# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

# 

# Project Abstracts

# for Fiscal Year 2019

**Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Program****

**Table of Contents**

P031M190015      Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla3

P031M190053San Juan Bautista School of Medicine4

P031M190064University of Houston-Clear Lake5

P031M190059California State University Fullerton6

P031M190055National Louis University7

P031M190040SUAGM, Inc. dba Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus8

P031M190047Colorado State University-Pueblo9

P031M190005Atlantic University College10

P031M190028Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc.11

P031M190029CSUB Auxilary for Sponsored Programs Administration12

P031M190038Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico13

P031M190042EDP University of Puerto Rico, Inc.14

P031M190023Adams State University15

P031M190078      Our Lady of the Lake University	16

P031M190035      Nova Southeastern University	17

P031M190066      Carlos Albizu University18

P031M190016      Texas A&M International University19

P031M190041      Metropolitan State University of Denver20

P031M190063      Mount Saint Mary's University21

P031M190004      Dominican University22

PR/Award # P031M190015

**Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla (PR) $599,996.00**proposes to strategically address institutional problems through the proposed PPOHA project, which includes two initiatives.

*Initiative 1: Develop a comprehensive Graduate Research Center (GRC)*

· Develop a GRC with appropriate spaces for meeting graduate student needs

· Develop a General Research Lab and a Tissue Culture Research Lab equipped with appropriate equipment for conducting rigorous scientific graduate research

· Incorporate more and more advanced research into graduate curriculum by using new equipment, resources, tools available in the GRC

· Develop/pilot comprehensive *graduate support model*to nurture development of essential

· skills required for graduate school success and professional success

· Develop/pilot Graduate Student Research Forum focusing on each graduate discipline

*Initiative 2: Add high-demand certificate options under existing master’s degree programs*

· Develop/pilot new professional certificate in Information Security in Computer Forensics

· Develop/pilot new professional certificate in Marketing & Graphic Design

· Develop/pilot new professional certificate in Environmental Health & Toxicology

******

***PR/Award # P031M190053***

**San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (PR) $599,980.00**proposes to****strategically address through this Title****V, Part B (PPOHA) Activity, which proposes to:

· Renovate an existing space in the library to create a Graduate Resource Center (GRC) with sufficient space to meet medical/graduate students’ educational and training needs;

· Develop vital resources and services within the Graduate Resource Center to address gaps in student skills in statistical analysis, writing, clinical reasoning, and financial literacy;

· Establish a Virtual Anatomy Lab and integrate innovative technology tools as a fundamental aspect of the MD curriculum;

· Develop a robust professional development system to address identified gaps in faculty skills and knowledge and strengthen faculty’s role as clinical educators;

· Establish a comprehensive student information system (convert current paper-based processes to a digital platform system and develop robust support services) to meet student needs;

· Develop and administer a graduate scholarship program to provide financial assistance to low-income students.

***PR/Award # P031M190064***

**University of Houston-Clear Lake (TX) $523,905.00** proposes to**:**

· Increase the number of Hispanic and low-income. individuals who earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with initial teacher certification;

· Increase the number of Hispanic and low-income individuals who earn an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction;

· Broaden the MAT offerings through collaboration with the University of Houston-

· Downtown (UHD); and

· enhance MAT and EdD graduates’ financial literacy.

We propose a multifaceted project that will increase the number of Hispanic teachers who persist in the profession and who receive doctoral degrees in curriculum and instruction. To achieve the four program goals, we will provide direct student services such as graduate program enrollment specialist, teacher mentors, graduate assistantships, financial literacy workshops, scholarships, and opportunities for networking with other Hispanic graduate students. The program enrollment specialist will provide one-on-one support to students as they complete admissions paperwork, apply for financial aid, and decide on their class schedules. Hispanic mentors will serve as role models and guides as students’ progress through their degrees and into classrooms or into school district leadership positions.

***PR/Award # P031M190059***

**California State University Fullerton (CA) $598,675.00** proposes to address the university’s institutional gaps and weaknesses and serves to develop the campus climate for graduate education. The overarching project’s objective seeks to increase the number of Hispanic and other disadvantaged students who enroll, persist and complete a graduate degree in a timely manner at CSUF, by providing effective advising and academic support, and by fostering meaningful engagement opportunities for Hispanic and other disadvantaged graduate students.

