1

Introduction

The Hispanic-Serving Institutions Division administers the Developing Hispanic–Serving 

Institutions (DHSI) Program which is authorized under Title V of the Higher Education Act of 

1965, as amended. The purposes of the program are to expand educational opportunities for, and 

improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students, and to expand and enhance the academic 

offerings, program quality, and institutional stability of the colleges and universities that educate 

the majority of Hispanic students and help large numbers of Hispanic and other low-income 

students complete postsecondary degrees.

In order to apply for a grant under Title V programs, an institution of higher education must have 

applied for and be designated as an eligible institution. In addition to basic eligibility requirements, 

an institution must have at least 25 percent enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent (FTE) 

Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application.

Applications for grants under the Developing Hispanic–Serving Institutions program are submitted 

electronically using Grants.gov and are reviewed by a panel of three external grant reviewers. 

The DHSI program supports many activities that include purchase of equipment for education and 

research; improvement of instruction facilities (construction, maintenance, renovation); faculty and 

staff development; curriculum revision and development; virtual instruction; purchase of 

educational materials; student support services like mentoring and tutoring; community outreach 

programs; establishment or increase of an institutional endowment fund, and more.

Note: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) as amended, section 503(b) was 

expanded to include: innovative and customized instruction courses designed to help retain 

students and move the students into core courses; articulation agreements and student support 

programs designed to facilitate the transfer of students from two-year to four-year institutions; and 

providing education, counseling services, and financial information designed to improve the 

financial and economic literacy of students or their families. The list of authorized activities in 

section 503(b) was also amended to use the term “distance education technologies” in place of 

“distance learning academic instruction capabilities.”

In FY 2020, the DHSI program office received 249 applications and only awarded 118 applicants 

due to budget constraints of the program. In FY 2021, the program did not hold a new grant 

competition. The program decided to “fund down” the FY 2020 new awards slate in rank order and 

fund 38 high-quality applications that were unfunded in FY 2020. These 38 applicants developed 

high-quality and promising applications, as demonstrated by their total scores. Scores ranged from 

105.33 down to 100.67.

The maximum award size per grant award is $600,000 per year for a period of 5 years. Total 

funding for new awards was $22,397,605. 

Below are the project abstracts for the newly funded FY 2021 grantees.
2

Table of Contents

FY 2021 grantees are listed in rank order.

Institution Name State Page

1 University Enterprises, Inc. on behalf of CSU Sacramento CA 3

2 Victoria County Junior College District TX 4

3 Heritage University WA 5

4 Riverside Community College District/Riverside City College CA 6

5 La Sierra University CA 7

6 Broward College FL 8

7 El Paso Community College District TX 9

8 California State University, East Bay, Foundation Inc. CA 10

9 San Mateo County Community College Dist-College of San Mateo CA 11

10 Pueblo Community College CO 12

11 Research Foundation of CUNY on behalf of Queensborough CC NY 13

12 The University of Texas at El Paso TX 14

13 Saint Xavier University IL 15

14 Dallas College Richland Campus TX 16

15 Our Lady of the Lake University TX 17

16 Santa Barbara City College CA 18

17 Saint Peter's University NJ 19

18 Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo Campus PR 20

19 Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico FL 21

20 New Mexico State University - Carlsbad Community College NM 22

21 Atenas College PR 23

22 Miami Dade College FL 24

23 Southwestern Community College District CA 25

24 Metropolitan State University of Denver CO 26

25 University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo Campus PR 27

26 Dewey University Inc PR 28

27 RF CUNY on behalf of New York City College of Technology NY 29

28 Hudson County Community College NJ 30

29 EDP University of Puerto Rico PR 31

30 Springfield Technical Community College MA 32

31 University of the Incarnate Word TX 33

32 Guttman Community College NY 34

33 National Louis University IL 35

34 Los Angeles Harbor College CA 36

35 Mt. San Jacinto Community College District CA 37

36 St. Mary's University of San Antonio TX 38

37 Union County College NJ 39

38 Chico State Enterprises CA 40
3

P031S210061

California State University, Sacramento State

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

“Degree with a Purpose: Integration of Career Development and Financial Wellness into the

College Experience”

California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) is a regional comprehensive 

University enrolling a diverse student body of over 31,000 students. Located in the heart of 

California’s capital city, the University proposes the Title V DHSI Project, “Degree with a 

Purpose: Integration of Career Development and Financial Wellness into the College 

Experience,” to address educational and economic barriers for Hispanic and other low-income 

students through a cross-campus strategy that places career development as a priority focus of 

students’ college experience from enrollment to graduation to career.

The Degree with a Purpose project will enhance our existing culture of student success by 

embedding career services and financial wellness into the student experience. Specifically, we 

will develop, implement, and institutionalize three integrated, campus-wide strategies based on 

research supported by Complete College America’s Purpose First Model and the What Works 

Clearinghouse evidence-based study (Morisano et al, 2010) on setting, elaborating, and reflecting 

on personal goals to improve academic performance:

• Strategy 1. Early Career Planning and Onboarding

• Strategy 2. Integration of Career/Financial Wellness Counseling into the College 

Experience

• Strategy 3. Integration of Career, Work-Based Learning and Financial Wellness into 

Courses and Co-Curricular Programs

These three strategies will help achieve our overarching goal of enhancing student learning and 

success. For prospective and incoming students, we aim to integrate early career preparedness 

and financial wellness curriculum into existing Equity Educational Fairs and new student 

orientation to provide goal setting and an introduction to STEM and in-demand industry sectors. 

For lower and upper division students we will provide dedicated career and financial wellness 

counseling, individual career planning, and opportunities to expand work-based learning. Finally, 

to faculty and staff, we will offer professional development and mini-grants to develop 

institutional capacity to integrate early career development, financial wellness and work- based 

learning into existing courses and programs. The proposed project measurable outcomes include: 

(1) reduce numbers of students who are undeclared; (2) increase retention rates; (3) reduce

numbers of students changing majors more than once; (3) increase numbers of students pursuing

STEM and in-demand degrees and careers;

(4) expand curricular and co-curricular programs with early career development and financial

wellness components; (6) increase two- and four-year graduation rates; and (7) earn a Seal of 

Excelencia, to recognize the institution’s service to Hispanic students. The Project’s overall

five-year budget of $3,000,000 represents a cost-efficient approach that will support personnel, 

fringe benefits, supplies, software/technology, professional development, travel, training, and

external evaluation. The project addresses both Competitive Preference Priorities of this 

Title V competition related to workforce development and financial wellness.
4

P031S210090

Victoria College

TX

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Victoria College’s (VC’s) institutional self-analysis highlighted seven major problems VC 

students face, each of which also threatens the college’s self-sufficiency. These problems are 

low college-going rates of regional high school graduates, high rates of first-time-in-college 

(FTIC) students dropping classes, low FTIC ABC attainment rates, low FTIC Fall-to-Spring 

persistence rates, low FTIC Fall-to-Fall persistence rates, low FTIC three-year graduation 

rates, and low FTIC two-year transfer rates. 

To improve these outcomes by September 2025, VC established three goals: 1. Realize 

student success; 2. Meet community needs; and 3. Achieve institutional excellence. To fulfill 

the goals, VC will implement four activities over the five-year grant period. The activities will 

benefit all VC students, including VC’s high proportion of Hispanic students: 

1. Create a College, Career, & Financial Health outreach program to promote collegegoing in the region’s elementary through secondary schools. The activity objectives are to 

increase college admissions application rates, FTIC FAFSA completion rates, FTIC 

scholarship application rates, and FTIC prior dual enrollment rates. 

2. Expand and improve VC’s Community Connection Center to provide comprehensive, 

case-management support services to VC’s predominantly at-risk student population. The 

activity objectives are to increase FTIC support services utilization rates and increase FTIC 

academic goal setting rates. 

3. Scale up VC’s Total Learning Center to provide adequate tutoring services and academic 

coaching to support student success. The activity objectives are to increase FTIC coaching 

participation rates and increase FTIC tutoring participation rates. 

4. Standardize VC’s faculty-driven support practices through guided professional 

development and implementation of identified best practices. The activity objectives are to 

increase instructor promotion of VC’s support services and to increase FTIC students’ active 

participation in discussions, group work in class, group work out of class, and study groups. 

Through attainment of these activity objectives, VC will address the problems and goals of the 

CDP and obtain the seven CDP objectives: 

1. Increase college-going rates from 18% to 24%. 

2. Decrease FTIC course drop rates from 25% to 20%. 

3. Increase FTIC ABC rates from 64% to 71%. 

4. Increase FTIC fall-to-spring persistence from 75% to 81%. 

5. Increase FTIC fall-to-fall persistence from 54% to 64%. 

6. Increase FTIC 3-year graduation rates from 21% to 25%. 

7. Increase FTIC 2-year transfer rates from 12% to 17%. 

VC’s 2020-25 Title V DHSI project also addresses both of the FY 2020 Competitive Preference 

Priorities.
5

P031S210057

Heritage University,

WA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Heritage University, a private, four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution located in Toppenish, 

Washington, was founded in 1982 to extend access to higher education to this low-income, high

minority, and under-served area of Washington State. Many area residents have low levels of

income and education, and these characteristics are shared by Heritage U.’s students, more than 

half of whom (69%) are Hispanic (vs. 49.9% for the county) and another 12% Native Americans 

(vs. 6.5% for the county). Yakima County is well endowed agriculturally, however, despite this

agricultural bounty, the social-economic factors of the region demonstrate critical needs. Yakima

County unemployment is almost double (7.1%) that of the State (4.4%) and more persons are

living in poverty (16.5%) compared to the State (10.3%). It’s astounding that only 16.0% of those

25 years/older in Yakima County hold a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to the State at 

35.3%! To address these inequities, Heritage U. must build capacity in preparation of Hispanic and 

other low-income students to enter high-demand STEM and health professions to extend access, 

opportunity, and greater community service. Not only that, it is vital to ensure that we take 

advantage of technology which improves student retention and amplifies the educational options 

for and success of diverse student bodies. Further, we will improve and expand our BSN Program 

and improve and expand our science lab spaces. And, to make sure we are properly tracking our 

progress, gathering the necessary data, and making formative changes as we progress and 

ultimately summative decisions to move us forward, we are also setting up an Institutional 

Research Office. These efforts support significant enrollment-based revenue growth to sustain 

new programs and services in the coming years.

We propose to develop an activity with four distinct yet interrelated components that 

synergistically work together as follows: (1) Information and Instructional Technology 

equipping and upgrades; (2) Bachelor of Science Nursing [BSN] Program improvement and

expansion; (3) Science Department Lab equipping, renovation, and expansion; and (4) set 

up of an Institutional Research Office. We are also renovating and equipping classrooms and 

labs for effective instruction and integration of information technology into courses and 

programs that are integral to the project and institution as detailed in the proposal that follows.

Two new science Labs will be created: the Environmental Health and the Physical Sciences 

Labs which will afford us more scheduling options and grow our enrollment in the sciences. The 

introduction of the RN – BSN Program will also grow our enrollment especially of the nontraditional students we have lost over the years as our overall enrollment declined. Finally we 

also address in this proposal; Competitive Preference Priority 1 by offering stipends to 

students performing summer internships and Competitive Preference Priority 2 by developing

a Financial Literacy course. Heritage U. proposes ongoing evaluation to support achievement 

of project objectives and Government Procedures and Results Act (GPRA) provisions that 

demonstrate accountability and continuous improvement. Annual project evaluation will produce

results for each of the Dept. of Education’s Key Performance Measures: enrollment, retention,

and graduation rates which we will collect, and report as requested during and after funding.

External evaluation will also be utilized to make continuous improvements and adjustments to the

Project as we progress. A total of $3,000,000.00 is requested in Title V funds for this Project.
6

P031S210271

Riverside City College

CAIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE 

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Proyecto Creación de Comunidad (PC2) 1 

Riverside City College (RCC) is a public, two-year, Hispanic Serving Institution located in Riverside, 

California in Southern California’s Inland Empire region. It serves a student body of 30,083 individuals 

(Fall 2018), 63% of whom are Hispanic. More than 65% are low-income, and 35% are first-generation 

college students. 

