Which practice is recommended to improve outreach to students of color in community colleges?

• A. Limit online platforms
• B. Involve students of color as compensated peer recruiters and include them in decision-making processes
• C. Rely solely on standardized test scores for admissions decisions
• D. Reduce outreach efforts in local communities to focus on national marketing

Answer: (C)

Centering outreach around equity means actively involving students of color in recruitment and in decisions about how outreach is done. When students of color participate as compensated peer recruiters, their lived experiences and perspectives become a bridge to prospective students. They can communicate relevant, culturally resonant information about applying, financing education, and succeeding on campus in ways staff may not capture. Paying them signals that their expertise is valuable and helps sustain the effort, not just rely on volunteer work.

Including these students in decision-making ensures programs, messages, and outreach methods reflect real needs and barriers, leading to more authentic outreach and greater trust from prospective students. This approach also builds leadership opportunities within the student community and creates a feedback loop that continuously improves outreach.

Other options fall short because they reduce access or rely on biased methods: limiting online platforms narrows channels where students of color often learn about college; relying only on standardized test scores overlooks broader strengths and barriers; and shrinking local outreach weakens ties to the communities most served by community colleges.