The project accomplishes these objectives by targeting three Activity areas: 1. Increase Hispanic

Student Enrollment in a Graduate Program (with improved advising and advisor training, plus a graduate studies readiness certificate program), 2. Develop Hispanic Student Educational Engagement (with a fellowship program, mentoring and expanded services from the Career Center) and 3. Improve Hispanic Retention and Graduation Rates (with faculty development, peer support groups and expanded online resources). Each of these three areas contains strategies and services directly targeting Hispanic and disadvantaged student academic success and degree completion. The project’s well-designed management plan crosses university divisions— academic affairs, student affairs and information technology—and includes management team, faculty coordinators and advisory committee. The assessment plan allows for informal and formal feedback, requires regular assessment providing for improvement in the plan, and will assist in institutionalizing services at the end of the grant-funded project. 

******

***PR/Award # P031M190055***

**National Louis University (IN) $276,377.00**proposes *Comunidades Latinas Académicas con Visión de Éxito*(CLAVE), an integrated set of strategies for increasing Hispanic participation and success in graduate programs through building academic supports and networks.

Specifically, CLAVE will:

1. ***Increase enrollment of Hispanic students in masters and doctoral programs.***Build a stronger network to provide outreach with Hispanic-serving community-based organizations; outreach to prospective and currently enrolled students; and build and actualize partnerships and scholarship pipelines with local HSIs to better serve Hispanic communities.

2. ***Develop a fellowship program to support a network of promising diverse doctoral scholars***. Form a Fellowship Committee; institute a faculty mentor for fellowship recipients to support throughout the doctoral program; and provide assistance with teaching and research assistant placements.

3. ***Increase graduate students’ professional networks, writing capacity, and financial and professional knowledge base through the establishment of a graduate student resource center***. Create a postdoctoral fellow program that could potentially diversity the current faculty members; design and implement a writing program for the dissertation phase; deliver financial literacy supports; and host networking and professional development workshops.

***PR/Award # P031M190040***

**SUAGM, Inc. dba Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus (PR) $599,886.00**proposes to****reduce attrition and increase completion rates by 2% through the development of a permanent Center for Graduate Student Support Services.

· **Activity 1: Develop a Mentoring Program.**The proposed mentoring program will train faculty to become mentors. It will focus on human relationships, commitment, and resources that will help graduate students find success and fulfillment in their personal, scholarly, and professional development. The mentoring program will recruit 12 faculty members/year to serve as mentors and pair them with 8 graduate students/semester to guide them through their years of study. **By 2024, the major expected outcomes are**(i) a total of 60 mentors will have provided mentoring services to 480 students; (ii) attrition will have decreased; and, (iii) completion rates will have increased by 2% compared to baseline 2019.

· **Activity 2: Establish an Assistantship Program to support and stimulate UAGM-GC graduate students in obtaining academic experiences that will contribute to their development as researchers and/or university professors in their respective disciplines**. The students will be able to participate of one of three basic experiences: teaching (TA), research (RA), and/or clinical work. The program will build stronger social connectivity between students and the university, creating a sense of belonging that will help student persistence. Graduate teaching assistants will play an important and influential role in undergraduate student learning. This activity will develop and offer instructional skills workshops to train TA/RAs. The trainings will increase the use and effectiveness of the teaching behaviors in the classrooms and research skills in laboratories in support of theses and dissertations. **By 2024, the major expected outcomes are**(i) 82 graduate students will have been selected, trained, and participated of active teaching, research or clinical experiences; (ii) attrition will have decreased; and, (iii) completion rates will have increased by 2% compared to baseline 2019.

· **Activity 3**: **Establish a Graduate Student Writing Program**enhancing career development, graduate employability, and help to form fundamental and transferable skills. The Program will provide support to graduate students during every stage of their development as academic and scientific professional writers, in the form of articles, proposals, posters, and more. Trained graduate writing assistants will help graduate students to navigate and decode the complex expectations of graduate writing. Graduate writing assistants will be experts in a specific discipline, as they will be trained to identify communication and content expectations to meet writing goals. **By 2024, the major expected outcomes are**(i) 160 graduate students participating during the 5-year grant; (ii) attrition will have decreased; and, (iii) completion rates will have increased by 2% compared to baseline 2019.