The proposed Title V project Proyecto Creación de Comunidad/ Project Creating Community (PC2), 

responds to critical needs for support services to help Hispanic and low-income students be successful in 

college. The project will complete RCC's transformation from a Hispanic-enrolling institution into a 

Hispanic-serving institution that at every level supports its highly diverse students as they pursue their 

educational pathways toward degrees, transfer and, ultimately, careers. This Title V project will overcome 

weaknesses identified through a comprehensive analysis process, and will implement high-impact practices 

that have demonstrated success in colleges similar in size and scope to RCC. PC2 will institutionalize 

research-based strategies that support students, faculty/staff/administrators, as well as parents and 

community, eliminate structural barriers, ensure culturally responsive curriculum and pedagogy in the 

classrooms, and facilitate student engagement. 

The Title V PC2 will use two avenues: 1) Student Engagement via: First Year Experience (FYE) including 

financial literacy training, Summer Bridge, Peer Mentoring, Open Educational Resources and Team-based 

Learning. The expansion of two Engagement Centers will consolidate these innovative programs and 

services, and make them easily accessible and culturally relevant, fostering students' sense of belonging in 

college; 2) Professional Learning for Faculty, Staff and Administration will increase and diversify training 

to support student success beyond the classroom, focusing on the needs of Hispanic and low-income 

students. The existing Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence will be remodeled and redesigned into a 

Faculty Innovation Center. This renaming will reflect the shift in commitment toward innovative pedagogy 

that supports the diverse population and addresses the needs that first generation Hispanic students bring to 

higher education. 

The Project will have measurable and significant outcomes: 1) Increases in Hispanic and low-income 

student success; 2) Expanded and increased programs and services to meet the needs of the majority of 

Hispanic and low-income students at RCC; 3) Increases in faculty professional learning/development 

on the learning needs of Hispanic and low-income students. 

Competitive Preference Priorities: PC2 addresses both Competitive Preference Priority #1: STEM 

education and degree attainment; and Competitive Preference Priority #2: Financial literacy.
7

P031S210063

La Sierra University

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Project Title: Encouraging Teacher Education with Hispanics and Low-Income University 

Students for STEM Teaching Careers. 

Target Area: Increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students who have access to and 

complete articulated teaching degree and career opportunities in the Inland Empire of southern 

California that is one of the most diverse in the nation, where poverty is high, and educational 

attainment is low. 

Goals: G1: Increase # of Hispanics earning teaching credentials; G2: Expand focus on student 

support to include the development or redesign of instructional programs and support strategies; 

G3: Strengthen college capacity for improved equity outcomes. 

Objectives: O1: O1: Increase by 15% the number of Hispanic full-time Teaching degreeseeking undergraduate students enrolled to become teachers, especially in STEM areas. O2: 

Increase by 15% first generation, full-time STEM field degree-seeking undergraduate students 

going into a career of teaching. O3: Increase by 15% the Hispanics and first generation, fulltime degree-seeking undergraduate students graduating within five to six years of enrollment 

with a teaching credential. O4: Increase by 15% the number of transfers from local community 

colleges seeking teaching credentials (w/equitable representation of Hispanics), and graduating 

within 3 years of transfer. O5: Increase by 15 % the percentage of Hispanic and first-generation 

education majors from local school districts to complete a teaching credential within five to six 

years of their start date. O6: Increase by 15 % the percentage of Hispanic and first-generation 

college students who participate in grant-supported services or programs in order to complete a 

degree with a teaching credential. 

Strategies/Outputs: Strengthened articulation program with community college and local high 

schools; Summer Bridge program for incoming freshmen and transfer students; Curriculum 

reform and learning space renovation in all STEM areas; High Impact Practices for improved 

learning; Integrated student support services. 

Services to be Provided/Activities to be Conducted: LSU’s accelerated Teacher Credentialing 

Pathway will be linked to instructional improvements in gateway STEM courses including 

supplemental instruction, learning assistants, incorporation of High Impact Practices, 

personalized student coaching, summer bridge, effective early alert, and financial literacy 

workshops. 

Competitive Preference Priority 1: LSU Proposes a new internship program for LSU preservice teachers designed to give them a yearlong internship that leads to immediate 

employment after graduation and completion of credentials. LSU already has commitment from 

the main feeder school district (Alvord) and will establish similar connection with other local 

LEAs. 

Competitive Preference Priority 2: A well designed correlational study will be one of the 

activities of this project following the encouraging results observed by Castleman and Page 

(2014). The “nudging” intervention uses a widely adopted texting app to encourage students to 

refile their FAFSA application at the end of their first year. This study is contained in the What 

Works Clearinghouse as one of the studies that meet the moderate evidence standards. 
8

P031S210218

Broward College

FL

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Title V Project Bridges to Career Pathways: Matriculation to Completion for Hispanic Students 

Located in South Florida, Broward College (BC) is the largest community college in Broward County 

and the second largest in State. BC is a public, multi-campus, urban Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) 

with an educationally disadvantaged and ethnically diverse student population. In Fall 2018, more than 

one-third, or 36%, of BC students were Hispanic. 

Hispanics are fastest- growing ethnic population in Broward County, growing from 24% in 2010 to 

28.4% in 2017 with only 30% of residents 25 years and over having a bachelor’s degree or higher, yet 

over the past three years, Hispanic enrollment at the College has declined by almost 3% a year. This 

decline is a result of the lack of readiness for college-level coursework and need for support from entry 

into the college through the completion of a technical certificate or degree program. Additionally, there 

is no alignment between non-credit and credit programs for a seamless matriculation for those students 

completing workforce training. 

In response, the College proposes to implement the Bridges to Career Pathways: Matriculation to 

Completion for Hispanic Students project through a single activity of building a bridge to guide the 

matriculation of Hispanic students to completion of a certificate or degree program. The program is 

tailored to the needs of students matriculating into the college, particularly Hispanics coming from lowincome, high unemployment neighborhoods in Broward County. These students are in need of college 

preparation to support their successful matriculation, as well as academic support and assistance for 

retention and completion. 

Broward College will work towards three goals: 

1. Increasing matriculation of Hispanic and low-income students; 

2. Increase retention and certificate and degree attainment of Hispanic and low-income students; 

3. Strengthen the College through research and increased capacity for resource development. Fulfilling 

these goals will support the research on non-credit to credit matriculation with college readiness and 

success coaching support which points to increased student success. 

The single activity includes evidenced-based promising practices and strategies: 

• Develop and pilot a Matriculation Framework aligned to the College’s eight career pathways to facilitate 

matriculation of non-credit workforce development students to credit programs, 

• Develop and conduct Bridge workshop series, a series of accelerated college preparation courses to 

prepare students, particularly Hispanic students to enter a credit program, 

• Implement a Success Coaching Model to provide personized advising and guidance while 

reducing/eliminating barriers to success, and 

• Research the effectiveness of the Bridges to Career Pathways Model to increase the College’s capacity for 

resource development. 

To create sustainability of the Bridge Series, a research-based college preparation program, the College 

will establish an Endowment. The College will raise the required matching funds for the Endowment.
9

P031S210238

El Paso Community College 

TX

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Accelerate My Degree @ EPCC: Competency Based Education Project 

Accelerate My Degree @ EPCC will develop six Associate of Applied Science degrees into a 

competency-based education platform at El Paso Community College (EPCC). This project is designed 

for students who have dropped out, adult learners looking to retrain, or students with some college but 

no degree. The percent of students who have dropped out on average from the fall 2013 to fall 2017 

First-Time-in-College cohorts is 15 percent of the cohort. The average completion rate of a certificate 

or degree program is 3 percent. 

A Competency-Based Education (CBE) model can give these students an incentive to return to college 

as two major characteristics of CBE is awarding credit by demonstrating competency and providing a 

way to accelerate completion through rigorous assessments. Traditional courses, whether face-to-face 

or online, measure learning in an environment that time is constant, and learning is variable. CBE flips 

this to make time a variable and learning constant. This is achieved by restructuring a course to allow 

the learning path for the student to be customized or adaptive based on the student’s demonstration of 

knowledge and skills. 

Building a learning path that is adaptive and rigorous to reflect the expected course outcomes evaluated 

by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and SACSCOC, the regional accrediting body for 

EPCC requires a strong development team. The team needs faculty, staff, and an instructional design 

team that can leverage the current theory in learning science with today’s technology that is interactive, 

responsive to students and provides an accessible platform for all students. EPCC will use the Title V 

grant funds for the startup costs of building out the six AAS degrees that lead to high wage and high 

demand jobs in the region.
10

P031S210261

California State University, East Bay 

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

EB Si: East Bay STEM Initiative 

CSU East Bay (CSUEB/EB) is located in Hayward, CA across from San Francisco in the East Bay. The 

university offers 136 undergraduate degrees, 60 post-baccalaureate and one doctoral program with a 

student body of approximately 14,525. The majority of students, eighty-six percent (86%), are from 

traditionally underserved communities, 36% Hispanic, fifty-four (54%) low-income and sixty-nine 

(69%) are first in their families to attend college. 

Goals were developed reviewing What Works Clearinghouse in addition to other sources and will 

support Hispanic and/or low-income students to increase retention, progress to degree attainment, and 

increase STEM program student graduation rate, including both first-time freshmen and transfer 

students by: (1) Providing intentional and coherent summer counseling, community-building first-year 

experiences (FYE) for first-time students. (2) Support Financial Literacy (FL) for all CSUEB students, 

Priority #2 (3) Recruit and prepare students from community colleges to attain computer science 

degrees; Priority #1 (4) Recruit and prepare students, from community colleges, to enter a STEM 

teaching career pipeline at CSUEB; Priority #1. (5) Streamline access, analysis, and communication of 

EB SI student data. (6) Develop the skills, pathways, and opportunities for juniors and seniors to attain 

paid internships relevant to their majors and career goals. In addition, this grant will coordinate its 

efforts with the Hayward Promise Neighborhood grants that are dedicated to addressing widespread 

poverty in Hayward, CA.
11

P031S210275

College of San Mateo

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

STEM@CSM

The College of San Mateo (CSM) has served the diverse educational, economic, social, and

cultural needs of its community for 98 years, making it the one of the oldest community colleges

in the state and the oldest of three colleges in the San Mateo County Community College District

(SMCCCD). CSM has evolved into a multicultural institution that continues a tradition of

educational excellence by providing a broad range of quality and innovative programs to serve

the academic and vocational needs of its approximately 9,000 culturally and linguistically

diverse students. CSM students tend to be younger (65% are under 24), the majority come from

traditionally underrepresented populations (52%), many are the first in their family to attend

college (46%), and almost half of students receive aid (48%). Over the past decade, CSM’s

Hispanic student enrollment has grown from 19% to 30%; the upward trend is projected to

continue over the next several years. An increasing percentage of Hispanic students served by

the college, combined with a substantial growth in the number of STEM-field occupations

predicted, presents the College of San Mateo with both the challenge and the opportunity to

increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students who graduate with STEM degrees and

to provide evidence-based services and activities designed to improve student success.

Strategies: To address the challenges described in the CDP, the College of San Mateo is

proposing one comprehensive activity, “STEM@CSM,” which is designed to ensure students

succeed and achieve their full potential. This will be achieved through four strategies: (1)

Establish a Centralized STEM Center; (2) Increase undergraduate research/internship

opportunities; (3) Revise STEM curriculum and update equipment; and (4) Establish a Science

Faculty Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Goals: Academic Programs Goal: Implement evidence-based activities and services to improve

success for Hispanic, low-income, and other students; Institutional Management Goal:

Enhance infrastructure and systems to support CSM’s mission; Fiscal Stability Goal: Improve

student metrics for increased fiscal stability.

Outcomes: Measurable outcomes include increases in the following: course success rates (Obj.

1); first-year gateway math completion (Obj. 2-3); fall-to-fall retention (Obj. 4); STEM degree

completion and transfer (Obj. 5-6); research/internship opportunities (Obj. 7); faculty who

incorporate new techniques into the classroom (Obj. 8); optimal space for centralized STEM

center (Obj. 9); and overall student satisfaction with STEM center services and activities (Obj.

10).

Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2: STEM@CSM addresses both competitive

preference priorities.

Total Requested: $3,000,000
12

P031S210016

Pueblo Community College 

CO

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Pueblo Community College is one of 13 institutions in the Colorado Community College System. 

Serving southern and southwestern Colorado, PCC has been a Hispanic-Serving Institution for more 

than 25 years. Students at PCC are 33.9% Hispanic/Latinx, 49.4% first-generation, and 49.6% Pelleligible. 

PCC used an in-depth analysis process to identify its strengths and weaknesses and, as a result, 

identified two significant problems it will address through this Title V application, Onboarding 

Practices and Teaching to Implement Cultural Awareness (OPTICA). These include students 

coming to the college without a knowledge of college-going and what is expected of them; and a 

disconnect in ethnicities/culture between students and faculty. OPTICA will address these problems 

through two activities: 

• • Onboarding, which will develop a more in-depth and personal approach to helping new 

students become adjusted to PCC, including online orientation, a welcome event, learning 

cohorts/mentoring, a laptop lending program, and a financial literacy component. 

• • Professional Development, which will focus on culturally-relevant pedagogies and how 

faculty members can make their courses more welcoming for students. 

OPTICA will meet the following objectives: Objective 1: By Sept. 30, 2024, increase 

student retention by 8.8%. 

Objective 2: By Sept. 30, 2024, increase PCC’s overall graduation rate by 10%. 

Objective 3: By Sept. 30, 2024, decrease the average debt students graduate with by 10%. 

Objective 4: By Sept. 30, 2024, increase the percentage of courses using culturally relevant 

teaching pedagogies by 40%. 
13

P031S210176

Queensborough Community College (QCC)

NY

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Title: Leveraging Faculty Development and Supplemental Instruction to Enhance the First-year 

Experience and Beyond: An Integrated Strategy to Improve Retention and Graduation Rates for 

Hispanic and Low-Income Students at Queensborough Community College 

Queensborough Community College (QCC) is a public two-year institution located in Queens, New 

York. QCC is Part of City University of New York (CUNY), the largest public urban university in the 

country. It serves economically and ethnically diverse communities in New York, enrolling 13,101 

students in 2018-19, of which 28% (3,668) were Hispanic. 

In Fall 2019, QCC formed a Title V Grant Development Leadership Group. They agreed that two 

priority areas for institutional improvement that are mission critical and aligned with college strategic 

planning goals are (1) improving the retention and graduation rates of Hispanic and low-income 

students and (2) facilitating Hispanic and low-income students’ academic success. The two goals will 

be achieved by strengthening institutional capacity through three guiding activities: (1) improving the 

students’ first-year experience; (2) providing faculty professional development opportunities to 

improve pedagogy and supplemental instruction to enhance academic support, both directed at key 

courses in the curriculum; and (3) facilitating students’ successful completion of online courses. All 

three projects are aimed at improving student retention and graduation. A total of 12,800 first-year 

students is expected to be served by Activity 1 from Years 2 to 5 (3,200 a cohort); 27,000 students are 

expected to be served by Activity 2 from Years 1 to 5; and 2,895 students are expected to be served by 

Activity 3 from Years 2 to 5. 

Project Five-year Costs: $2,997,314 

Activity 1: $992,748; Activity 2: $1,044,500; Activity 3: $960,066
14

P031S210199

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

TX

PROJECT ABSTRACT

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is the largest Mexican-American-majority Carnegieclassified R1 university. UTEP has an 81% Hispanic-American and primarily commuter student 

population, and a current enrollment of more than 25,000 students. Thirty-two percent of UTEP 

students are from families with an annual household income of $20,000 or less. 

A recent institutional analysis found that over the last five years ~12,000 undergraduate students had 

stopped-out from UTEP. Meanwhile, 2,535 UTEP undergraduate students who were enrolled in the fall 

2019 semester did not enroll in the spring 2020 semester. This attrition leads to a lifetime cost for the 

students, negative impact on the region, and lost revenue for the university. The proposed Increasing 

Degree Completion for Stop-Out and Potential Stop-Out Students at The University of Texas at El 

Paso: CompleteUTEP is timely and necessary. 

The vision for the proposed five-year project is to develop a national model for Hispanic-Serving 

Institutions (HSIs) for re-engaging, re-enrolling, effectively educating, and supporting stop-out and 

potential stop-out students to degree completion. Thus, our goals are to increase retention and build 

workforce-ready knowledge and skills among undergraduates at UTEP. The project addresses 

Competitive Preference Priorities 1 & 2, as its objectives include increasing opportunity for 

participation in work-based learning experiences aligned with in-demand industry sectors; and 

expanding UTEP’s holistic advising model inclusive of financial literacy and other skills to build 

personal financial understanding that will contribute to student success. 

The broader impacts of CompleteUTEP are: increased social mobility of low-income and Hispanic 

students, increased regional economic vitality, increased financial stability for UTEP, and replicable 

practices for Hispanic students to advance their pathways through college and into careers. Moreover, 

the project will provide UTEP an optimal opportunity to purposefully investigate and continuously 

improve the re-engagement, re-enrollment, education, and support of UTEP students to degree 

completion. Findings will inform further efforts that will impact the broader UTEP student body. 

Beyond UTEP, lessons learned from this work can apply to regional, state and national completion 

efforts, and serve as a resource to HSIs.
15

P031S210208

Saint Xavier University (SXU)

IL

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Saint Xavier University (SXU) is a four-year, private Hispanic Serving Institution that serves the 

diverse and dynamic communities of Chicago’s south side. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1846 to 

extend educational opportunities to Chicago’s Irish immigrants, women and the poor, the provision of a 

transformative education to the historically underserved is at the heart of SXU’s mission. SXU 

continues to deliver on its mission to one of the most diverse student populations in Illinois. The 

proposed Title V DHSI Project – Enlace – will strengthen SXU’s capacity to eliminate educational 

equity gaps by increasing retention and graduation rates for Hispanic, low-income and other historically 

underserved students, by creating a link between academic supports and an environment that 

enhances racial and ethnic identity. 

The Enlace project will enhance student academic achievement by: 

1) Increasing SXU’s faculty development capacity and integrating multicultural competency, equity 

awareness and learning-centered strategies for teaching and equitably assessing diverse 

populations; 

2) Enhancing academically promising, culturally validating curricular and co-curricular 

offerings to leverage the assets of bicultural/bilingual students and peer interaction and support, and to 

create a culture of inclusivity through expansion of the Spanish in the Professions major and the 

addition of Spanish language content to Student Media offerings; 

3) Leveraging the use of technology to improve student learning and retention; and 

4) Increasing SXU’s capacity to offer holistic and humanized supports to facilitate student success 

through the hiring of a bilingual Spanish counselor for the Counseling Center. 

The project will achieve two measurable outcomes on (1) maximizing student success through 

improved retention, progression and completion and (2) creating a culture of equity based on the 

integration of best practices and culturally validating and inclusive high impact educational practices 

across curricula. 

The Enlace program addresses Competitive Preference Priority #1: Connecting Students to 

Careers (see pages 2-4) by establishing coordinated efforts to connect students to internships and 

externships through an Employer Development Outreach Coordinator and Industry Advisory 

Board; and Competitive Preference Priority #2: Student Financial Literacy (see pages 4 through 

6) by building a network of Financial Literacy supports to better assist students with creating a solid 

financial foundation for both immediate finances and long-term money management. Financial literacy 

touchpoints are infused through all aspects of the Enlace initiative, including a Financial Literacy 

Coach and Instructor and the expansion of a new personal finance online-course. 

The project’s overall budget of $2,867,919 is cost-effective and will yield strong outcomes for student 

success. Title V funds will largely support personnel costs for capacity building (90%), with the 

remainder covering fringe benefits, travel, supplies, external evaluation costs, and support for 

institutional endowment, for which SXU will provide dollar-for-dollar matching funds. All project 

costs will be institutionalized by the end of the grant cycle. 
16

P031S210233

Dallas College Richland Campus (RLC)

TX

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Abriendo Caminos (“Opening Ways”) at Richland College

Richland College (RLC) is a comprehensive two-year public community college and an

independently accredited member of Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD). RLC is 

an eligible Hispanic Serving Institution under Title III and Title V.

The Abriendo Caminos project at RLC will create new infrastructure that opens ways for Hispanic 

and other underrepresented students and their families with college access, success, and 

completion regardless of their starting points and their aims. The project design is a “multiple 

points of entry” model that will accept new RLC students who test at the Developmental 

Education (DE) level, at proficiency in two of three standardized test scores for math, reading 

comprehension, and writing, or at proficiency, and prepare them for success. 

The project offers several interlocking components that address current challenges for Hispanic 

students:

Outreach – To learn how the programs in Abriendo Caminos at RLC can assist

them with their transitions;

Bridges to College –The DE Bridge will shorten the time they must spend before engaging collegelevel work. The STEM Bridge will preview first semester STEM gatekeeper (“high enrollment, low 

success”) coursework for participants.

STEM Club –Will offer exposure to careers, short field trips, STEM speakers, etc.

STEM Research Skills Boot Camp – Sophomores in STEM will prepare for transfer to junior-level 

university coursework; and

Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Convening – Focuses on using data to improve MSI student 

success.
17

P031S210272

Our Lady of the Lake University

TX

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) is a private, coeducational comprehensive 4-year institution 

located in San Antonio, Texas (pop. 2,377,507), within Bexar County, about 150 miles from the 

Mexico border. On the foundation of faith, wisdom and trust in Providence, OLLU seeks to prepare 

graduates to transform their communities, families and professions. OLLU serves a predominantly 

Hispanic and low socioeconomic service area and enrolls more than 1,300 undergraduate students 

annually. Inclusive of graduate students, enrollment exceeds 3,100 each year. The University is 

accredited to award bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees by the Southern Association of Colleges 

and Schools Commission on Colleges. 

Founded by the Congregation of Divine Providence, OLLU’s initial mission was to educate 

predominantly Mexican-American women who had limited access to education. While women still 

comprise the vast majority of students (68%), the mission of OLLU has expanded to serve a wider 

range of students. Yet the focus remains on students from underrepresented groups. Many (43%) are 

first-generation college students, more than half (56%) are low-income, and 91% are members of a 

minority group. 

Despite the dedication of OLLU’s faculty, staff, and administration, as well as the university’s many 

strengths and accomplishments, we are currently facing severe institutional challenges. Enrollment has 

been declining for several years, most notably within our STEM programs where enrollment has 

dropped 11.5% since 2012, 20% drop among low-income students enrolled in STEM. Of the students 

that are pursuing a program with a STEM emphasis, far too many are failing critical core courses. And 

thus, our retention (63.0% overall, 63.7% Hispanic) and degree completion rates remain far below 

acceptable levels. Graduation rate for all students within six years of first enrollment is just 28.7%, 

compared to 66% for four-year private universities nationwide. For Hispanic students enrolled in 

STEM degree programs, graduate rates are 15.4% within four years just 26.4% within six years. 

As a private institution, we rely almost exclusively on tuition and fee revenue and the current situation 

has created many severe challenges. Our precarious fiscal situation impedes our ability to invest in 

initiatives that can stem the tide of high course failure, low retention, and poor graduation rates. 

This Title V application has been prepared after a careful and comprehensive analysis of strengths, 

weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing OLLU. We submit this proposal for a project titled A 

Comprehensive Approach to Improved STEM Education at OLLU and request $2,998,434 over five 

years to implement initiatives that will result in: 

 More effective core STEM courses in Math, Physics, Physical Science, Biology, and Chemistry 

following comprehensive course redesign utilizing the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) teaching 

and learning strategies. Within the overall UDL concept, course revision will include the use of 

Experiential Learning and Writing to Learn techniques. 

 Improved and expanded academic support resources via creation of an Experiential Learning 

(EXL) STEM Studio equipped with hardware and software to facilitate hands-on active/collaborative 

experiential learning activities that are discipline-specific and/or interdisciplinary. 

Our proposed project responds to both 2020 Competitive Preference Priorities established for the Title 

V Developing HSIs Program and accomplishing project objectives will result in: 

 Expanded availability of, and increased participation in STEM Internships and Field Experiences. 

