students representing the total population of students enrolled at public two-year colleges nationwide in 2020, which was just over 50%, according to the same study.
On the state level in New York, BIPOC students represent approximately 30% of the total student population enrolled in The State University of New York’s community college system of 30 campuses. Over 20% of the population are adult learners over the age of 25, with 8.4% between the ages of 25 and 29