Partners in the Hispanic Community
Below is a partial listing of Hispanic organizations Durham Tech has partnered with over the past three years:

• El Centro Hispano (Durham) – For Hispanic Student College visit days;
• Immaculate Conception Church – For Spanish Education Fair;
• El Centro Latino (Carrboro) – To deliver a Small Business seminar;
• Consulate of Mexico – To consider implementation of an educational program sponsored by the Mexican government;
• City of Durham, Joblink Hispanic Coordinator – To conduct job fairs and recruit bi-lingual students for area positions;
• Durham Kiwanis – For Hispanic Growth Trends in Education presentation;
• Welcome Baby – To talk with Hispanic mothers about educational opportunities at Durham Tech;
• Enloe Senior High School – To speak with Hispanic students about educational opportunities at Durham Tech; and
• N.C. Department of Labor – For safety skills instruction for construction workers.

Profile of Hispanic Students
Approximately 5 percent of enrolled curriculum students identify themselves as Hispanic, while 15 percent of students in Continuing Education programs identify themselves as Hispanic.

While the percentage of Hispanic students has remained relatively constant at Durham Tech, the actual numbers of Hispanic students are increasing as the college’s overall enrollment numbers swell. In curriculum, Hispanic students are largely enrolled in University Transfer programs or are considered “special students,” taking courses without enrolling in a program of study.

Hispanic students taking noncredit courses tend to be largely enrolled in one of seven levels of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes through the college’s Adult Basic Skills Department. Noncredit Continuing Education offerings are available in Spanish and include Starting a Small Business, OSHA and Food safety programs, and Automotive, among others.

Undocumented Students
In 2004, the N.C. Community College System office sent forth a memo to all community colleges regarding how to handle admission and enrollment of undocumented immigrant applicants. The memo stated the following:

Based upon further clarification of federal statutes that regulate provision of state or local public benefits to undocumented or illegal aliens, local community colleges have the discretion to implement admissions policies that permit the enrollment of undocumented immigrant applicants to curriculum, continuing education, and basic skills programs. Undocumented students do not qualify for in-state residency for tuition and shall be charged at the out-of-state tuition rate for curriculum programs . . . Undocumented immigrant admissions shall be at the discretion of the local institution as long as the policies and practices are consistent with provisions of federal and state laws in Title 23 of the North Carolina Administrative Code.

As a result of this memo, community colleges were allowed to make local admission decisions regarding undocumented students. At Durham Tech, by not creating a local policy indicating otherwise, college officials have elected to positively interpret this memo and allow undocumented students to be admitted at the college while paying out-of-state tuition rates.

Resources at Durham Tech for Hispanic Students
The college has a Global Connections Standing Committee that meets to encourage the internationalization of the curriculum and offerings at the college.

An International Student Club and a Spanish Club are also available for interested students.

Many front-line staff members from throughout the college have been trained in basic Spanish phrases to improve interaction with this student population. Additionally, we offer an array of English as a Foreign Language courses for Spanish-speaking students who would like to progress beyond English as a Second Language offerings. The college also has a dedicated International Student advisor who assists students with transcripts and enrollment at Durham Tech.