(CPP#1) 

 Improved Financial Literacy among our students following participation in customized and 

contextualized financial wellness and financial literacy instructional modules. (CPP #2) 
18

P031S210286

Santa Barbara City College

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Restructuring to Innovate for Student Excellence (RISE): Building a comprehensive support 

network for student success

Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is a comprehensive fully accredited community college

located on the south coast of Santa Barbara County in California. As a Hispanic Serving

Institution with an enrollment of just over 16,000 students, SBCC requests a grant from the U.S.

Department of Education to implement its RISE program. This program is designed to continue

the development of SBCC’s Hispanic-serving culture through strengthening outreach and student

support services to ensure students are guided from entry through to completion. With a

coordinated implementation of culturally relevant instruction and student services to reach,

teach, and support targeted student populations, and innovative and intentional financial literacy

strategies; SBCC seeks to ensure the college engages in strategies that support student readiness

to learn and guide Hispanic and low-income students through to successful completion of their

academic goals.

RISE ($2,993,187 over five years) strategies will increase the number of Hispanic and lowincome students that enroll, complete transfer-level math and English, and persist to meet the

requirements for degree and/or transfer to a four-year university within two to three years.

Project outcomes include a 15% increase in the number of students who enroll with a student

educational plan, a 10% increase in successful completion of transfer level math and English

with in their first year, a 26% increase in retention, in addition to outcomes to decrease time to

degree and increase transfer rates for Hispanic and low income students.

Component One: Outreach and Enrollment Strategies to increase the enrollment, Guided

Pathways success, and financial literacy preparation for Hispanic and low-income students

through enhanced outreach and first year experience strategies.

Component Two: Completion and Retention Strategies to increase course success and

progression in transfer level math and English, and to improve the time to completion for

Degree/Certificate and Transfer through intrusive tutoring and mentoring, financial literacy

and professional development.

Component Three: Professional Development and Sustainability to improve cultural

pedagogy, course alignment to Guided Pathways and Vision for Success goals, and sustain

financial responsibility for underrepresented and low-income students through enhanced and

supported Professional Development activities through Communities of Practice.

Numbers of Students Served and Low Program Costs: Comprehensive grant interventions

will result in a minimum of 60,000 students served, with an assumption of 25% duplication,

resulting in 45,000 students served over the five years of the grant. This will support a return on

investment of about $66.50 per student via improved student success.
19

P031S210125

Saint Peter’s University

NJ 

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Saint Peter’s University (SPU) proposes a Title V project titled Ensuring Success for the New 

Majority Student to address the growing needs of diverse learners by improving flexible and affordable 

opportunities through online learning. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, SPU is a pioneer among 

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and is the oldest private HSI in the state. Over the past 20 years, 

SPU’s undergraduate Hispanic student population has grown from 25% to 47%. Today, the university 

is a majority minority institution with a diversity index of .68, according to U.S. News & World Report 

2020 Best Colleges Rankings. The university serves three categorical types of student learners: (1) 

full-time undergraduates, (2) transfer students, and (3) graduate students. Despite the degree 

classification of each student group, all three populations share similar characteristics of the “New 

Majority” student. New Majority students are a growing number of currently enrolled college students 

who face unique challenges to earn their college degree. Characteristics of New Majority students and 

SPU students include status as nontraditional adult learners, first-generation college students, lowincome students, and students of color, all of whom are primarily commuters. Because of these shared 

characteristics, many of SPU’s students have the same needs, with some of the most significant ones 

being affordable cost and opportunities for flexible, alternate course delivery. 

To address these needs, the proposed Title V grant will (1) develop a quality-based infrastructure to 

grow distance education offerings by developing new online courses and converting existing on-ground 

courses to online courses; (2) provide a holistic, supportive infrastructure to positively impact 

Hispanic/Latinx and overall New Majority student academic, career, and postgraduation outcomes; and 

(3) increase faculty and staff professional development in online pedagogy and cultural competency to 

improve the educational experience for distance learners.
20

P031S210126

Inter American University of Puerto Rico (IAUPR)–Arecibo Campus 

PR

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Inter American University of Puerto Rico (IAUPR)–Arecibo Campus is a private, non-profit HSI 

institution located in an economically deprived region of the Island, serving a 99.4% Hispanic lowincome student population. IAUPR Arecibo proposed project consists of a single activity with two 

components: 

Component 1: Strengthening Student Support Services with the development of a Comprehensive 

Academic and Financial Success Program 

The main goal of this component is to increase persistence and retention, to lead students 

through a success-guided pathway that will take them to a degree completion in six years. The 

component proposes four complementary monitoring and coordinating efforts toward helping 

students attain their educational academic and financial career goals. The fifth effort is a summer 

bridge, to encourage students from high schools, to come and see the possibilities of higher 

education studies. Comprehensive Academic and Financial Success Program efforts include: 

1 Mi Plan -Student Individual guided pathway with an enhanced academic and financial support 

structure. 

2 Students Co-curricular Academy -Skill-building workshops to foster personal growth, 

leadership skills, work skills and financial literacy. 

3 Persistence and Retention Program -Group intervention activities for students identified as 

needing additional support to improve student academic performance. 

4 Academic and Financial Program Center -Student Support center with academic and financial 

advisors (Success Coaches) and students’ peer mentors (Students’ Success Team) 

5 Summer Bridge -High school students early experience in a higher education campus 
21

P031S210169

Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico-Orlando (UPPR-O)

FL

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Specializing in engineering programs, Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico - Orlando (UPPR-O), is 

a private non-profit, 4-year university branch campus of the Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico, 

serving the Orlando metropolitan area. With a population in excess of 2.49 million, the Orlando MSA is 

among the nation's fastest-growing regions. UPPR-Orlando was established in 2003, in part as a 

response to Central Florida's growing Puerto Rican population. Since its opening the university has 

witnessed shifts in enrollment, primarily in line with the region's economic swings. Nevertheless, we 

continue to attract an increasing number of nontraditional students, drawn to our flexible academic 

programming and familiar cultural environment. While 29.7% of the Orlando metro area is of Hispanic 

descent, UPPR-O's student population is 98.7% Hispanic. Our students are older (avg. age 35), most are 

working and/or have family obligations. Yet eager for improved employment opportunities and career 

advancement, they are motivated by our evening and online/hybrid course offerings. While still small, 

(Fall 2019 enrollment: 162), we are growing, and the speed of growth is gaining momentum. The 

addition of three new engineering specializations in 2016 contributed to an almost doubling of 

enrollment in just two years. We are fortunate to have the backing and support of our parent institution 

Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico (UPPR). With eight ABET accredited engineering programs, 

just over 700 graduates per year, UPPR has a strong reputation as one of the United States' leading 

producers of Hispanic and female engineers. The proposed project was developed following a thorough 

review of current research and is guided by a well-designed logic model to facilitate project 

implementation, and evaluation. This Title V initiative will capitalize on a rebirth of the aerospace 

industry in Central Florida's "Space Coast" that, fueled by large industry investments, is creating 

significant career opportunity for individuals with appropriate education and credentials. We request 

$2,999,773 for a project titled Expanding Educational & Career Pathways in Emerging Engineering 

Fields with initiatives resulting in: 

 Expanded degree options by creating an Aerospace minor for our B.S. of Mechanical Engineering 

and three new specializations within this minor: 1) Manned Aircraft Design, 2) Propulsion System 

Design, and 3) Unmanned Aerial Systems Design. 

 Improved support for our faculty to facilitate their mastery and use of digital resources and other 

technology to better engage diverse learners. 

 Expanded online student service resources via the creation of a Student Integrated Online Services 

(SOIS) Center with particular emphasis on improved Career/Educational Planning. 

 Creation of a suite of services to improve students financial literacy, career planning, and 

postbaccalaureate preparation skills and thus prepare them for graduate studies and professional 

success. 

Our proposed Title V DHSI project addresses both 2020 Competitive Preference Priorities: 

� CPP #1: Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills: c) 

Creating or expanding opportunities for students to obtain recognized postsecondary credentials in 

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or Computer Science. 

� CPP #2: Fostering knowledge and promoting the development of skills that prepare students to 

be informed, thoughtful, and productive individuals and citizens: Support Instruction in personal 

financial literacy, knowledge of markets & economics, knowledge of higher education financing & 

repayment, or other skills aimed at building personal financial understanding/responsibility. 

Success in these initiatives translates to expanded career opportunities for our students as well as 

increased enrollment, corresponding revenue, and improved fiscal stability for UPPR-O.
22

P031S210017

New Mexico State University, Carlsbad Community College

NM

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Ascender Project NMSU Carlsbad

New Mexico State University, Carlsbad is a public, two-year Hispanic Serving Institution

(Enrollment 1,791) serving southeastern New Mexico. Over 58% of our students are Hispanic

and over eighty-two (82%) of the region’s residents have not earned a bachelor’s degree or

higher (U.S. Census QuickFacts, 2020). Rapid urbanization associated with expansion in the

energy exploration and production sector are transforming this once-rural, geographically isolated

region of Southeastern New Mexico. Surging economic growth and chronic poverty exert

tremendous influences on the academic, social, and economic experience of our students, the

majority of whom are Hispanic, low-income and tend to come from families where college

degrees are uncommon. Whether they are under skilled for technical and professional positions,

unexcited by the prospect of working in the Oilfield, or just dream of a future that takes them far

beyond Carlsbad city limits, we must redouble our efforts to ensure their postsecondary success.

NMSU Carlsbad’s enrollment, persistence, completion, and transfer data are

contradictory: Fall to spring retention is up (72% 5-year average), but Second Year Persistence

has dropped (50%). Completion (22%) and transfer out (19%) are uninspired. Our analysis

indicates academic programs are misaligned to regionally significant employer and industry

demands and existing student services advising practices insufficiently address the unique needs

and circumstances of our predominantly part-time enrolled (79%), Hispanic student population.

Are we fully serving the needs of students (and their families) who trust us with their futures?

To connect students more effectively with knowledge, skills, and exciting advantages of a

postsecondary certificate or degree, the proposed Ascender Project will create an intentional

First Year Experience. Personal development courses will challenge, engage and inspire

students with academic and professional career path exploration, and provide the advising

and educational supports to propel their success through to completion and transfer. The

project will implement intensive, equity-centered professional learning, resulting in

pedagogies and practices aligned to regional hiring and cultural needs. The project will

deliver practical and useful personal and postsecondary financial literacy in association with

community-centered outreach initiatives of the project. We expect these efforts to yield

measurably increased postsecondary success and entry to higher wage, more satisfying

careers for Hispanic and low-income students, with the universal benefits of overall higher

educational levels in our community.

The Project addresses Competitive Preference Priority #1: (a) Improving

collaboration between education providers and employers and Competitive Preference Priority

# 2: Personal Financial Literacy. Reasonable, allocable, and necessary costs within the scope of

the project to support all objectives totaling $2,879,365 are requested to support the ambitious

and necessary activities of the project.
23

P031S210133

Atenas College

PR

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Enhancing Hispanic students’ competencies through reflective and self-regulated learning 

Atenas College is a private, not-for-profit institution of higher education, incorporated in 1996 under 

the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, serving a population of 100% Hispanic students. 

Atenas, located in the municipality of Manatí, within the northern coast of the Island, serves 

neighboring commuting students who are experiencing an extremely challenging environment 

marred by a 13-year severe economic recession, high unemployment rate (11.6%), low labor 

participation (23%) and reeling from the devastating effects of two Hurricanes (Irma & Maria) 

and multiple earthquakes. This challenging context has negatively impacted the capacity of 

prospective students to enroll and current students to remain in school. Nonetheless, prospective 

students perceive allied health careers as a viable alternative for sustainable employment either within 

the Island or in the US mainland. 

To address these challenges, Atenas College proposes to implement one activity, “Enhancing Hispanic 

Students’ Competencies Through Reflective and Self-Regulated Learning.” It has been sub-divided into 

three major components: 1) General and Core Competencies Development and Assessment Program, 2) 

Faculty Capacity Building in Teaching, Assessment and Technology Competencies, and 3) Century 

Teaching & Learning Center (CTLC). All of the components will help students learn-to-learn to attain 

retention and graduation. This project will position students with the knowledge, skills and abilities for 

their professional board attainment and future employment. 