***PR/Award # P031M190047***

1) **Colorado State University-Pueblo (CO) $576,284.00**proposes to****integrate curricular****(new and redesigned coursework and graduate programs, with increased access), co-curricular****(graduate research opportunities, mentorship, student services), and programmatic****(professional development, financial literacy, internship placement, and bridges to PhD) activities to achieve our primary goals of: 1) Expanded post-baccalaureate educational opportunities and degree attainment for Hispanic students; 2) Expanded post-baccalaureate academic offerings, as well as enhanced program quality to support our large numbers of Hispanic and low-income students in completing postsecondary degrees; 3) The VIAJE program, a unique bridge to PhD program with CSU-Fort Collins; 4) A integrated Financial Literacy program imbedded in both the curriculum (online and face-to-face) and orientation; and 5) A Professional Science Master’s in Applied Agriculture.

2) We have designed four major programs/activities to achieve our primary goals, including; **1) Building a Graduate Student Resource Center, 2) Creating a Center for Modern Online Graduate Education, 3) Creating an Office for Graduate Student Opportunities, and 4) Redesigning Graduate Curriculum.**The Broad theme of CUMBRE is to build our institutional capacity to attract, support, and graduate Hispanic and low-income graduate students from the local community.

***PR/Award # P031M190005***

**Atlantic University College (PR) $600,000.00**proposes a Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Project to expand graduate educational opportunities for our region. The proposed PPOHA project **“Next Step: Graduate Studies”**seeks to improve the academic attainment of graduate students, expand the graduate academic offerings as well as to enhance the program quality at AUC. 

AUC is committed to promoting high-quality postbaccalaureate opportunities for Hispanic and low-income students. **The goals of “Next Step: Graduate Education” align with the purpose of the PPOHA Program. Goal 1**: Expand graduate educational offerings for Hispanic and low-income students through distance delivery of existing graduate programs and collaborative efforts with other institutions of higher education; **Goal 2**: Improve retention and graduation rates through academic and student support services that contribute to higher rates of completion; and **Goal 3**:Increase enrollment of Hispanic and low-income students in postbaccalaureate programs through more accessible degree programs and direct financial assistance. AUC proposes to achieve these goals by expanding academic and student support services through the establishment of a Graduate Center; making programs in high demand fields available via distance education through curriculum development and distance education delivery capacity; faculty development; providing scholarships; financial literacy instruction (CPP2); and creating alliances with other higher education institutions (CPP1). The proposed strategies will assist AUC to better serve graduate students and increase the retention and graduation rates.

By improving the success of Hispanic graduate students, AUC will positively impact social and economic outcomes not only for AUC region but for other communities. AUC will also conduct ongoing evaluation of the project to ensure the achievement of its objectives and provisions of the Government Procedures and Results Act (GPRA) that demonstrate project accountability. Data analysis will support activities improvements continuously throughout the Project.

****

***PR/Award # P031M190028***

**Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc. (CA) $532,056.00**proposes to****strengthen the infrastructure of services through a Graduate Resource Center for****graduate students’ success:

*Goal 1*: Increase Hispanic/low-income student enrollment and provide support services by establishing a Graduate Resource Center. The Graduate Resource Center will offer advising, series of workshops and a computer lab for mentoring to maximize success for local area Hispanic students at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona.

*Goal 2*: Implement Faculty, Teaching, and Research Assistant professional development workshops to better prepare faculty for effective mentorship and students for success in the workforce at Cal Poly Pomona Hispanic students.

*Goal 3:*Offer Teaching and Research Assistantships and scholarship for students to support their graduate studies as well as Financial Literacy workshops and create opportunities for professional growth.

**Outcomes/Contributions**: The project will deploy the following strategies to achieve notable increases in Hispanic enrollment, and successful completion of graduate degrees as well as beneficial change in faculty engagement with students and pedagogy methods: a) Regional four-year college student access/outreach workshops, financial literacy training, campus visits, and advising; b) Expand graduate studies program support student service through the Graduate Resource Center; c) Faculty engagement (training in effective mentorship, cultural competency and other topics) as well as Teaching and Research Assistantship training for graduate students.

***PR/Award # P031M190029***

**CSUB Auxiliary for Sponsored Programs Administration (CA) $599,590.00**proposes to: 

**G1:**Enhance and create additional capacity—by strengthening existing STEM related programs and developing two new programs—for the CSUB STEM graduate program which facilitates increased enrollment, provides needed student support, improves research facilities and engages faculty to better serve Hispanic graduate students through degree completion.

**G2:**Develop a university-wide “graduate school-going culture” through a robust and comprehensive program that encourages, supports, engages, and prepares students to pursue graduate education.

