[Wsssc] {Disarmed} SBCTC Student Services 3/22/24 Update

Fri Mar 22 16:25:42 PDT 2024

WSSSC,

This week's updates focus on FAFSA, including the position paper, the Q&A session recording, and a newly launched SBCTC FAFSA webpage. Additionally, there's been a correction regarding the CTCLink Blog's audience and content. Exciting events are on the horizon, such as the 2024 WorkFirst and BFET Annual Training Forum, updates on SSEH and SEAG, and a pre-commission meeting for NWAC Athletics programs that is in the works. This update also includes newly released reports on Guided Pathways and the link to yesterday's VP orientation webinar. Lastly, upcoming events, including a hot topics session with Vincent Tinto and a webinar showcasing Program Pathway Mapper are shared. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

FAFSA Updates
FAFSA Position Paper: The WSSSC led position paper titled "A Unified Approach to FAFSA Simplification Implementation for Washington Community and Technical Colleges,"  was shared Tuesday, also attached.

3/21/24 FAFSA Go-Live Q&A Session: Watch the meeting recording: FAFSA Q & A March 21, 2024 | SBCTC<https://youtu.be/e3jp0Le126M>

FAFSA Pivoted Action Plan: Karl and Krista and members of the workgroup have been focusing on action plan for financial aid offices, with the intent that campuses can take the template and create action plans for other areas of their college. This is intended to come out next week and could not be more timely.

NEW SBCTC FAFSA Webpage: Regularly updated information for CTC faculty, staff, administrators is linked here<https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/commissions-councils/fac/fafsa-rollout-24-25>. This includes updated FAQ templates which have recently been shared to your PIO.

Noteworthy Article: ISIR's are delayed until May, what can you do now?<https://www.financialaidservices.org/news/articles/isir_are_coming_mid-march/> Good action items for colleges to consider.

CTCLink Blog Correction
The weekly ctcLink blog<https://www.sbctc.edu/blogs/ctclink-connect/2024/2024-03-13> is in fact specifically tailored for folks like the WSSSC members. These weekly updates are for managers to stay informed about ongoing activities, such as trainings and work sessions. The aim is to encourage and empower their staff to participate in various learning opportunities available to them. Additionally, the blog serves to spotlight system enhancements and upcoming changes geared towards improving daily workflows. It's not solely focused on Financial Aid; rather, it covers a wide range of areas including FA, Student Financials, Campus Solutions, HCM, and Finance. Moreover, it addresses crucial aspects like security, accessibility, and system notices. The ctcLink Connect Blog is a go-to resource for staying updated on the latest developments.

Student Support Programs: 2024 WorkFirst and BFET Annual Training Forum
We are extremely excited to be hosting the return of this annual in-person event! The forum will take place May 14th - 15th and provide college's WorkFirst, BFET, and Basic Needs staff the opportunity for robust training and professional development related to their program administration and direct services to students. This in-person setting will also allow for college colleagues to connect with each other and discuss important aspects of their programs, share promising practices, and prioritize their work as we begin thinking about FY25. Please contact Jennifer Dellinger for more information, jdellinger at sbctc.edu<mailto:jdellinger at sbctc.edu>

NWAC Athletics pre-commission meeting and review of passed bill SB 5913
Cheryl Holden will soon send out a pre-commission invite for Wednesday, May 15 ,at 1:00 for those overseeing athletic programs. Please mark your calendar to learn more about athletic waivers and the newly passed SB 5913.

Newly Released Guided Pathways Reports, attached
Please see attached communication sharing the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) has released their long-awaited report titled "Guided Pathways: Preliminary Report on Implementation and Student Outcomes<https://www.wsipp.wa.gov/Publications?reportId=688>.". Also in the attached, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) has released a new research brief titled "Lessons From Two Major Evaluations of Guided Pathways<https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/lessons-two-major-evaluations-guided-pathways.html>." This brief includes insights from various evaluations, including the "Whole-College Guided Pathways Reform Practices: Scale of Adoption by Community Colleges in Three States<https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/whole-college-guided-pathways-reform.html>" evaluation, which incorporated results from the 2022 Scale of Adoption Survey administered by CCRC.

