Mike Muñoz holds the lofty title of president and president of Long Beach City College. But he still saw reflections of himself in many of his students, who pursued higher education amid a life of hardship.
Munoz grew up in Whittier and Anaheim and became homeless at 17, moving 10 times in five years looking for a place to live. He sometimes went without food or electricity and took low-paying jobs to make ends meet. At 20, he became a single parent.
His experience overcoming barriers to college success fueled his deep passion for breaking down those barriers.
“I think that’s my superpower,” he said of his struggles. “It gave me empathy and compassion for people who have been through these experiences. It really made me more solid in my leadership role.
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Munoz, 47, has received national recognition for improving academic performance at Long Beach, one of the state’s largest community colleges. Two-thirds of the 34,800 students are from low-income families; Latino students make up 53%, followed by white students at 14%, black students at 13%, Asians and Filipinos at 11%, and multiracial students at 8% .
Progress among black and Latino students has been particularly notable, with rising enrollment and persistence rates meaning more students are staying in school rather than dropping out. The number of Black students seeking a certificate or degree for the first time in 2022-23 increased by 30% from the previous year. Sustainability rates increased by 12%. The share of black students who complete courses or transfer to four-year institutions remains low (10%), but is up from 6% in 2017.
According to university data, Latino student enrollment increased by 21%, persistence rates increased by 5.8%, and course completion rates increased by 27% in 2022-23 compared to the previous year.
Munoz has been proactive in overcoming barriers to achievement since joining Long Beach in 2018, first as vice president for student services and then as president in 2021. , responsible for advising, equity and student affairs success.
Munoz understands that students need support to succeed. He and his team used unused federal work-study awards to provide more campus jobs; free after-school care for the children of student parents; a food pantry, academic resources, a new Black Student Success Center, and programs for students of color Tailored support for racialized males who are at greater risk of dropping out.
Just as Munoz did in his early years, Long Beach was one of the first universities in California to offer parking facilities, providing a safe space for students living in their cars. He was an early advocate of ditching placement tests for admission to transfer math and English courses, saying they biased against underserved students; completion rates for black students in those English courses soared from 9% in 2018 to 25% this year, while The completion rate for Latino students increased from 12% to 35%.
At times, his relentless push for change has drawn criticism. But Muñoz said he views his reputation for disrupting the status quo as a “badge of honor.”
