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Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions

FY 2023 Abstracts of New Awardees (FY 2023 Competition)

Table of Contents

# of

Awards Institution Name State AwardAmount Page

1 Atlantic University College PR $600,000.00 3

2 Berkeley City College CA $599,000.00 4

3 Boricua College NY $427,338.00 5

4 Cabrillo Community College District CA $600,000.00 6

5 Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc. CA $586,768.00 7

6 California Baptist University CA $600,000.00 8

7 California State University Fullerton CA $599,974.00 9

8 Calumet College of St. Joseph IN $600,000.00 10

9 Chico State Enterprises CA $569,483.00 11

10 College of the Mainland TX $600,000.00 12

11 Concordia University Irvine CA $600,000.00 13

12 El Camino Community College District CA $594,958.00 14

13 Felician University NJ $599,993.00 15

14 Galveston College TX $600,000.00 16

15 Gavilan College CA $600,000.00 17

16 Glendale Community College CA $600,000.00 18

17 Goshen College, Inc IN $599,836.00 19

18 Harry S Truman College IL $589,698.38 20

19 La Sierra University CA $599,736.00 21

20 Long Beach Community College District CA $600,000.00 22

21 Los Angeles Harbor College CA $600,000.00 23

22 Los Angeles Mission College CA $600,000.00 24

23 Manhattan College NY $600,000.00 25

24 Mercy College NY $596,138.00 26

25 Middlesex College NJ $594,585.00 27

26 Morgan Community College CO $599,980.00 28

27 Mount Saint Mary's University CA $598,965.00 29

28 North Central Texas College TX $599,820.00 30

29 Northeast Texas Community College TX $600,000.00 31

30 Northeastern Illinois University IL $599,998.00 32

31 Nova Southeastern University FL $599,294.00 33

32 Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio TX $600,000.00 34

33 Pacific Oaks Education Corporation CA $541,115.00 35

34 Palo Verde College CA $600,000.00 36

35 Pasadena City College CA $600,000.00 37

36 Pima County Community College District, District

Office AZ $600,000.00 38

37 Providence Christian College CA $600,000.00 39

38 RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF CUNY OBO 

LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE NY $417,899.00 40

39 Rio Hondo College CA $599,226.00 41

40 Saint Elizabeth University NJ $596,752.00 42
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# of 

Awards Institution Name State Award Amount Page

41 SAN JOSE/EVERGREEN COMMUNITY 

COLLEGE DISTRICT CA $583,844.00 43

42 Santa Barbara City College CA $599,324.00 44

43 Santiago Canyon College CA $600,000.00 45

44 Southwestern Adventist University TX $599,975.00 46

45 St. Peter's University NJ $599,802.00 47

46 Sul Ross State University TX $597,468.00 48

47 Texas A&M International University TX $599,659.00 49

48 Texas A&M University TX $593,335.00 50

49 Texas A&M University - San Antonio TX $599,956.00 51

50 Texas State Technical College TX $599,991.00 52

51 The Regents of the University of California, Santa 

Barbara CA $600,000.00 53

52 The Research Foundation - The City College Of 

New York NY $591,624.00 54

53 The University Corporation CA $599,658.00 55

54 The University of Texas Permian Basin TX $599,995.00 56

55 Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Inc. PR $596,216.00 57

56 University Enterprises, Inc dba Sac State 

Sponsored Research CA $600,000.00 58

57 University of Connecticut-Waterbury CT $417,900.00 59

58 University of Saint Thomas TX $600,000.00 60

59 University of St. Francis IL $599,345.00 61

60 Ventura County Community College District -

Ventura College CA $600,000.00 62

61 Warner Pacific University OR $600,000.00 63

62 Westchester Community College NY $549,196.00 64

63 William Rainey Harper College IL $599,626.00 65

64 Yakima Valley College WA $557,697.00 66
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Atlantic University College

Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions - Individual Development Grant 2023-2028

ABSTRACT

Atlantic University College (AUC) had a total undergraduate enrollment for 2021-2022 of 1,581 

(100% Hispanic). AUC proposes an Individual Development Grant to improve the academic 

attainment of Hispanic students and other low-income individuals. The proposed Project 

addresses Competitive Preference Priority (CPP) 1 (Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and 

Academic Needs) and CPP 2 (Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, 

Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success). In addition, the Activity has been designed to 

strengthen the academic programs, increase students’ services, and enhance campus physical 

facilities and technological infrastructure, thus improving the teaching and learning environment. 

The proposed activity “Enhancing the University’s Environment to Foster Inclusiveness and 

Student Success.” intends to: 1) Expand physical facilities to established six lavatories for 

LGBTQ+ students and to establish a college food bank to support needy students; 2) Strengthening 

of academic and student support services by expanding tutoring services for at-risk students; 3) 

Provision of professional development opportunities designed to build asset-based mindsets for 

faculty and staff on campus that are inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and 

disability status in a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe climate (CPP1); 4) Improve student 

support programs with additional resources and staff to emphasize the provision of multiple 

comprehensive evidence-based services to include academic advising, structured/guided 

pathways, and career services; 5) Enhance of AUC’s student accessibility services; 6) Provision 

of services to meet students’ basic needs to include the creation of a food pantry and provision of 

collective transportation (CPP2). These strategies will bolster students’ academic outcomes, 

improve recruitment, retention, and graduation rates, reduce the number of withdrawals per course, 

foster students ‘better grades, and increase student satisfaction. The Project is central to AUC’s 

Comprehensive Development Plan to improve the teaching and learning processes of Hispanic 

students and low-income individuals, who comprise 100% of the student population at the 

University and in the service area.