The project seeks to implement a virtual tutoring program to expedite general education skills, 

including oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, and allied health core 

competencies, complemented with academic counseling. Atenas seeks to revise the methodology and 

pedagogical activities of 58 courses to include metacognitive and collaborative learning strategies, a 

learn-to-learn approach, and learning assessment activities. Finally, the program will acquire health 

science and laboratory software to enhance the teaching and learning process based on competencies, as 

well as the evaluation of core competencies. 

A faculty professional development program provides workshops and conferences emphasizing the 

integration of metacognitive abilities, and assessment and evaluation strategies into the teachinglearning process in a competency-based curriculum. Faculty will also have technological tools and 

resources available to enrich the training and to provide students with a more interactive class space. A 

faculty and student symposium will be implemented to demonstrate and share best practices and 

lessons learned. 

The transformation of our current learning resource center into a Century Teaching and Learning 

Center, with trending technologies, will provide learning spaces that foster collaborative learning and 

teamwork, self and peer-evaluation, and a virtual learning environment. The CTLC will support 

students with their different learning styles and address their specific learning needs. 

The project will address both competitive preference priorities. Priority 1 will improve collaboration 

between Atenas personnel and employers by means of a Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board and 

work-based learning experiences. Priority 2, whose aim is to build personal financial understanding 

and responsibility, will have a multifaceted approach, including student mentoring and workshops, 

mobile application, among other activities, to deal in a financial hardship environment.
24

P031S210194

Miami Dade College (MDC)

FL

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Business Innovation and Technology (BIT) Project 

Miami Dade College School of Global Business 

Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public, state supported institution of higher education with 72% 

Hispanic enrollment, 66% low-income enrollment and is accredited by the Southern Association of 

Colleges and Schools (SACS). Miami has a growing ecosystem for technology startups and business 

innovation, yet employers lament the dearth of talent prepared to fill positions within these companies. 

MDC will prepare students for the business world of today and tomorrow through the Business 

Innovation and Technology Title V project. The BIT project aims to provide the skills and resources 

that students need to succeed in the new, digital, data-driven world where rapid technological changes 

are disrupting the way business is done on an exponential scale. 

The School of Global Business has the largest enrollment of MDC’s academic schools, serving 8,688 

students in spring 2019, 77% of them Hispanic. The BIT Title V project will transform the institution 

and address critical deficits within its academic programs, institutional, and fiscal management. The 

BIT Project will: (1) equip, sustain, and provide a state-of-the-art Business Innovation and Technology 

Center and two satellite hubs fitted with the hardware and software needed for practical, hands-on 

training in business analytics and digital transformation; (2) create 17 new and redesigned courses and 

credentials that infuse business technologies, analytics, and digital transformation content; (3) train 

more than 200 faculty in the new curriculum, technologies, and pedagogies to ensure their effective 

delivery; (3) develop robust student support services and train student services staff in delivery. 

Objectives: By September 2025, the project will (1.1) equip and sustain the BIT center and two 

satellites with the latest business technologies, (2.1) train 40 faculty per year in technologies, 

new curriculum, and course delivery, (2.2) increase average annual enrollment in the targeted 

programs by 15%, (3.1) 75% of students enrolled in revised or new courses will earn a passing 

grade in the new or revised courses, (3.2) students receiving 10 or more tutoring sessions per 

year will have a 15% higher grade point average, (4.1) 72% of students will persist and/or 

graduate in targeted associate’s degree programs, (4.2) 54% of students in the SOGB associate’s 

degree programs will concurrently complete a CCC in the targeted programs. 

This Title V project addresses both Competitive Preference Priorities of (1) “fostering flexible and 

affordable paths to obtaining knowledge and skills,” and (2) “fostering knowledge and promoting the 

development of skills that prepare students to be informed, thoughtful, and productive individuals and 

citizens.”
25

P031S210259

Southwestern College, Chula Vista

CA 

PROJECT ABSTRACT

CONEXIONES

Southwestern Community College is a fully accredited public, two-year Hispanic Serving Institution 

(HSI) located in Chula Vista, California with an unduplicated, degree-seeking headcount of 18,569. 

Our students are predominantly Hispanic (48%), low income (56% Pell Eligible) and often firstgeneration college students. As the only public institution of higher education in southern San Diego 

County, Southwestern College contributes to the development and growth of the region through its 

educational, economic workforce opportunities, and community partnerships and services. 

Southwestern College’s Conexiones Project five-year proposal requests $2,929,974 in funding and 

showcases activities that consists of important components that seek to improve the college’s student 

success and completion rates: 

The proposed Conexiones Project: Connecting students to their Pathways aims to create a 

transformative Second Year Experience at Southwestern College centered on career and transfer 

exploration. Project activities will energize students’ connections to their college experience and make 

it easier for students to get the help they need during every step of their community college experience, 

(Bailey, Jaggars & Jenkins, 2015), as they move through college to transfer to career. To support 

upgrading academic quality, pedagogies and practices, the project will deliver equity-centered faculty 

professional learning. The project will also advance integrated student supports to generate increased 

postsecondary persistence, completion, transfer and employment in their fields of study for Hispanic 

and low-income students by 5% or more in all categories by 2025. 

The activity objectives of the project are to: 1) Create a Conexiones Project Center for Student 

Engagement; 2) Involve over 200 faculty, professional staff and Peer Coaches in equity-centered 

professional learning focused on High Impact Practices and Active Learning Pedagogies increasing 

institutional adoption of coaching practices and contributing to the development of communities of 

practice; 3) Develop Transfer and Career Personal Development Courses serving over 570 students per 

year; 4) Create of at least 60 new increased internship and work-based learning opportunities, and 5) 

Engage over 20,000 students in financial literacy education and learning modules over the five-year 

project. The Project addresses Competitive Preference Priority 1: Collaboration between highdemand industries and education, (b) work-based learning and Competitive Preference Priority 2: 

Personal and Postsecondary Financial Literacy. 

Key measures of success. Outcomes of the project are the increased utilization of equity analyses by 

faculty to ensure academic equity campus-wide. The project expects increased 3rd semester retention 

(from 71% to 76%), increased certificate and degree completion (from 22% to 27%) and increased 

transfer (from 11% t 16%) over the project time frame. The project anticipates decreasing student loan 

default rates by 4% as a result of its unprecedented efforts to provide students and the community with 

financial literacy learning resources. Most of all the project will contribute greatly to our graduates 

becoming situated in rewarding careers in their fields of study with higher median earnings and greater 

satisfaction. This dynamic and relevant project directly supports Southwestern College’s Student 

Equity and Guided Pathways goals, and education performance measures. 

Project Management and Evaluation. SWC will have on-going planning and evaluation process 

consistent with the management and evaluation plans detailed in the project. Annual external 

evaluations are included in the budget.
26

P031S210060

Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver)

CO

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) proposes the development of SpaceTech

Scholars, co-housed in the College of Professional Studies’ departments of Aviation and

Aerospace Science and Engineering and Engineering Technology. To address the demonstrated

need for aerospace and engineering technicians in Colorado (and the United States at large), as

well as the lack of diversity in this industry, SpaceTech Scholars will increase the recruitment,

retention, graduation and career placement rates of Hispanic and other underrepresented students

(i.e., minority, low-income, first-generation, female) as entry-level technicians in the domains of

aerospace and engineering. These goals will be obtained through the development of a linked

learning community, which includes: (1) the creation of a clear aerospace/engineer technician

pathway, (2) dual-enrollment opportunities for high school youth interested in this field of work,

(3) exposure to engineering/aerospace opportunities and diverse professionals in these fields for

students, starting in middle/high school and (4) comprehensive support systems for MSU Denver

students who enroll in this new career pathway, including intrusive advising and career

navigation, academic support, internship opportunities, financial aid and literacy, social capital,

and other supportive services to eliminate barriers facing Hispanic and other low-income

students. Program objectives include: Enroll an increased number of Hispanic students in

aerospace/engineering through reduced barriers to enrollment through the development of a new

career pathway, Aerospace Engineering Technician (AET); increase the interest in

engineering/aerospace careers by Hispanic/low-income middle/high school students through

educational/awareness and outreach events and an annual summer camp; increase the interest in

engineering/aerospace careers by Hispanic/low-income MSU Denver students through

educational and awareness opportunities; increase the enrollment and retention rates of

Hispanic/low-income students in the AET pathway; and increase the graduation and career

placement rates of Hispanic/low-income students in the AET pathway. Measurable outcomes 

include: 90% of students participating in summer camp will demonstrate increased knowledge of 

opportunities in engineering/aerospace and 80% will demonstrate an increased interest in and 

positive attitudes toward pursuing an engineering/aerospace career; 100% of students enrolled in 

MSU Denver’s program will receive exposure to positive role models who are ethnically, racially 

and gender diverse; 100% of students enrolled in the program will receive intrusive advising and 

mentorship from a STEM navigator; 50% of students enrolled in the program will receive 

scholarship support; 50% of students enrolled in the program will gain valuable internship 

experience directly related to working in the field; 50% of students enrolled in the program will 

receive a stipend for an internship; 90% of students enrolled in the program will graduate; 100% of 

students enrolled in the program who indicate interest will receive tutoring support; 100% of 

students will identify and develop a plan to pursue their chosen career in engineering; 100% of 

students will demonstrate increased financial literacy and have a plan before graduation for 

budgeting and loan payback. MSU Denver will also track and report on the required performance 

measures. SpaceTech Scholars meets all three priority areas under Competitive Preference 1:

Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills, and includes an

evidence-based financial literacy component that meets Competitive Preference 2: Fostering

Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be Informed,

Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens.
27

P031S210071

The University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo (UPRA)

PR

PROJECT ABSTRACT

The University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo (UPRA) is an independent branch campus of the University 

of Puerto Rico (UPR), the public system of higher education on the island, which serves a 

predominantly Hispanic and low-income student population. The proposed project, Enhancing 

Student Learning Outcomes through the Implementation of Distance Education Technologies, 

addresses the institution’s academic goals of providing an enriched online learning environment which 

fosters active teaching/learning strategies/methodologies; implementing innovative distance education 

technologies in course curricula and academic programs; and enhancing overall online student 

outcomes. Its objectives include increasing faculty knowledge and participation in the online 

teaching/learning process through an intensive development/training program aimed at gradually 

integrating the distance education modality into academic course curricula that will eventually lead to 

the implementation of quality distance education programs. Enhanced technical support services to 

produce innovative online technologies will be available to participating Distance Education faculty 

through the establishment of a Center for the Support of Distance Education Technologies (CSDET). 

The CSDET will also offer services to improve students’ knowledge, computer literacy skills and 

capabilities for accessing hybrid/online courses; respond to students’ mentoring and coaching needs; 

increase information resources available to support students’ development as independent learners and 

decision makers; and provide an informal learning space where they can work individually or 

collaboratively, share ideas on their online experiences, and practice their acquired skills in e-learning 

technologies. 

It is expected that the proposed project will maximize student academic achievement, motivation, 

satisfaction, and adjustment to the newly introduced distance education modality, thus increasing 

retention, persistence, and graduation rates by at least 2% annually after the second year of the grant 

period. It will empower faculty, advisors, counselors, and peer coaches to utilize strategies and 

technologies that have proven to provide underprepared and at risk students meaningful interaction, to 

instill a feeling of belonging and community among diverse students, to connect learning to students’ 

current lives and future career goals, and to overcome the fragmentation and alienation common to the 

college experience. 

The project is supported by “promising evidence” presented in a study by Eric Bettinger and Rachel 

Baker (2011), The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment 

in Student Mentoring, where they find that structured mentoring/coaching is advantageous to first 

generation college students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The authors reported that 

coaching had positive effects on retention, persistence and graduation rates. 