**5-Year Project Objectives Related to Project Goals:**

**O1:**To increase enrollment in CSUB’s STEM related graduate programs (with Hispanics equitably represented) by 20% above 2019 baseline (4% increase per year) and sustain the improved rate after the grant period.

**O2**: To double the number of graduates from CSUB STEM related graduate programs (with Hispanics equitably represented) as compared with the 2019 baseline.

**O3:**To increase the completion rate of STEM related graduate courses by all STEM graduate students (and with Hispanics equitably represented) by 20% above 2019 baseline.

**O4:**To double the number of CSUB students accepted into partnership Master’s and PhD programs not available at CSUB.

**Strategies: S1:**Develop an interdisciplinary, student-centered, and fully supported research program including a Summer Research component and an Undergraduate Research (UR) conference that will increase the participation and retention of Hispanic students in CSUB’s STEM related graduate programs. **S2:**Develop a comprehensive and collaborative faculty mentorship program to supervise graduate research activities in CSUB’s STEM related programs. **S3:**Develop a centralized Graduate Research Center (GRC) adequately equipped to meet the computing needs of students enrolled in the CSUB STEM related graduate programs. Student services by the GRC will include an Annual Grad Fair, UR showcase, GRE Prep, Financial Literacy workshop, Critical Thinking workshop. **S4**: Develop two new programs and strengthen existing STEM related graduate programs and develop seamless transfer pathways to PhDs and other Master’s programs that do not exist at CSUB through cross-institutional collaborations.

****

***PR/Award # P031M190038***

**Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico (PR) $599,805.00**proposes ***Broadening Computer Science Education and Modernizing Graduate**Services***, an activity to establish online access to three master’s degrees and one graduate****certificate in our high-demand computer science program, while implementing services targeting****the needs of the graduate population. UPPR will revise and convert to online format a total of 27****courses leading to our most in-demand computer science master’s degrees and certificate. We****will renovate and update a total of 2,128 square feet in our Graduate Center to establish spaces****conducive to effective, interactive, and flexible services. Renovated facilities will include a new****1,375 square foot Graduate Teaching and Learning Center (GTLC). The GTLC and other****renovated spaces will promote individual and collaborative research, consultation among****students and professors on campus and at a distance, and professional development for target****computer science course faculty. Updated facilities will support redesigned and new graduate****services, as well as a series of Graduate Workshops addressing topics important to persistence****and completion, including financial literacy. Services will be developed for real-time on-campus****and distance delivery as well as for asynchronous online access. We further propose to establish****new Summer Fellowships and a new Research Assistantship for graduate financial support.

***PR/Award # P031M190042***

**EDP University of Puerto Rico, Inc. (PR) $600,000.00**proposes to****expand graduate educational opportunities for our region. The proposed PPOHA project *Improving Graduate Opportunities through Distance**Learning and Financial Literacy*seeks to enhance the academic attainment of our graduate students, expand the graduate academic offerings as well as to enrich the program quality in the Institution. 

The specific goals are:

**Goal #1**: Expand graduate educational offerings for Hispanic and low-income students through distance delivery of existing high-demand graduate programs; **Goal #2**: Improve graduation rates (academic attainment) through services that contribute to higher rates of completion; and **Goal #3**: Increase enrollment of Hispanic and low-income students through more online accessible graduate programs and through direct financial assistance. The services developed through this Project will provide graduate students with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to succeed through workshops, mentoring, Graduate Student Center (GSC) and state-of-the-art technological resources. Additional services we propose that are more specific to graduate students are financial literacy instruction, assistance with identifying and applying for external financial resources, discipline specific graduate student handbooks, assistance with thesis preparation, and access to research resources. The GSC will also increase access by streamlining the graduate admissions process and improving our communications to students waiting for a decision on their applications. Additionally, the project seeks to establish collaboration with other institutions of higher education to expand graduate education offerings. These components of *Improving Graduate Opportunities through Distance Learning and Financial Literacy*will enable EDP to better serve graduate students, increase retention and graduation rates.

***PR/Award # P031M190023***

**Adams State University (CO) $593,488.00**proposes to****improve pathways to post-baccalaureate teacher licensure, supplementary credentials, and advanced degrees in education and higher education administration.

