| The purpose of this research is to describe and explain the factors of an Extended Opportunities Programs and Services (EOPS) program in the California Community College System (CCC). The EOPS program is designed to help academically underserved and financially at-risk students. Given that most CCC students do not meet their educational goals and the state of California is in dire need of a better-educated workforce, this study is critical to answering some important questions about what program factors are important in facilitating underserved students to be successful. The community colleges are important to any effort to educate more Californians because community colleges serve the majority of undergraduates in the state.;A qualitative case study was used to detail the EOPS program at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) to answer the research question: What does this program do to attract students to college, retain them, help them develop and meet their educational goals?;An in-depth understanding of the program was obtained through investigation of documents and through student and staff interviews. The findings from the interviews were also enriched through hours of field observations where the researcher explored the program, what it did for these students and what it meant to them, both academically and personally.;The study found that this EOPS program is structured to do what the research suggests helps students succeed: provide outreach, require orientation, place students into appropriate level courses, offer intensive counseling and financial support, provide tutoring, and create an environment where students can socialize. The findings conclude that what this EOPS program does for the traditionally underserved students should be a model for the CCC to follow for all of its students in order to bridge the growing gap between the need for an educated workforce and the reality of diminishing academic outcomes.;Key Words: EOPS, California community colleges, underserved students, at-risk students, firstgeneration students, student success factors... |