The growing concern that skill-based hiring is becoming more prevalent has led the institution to 

address Competitive Preference Priority 1 through better aligning its academic program 

internship curricula with the competencies needed in the workforce and partnering with 

employers to build talent pipelines. The lack of financial literacy, common among UPRA’s students, 

will be addressed through Competitive Preference Priority 2 by effectively engaging students in 

required financial education best practices following recommendations in the 2019 publication, 

Financial Literacy and Education at Institutions of Higher Education, prepared by the Financial 

Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC). The institution will provide intensive training to 

counselors, participating business administration faculty and financial aid personnel; train peer 

educators to assist in this undertaking; prepare online modules and newsletters; and integrate financial 

literacy into freshmen Introduction to University Life Course and selected core curricula.
28

P031S210147

Dewey University

PR

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Proposed Project: Recovery, Resiliency, Persistence: Degree Opportunities in STEM Fields for Rural 

Hispanic Students in Puerto Rico 

Institution / Target Area / Population Served: Dewey University is a private, nonprofit, HispanicServing Institution located in Puerto Rico. The Manati campus (DU-Manati or DU-M) provides 

educational opportunities for students in the North-central region of Puerto Rico,(primarily 

economically disadvantaged). DU-Manati enrollment (284 students, Fall 2018) is 100% Hispanic, 

100% Pell grant eligible (low-income), average age of 25, and 62% of students work (FT or PT). About 

81% of DU-M students are enrolled in evening and/or weekend courses, which reflect our high 

proportion of working adults. Nine municipalities surrounding our campus (total population of 

306,538) make up our service area, which is economically distressed: 40.88% of residents live in 

poverty (compared to U.S. poverty rate of 15.6%) and the median house- hold income ranges from 

$17,113 to $20,494. Manati like the rest Island is in the Process of recovery from the devastation from 

hurricane Irma and Maria during September 2017. ). In sum the Center for the New Economy report 

one year after Maria concluded the unleashing of this power of nature with a fury unseen in these parts 

in almost a century. 

Project Activities and Services: DU-Manati proposes the following activities and services: 

(1) Establish Robust Academic Support System – These student-centered services will infuse support 

strategies associated with persistence and success (tutoring, coaching/advising, English skills training, 

and a bridge program for junior/senior high school students). 

(2) Develop New Academic Programs – Two new STEM-Health Associate Degree Programs in 

Respiratory Therapy and Physical Therapy a revised BSN, ADN and LPN to develop a new health career 

pathways program. Revise BSN to include simulation in the curricula and industry based certificates. 

(3) Enhance STEM Instructional Facilities – This infrastructure improvement will support the new 

programs, while providing dynamic learning opportunities with modern equipment. 

(4) Develop Hybrid Credit-Bearing Curricula – Making Health STEM courses available in hybrid 

format will expand access to STEM curricula for Hispanic, low-income students. 

(5) Develop Transfer Partnerships – Developing partnerships with a 2-year HSIs Institution 

Tecnologico de PR-Manati campus will result in a replicable model of a transfer and articulation 

agreement including local area vocational high schools (CTE). 

Goals and Expected Outcomes: The project’s overarching goals are to increase: enrollment and 

program completion in STEM fields, transfer enrollment/success for STEM majors, and student success

and persistence in STEM programs. Five-year outcomes related to those goals are: increased enrollment 

of STEM students (+125); increased annual enrollment of STEM transfer students (+25); increased 

overall retention rate (+8 perc. pts.); and increased STEM degrees awarded (+60).Absolute Priorities: 

The proposed project responds to Absolute Priority 1 and 2. The citation of the study used to support 

the evidence requirement: 

Bettinger, E.P., & Baker, R. (2011). The effects of student coaching in college: An evaluation of a 

randomized experiment in student mentoring. 

http://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/bettinger_baker_030711.pdf 

Year 1 Budget Request: DU-C requests $600,000 for Year 1 of this HSI Title V Health STEM for a 

Rural Hispanic Serving Institution.
29

P031S210228

New York City College of Technology 

NY

PROJECT ABSTRACT

STEM Success Collaborative: Advancing Equity for Hispanic and Low-Income Students 

through an Innovative Model of Academic, Student Support, and Institutional Resource 

Integration 

New York City College of Technology (City Tech), a Hispanic Serving Institution and the sole 

college of technology within the 25-unit City University of New York (CUNY) system, has the 

largest enrollment of undergraduate STEM majors of any CUNY college. City Tech proposes an 

innovative initiative to improve momentum, graduation, and workforce preparedness of Hispanic 

and low-income STEM-interested students. The STEM Success Collaborative proposes 

implementation of a single activity with three major components: 1) the integration of academic 

resources to provide opportunity for Hispanic and low-income students to receive high quality STEM 

education; 2) the integration of student support resources, embedding interventions in STEM programs; 

and 3) the integration of institutional resources—physical, technological, and human—in a ways that 

support student success. The planning was highly collaborative and dynamic, including faculty, staff, 

and administrators from units across the college. The project model is an outgrowth of City Tech’s 

Student Success Partnership, a recently formed high-level partnership between the divisions of 

academic affairs and student affairs, with a deeply shared commitment to a “student ready college” 

model. The proposal builds on extensive research into best practices in serving Hispanic and lowincome students; and a multi-faceted program of financial education is also an integral feature of the 

project. The project design prioritizes improvements and practices that the college is committed to 

institutionalizing after Title V funding ends. Project components are driven largely by closer industry 

ties and include new cross-cutting STEM curricula, increased emphasis on experiential learning aligned 

with industry practices, more careful selection of major, comprehensive multi-modal advising, 

mentoring and career planning, and expanded thresholds of resource sharing across the college. A 

rigorous evaluation plan will be implemented to record formative data and synthesize outcomes. 

This proposal addresses Competitive Priority I: Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to Obtaining 

Knowledge and Skills. The project will develop and institutionalize a number of initiatives to: forge 

closer and ongoing ties to industry/employers for planning curriculum and skills-building resources; to 

expand internship and research opportunities; and to support post-secondary credentials through 

expanded curriculum, programs, and articulation partnerships. 

This proposal addresses Competitive Priority II: Fostering Knowledge and Promoting Development of 

Skills That Prepare Students to Be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens. An 

integrated multi-focal financial education program is planned based upon best practices from Indiana 

University and using the Financial Capability and Asset Building curriculum from Washington 

University, St. Louis. All targeted students will receive mandatory instruction led by trained peer 

leaders, augmented by workshops, online tutorials, and in-person guidance from financial aid and 

student support staff.
30

P031S210037

Hudson County Community College (HCCC)

NJ

PROJECT ABSTRACT

“The Golden Door/La Puerta Dorada” is Hudson County Community College’s (HCCC)

application for the Developing Hispanic Institutions Program (DHSI) Title V, Part A FY 2020

Grant Competition. HCCC is an urban, two-year, Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) located in

Jersey City, New Jersey serving one of the most densely populated and ethnically diverse areas

of the U.S. In Fall 2019, HCCC had a total enrollment of 8,202 students, of which 2,573 fulltime

and 1,873 part-time were Hispanic students representing a total of 4,446 undergraduates or

54% of the total student body. A major priority that is described in this proposal is for HCCC to

expand educational opportunities and improve the academic attainment of Hispanic students,

while also enhancing the academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability at

HCCC. In developing the grant proposal, the College strategically integrated objective that

specifically addresses Competitive Preference Priority 1 and 2.

HCCC seeks a total of $2,936,967 over the course of the five-year grant period. The Golden

Door/La Puerta Dorada project supports the College’s Strategic Plan and builds upon HCCC’s

identified strengthens, and implements solutions to address known weaknesses essential to

HCCC’s growth and self-sufficiency. The Golden Door/La Puerta Dorada project consists of

three major activities including the creation of: 1) the ESL Pathway Academy, which will

revamp the ESL curriculum offerings to better align with English Language Learner needs; 2)

the comprehensive redesign of ESL student support services through the development of an ESL

Resource Center; and 3) The implementation of a Faculty/Professional Staff Development

program with a curriculum designed to address equity, inclusion, and andrological needs of

English Language Learners.

Each of the activities address larger problems and challenges that have made it difficult for

HCCC to achieve their mission as being a premier Community College. The following goals for

the proposed program have been developed: Goal 1: Improve retention and graduation rates for

English Language Learners by restructuring ESL programming inclusive of curriculum redesign,

intake/placement protocol review, formalized ESL learning communities, summer bridge

academy and student credit load limits. (Activity 1: ESL Pathway Academy); Goal 2: Improve

student persistence and student momentum through the development of a three-credit College

Student Success (CSS) course, that includes a revised curriculum taught in the student’s native

language and a supplemental ESL component. (Activity 1: ESL Pathway Academy); Goal 3:

Develop and offer a comprehensive set of student support strategies to improve the retention of

English Language Learners through the creation of an ESL Resource Center. (Activity 2: ESL

Resource Center); and Goal 4: Increase faculty/staff understanding and knowledge of the

instructional needs of ESL students through their participation in professional development

programming that addresses equity, inclusion, and andrological needs specific to English Language

Learners. (Activity 3: Faculty/Staff Development)

Through implementation of the three activities, the Golden Door/La Puerta Dorada project will:

increase the one-year retention rate for HCCC ESL students from a baseline of 49% to 61%;

increase first-time, full-time HCCC ESL student graduation rate from a baseline of 3.1% to

10.1%.
31

P031S210146

EDP University of Puerto Rico

PR

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Improving Students’ Achievements Through Academic and Support Programs 

EDP University of Puerto Rico, a Hispanic-Serving Institution located in Hato Rey, PR, proposes a 

Title V Project to improve student performance and thereby increase the institution's retention and 

completion rates and productivity. The Project addresses Competitive Preference Priority 1. (Fostering 

flexible and affordable paths to obtaining knowledge and skills); and Competitive Preference Priority 2. 

(Fostering knowledge and promoting the development of skills that prepare students to be informed, 

thoughtful and productive individuals and citizens). 

The Activity intends to: 1) Enhance the Campus Technological Infrastructure to improve the teachinglearning environment through renovation of facilities to create new technology-based laboratories and 

Smart Classrooms, and technological upgrades for existing science laboratories; 2) Strengthen student 

support services by establishing a structure individualized Peer Tutoring Program; 3) Provide faculty 

professional development opportunities for the enhancement of curriculum; 4) Enhance online courses 

and hybrid-credit-bearing courses currently offered at EDP to reduce the cost of a college education 

(CPP1); 5) reduce time to degree completion by minimizing course withdrawals, dropouts and course 

failures; 6) introduce effective teaching techniques in the core and second level curriculum to improve 

student outcomes; and 7) establishment of a Financial Literacy Program (CPP2). The University's 

enhancement of its academic and student support programs; the strengthening in the use of technologybased educational resources; and improvement in its capability to deliver technology-based instruction, 

will provide students with the skills and knowledge required to be competent in-demand occupations, 

or continue graduate or professional studies (CPP1). 

Performance measures will include, but will not be limited to, increasing the number of: 1) first and 

second-year students receiving tutoring services and financial literacy to enhance their academic 

achievement, 2) first and second-year students in good academic standing, 3) faculty participating in 

professional development opportunities, 4) faculty incorporating best practices and technology into 

their teaching strategies; and 5) classrooms and labs equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Sample 

of other key measures by the end of the grant period: a) at least 75% of students receiving tutoring will 

approve basic Mathematics, Spanish and English courses with a GPA of “C” or better; b) at least 500 

students will receive tutorial services in the targeted disciplines as recorded by attendance data; c) 85% 

of faculty participating in professional development will incorporate technology and best practices in 

teaching and learning; d) a total of 23 classrooms, four (4) Labs and one Student Tutoring Center 

equipped with state-of-the- art multimedia technology to enhance the learning environment (e) increase 

the number of nursing students completing a BSN. The Activity budget dedicates 44% to personnel 

(includes fringe benefits) and 5% consultants and guest speakers who will be key resources in 

delivering the activities and services to participating students and faculty. Another 27% of the budget 

will be used for the equipment and supplies; 1% for travel; and 23% for construction. Of the total 

request of $3,000,000, approximately 12% will be dedicated to project management and evaluation.
32

P031S210276

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC)

MA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Project Aceleración: Re-Engineering Pathways to Student Success in STEM 

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), an urban, two-year public institution, is located in

Springfield, MA, equidistant between Boston and NYC and the fourth largest city in New England. The 

College has been providing unique, high-value educational opportunities to the greater Springfield 

community since its founding as the Springfield Technical Institute in 1967 and today as the only technical 

community college in Massachusetts. A Hispanic-Serving Institution, students have 100 program and degree 

options to choose from, including essential STEM pathways that build a pipeline for those seeking 

affordability and access; both mission-specific at the college. Springfield Technical Community College 

supports students as they transform their lives and is a critical institutional contributor with catalyzing 

economic revitalization in the greater Springfield region. 

