Extended Learning gets high marks at conference

By Bobby Rivera

 Staff Writer

The lack of Latino males in education was the topic of discussion at the “Changing Face of the American Educator” symposium conference held earlier this month. CSUSM addressed the issue and has taken action by appointing Arturo Ocampo as the university chief diversity officer.

The conference at the Mt. San Jacinto Menifee campus on Saturday, March 9 was co-sponsored by Extended Learning and the local non-profit group Encuentros Leadership.

“Encuentros Leadership was organized in 2003 to address the alarmingly high school dropout rates of Latino males within North County San Diego,” Antonio Mora, board chair of Encuentros Leadership and CSUSM alumnus, said. “Encuentros Leadership was formed to address the critical educational, social and economic issues impacting the quality of education and life opportunities for Latino boys within our community.”

Approximately 130 men and women attended the conference led by CSUSM the College of Education’s professor Patricia Olmos and Dean of Extended Learning Mike Schroder. A few days later, the conference continued with an online dialogue.

“With Latinos representing over 40 percent of our local population and [with] only about 13 percent earning four-year degrees, the relative lack of representation, particularly among males, is a disturbing metric,” Schroder said. “[The March 9] event was a step in the right direction in terms of bringing together community thought leaders and identifying ways that we can work together to meet the challenge.”

The conference was motivated by a January 2010 report by the College Board of Advocacy & Policy Center entitled “The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color.”

The conference was broken down into four workshops, which addressed areas such as financing a college education, as well as creating a pipeline for future students at the K-12 level and then universities. As the coordinated conference ended, many said they left with the impression of a need to develop leadership skills for the young men in North County and within the campus community.

The comments of those who attended were well received and positive towards the symposium by improving on the human condition. The conference ignited the desire to help find new ways to bring more Latino males into higher education and change the campus demographics. The Encuentros Leadership’s mission statement is to “To encourage and support boys of Latino descent to achieve optimal performance in education.”

More information regarding Encuentros Leadership can be found at their website, http://encuentrosleadership.org

On March 15, nearly a week after the conference, the CSUSM president’s office announced the hiring of Arturo Ocampo. As the chief diversity officer and ombuds, Ocampo is expected to be a significant aid in getting more male Latinos involved in education.

Since 1999, Ocampo has been heavily involved with diversity, equal employment and compliance in higher education. Most recently, he co-authored University of the Pacific’s first diversity strategic plan, which included developing and delivering targeted recruitment and outreach to underrepresented students; developing faculty and staff hiring guidelines resulting in increased faculty of color and women faculty in STEM fields; and leading the effort to institutionalize the diversity course requirement.

In a March 15 statement from the president’s office, Mr. Ocampo has the “responsibility for ensuring equity in all university matters, from hiring to internal conflict resolution. He will help shape policies and procedures that respect differences within the university community, as well as play a key role in bringing greater awareness to issues of inclusivity and diversity.”

With statistics showing low graduation rates for men of color, the hiring of Ocampo will be measured first by new faculty faces he brings into the classroom. He will start his new position on April 15 of this year.