Contact Person: Prof. Ivette Carbonell (787) 720-1022; email: icarbonell@atlanticu.edu

Performance measures will include, but not be limited to (1) increasing AUC ́s physical and 

technological infrastructure capacity, (2) meeting student social, emotional, and academic needs 

through the provision of evidence-based professional development opportunities designed to build 

asset-based mindsets for faculty and staff on campus and that are inclusive with regard to race, 

ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status (CPP1); (3) strengthening academic support 

services through the provision of intensive tutoring services for at-risk students in a positive, 

inclusive, and identity-safe climate, and expanding multiple comprehensive and evidence-based 

services, such as academic advising, structured/guided pathways, and career services (CPP2); (4) 

provision of collective transportation to assist students remain in college and complete their 

postsecondary education; and, (5) reduce time-to-degree completion by minimizing course 

withdrawals and course failures.

The Activity’s budget dedicates 41% for personnel and fringe benefits; 34% for consultants’ 

compensation; 3% for supplies needed to improve the academic programs and support services; 

1% for travel; and 17% for construction (expansion and renovation). Around 13% of the total 

funding request ($403,075) will be assigned to the Project Management and Evaluation.
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ABSTRACT

Berkeley City College is a public, two-year Hispanic Serving Institution in Berkeley, CA, 

located in Northern California on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay. The college is one of 

116 California Community Colleges. Berkeley City College is a densely populated and diverse 

community with an increasingly complex and demanding economy.

Berkeley City College's Adelante Project will outreach to, prepare, and guide more Hispanic 

and low-income students to improve representation in higher education, advance their 

educational attainment, and increase career placement in high-demand industries in the region.

Berkeley City College's Title V grant project will overcome weaknesses and gaps in service 

identified through ongoing assessment and analysis and will put into place innovative structures 

that are "high impact practices" designed to create enriching academic opportunities that foster 

student success. These high impact practices will be informed by the Guided Pathways research 

and will include: 1) the development of a bilingual outreach program, 2) bilingual peermentoring program that connects Hispanic students to matched peers, 4) a bilingual Success 

Coach program that implements caseload management and wrap around services, 5) centralized 

retention programs including connection to transfer/career advisement, and 6) professional 

development for faculty and staff in culturally responsive curriculum, pedagogy, and practice. 

The Project meets the Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2.

The Adelante Project will build institutional capacity to increase the number of Hispanic 

students earning certificates and attaining postsecondary degrees. The project will facilitate 

improvement in access, persistence, retention, and completion outcomes. Project Goals include:

1) increase access and enrollment; 2) increase academic success and retention; 3) increase 

graduation and transfer rates; 4) increase career placement rates; 5) implement a professional 

development program to increase culturally responsive curriculum, pedagogy, and practices.

Berkeley City College is requesting $2,986,030 over five years to support the Adelante Project

initiatives and activities.

Contact: Martin De Mucha Flores, Dean of Counseling and Equity & Achievement Programs 

Berkeley City College 2050 Center St, Berkeley, CA 94704

(510) 981-2959, mdemuchaflores@peralta.edu
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ABSTRACT: Project RISE – BORICUA COLLEGE (NY)

Institution/Applicant – Boricua College is a private, not-for-profit institution designed to meet 

the educational needs of Hispanics, Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and other underrepresented 

populations. The College has three campuses throughout New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, and 

Brooklyn).

Requested Funding – $1,768,087

Project/Activity – Project RISE (Retention, Instruction, Support, and Enrollment)

Significant Problems – Boricua College is facing three significant problems. First, the College 

is experiencing low retention in the freshman and sophomore years primarily due to poor student 

performance in certain gateway courses, which is hampered by a lack of institutional expertise in 

using retention data. Secondly, academic support services are disconnected and not sufficiently 

monitoring students in the first two years. Thirdly, adjunct faculty are not well-served by existing 

faculty development opportunities, which is impacting student success in the gateway courses.

Project Description – The overarching goal of Project RISE is to improve degree completion 

of undergraduate Hispanic/Latino and low-income students via new retention strategies, 

redesigned and centralized academic support services, and coordinated adjunct faculty 

development. The project objective and activity objectives are as follows:

− Project Objective – By 9/30/2028, increase the completion rate of degree-seeking 

Hispanic/Latino and low-income students graduating within six years from 37% to 42%.

− Activity Objective 1 – By 9/30/2028, increase fall-to-spring retention rate for 

Hispanic/Latino and low-income students from 59% to 84% and for all students from 67% to 

89%.

− Activity Objective 2 – By 9/30/2028, increase fall-to-fall persistence rate for Hispanic/Latino 

and low-income students from 61% to 86% and for all students from 49% to 74%.

The project involves the following three strategies:

− Strategy 1 – Establish a Research and Retention Office to lead institutional retention efforts 

using new technology that monitors student success.

− Strategy 2 – Centralize academic supports and services within an Academic Success Center 

on each campus.

− Strategy 3 – Implement a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the professional 

development of adjunct faculty.