The current STCC Strategic Plan has six top-line goals for student success: (1) Equity - Close achievement 

gaps among students who have traditionally faced the most significant barriers to achievement while 

improving outcomes for all students; (2) College Readiness & Enrollment - Increase the proportion of 

prospective and current students who are academically prepared to succeed in college-level coursework and 

have them enroll at STCC; (3) Student Learning - Achieve excellence in the teaching and learning of core 

competencies, using tools of assessment, to prepare students for success in academic transfer, careers, and 

lifelong-learning; (4) College Completion - Increase the proportion of students who complete STCC degree 

and certificate programs; (5) Career & Transfer Readiness - Increase the proportion of students receiving 

credentials such that they can successfully enter or return to the workforce, or transfer to a four-year 

institution; and (6) Financial Stability & Affordability - Ensure financial capacity, demonstrate fiscal 

stewardship, and maintain affordability for students. 

Project Aceleración The Project Aceleración team will achieve its stated objectives through six signature 

strategies: (1) Create a STEM Studies program with embedded career exploration and aligned with 

statewide MassTransfer STEM GenEd Foundation; (2) Develop a STEM First Year Experience (FYE) 

Cluster to increase access to STEM careers including online (hybrid) STEM courses; (3) Increase 

enrollment and improve the persistence and graduation rates of Latinx and low-income students in STEM 

majors through the revision and reimagining of Math Pathways in Quantitative Reasoning, Elementary 

Education, Statistics, and Calculus, and implementing scaled co-requisite Developmental Mathematics; (4) 

Reduce time to completion and improve the persistence and graduation of male students of color, 

particularly Latinx, through interventions that include Supplemental Instruction (peer tutoring) and related 

student supports; (5) ensure campus-wide professional development on equity and inclusion; and (6) 

Promote a culture of financial competence that values financial literacy as an institutional priority to 

increase the financial knowledge of our students. 

Project Aceleración will have several significant outcomes, including: (1) A reduction in the time and the 

number of credits taken to complete degrees; (2) An increase in the number of students of color and women 

enrolled in STEM majors (3) Improved first to second semester, and third to forth semester, persistence rates 

by Hispanic/Latinx students (by gender); (4) An increase in the number of Hispanic/Latinx students who 

transfer to baccalaureate programs; (5) An increase in the three-year graduation rates of Hispanic/Latinx 

students; (6) An increase in the number of faculty and staff trained in academic, financial, and culturally 

inclusive advisement approaches to address the needs of diverse, low-income/economically disadvantaged 

students. 

Proposed Budget: STCC is requesting a five-year total of $3,000,000 in Title V funding to achieve these 

objectives.
33

P031S210056

University of the Incarnate Word (UIW)

TX

PROJECT ABSTRACT

FLIGHT: Financial Literacy, Integrated Guidance and Health career Tracts 

The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) has a serious problem of low persistence to graduation 

rates among Hispanic and low-income students. To address the problem, this project establishes 

FLIGHT, a transformational, multi-pronged mentoring program. The name FLIGHT is an acronym for: 

Financial Literacy, Integrated Guidance and Health career Tracts. This program will allow our 

undergraduates, the Cardinals (UIW’s mascot), to take flight on their four-year college success plan. 

Through a well-developed FLIGHT plan, students will meet trained mentors and select the mentor(s) to 

best fit their needs. 

In addition, this project fully addresses Competitive Preference Priority 1 and Competitive 

Preference Priority 2. Fostering flexible and affordable paths to obtaining knowledge and skills as 

well as instruction in personal financial literacy and knowledge of higher education financing and 

repayment learning outcomes are embedded in each project activity. These outcomes all have 

assessment indicators. 

Research shows that a network of mentors, who contribute diverse skills and backgrounds to assist 

students at varying stages of the college experience, is more effective than one or more stand-alone 

mentoring programs. This project includes three activities: Activity 1) Establish a FLIGHT Mentoring 

Center to implement a coordinated mentoring program that affords students access to mentors to guide 

them to graduation with a developed academic and financial plan; Activity 2) Establish a first-year 

seminar course taught by FLIGHT-certified faculty and embedded in learning communities with 

FLIGHT-certified peer mentors; and Activity 3) Establish a health professions pathway guided by a 

FLIGHT-certified Mentor/Adviser who works with the Health Professions Advisory Council (HPAC) 

comprised of undergraduate faculty and mentors who support the pre-health academic programs at 

UIW. 

This project will allow UIW to increase the four-year graduation rate of Hispanic and low-income

students, increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students who enter graduate health 

programs, and help students carry out a sustainable financial plan for their future.
34

P031S210160

Guttman Community College, CUNY

NY

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Project Adelante: Advancing Latinx & Underrepresented Students by Strengthening Financial 

Literacy, Transfer Performance & Career Preparation 

Guttman Community College (GCC) recognizes our Latinx and African American students –86% of 

the student body – as the leaders and innovators of the next generation. A college degree has 

historically elevated economic status. However, nearly 72% of white students finish a four-year degree 

within six years, compared to 56% of Latinx students and 46% percent of African American students. 

These completion rates broadly reproduce the racial distribution of poverty rates, which are 

significantly higher for Latinx and African American populations. To disrupt cycles of educational and 

economic disparity that disproportionately affect Latinx and African American students and 

communities, GCC will create a set of equity-driven initiatives aimed at strengthening academic 

success and social mobility. 

Recognized for successfully engaging a variety of high impact practices at scale and moving the needle 

on completion rates for low-income, first-generation, students of color, GCC seeks $2.9 million in Title 

V funding to support Project Adelante, a culturally responsive approach to financial literacy, transfer 

success, and career preparation. This five-year project will transform the learning environment to 

elevate our students’ strengths and thereby boost the retention, graduation, and transfer outcomes for 

2,500 Latinx and underrepresented students. Project Adelante will accomplish its goals through a 

tightly interwoven set of core activities: 

I. Develop a Comprehensive Financial Literacy Program: GCC will build a robust financial literacy 

program with four required modules in the first year, as well as mechanisms for building additional 

financial literacy expertise for all student leaders, and within a co-curricular certificate program. 

II. Improve Transfer Preparation & Success: GCC will significantly improve transfer preparation, 

academic success, and degree attainment of Guttman Graduates. 

III. Enhance Career Readiness and Work-Based Experiential Learning: GCC will embed career 

readiness in curricular and co-curricular activities in the majors and enhance work-based experiential 

learning in each major. 

By embedding financial literacy into the curriculum, we will offer students critical tools for making 

financial choices that support successful completion of their academic goals and overall financial 

health. Using recognized methods like intrusive advisement and nudging and building upon the 

Community College Research Center’s Transfer Playbook, we will improve transfer performance and 

facilitate students’ transition to baccalaureate attainment, a proven key to economic mobility. Finally, 

we will focus on building career competencies into the curriculum and offering students more workbased experiential learning, enabling students to plan for careers with a family sustaining wage and 

growth potential. These three critical practices have the potential to change the lives of our students, 

their families, and their communities for the better, while simultaneously offering our nation a model 

for accessing an underserved and underutilized talent pool with the kind of diverse perspectives that can 

change the world. 

Project Adelante will employ the highest quality of evaluation to guide continuous improvement and 

inform the field. Offering our students a coordinated set of culturally responsive learning experiences 

aimed at improving their financial, transfer, and career preparation will build capacity for greater 

economic security and mobility for thousands of Latinx and underrepresented students.
35

P031S210201

National Louis University

IL

PROJECT ABSTRACT

A Community-Centered Approach to Improving Teacher Preparation for Hispanic Students 

at National Louis University 

National Louis University (NLU) is a private, four-year institution that operates four campuses in Illinois, 

one campus in Tampa, Florida, and undergraduate and graduate level online programs. In 2019, NLU served 

9,111 students, 45% undergraduate and 55% graduate students. 50% of students identified as a minority, 

54% of undergraduate students were first in their family to go to college and 66% were Pell eligible. NLU’s 

mission is to provide access to a quality, higher education that nurtures opportunities for students through 

innovative teaching, scholarship, community engagement and service excellence. 

NLU’s undergraduate student population has experienced significant growth over the last five years, with 

our Education programs most significantly impacted. The number of undergraduate Education students has 

scaled over 500% from 167 students in 2014-15 to over 1,000 students in 2018-19 and, at the same time, 

increasing the proportion of Hispanic students served from 25.9% to 46.4%. While the growth is positive for 

NLU, this dramatic increase has also led to a set of interconnected academic, institutional, and fiscal 

challenges: lower than targeted rates of graduation and transitions to the teaching workforce; limited district 

partnerships and coaching to meet students’ field experience needs; lack of a clear pathway to postgraduation endorsements; and declining retention rates with a large portion of undergraduate students facing 

financial challenges. 

NLU is proposing to address these weaknesses through the Community-Centered Approach to Improving 

Teacher Preparation for Hispanic Students. The project meets both purposes of the DHSI program as stated 

in the funding notice through three main goals and associated measurable objectives: 

• Academic Goal: Develop and implement a community-based teacher preparation model to increase the 

number of Hispanic students entering the field of teaching. Objective 1: Develop 20 partnership school sites 

within three partner districts for 100 students completing field placements, with 80% of these students 

securing employment within the district. 

• Institutional Goal: Develop NLU’s capacity and offerings to expand access and opportunities for 

Hispanic and underrepresented students to earn high-need credentials to better serve the field and advance 

professionally. Objective 2: 200 new Hispanic and underrepresented students earning specialized, 

subsequent endorsements in teacher preparation programs. 

• Fiscal Goal: Strengthen culturally relevant academic and fiscal supports and programming to increase 

graduation and persistence rates of Hispanic and underrepresented students. Objective 3: 80% persistence 

rate of all undergraduate teacher preparation students, including Hispanic and underrepresented students and 

42% of teacher preparation students graduate within four years by Year 5. 

NLU’s project also directly addresses both competitive priorities through its activities of providing 

education students with community-based internship experiences through partner Districts with teacher 

shortages (CPP #1), developing a postsecondary STEM credential for teachers (CPP #1), and supporting 

students through their college experience by building their financial literacy knowledge in order to increase 

retention (CPP #2).
36

P031S210101

Los Angeles Harbor College

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC/Harbor) is a comprehensive, two-year college offering 

transfer, vocational, and community services programs. LAHC’s student population of 8,855, 

includes 57.7% Hispanic students and 53% low-income students. As an HSI institution LAHC is 

energetically working to prepare students for transfer and careers; however, low ompletion/transfer 

rates and unacceptable, too long time to completion (six to seven years) prevent student goal 

attainment.

One Activity: College Action for Student Achievement (CASA) - $3 million over 5 years.

Addresses Competitive Preference Priority (CPP) 1 and 2

Goal: To increase and accelerate the success and transfer rate of Hispanic and low income

students by building an aspirational and continuous student pipeline from high school to college

to transfer to 4-year universities, and by offering integrated academic and student support

services. By offering integrated, equity-minded, student-centered support services aligned with

guided academic pathways, CASA will increase and accelerate transfer rates for Hispanic and

low-income students. The program will expand and enhance academic offerings, program quality, 

faculty quality, and the college’s institutional stability and thus, enabling our institution to become 

a modern 21st century student-ready college. CASA will also strengthen our communities, our 

region, and our nation by enhancing academic pathways leading to careers in high-demand 

industries and professional fields. This single activity program has four components:

Component 1: Early onboarding to Transfer/Career Academic Pathways (TCAPs). Early

outreach to feeder high schools will create a pipeline of transfer-bound full-time students (TCAPs 

cohorts). While in high school, TCAPs cohorts will benefit from information on college/transfer 

opportunities, and assistance with LAHC application and federal financial aid (FAFSA). Students 

will also select an academic pathway and will participate in financial literacy seminars and an 8-

week Summer Bridge-to-College to earn college/transfer credits.