Also attached includes the PowerPoint from Thursdays Guided Pathways presentation.

Student Emergency Assistance Grant
The FY 25 funding application for Student Emergency Assistance Grant (SEAG) programs will open March 25th.  Participating colleges provide low-barrier, monetary assistance to students experiencing unforeseen emergencies or situations that affect the student's ability to attend classes. Currently funded SEAG programs are eligible to apply for FY25 program funds. Based on appropriated funds, the maximum grant amount for FY25 is $172,000 (or $172,000 per college in district applications representing multiple colleges). Application materials will be sent to program staff via Canvas on March 25th and are due May 1, 2024. Additional copies of application materials and the full announcement are available by request to cmcmullin at sbctc.edu<mailto:cmcmullin at sbctc.edu>. The seven colleges who are not yet participating in SEAG will be encouraged to apply for a FY25 SEAG Planning Grant to develop a program to serve students in the future.

Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness
The funding application for Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness programs opened March 20th. Participating colleges provide housing support, other basic needs accommodations, and case management to students experiencing homelessness, at imminent risk of homelessness, and those who aged out of foster care. Active SSEH FY24 programs, including the four SSEH Planning Grant programs, are eligible to apply for program funds.  Based on the appropriation associated with the passage of ESSB 5702 in 2023, the maximum grant amount per college for FY25 is $115,000, or the equivalent per college amount for district applications representing multiple colleges. This represents a reduction in maximum per college program funding of $15,000 for continuing programs compared to more recent years.  Application materials were sent to program staff via Canvas and are due May 1, 2024.  Additional copies of application materials and the full announcement are available by request to lcoghlan at sbctc.edu<mailto:lcoghlan at sbctc.edu> for those who are not members of the SSEH Canvas community.  The two colleges who are not yet participating in SSEH will be encouraged to apply for a FY25 Planning Grant to develop a program to serve students in the future.

WSSSC Hot Topics Session: Special Guest, Vincent Tinto, April 11
I am absolutely thrilled to share Vincent Tinto accepted the invitation to join our VPSA hot topics session. You should have received an updated and secure 4/11/24 invitation to our weekly WSSSC hot topic session: Linked Here<https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83927202288?pwd=QTQ3eEFuYlY5VzlFaU5OSVdWOEVWQT09>. Vincent will open with a few remarks and then the remainder of the hour will be Q&A. When I spoke with him at NASPA, I was most intrigued by his ideas on AI, on wisdom, on adaptive and evolving pedagogy, and his thoughts on student services leading retention efforts. You won't want to miss this!

Unlocking Student Success: Discover Program Pathway Mapper Webinar (Contact Aumoo Tembo for more information)
Date: April 4, 2024 Time: 10:00am-11:00am  Duration: 1 hour  Location: Zoom ID: 862 2815 9827  Register<https://eventactions.com/eareg.aspx?ea=Rsvp&invite=gcug8f0ujb3k19e8cs6kfv797e05uayzhne9nv5gm59fdxddw4ef> now to secure your spot!
We are excited to invite you to a special webinar showcasing Program Pathway Mapper, a powerful tool designed to support your Guided Pathways work to keep students on their path. Program Pathways Mapper (PPM) allows students to easily find a course of study with the corresponding course requirements and career data while also assisting colleges with system-level data cleanup, and implementation of Guided Pathways. Once students select a program pathway, PPM connects the Community Colleges with the 4-year Universities so that students can view a map of intersegmental curricular pathways, easily transfer between those segments, and reduce excess units taken on the path to the degree or program completion.  This tool allows students to visualize a clear pathway to education opportunities and speed their entry into the workforce.
Join us for a live demonstration where you'll discover how PPM can:

  *   Identify bottlenecks and barriers in student pathways.
  *   Provide real-time data support informed decision-making.
  *   Enhance collaboration between faculty, advisors, and administrators.
  *   Improve student retention and completion rates.

Have a great weekend!

Warm Regards,

Lauren Hibbs, Ed.D

Director, Student Services

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

lhibbs at sbctc.edu* o: 360-704-4334 *

sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> * Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> * Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

SBCTC Vision:

"Leading with racial equity, our colleges maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities."

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