Competitive Preference Priority – The project responds to Competitive Preference Priority 1 

and Competitive Preference Priority 2.
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Cabrillo College’s Camino al Éxito

Cabrillo College (Aptos, California) is a comprehensive, public two-year community college 

serving Santa Cruz County with the main campus at Aptos and a Center in Watsonville. With 

45% Hispanic enrollment, the College serves high-need students from the Pajaro Valley 

where families struggle with persistent poverty and low educational levels.

Proposed Project: Cabrillo College proposes Camino al Éxito, a five-year Developing Hispanic 

Serving Institutions project. Activities and services include the following:

1. To improve career and major exploration in local high schools (HS) and provide seamless 

support to High School (HS) students leading to a first-year educational plan and pathway to 

completion of educational goals;

2. To improve Cabrillo’s strategic enrollment management system through scheduling a first-year 

experience to better identify, recruit, schedule, enroll, and retain Hispanic and low-income 

college students so they complete their college and career pathways in a timely manner.

3. Assist first-year experience (FYE) faculty in the use of disaggregated course-level data to 

identify the impact of teaching practices on course outcomes; support faculty in adopting 

evidence-based practices in culturally-responsive pedagogy (CRP).

Project Addresses the Following Priorities

CPP1: Expand the Equity-minded Culturally responsive Curriculum (EMC-C) for faculty 

teaching first-year courses so they can transform them into asset-based teaching and learning 

environment and engage a more diverse student body (Ladson-Billings, G (2020); Bensimon 

& Malcolm, 2012)

CPP2: Introduce a new college advising model in the high schools and transition students to college 

with a full-year, “Opt-out” schedule that encourages students to take 15 units per semester including 

transfer-level English and transfer-level math in the first year (Meinz, P. (2020))

Outcomes - Five-year outcomes (by September 2028) include: Obj. 1.1) increase dual enrollment of 

Hispanic or low-income students by 338%; Obj 1.2: inc. # of HS students with an Ed Plan by 400 

students; Obj. 1.3 inc. by 8% points college-going rate to 530; Obj. 1.4) incr. by 8% points the collegegoing rate to 117; Obj. 2.1 increase by 25% points the incoming first-year HS students receiving an 

opt-out full-year schedule that is aligned with their Ed Plan. Obj. 2.2: 6% point increase in completing 

transfer-level English and transfer-level math to 19%; Obj. 2.3: increase Fall to Spring persistence to 

72%; Obj. 2.4: incr.by 5% point for students completing 30+ units; Object. 2.5: incr by 25% in 

students completing their AA/AS degree to 1,250; Obj. 2.6: decrease by 6 units in the number of units 

earned by Hispanic students who earned a degree; Obj 3.1: at least 30 faculty / teachers participate 

culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP); Obj. 3.2: at least 30 faculty access disaggregated course level 

data; Obj. 3.3: at least 24 faculty complete their portfolio to integrate CRP in a course.
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Abstract

Engaging and Graduating Hispanic Students through Undergraduate Research (Engage)

Engage proposes to expand educational opportunities for and improve the academic 

attainment of Hispanic students by providing increased access to undergraduate research for 

students. A specific focus of Engage is to engage and support students who are traditionally 

under-served in undergraduate research opportunities, such as first-generation, under-represented 

minority (URM), Pell-eligible, non-traditional, community college, and transfer students. Engage 

will create a flexible model of undergraduate research experiences and provide multiple touchpoints throughout a student's career. Engage’s vision is to build capacity at Cal Poly Pomona 

(CPP) to promote student success including retention & degree completion.

Along with research opportunities, Engage will create a structure of wrap-around support 

for students through faculty, staff, and peer mentoring – including training for faculty, staff, and 

peer mentors to meet diverse students’ social, emotional, and academic needs. Engage will 

collaborate with the CPP Financial Aid Office to better support students’ ability to remain in 

college. The three goals of Engage will address identified weaknesses in CPP’s academic 

programs, institutional management, and fiscal stability.

Three goals of Engage

Goal 1 Provide broad access to undergraduate research for students by creating a flexible model 

of engagement and through multiple touch-points.

Goal 2

Create wrap-around support for student success. This includes advising, mentoring, 

cohort building for students, and training for staff and faculty on providing a supportive 

and safe learning environment for students that meets diverse students’ social, emotional,

and academic needs.

Goal 3

Create sustainability through collaboration with CPP’s Financial Aid Office to maximize 

aid available to students and supporting students through the process of obtaining 

financial aid.
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California Baptist University

California Baptist University (“CBU”) is one of the top private Christian colleges and 

universities in Southern California. CBU offers associate's, bachelor's, master's, doctoral and 

credential programs in Riverside, San Bernardino and online. CBU strives to help students 

understand and engage their purpose by providing a Christ-centered educational experience that 

integrates academics with spiritual and social development opportunities. Graduates are 

challenged to become individuals whose skills, integrity and sense of purpose glorify God and 

distinguish them in the workplace and in the world.

CBU serves a broad and diverse student body, including over 7,500 undergraduate students. 

Many of the university’s students are first generation college goers with little exposure to the 

opportunities available in higher education. This Title V project, Preparados para el Exito 

(Prepared for Success), is designed to address the needs of these students.

Preparados para el Exito centers on support services for CBU’s commuter and Pre-Nursing 

students, many of whom are Hispanic and low-income. The objectives of this project 

include:

• Increasing enrollment, retention, and graduation rates for Hispanic students.

• Increasing student connection to campus and a sense of “belonging.”

• Expanding students services such as bridge programs and academic coaching.

• Ensuring success for Pre-Nursing students through academic support services.