Component 2: Integration of academic and student support services to facilitate accelerated

transfer. Includes: a) student-responsive scheduling of classes aligned with TCAPs and transfer

requirements; TCAPs faculty mentors and peer mentors; c) online counseling and early alert

system; d) professional development for faculty and staff on equity/culturally responsive pedagogy; 

e) Student Professional Development seminar for financial education, and f) CASA Student 

Internships (SI) focused on in-demand industry sectors and TCAPs aligned.

Component 3: Strengthening College and Student Preparedness – includes offering a Transfer

Conference, b) online counseling and transfer webinars to expand student access and support; c)

articulation agreements with 4-year universities for transfer majors; d) revised curriculum to

accelerate completion by reducing the number of units needed to complete/transfer, and e) A

Student Professional Development Seminar series for 2nd Year TCAPs students.

Component 4: Building sustainability with establishment of a $100,000 endowment through

partnerships with industry/business in in-demand industry sectors and Transfer Alumni.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: CASA Student Internships (SI) will prepare and place

students in employer-paid internships in in-demand industry sectors and TCAPs-aligned.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: CASA includes a Student Professional Development

Seminar series (for transfer credit), aimed at building personal financial understanding and

responsibility.
37

P031S210121

Mt. San Jacinto Community College District

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Mt. San Jacinto College is a public, Hispanic-serving, two-year degree-granting community college that 

serves 26,432 students in Riverside County, California. It has four campuses located in San Jacinto, 

Menifee, Temecula, and Banning. MSJC’s Hispanic student population has grown exponentially the 

last decade and currently represents 51% of the entire student body. Fall 2019 represented the highest 

enrollment of Latinx students in the history of MSJC. 

Activity: Math Undergraduate Preparation (UP) Program: MSJC proposes to impact the 

disproportionate level of success for Hispanic students in gateway transfer-level Math pathways 

through (1) course standardization and redesign that integrates low to no cost open educational 

resources (OER) and financial literacy and college skills into all gateway transfer-level Math courses; 

(2) institutionalization of a comprehensive quality teaching and learning professional development 

program for Math faculty that intentionally integrates equity and culturally relevant and responsive high 

impact practices through (a) annual intensive Summer Math Boot Camps for faculty, (b) development 

of a Math community of practice for faculty and annual Math Success Summits; and (3) 

implementation of a comprehensive and sustainable Tutoring Support Program focused on embedding 

student tutors in gateway transfer-level Math courses to provide intrusive academic support for 

students. 

Key measures – By September 2025: (1) The number of students: a) graduating and attaining degrees 

will increase by 20%, b) transferring to four-year universities will increase by 35%; (2) the number of 

first-time Hispanic/underprepared students who are successful in Transfer-level Math (105, 110, 140) 

will increase by 20% ; (3) decrease the number of Hispanic/underprepared students withdrawing from 

Transfer-level Math (105, 110, 140) the first year by 5%; (4) the number of first-time students 

persisting to the next academic year will increase by 10%; (5) the number of Math 105, 110, and 140 

course sections providing Open Education Resources and Financial Literacy units will increase from 0 

to 40 sections; (6) the average number of units accumulated by Hispanic/underrepresented students will 

decrease from 87 to 76 units; and (7) 90% of all full-time Math faculty will participate in 

training/professional development activities supporting the redesign/ standardization of Math 105, 110, 

140 with culturally responsive teaching/learning strategies. 

Project Management and Evaluation – $619,357 over five years: MSJC requests funding for a Project 

Director (1 FTE) and a Title V Administrative Assistant (.5 FTE). Travel for the Project Director to 

attend professional/technical conferences is less than 1% of the total project budget. An external 

evaluation consultant will be hired to support project evaluation and continuous quality improvement. 

The Evaluator will provide one site visit per year and represents only 1% of the total budget requested. 

Math UP Program Activity – $2,196,315 over five years: MSJC requests funding to support (1 FTE) 

Math UP Faculty Coordinator, 6 Math Faculty Fellows (existing FT Math faculty reassigned 20%), 

stipends for Math faculty, and costs associated with up to 25 embedded student tutors comprising 

(63%) of the total budget. Construction costs ($75,000) are associated with a Math Computer Lab 

renovation to provide a new lab with 45 computer stations; Intensive professional development training 

for Math faculty (4%); supplies/materials for Math UP program activities (1%); equipment to support

new Math lab and program staff (3%); and statistical software licenses for Math lab computer stations 

(4%).
38

P031S210119

St. Mary’s University of San Antonio

TX

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Founded in 1852 to bring higher education to South Texas, St. Mary’s University (StMU) has a mission 

to provide a quality education that integrates the liberal arts, the Marianist faith tradition, and STEM 

disciplines, educating for academic excellence, service, justice, and peace, with an emphasis on 

adaptation and change. Through the Title V CURE Project, St. Mary’s University (StMU) will increase 

student success among Hispanic and low-income students by adopting a “Course-based Undergraduate 

Research Experience (CURE)”-approach to the curricula of several laboratory-based courses in 

chemistry, physics, and environmental sciences, enabling students to become active learners and be 

better prepared for success after graduation. 

Project activities that target and foster CURE include faculty development (insight into the CURE 

approach), course revision, and coordinated infrastructure updates. We will expand the educational 

opportunities for and improve the academic attainment of Hispanic students, including expanding 

opportunities for students to obtain recognized postsecondary credentials in STEM such as bachelor’s 

degrees (Competitive Priority Preference 1). Our approach derives from an assets-based framework that 

takes into consideration our student population, especially the Hispanic students we serve, and our 

StMU mission. 

We will improve academic offerings to include redesigned courses and materials to incorporate 

experiential learning, employing CURE pedagogy in Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science 

courses taken by students from the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) for 

General Education core requirements and students in the School of Science, Engineering, and 

Technology (SET) as major requirements; renovate classroom and laboratory instructional 

infrastructure to support the proposed pedagogical improvements; and improve access to tutoring 

through the Rattler Success Center (RSC), the institutional infrastructure that provides assistance for 

the academic success of undergraduate students through tutoring, the writing center, and college 

success-related programming. Faculty development programs will train lecture and laboratory 

instructors on developing, implementing, and assessing Course-based Undergraduate Research 

Experiences to better serve students. Workshops through the RSC will offer instruction in personal 

financial literacy and knowledge of higher education financing and repayment (Competitive Priority 

Preference 2). These curricular revisions, faculty development programming, infrastructure 

improvements, increased access to tutoring, and financial literacy workshops, selected through a 

comprehensive process of internal and external consultation, will increase retention rates, increase 

opportunities for students to obtain postsecondary credentials in STEM, and set students on the path to 

responsible and productive citizenship as they embark on careers after graduation. 

The project’s overall budget of $2,781,826 is cost-effective and will yield strong outcomes for student 

success. Title V funds will largely support one-time costs that build institutional capacity to serve 

Hispanic students: curriculum revision, faculty development and renovation. Personnel costs in the 

project, with the exception of the Project Coordinator, will be institutionalized at the end of the grant 

cycle. 
39

P031S210186

Union County College

NJ

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Through the Experiential Center for Education and Leadership (ExCEL), Union County College 

seeks to improve the retention, academic success, and transfer and career readiness of Hispanic and 

low-income students enrolled in Education, Business, and Graphic Design (EBGD) programs.

The project responds to the following challenges:

1. Low retention and degree completion of Hispanic and low-income students enrolled in EBGD

programs.

2. Limited access to experiential learning opportunities (ELOs) in milestone EBGD courses, 

resulting in students being underprepared to meet transfer and/or industry requirements.

3. Limited fiscal resources to introduce ELOs with the use of technology, comprehensive support 

services, and faculty and staff professional development to address the needs of the Hispanic and 

low-income students in EBGD programs.

To address these challenges, ExCEL will implement the following activities:

Activity 1: Establish a designated, Education Incubator and enhance the Innovation Center to

provide Hispanic and low-income EBGD students with ELOs using industry-specific technological 

tools to gain work-based skills and knowledge (CPP1). EBGD students will also gain work-based 

learning experiences through fieldwork and internships (CPP1).

Activity 2: Implement a comprehensive student development program that includes: 1) proactive

academic, career and transfer advisement within the Guided Pathways model; 2) program-specific

College Success Course with financial literacy component (CPP2); 3) tutoring and tech support 

services; 4) online resources to foster and support student retention, academic success, and transfer 

and career readiness; 5) career and leadership development; and 6) the continuous assessment of 

student support services.

Activity 3: Establish a Teaching Excellence Network (TEN) to enhance faculty and staff 

professional development. TEN will include workshops on ELOs and the use of industry-specific

technological tools, program assessment, and innovative pedagogy and best practices for improving 

Hispanic and low-income student success. The program will assess the integration of new skills in 

improving teaching effectiveness and student support services.

ExCEL will address Competitive Preference Priority 1 (CPP1) in the following ways:

1. Collaborate with industry employers to align learning objectives in program courses to ensure 

that Hispanic and low-income students gain the skills and knowledge required for employment in 

EBGD in-demand jobs.

2. Provide Hispanic and low-income students with work-based learning experiences through

fieldwork (Education) and internships (EBGD).

ExCEL will address Competitive Preference Priority 2 (CPP2) in the following way:

1. Incorporate personal financial literacy and knowledge of higher education financing/loan

repayment into the College Success course curriculum.
40

P031S210231

Chico State Enterprises

CA

PROJECT ABSTRACT

California State University, Chico (CSU, Chico) is a comprehensive university located in Northern 

California, 90 miles north of Sacramento. CSU, Chico is one of the oldest of the 23 campuses in the 

California State University system, serving a rural 12-county area with agriculture being the largest 

economic sector. Since 2014, CSU, Chico had the largest percentage increase of underrepresented minorities 

(URMs) of any campus in the California State University system, with the total number of URM first-year 

students enrolled at CSU, Chico increasing by 56%. The increases in the enrollment of Hispanic / Latinx 

students resulted in CSU, Chico’s designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in 2015. 

The proposed Title V DHSI project, presented by CSU, Chico’s College of ECC, is designed to increase the 

number of Hispanic and other underrepresented students pursing and attaining technical degrees and 

securing jobs within the STEM workforce through a well-coordinated network of academic support and 

workforce development programs. The program will address both Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2 

articulated for the Title V DHSI program. To decrease the academic and equity gaps, the Destino Program 

will provide innovative academic support, workforce development (Preference Priority 1), and financial 

literacy (Preference Priority 2) services to Hispanic and low-income students, as well as to the traditional 

population of students, in the technical career majors at CSU, Chico within the College of Engineering, 

Computer Science, and Construction Management (ECC). 

The Destino Program will increase the number of Hispanic and other underrepresented students pursing and 

attaining technical degrees and securing jobs within the STEM workforce by: 

1. Computer Science Camp: Develop Coding /Programming and math skills for incoming freshman and 

transfer students. 

2. Undergraduate Research Assistantships: Inspire and Develop future researchers through fellowships that 

sponsor summer Undergraduate Research Assistantships. 

3. Provide Academic Tutoring focusing on “high-risk” courses in STEM disciplines 

a. Provide proactive advising to students. 

4. Connect students with Alumni, Industry/Agencies, entrepreneurs, and innovators. 

5. Provide state of the art facilities for our students and develop a sustainable resource that continues 

preparing our students for the future workforce. 

a. This would entail providing funding for the College of ECC Environmental Engineering Lab Renovation 

in LANG 205A 

6. Promote the Development of skills that prepare students to be, informed, thoughtful, productive 

individuals and citizens. 

7. Infuse a multitude of financial literacy workshops and topics throughout the student’s tenure at our 

institution. 

a. Including, targeting freshman initially with financial literacy workshops aimed at budgeting, college 

financing, financial aid, loans, financial planning, and employment assistance. 

b. Provide “Life After College “workshops for upper-division students that discuss differences between, 

pensions, IRAs, 401Ks, 403B, Roth IRAs and 457 plans. Information about job offers, home buying and 

“adulting”. 

8. Endowment: Establish a permanent base of funding to support the neediest students in the College of 

ECC.