Overview:
Public Nonprofit Educational Institution
Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) has been designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education. To receive this designation, at least 25% of full-time students must be Hispanic. The college, founded in 1967, seeks to close achievement gaps among students facing societal barriers and support students as they transform their lives.
In 2016, the college was awarded a grant to help Hispanic and low-income students obtain degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. STCC’s goal is to increase their capacity to serve Spanish-speakers and build diversity across their STEM programs.
Problem:
Website Did Not Include Information in Spanish
Even though 30% of the student body is Hispanic and STCC is a designated HSI, their website did not provide information in Spanish. An English-only website was limiting the ability of Spanish-speaking students and parents to access relevant information about the programs offered and guidelines for applying for admission.
STCC wants to demonstrate their commitment to Hispanic students and communicate effectively with the Spanish-speaking community by including Spanish translation of important information on their website.
Solution:
Developing a Personalized Translation Management Plan to Meet Their Goals
Rapport International worked with STCC to develop a customized translation management plan (TMP) that defines their goals and outlines a process to meet them through high quality translation services.
It was determined that STCC needed Spanish translations for a variety of materials, PDF documents, and dynamic forms for posting on their website. The materials were grouped into three jobs with multiple documents in each.
Rapport International matched them with a qualified translator who is experienced in translating educational materials. The English to Spanish translation increased the word count, which affected the layout on some of the forms, so after the translation, the desktop publishing (DTP) specialist cleaned up the formatting. Once translated and reformatted, the documents were ready for posting on the website. The jobs were completed on time, in under two months, and within budget.
Result:
Better Access to Information for Spanish-Speaking Students
Rapport International’s on-time delivery of accurate translations and desktop publishing services for information and admissions documents provided STCC with what they need for updating their website to include information in Spanish. This will allow prospective students and their parents who speak Spanish to access the information they need, in their preferred language.
By recognizing the need and adapting the website, STCC will attract and engage more students who speak Spanish. Over time, this should result in an increase in the percentage of Hispanic students enrolling, completing, and transferring, supporting the college’s mission as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