Project goals will be accomplished through student-centered activities including a) community 

outreach b) creation of a Summer Bridge program for Pre-Nursing students c) provision of 

success coaching, tutoring and supplemental instruction and d) professional development for 

faculty and staff to ensure success of all students in a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive 

environment. In addition, CBU will create a Commuter Engagement Center and a Peer 

Mentoring program to assist the university’s commuter student population.

California Baptist University is requesting $3,000,000 over five years to support the 

project initiatives.

Preparados para el Exito addresses Competitive Preference Priority Number1: Meeting Student 

Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs and Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing 

Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success. This 

grant application also addresses the Invitational Priority.
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FULLERTON ASPIRE:

Access, Support, Pathways, and Inclusive Resources for Everyone 

ABSTRACT

The overarching goals of Project ASPIRE are to (1) improve the academic attainment 

(i.e., increase degree completion and retention rates) of Hispanic and underserved students, and

(2) build institutional capacity in data collection and assessment and fiscal stability.

Strategy One: Inclusive Access and Pathways. Cal State Fullerton will enhance access 

and pathways through multiple points of connection to educational and career pathways, 

focusing on Hispanic and other underserved (e.g., first generation, Pell-grant recipients) students 

(e.g., Transfer Open House, Transfer Summit, Summer Bridge 2.0 for Rising Sophomores).

Prospective, dual admitted, and transfers students from local community colleges will benefit 

from holistic, strength-based, and culturally minded commitment to improve higher education 

access, onboarding, and career development. Strategy Two: Enhanced Support and Care. Cal 

State Fullerton will utilize a holistic approach to serve students’ social, emotional, and academic 

needs, targeting Hispanic and other underserved students, to increase education success and 

degree completion, through enhanced pre-transfer advising focusing on dual admitted and 

transfer community college students (i.e., Transfer Success Specialists), integrated classroom 

activities to foster a sense of belonging focusing on first-time freshmen, and invest in faculty’s 

cultural competence with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status.

Strategy Three: Expand Capacity. Cal State Fullerton will invest in the institutions’ system in 

high-quality data collection and analysis (i.e., annual administration of BCSSE), and fiscal 

capacity to increase education access affordability for Hispanic and other underserved students 

by establishing the Fullerton ASPIRE endowment fund.
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PROJECT ABSTRACT

"Camino al Bienestar: A Model Health Career Pathway

as a Route to Success for Hispanic Students in the Calumet Region"

Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) is a Catholic institution dedicated to the academic, spiritual and 

ethical development of undergraduate and graduate students. For 70 years since our founding, we have 

been dedicated to enhancing the social and economic mobility of first-generation college students. CCSJ 

is among the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the Midwest and was the first HSI recognized in the 

state of Indiana; today, 36% of students are Hispanic. Nearly half of CCSJ's freshman cohorts, over the 

past five years, are first generation college students; over half of our student body each year qualifies for 

federal Pell grants; and half of all students can expect zero family contribution for their college education 

according to financial aid records. CCSJ is eager to strengthen our institution to better serve our ambitious 

Hispanic students as they strive to improve life for themselves and their families.

GOAL 1: Connections to High-Demand, High-Wage Careers in Health Services: Focusing on 

preparing students for jobs, we will develop and implement a coordinated campus-wide initiative that 

reflects an institutional priority and commitment to equitable degree completion and upward 

socioeconomic mobility in high-growth, high-demand jobs identified for the state and the region. The 

objectives to achieve this goal include enrollment growth through Centers for Academic Excellence and 

Achievement and new and revised academic programs, improved retention through additional student 

support in the CCSJ Writing Center, and culturally appropriate communications and pedagogy. The result 

will be improved completion rates. GOAL 2: Focusing on improving a learner-centered campus 

environment, we will provide necessary institutional support for the new Centers by upgrading 

information technology, clarifying policies and procedures to better serve students, and integrating 

student data collection to provide seamless support for our Hispanic and low-income students across all 

institutional departments. GOAL 3: Focusing on building institutional capacity, we will provide financial 

incentives to enable students to complete a college degree, and we will establish new campus departments 

in grants management and outreach to support enrollment, student satisfaction, and retention to 

graduation.

5-Year Objectives to be accomplished by September 30, 2028:

• Enrollment in traditional undergraduate programs will be 20% higher, due to the Centers for 

Academic Excellence and Achievement, new academic programs, and expanded outreach, and 

Hispanic students will retain or improve their current proportion of the student population at 36% as 

enrollment increases

• Retention will be at or approaching the KPI of 65% from freshman to sophomore and 80% from 

sophomore to junior and junior to senior, due to Writing Center interventions, increased cultural 

competency across campus, an improved campus environment that includes Centers for Academic

Excellence and Achievement, an enhanced IT infrastructure, integrated policies and procedures, and 

data coordination, and additional financial support from the expanded Calumet Commitment. 

Hispanic student retention rates will match or better overall institutional rates

• An increased sense of belongingness due to campus culture changes and an improved sense of 

satisfaction with student service and grant-sponsored interventions will be expressed by 75% of 

Hispanic students on standard assessments

• Graduation rates will be at or approaching the KPT of 25% 4-year completion and 75% 6-year completion 

because of the initiatives across the institution that are included in the Centers for Academic Excellence and 

Achievement proposal. Hispanic graduation rates will match institutional rates as a whole.

COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITIES (CPPs): The project is intentionally designed to 

address both CPPs. To meet CPP 1, serving student social, emotional, and academic needs, CCSJ will 

provide wraparound support services in the CCSJ Centers and change the campus climate. The program 

is closely designed to meet CPP 2, increasing access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment 

success, because CCSJ's performance measures focus on enrollment, retention, and graduation through 

academic programs, revised policies, guided pathways to careers, academic support, technology support, 

data integration, and developing a culture of belongingness. The culture of belongingness, along with 

academic support, also contributes to meeting the Invitational Priority of addresssing the impact of 

COVID.
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ABSTRACT

California State University, Chico (Chico State) is a comprehensive, public, four-year 

university located in Butte County in the largely rural and agricultural Northern Sacramento 

Valley. The institution has a designated community outreach Service Area, “The North State” 

which encompasses a 12-county area that extends to the Oregon border. In the Fall of 2021 Chico 

State’s undergraduate enrollment was 14,379 (58%) of which were Hispanic and Other lowincome (HLI) students and Hispanic enrollment 4,810 in Fall 2023 represented 37.5% of 2,816 

students. The proposed B5

: Bridges to the Baccalaureate Project is presented by the College of 

Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) who enrolls the highest number and percentage of HLI 

students in eleven departments (2021 Headcount 3,365; HLI (57.2%) includes three of the largest 

majors at Chico State: Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Sociology.

The Project activities developed with the collaboration of academic and student support units 

across campus, will support increasing the enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of 

undergraduate Hispanic and Other Low-Income (HLI) students at four critical transitions:

1) College Bound: After admissions and before enrollment;

2) Transfer: Movement from a two-year institution to a degree programs of study;

3) Second/Sophomore Year: Adaptation of learning and study strategies to coursework 

demands, selecting a major course of study, and establishing an academic identity; and

4) At the time students confirm an academic and career direction, mentoring from department 

advisors and faculty, and participation in high impact practices such as undergraduate 

research are needed to explore strengths and opportunities for scholarly endeavors.

The activities to support these transitions are centralized under five Bridges: I: College-Bound 

Postsecondary Preparation: Enrollment in two dual-credit courses for high need students; 

mentoring from peers for newly admitted first year students (BSS Mentors for Success); and 

assistance to attend college orientation events including academic advising. II. Transfer: 

Mentoring from peers for transfer students. III. Second Year Support: Game Changers, Second 

Year Student Success Program. Students are co-enrolled in two courses (300-level Social 

Science in Fall and Elective Option in Spring); Mentors meet individually and with a Cohort of 

10 students as a group. IV. Preparation for Scholarly Activity (Undergraduate Research 

Experiences-UREs): Five strategies will address preparation needs: A) Establishing an 

Undergraduate Research Center in the College of BSS; B) Establishing a Faculty Cadre to explore 

new and innovative approaches to increase capacity for UREs; C) Offering semester-long 

undergraduate student research experiences with a faculty mentor; D) Providing support for 

faculty professional development focused on developing culturally relevant pedagogy; and E) 

Providing support for students to attend research conferences and to present outcomes of their 

projects. V. BSS Success Information Hub is an activity to develop services within the BSS 

Student Success Center that support students’ sense of belonging by providing wraparound 

information and opportunities to develop community engagement that has been found to 

positively influence student persistence and achievement of academic goals. Chico State also 

responds to Competitive Preference Priority 1: Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and 

Academic Needs; Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing Postsecondary Education 

Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success.
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College of the Mainland Project Abstract

Texas City, TX Semillas

PROJECT ABSTRACT: Semillas

Located in an area with high poverty and low educational attainment, College of the Mainland 

(COM) is a public community college in the suburban and rural region between Houston and 

Galveston, Texas. COM serves 4,482 students pursuing certificates, associate degrees, transfer 

credits, and a new bachelor’s degree in nursing. COM is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) 

with 36% Hispanic students.

Semillas: Planting the Seeds for a Brighter Tomorrow is a comprehensive, cost-effective plan. 

Goal 1: Increase Institutional Support of Math Corequisite Students. Make transformative 

changes to the institutional services provided to students to improve success rates and retention 

trends for underrepresented students and to promote a strong start to students’ academic journeys. 

Goal 2: Strengthen Student Support Services. Strengthen student support services surrounding 

academic transfer students and student resource needs to increase educational outcomes and postgraduation success and transfer rates.

Research-Based Strategies: Semillas is supported by strategies rated Tier 2, Moderate Evidence, 

by the What Works Clearinghouse. The following proven and promising strategies will achieve the 

project goals: new math lab, increased contact hours for corequisite math students, math 

software/technology provided at no cost to students, success coaches, new articulation 

agreements, student resource coordinator, and a new graduation and transfer coordinator.

Funding for these strategies is needed to improve success rates, persistence, and outcomes for 

students. Five objectives will be tracked and measured annually.

Objective 1.1 The percent of students successfully completing both courses in a corequisite math 

pairing will increase from 35% to 43%. Objective 1.2 Fall-to-spring persistence rates for 

corequisite math students will increase from 66% to 70%. Objective 2.1 The average number of 

credits earned per degree will decrease from 76 to 71. Objective 2.2 The percentage of first-time, 

full-time, degree seeking undergraduates enrolled at COM graduating within three years of 

enrollment will increase from 34% to 37%. Objective 2.3 The percent of students enrolled in a 

transfer degree program that successfully transfer will increase from 19% to 24%.