1) To improve the 4-year master’s degree attainment rate for Hispanic and low-income students by 15% over the grant period, ASU’s PPOHA project focuses on 3 strategic goals that also address Colorado’s deficit of highly qualified and diverse teachers and educational leaders:

2) **Expand Teacher Education and Higher Education Administration Graduate Programs to Meet Rural Education Needs:**ASU will redesign 28 online courses in education program**s**and 10 courses in higher education administration to national quality and cultural responsiveness standards to increase the number of certified and highly qualified Hispanic teachers, school and college leaders in Colorado; a new online master’s in education with math emphasis and a Leadership Ph.D. expand access to careers;

3) **Provide Outreach and Support for Graduate Students:**Outreach partnerships with schools and colleges across the Southwest, 48 scholarships awarded annually to Hispanic and historically underserved students, online orientations, a mentoring program, and additional academic supports will increase enrollment, persistence, and completion rates;

4) **Build Capacity for Graduate Program Development and Improved Services to Diverse Students:**Extensive faculty/staff development in online instructional design and cultural responsiveness standards, online faculty orientations, and an equity institute will build effective graduate programs to improve Colorado’s PK-20 educational pipeline.

***PR/Award # P031M190078***

**Our Lady of the Lake University (TX) $600,000.00**proposes to improve and expand graduate student facilities, services, and offerings at Our Lady****of the Lake University in San Antonio (OLLU) and its sister campuses in the Rio Grande Valley(OLLU-RGV) and Houston (OLLU-Houston). 

*Aim 1:* Expand post-baccalaureate educational opportunities and improve academic attainment of Latinx students through culturally responsive pedagogy, integrated information literacy and research education, and dedicated spaces for graduate students.

*Aim 2:* Expand the post-baccalaureate academic offerings in the Rio Grande Valley to include a Master of Science in Psychology – Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), a Psychological Services to Spanish Speaking Populations (PSSSP) Certificate, and a Master of Arts in Teaching, as well as enhance program quality across OLLU campuses and online programs. In addition, OLLU will pilot a blended instruction model to promote shared learning for graduate students across campuses.

To ensure project implementation is iterative and sustained, OLLU will develop a system to include student, faculty, and staff stakeholders for continuous quality improvement of graduate programs and services. The project includes a robust evaluation and research plan. By incorporating the research component alongside the evaluation component, we aim not only to ensure a successful, full fidelity implementation of grant activities, but also to share lessons learned with similarly situated Hispanic-serving institutions.

***PR/Award # P031M190035***

**Nova Southeastern University (NSU) (FL) $592,892.00**proposes to****build a flexible, supportive, and effective academic pathway as students with Bachelor’s Degrees****efficiently transition into (and through) Computer Science-related graduate degrees. Outcomes include****increasing enrollment and graduation rates in Master’s and PhD degree programs in Computer Science,****with a specific focus on increasing success among Hispanics and other underrepresented students.

**Project Objectives (Outcomes to be achieved by September 30, 2024)**

**O1**- Expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for Hispanic and other students by increasing the number and/or percentage of Hispanic and other students pursuing targeted Computer Science-related graduate degrees full-time. (Target: 15% increase by 09/30/24; Grant resources: Outreach Coordinator, new outreach programming and materials, scholarships) *Component 1.1:*Enhanced outreach services to diverse and low-income populations, including increasing scholarship availability. *Component 1.2:*Broader outreach services.

**O2**- Increase the number of targeted Computer Science-related graduate degrees awarded at NSU, especially among Hispanic, Black, and women students. (Target: 15% increase by 09/30/24; Grant resources: Stipends to develop and pilot test new and enhanced instructional methodologies, faculty professional development, mentoring stipends, scholarships) *Component 2.1:*Faculty professional development in diverse student learning. *Component 2.2:*Pedagogical modifications based on diverse student learning styles. *Component 2.3:*Faculty mentoring.

**O3**- Enhance the quality of Computer Science-related graduate programs by incorporating interinstitutional research experiences. (Target: 20 participants by 09/30/24; Grant resources: Stipends to develop and pilot test new and enhanced collaborative research experiences, technology/space renovation, research supplies/instrumentation, faculty and student travel, Research Specialist, faculty professional development, stipends to pilot test new and enhanced approaches) *Component 3.1:*Innovations in research experiences – inter-institutional research teams with the University of Puerto Rico and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. *Component 3.2:*Technology/telecommunication and space renovations to strengthen online faculty and student communications. *Component 3.3:*Faculty professional development – inter-institutional faculty connections with the University of Puerto Rico and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

.

