Partner Spotlight: Moorpark College & Oleg Bespalov

This month, we would like to feature one of our outstanding partners participating in our Belonging Program: Moorpark College. It is one of six California Community College partner schools currently implementing our Belonging Program on campus this term, and Moorpark College is a wonderful example of an institution that applies Cultures of Growth in their collaborative and innovative approaches to helping their students thrive.

Since we first opened our doors in 1967, Moorpark College has been dedicated to a mission that embraces social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and you will see those values integrated in all we do on our campus.

The Belonging Program helps newly matriculating students understand that initial belonging worries are common and diminish with time, effort, and effective strategies. With this mindset shift, students can engage more with their social and academic environment, leading to increased persistence and higher achievement. Here is what Oleg Bespalov, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, has to say about working with EA on this program:

I’m glad to be working with an organization whose work is steeped in evidence-based science, and the Belonging Program uses a Randomized Control Trial and is a replication of a prior successful large study. It’s hard to find places like EA that offer causal evidence!

In addition to the work they are doing with us, Moorpark College leadership is deeply committed to finding ways to improve student experiences and academic outcomes, and has been highlighted in Inside Higher Ed for their use of innovative interventions.

Learn more about some of our work with California Community Colleges and stay connected for updates on this and other programs we have in the higher education space!