Competitive Preference Priority (CPP) 1: Semillas will meet student social, emotional, and 

academic needs by substantially increasing access to free community resources through a Student 

Resource Coordinator who will connect students with existing services in the local community and 

will leverage on-campus needs assessments already being conducted to further strengthen student 

supports. CPP 2: Semillas will increase postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, 

and post-enrollment success by introducing a Graduation and Transfer Coordinator to focus on 

student support, completion, and transfer success while also increasing articulation agreements to 

strengthen student pathways to institutions of higher education.

Contact: Deborah Fregia, Title V Director, College of the Mainland – 1200 N. Amburn Rd, Texas 

City, TX 77591. 409-933-8801. dfregia@com.edu
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Concordia University Irvine

Concordia University Irvine (“CUI”) is a private, Christian university in Irvine, CA. The 

university enrolls over 2,500 undergraduate, graduate, and non-traditional students. The 

university consists of six schools: Christ College (theology, philosophy, and church careers), the 

School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Economics, the School of Education, 

the School of Health and Human Sciences, and the Townsend Institute (counseling and 

leadership); and offers 30 undergraduate majors and 60 specializations, 16 graduate programs, an 

online bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership, and an accelerated bachelor’s degree in 

nursing. In 2014, CUI added its first doctoral program, Educational Leadership; a Ph.D. in 

Counselor Education and Supervision was launched in 2021.

The university offers comprehensive academic STEM programs at both the 

undergraduate and graduate levels. Like many institutions, CUI has experienced a growth in 

Hispanic students interested in STEM fields. However, these same students have struggled 

with lower retention and graduation rates than the rest of the student body. Many of the 

Hispanic and low-income students who chose to attend CUI are first generation college goers 

with little exposure to the opportunities and services available at the university. This Title V 

project, Valerosos y Curiosos, is designed to address the needs of these students.

Through an innovative, cohort-based STEM Scholars Program, CUI will build a 

community of undergraduate students steeped in the culture of STEM. The program will 

include a summer bridge opportunity, academic success coaching, tutoring, mentoring, 

supplemental instruction, and undergraduate research positions. In addition, CUI will provide 

faculty and staff professional development to help build a “sense of belonging” on campus.

The Goals and Objectives for this project include the following:

• Increase enrollment of Hispanic and low-income students in STEM majors by 10%.

• Double the number of Hispanic students who transfer from community colleges into CUI 

STEM programs.

• Increase retention rates for Hispanic and low-income STEM students by 8%.

• Increase graduation rates for Hispanic and low-income STEM students by 8%.

Concordia University Irvine is requesting $3,000,000 over five years to support the 

project initiatives.

Valerosos y Curiosos addresses Competitive Preference Priority Number1: Meeting Student 

Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs and Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing 

Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success. The 

Project also addresses the Invitational Priority,
14

ABSTRACT, EL CAMINO COLLEGE

El Camino College (ECC) is applying for funding for the program Warrior* INitiative for 

Greater Success, or WINGS. WINGS will provide targeted holistic support to students in high 

academic need (in Gateway Courses w/support), professional development for select Math 

faculty members, and health/wellness activities to faculty/staff to help heal from the effects of 

the COVID-19 pandemic. (*Note: El Camino’s mascot is a Warrior.)

The Goals for WINGS include:

• Provide holistic support services to Hispanic and/or low-income students (and other 

students who qualify under this grant opportunity);

• Increase the annual rate of degree (or certificate completion) and/or transfer rate for 

Hispanic and/or low-income students;

• Increase the annual persistence rates from semester-to-semester and year-to-year for 

Hispanic students; and

• Provide equity-focused, asset-based mindset professional development to close equity 

outcomes in Math “gateway” courses.

WINGS will primarily target Hispanic and/or low-income students, though the program will 

serve other populations as defined by this grant opportunity. WINGS will have three 

components: 1.) Component 1 of WINGS will employ Success Coaches to help students devise 

plans for their academic journey at ECC, refer them to campus services/resources, monitor their 

progress in courses, and connect them with just-in-time support, such as tutoring with tutors 

trained in a certified tutoring program, using the College’s early alert system, 2.) Component 2 

of WINGS will offer required Equity-focused Professional Development (PD) workshops to 

faculty/staff teaching “gateway” or basic Math (51 professors), and 3.) Component 3 of 

WINGS’s will provide health and wellness opportunities to ECC faculty and staff.

The expected outcomes will include:

1. Over the next 5 academic years 450 students will have received holistic/comprehensive 

support services;

2. 75% of participants who complete one-year of WINGS will complete their AS, AA, or 

AST and or be transfer ready;

3. 80% of participants who complete WINGS will persist to the next academic year; and

4. 80% of participating Math 150 faculty will have created changes in their syllabi (via 

WINGS PD) .
15

Abstract: Felician University (Felician), a private, Hispanic- and Minority-Serving Institution 

(HSI and MSI) located in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, is applying for a Department of 

Education Title V – Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution grant for Felician Advising 

Learning Communicating On-boarding Navigating Supporting (FALCONS) Connect (FC). As 

an HSI and MSI, Felician educates students from culturally, racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse areas who often choose to stay near home while attending college and after 

to serve their communities. Of the 1,746 students enrolled in Fall 2022, 42% were Hispanic, and 

54% were low-income. The University’s two campuses are located eight miles apart.

