The new Dedicated Engagement to Empower Part-Timers (D.E.E.P.) Program at San Bernardino Valley College is giving part-time and re-entry students the boost that they deserve.
Launched in August 2023, the goal of D.E.E.P. is to ensure that first-year or re-entry students who are enrolled full-time at SBVC have the resources necessary to be successful. Services and benefits provided include counseling, financial assistance, priority registration B, free textbooks, and a specially designed orientation. By removing barriers, these students are more likely to fully integrate into the SBVC community, stay enrolled in classes, graduate, and transfer to a four-year college.
“The program’s focus on serving the part-time student body came about after examining the specialized counseling programs available for that population at SBVC,” Ayanna Spivey, D.E.E.P.’s student services coordinator, said. “The results showed a student enrolled in fewer than 12 units, which determines a student’s part-time or full-time status, limited a student’s ability to apply to several programs on campus. This information directed the decision to offer a program that allowed students to receive specialized services and benefits that meet the student’s life circumstances.”
To be eligible for the program, students must complete orientation and placement and submit a FAFSA/DREAM Act application. D.E.E.P. expects about 100 Wolverines will join the program during its first year, with dozens already signed up.