***PR/Award # P031M190066***

**Carlos Albizu University (FL) $599,995.00**proposes to address gaps and weaknesses that hinder the****University from adequately serving the needs of Hispanic and disadvantaged postbaccalaureate students. To this end, CAU-M’s proposed activity includes two initiatives:

*Initiative 1*: Strengthen and Expand Online/Hybrid Graduate Offerings—CAU-M will upgrade its distance learning infrastructure to support dynamic online and hybrid learning and renovate and equip a new Speech & Language Pathology Lab to support increased program enrollment capacity. With the appropriate tools in place, CAU-M will revise its existing Industrial-Organizational online program and convert its Ph.D. in Human Services program for online delivery and its Master of Science in Speech & Language Pathology program for hybrid delivery, adhering to rigorous Quality Matters standards. A core group of CAU-M faculty and staff will receive training to become Quality Matters reviewers in order to sustain the new QM review and course certification process. Along the way, CAU-M faculty and staff will receive support and guidance from a mentor institution who has successfully launched online graduate academic programs (*Competitive Preference Priority 1*).

*Initiative 2:* Strengthen Graduate Student Support—A technology-rich Graduate Student Center will be established as a dedicated space for graduate student collaboration, research, writing assistance, and financial literacy instruction (*Competitive Preference Priority 2)*. Additionally, to promote improved persistence and completion, a series of targeted graduate student seminars will be developed and piloted as well as a system to award fellowships to graduate students with unmet financial need. 

***PR/Award # P031M190016***

**Texas A&M International University (TX) $332,723.00** proposes to expand our postbaccalaureate Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program to create more opportunities for our traditionally underserved and high-risk student population (94% Hispanic, 45% low-income) to complete a postgraduate degree in this targeted field. High health care demands are known in our region, as the Health Resources and Services Administration has designated Webb County as a Medically Underserved Area, Medically Underserved Populations, and Health Professional Shortage Areas. We propose to convert our successful face-to-face FNP program into an online hybrid format.

***PR/Award # P031M190041***

**Metropolitan State University of Denver (CO) $373,817.00** proposes to increase the number and success of students who come from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds (most significantly, Hispanics) to enroll in and succeed in the postbaccalaureate dietetics degree program—making MSU Denver the premier graduate program for minority students interested in dietetics.

PPOHA-Denver will: (1) Provide exposure for MSU Denver students, high school students and students from Colorado two-year institutions to create education and awareness about the dietetics profession, (2) Increase the acceptance, enrollment and retention of diverse students in the MSU Denver dietetics baccalaureate program so a pool of applicants is prepared for the postbaccalaureate dietetics program, (3) Increase the number of applicants from minority populations to MSU Denver’s dietetics postbaccalaureate program, (4) Increase the enrollment and retention rates of minority students in the MSU Denver postbaccalaureate dietetics program and (4) Increase partnerships with community organizations that serve Hispanic communities for research, collaboration or internship opportunities for graduate students. 

***PR/Award # P031M190063***

**Mount Saint Mary’s University (CA)** $**600,000.00**proposes to****Increase the number and proportion of Hispanic students enrolling and completing post-baccalaureate degrees**.**

**Part 1: Increase graduate student access to and success in high-demand professions.**Collaborate****with local HSI **(CPP1)**to develop Accounting and Project Management programs; provide academic****support and license exam prep to ensure success; provide scholarships to minimize student loan debt.****

**Part 2: Improve students’ professional and financial readiness.**Develop professional pathways****with curriculum integration and partnership development with local Hispanic-serving organizations for****direct internship experiences and financial literacy education training programs **(CPP2)**.****

**Part 3: Better support and advise students by eliminating efficiencies and improving IT infrastructure.**Develop online IT dashboard with 24-hour accessibility for complete and seamless****degree planning for students; training for faculty to maximize their use of new tools to promote stronger advising and improved student retention and completion rates.

***PR/Award # P031M190004***

**Dominican University (IL) $600,000.00**proposes to**:**

1. Increase the percentage change of the number of degree-seeking graduate and professional students enrolled.

2. Increase the percentage change of the number of graduate degrees and post baccalaureate certificates awarded.

3. Increase the percentage of Hispanics enrolled in graduate programs.

4. Increase the percentage of degree completers who are Hispanic.

5. Increase the percentage of student cohorts who complete within three years.

**2**