FC is a comprehensive set of evidence-based services to promote students’ academic, 

social, and emotional wellbeing. The program comes from a comprehensive analysis of the 

University’s strengths, weaknesses, and strategic plan. The goals are the following:

Goal 1: Students benefit from comprehensive, accessible, wrap-around services supported by 

integrated technology on both campuses, leading to an accessible and integrated student 

experience.

Goal 2: Students benefit from expanded academic, fiscal, and social support, leading to stronger 

academic performance, reduced financial stress, and a greater sense of belonging.

This application meets the requirements for the Invitational Priority and both Competitive 

Preference priorities.

FC was designed to ensure that the support programs and services that Felician is offering 

its current students are expanded and tailored to better serve its Hispanic population. This will 

ensure that a larger percentage of Felician’s students will benefit from existing programs that 

have been shown to be successful, including the Summer Bridge program, GRIT (Goals, 

Resiliency, Integrity, and Tenacity) program for students on academic probation, and support of 

mentors in a peer-led team learning model for gateway courses. Felician will also integrate its 

existing services, providing a greater connection with students regardless of which campus they 

are on by creating a FALCONS Commons on each campus. To best serve Hispanic students and 

their families, the four navigators staffing these sites will be bilingual in Spanish and English.

Several other activities have been designed to serve Hispanic students and their families. 

This includes the Scholarship Universe platform with information tailored for Hispanic students, 

the creation of a multi-cultural site to provide a gathering spot for students, the development of 

Hispanic student organizations to create a greater sense of community, and the provision of 

training for faculty and staff to give them a better sense of the life experience of students, many 

of whom have very different backgrounds than Felician faculty and staff.

By implementing these activities, Felician will meet the following objectives: (1.1) 

increase student satisfaction with the “business of being a student” on the Moving the Needle 

survey from a baseline of 3.75 to 4.04 (on a 5-point scale); (1.2) increase the student ratings of 

“high” in the area of Quality of Interactions under Student Services on the NSSE data from a 

baseline of 29% (first-year students) and 19% (seniors) by 10%; (2.1) increase the first yearretention rate for all undergraduates from 74% to 79%; (2.2) increase the first-year-retention rate 

for Hispanic undergraduates from 73% to 78%; (2.3) increase the second-year-retention rate for 

all undergraduates from 61% to 66%; (2.4) increase the second-year-retention rate for Hispanic 

undergraduates from 60% to 65%; (2.5) increase the average pass rate for undergraduates in 

identified gateway classes from 84.4% to 89.4%; (2.6) increase the average pass rate for 

Hispanic undergraduates in identified gateway classes from 83.8% to 88.8%; (2.7) reduce the 

number of students withdrawing from the University for financial reasons from 50% to 35%; and 

(2.8) increase the MTN Social Connectedness score for students of color from 3.53 to 4.0.
16

Abstract

Applicant Institution: Galveston College (GC)

College Profile: GC is a two-year, public college located in the city of Galveston, which is 

situated on a thirty-mile long island in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Texas mainland. In Fall 

2022, GC served 2,026 students, of whom 68.1% were minority, including 41.8% of whom were 

Hispanic. The majority (67.6%) of GC’s students attend part-time. The majority (71.5%) are 

first-generation college students (80.1% of Hispanic students), and nearly half (39.6%) require 

developmental education upon entering the college (45.7% for Hispanic students).

Area Profile: The region's rich history is punctuated by devastating tropical storms, economic 

booms, and an equal number of economic busts. With extreme disparities in economic levels, the 

city of Galveston (population 53,695, US Census 2016) includes a large percentage of residents 

struggling at poverty or low-income levels, as well as a number of professionals from the nearby 

University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and Texas A&M University Galveston. The City 

of Galveston is still recovering from the catastrophic damages caused by Hurricane Ike several 

years ago; with continued recovery, displaced residents and job opportunities are returning to the 

island.

Proposed Project: Pathway Model for Improved Teaching, Advising, and Transfer at a 

Hispanic-serving Community College

Proposed Project Initiatives: GC proposes to transform its approach to instruction and advising, 

thereby increasing retention and associated enrollment revenues while improving overall 

graduation/persistence rates and transfer rates. Over the five-year project period, GC will 

redesign 11 high-risk courses across three transfer pathways utilizing a Learning Assistant (LA) 

model. GC will also redesign and customize by Pathway its Learning Frameworks Course into an 

8-week basic skills development Learning Framework (LFW) course. To facilitate active and 

collaborative learning, GC will renovate and equip space in the Student Success Center for Title 

V activities. GC will also develop a comprehensive First-Year Experience (FYE) and customize 

it by Transfer Pathway. As part of the FYE, a new Pathway Major Advisor model will be 

developed that will provide the necessary structure and practices for proactive intentional 

advising. The new system will be holistic, infusing pathways advising strategies across student 

services departments and aligning student support with pathway-specific needs. To this end, GC 

will renovate key student services spaces (e.g., Student Success Center) and update IT and data 

analysis capacity to support an integrated, data-driven pathways advising model. The new FYE 

by Pathway and the LA Program will be customized for GC's Transfer Pathways: Arts & 

Humanities, STEM, and Business & Education. A key aspect of the new system will be the 

development of pathway-specific transfer agreements and transfer maps with regional four-year 

institutions to promote student transfer.

The project addresses Competitive Preference Priority #1 and #2.
17

Project Abstract

INICIO: Inclusive Network for Increasing College Involvement and Opportunity

Gavilan College is part of the largest system of higher education in the country, the California 

Community Colleges. Over 60% of Gavilan’s student body identifies as Hispanic, and the institution is 

committed to enacting a culture of “servingness.” This project will enhance Gavilan’s capacity to fulfill 

its mission as an HSI by providing culturally sustaining practices both inside and outside the classroom, 

resulting in higher completion rates for Hispanic students, and more degree holders needed for highpaying jobs in the local economy.

Strategy #1: Re-engage the Community - Implement a college transition program that dismantles the 

barriers that Hispanic students face when applying, enrolling, and completing their first semester of 

college.

Strategy #2: “La Familia de Gavilan” - Actualize an asset-based community approach to meeting 

student needs, supporting enrollment, retention and success.

Strategy #3: Enhancing Infrastructure for Serving - Build critical components of an equity-minded 

ecosystem where Hispanic students thrive.

Goal #1 (Academic Programs): Re-envision how Hispanic students are introduced and onboarded to 

GC’s programs so that Hispanic students know that they belong and are supported.

Goal #2 (Institutional Management): Transform structures for serving that are responsive and adaptive 

to the strengths and needs of Hispanic students and faculty.

Goal #3 (Fiscal Stability): Increase capacity to keep pace with the rising level of care students need, 

stabilizing enrollment and outcomes-based apportionment funding.

Objective Areas: 1. Access: (a) Increase the number of dual enrollment College and Career Access 

Pathways (CCAP) agreements with high schools from 1 to 9; (b) Increase first-time Hispanic student 

enrollment by 20%. 2. Milestone Completion: Increase the number of students completing the following 

critical onboarding milestones by 10%: (a) FAFSA or CA Dream Apps; (b) Student Education Plan 

(SEP); (c) Pilot new FYE courses to 500 students and scale up to 700 students. 3. Persistence: Increase 

the fall-to-spring persistence rate by 5% and eliminate equity gaps. 4. Course Success: Eliminate the 

equity gap between Hispanic and white students in course success rate. 5. Completion: Increase the 

degree and certificate completion or transfer rate by 5% and reduce equity gaps. 6. Sense of Belonging: 

Achieve a statistically significant increase in Hispanic student sense of belonging using an established 

research-based instrument.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs: This 

project is rooted in a sense of belonging for Hispanic students. From outreach that includes family and the 

community in conversations about college, to dual enrollment programs at high schools and juvenile 

detention centers, to individualized counseling and programming for pathways, Gavilan’s proposal aims 

to provide academic and social belonging at all levels for students.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, 

Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success: Increasing affordability at Gavilan is of utmost importance 

since our service area has a large population of low-income individuals and families. Students need to 

know college is affordable and that their time away from work is well-spent and will lead to careers.

Invitational Priority: Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty: 

Nationwide and statewide surveys of college students found that a majority of students felt they would 

benefit from mental health services, counseling, and emotional support, yet only few colleges provided 

this. By utilizing a needs-based survey in onboarding, more impacted students can be connected to El 

Centro services including mental health and other services, such as housing or financial aid.
18

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Glendale Community College (GCC) is a large, public, open access community college serving 

the greater Los Angeles area and enrolling approximately 5,000 Hispanic students annually.

Through this project, Project CONNECT: Cultivating Opportunities through Nurturing 

Networks, Enhanced Cohesion, and Transformation, GCC will embrace its responsibility to 

close equity gaps in student outcomes and enact a culture that enhances the educational and 

racial/ethnic experiences of our Hispanic students to truly become the Hispanic-Serving 

Institution our students deserve, and our community must have.

• Strategy #1: Unify GCC’s Efforts to Connect Students to Academic Programs & Services

• Strategy #2: Provide Holistic Support Throughout the Student Journey

• Strategy #3: Build Sustainable Infrastructure where Hispanic Students Thrive

Goal #1: Academic Programs: Foster a sense of belonging among prospective and current 

Hispanic students through early, frequent, and sustained connection to GCC’s pathways. 

Goal #2: Institutional Management: Utilize culturally sustaining, equity-minded cohort 

management strategies to actively case manage Hispanic and low-income students to utilize 

academic and basic needs supports, improving persistence and timely completion.

Goal #3: Fiscal Stability: Increase student outcomes and close equity gaps to ensure alignment 

with state-mandated performance-based funding focused on student equity and student success.

Objective 1: Increase the percent of Hispanic student applicants that enroll in classes from 27% 

to 38%. Objective 2: Increase financial aid application rate from 65.1% to 70%. Objective 3: 

Increase Hispanic student course success rates from 62% to 70%. Objective 4: Increase Hispanic 

student fall-to-spring persistence rate from 62% to 70%. Objective 5: Increase Hispanic student 

completion of 12+ units in the first year from 30% to 38%. Objective 6: Increase Hispanic 

transfer rate within 3 years from 18.1% to 30%. Objective 7: Achieve a statistically significant 

increase in students’ sense of belonging as measured by a validated instrument against baselines 

established in the beginning of Fall 2023. Objective 8: Increase Hispanic utilization of GCC 

CARES program by 20%.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: GCC’s project will address social, emotional, and academic 

needs by fostering a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe environment for Hispanic and other 

underserved students through intentional, early, ongoing, and sustained efforts to connect 

students to their peers, college personnel, and their programs of study. Competitive Preference 

Priority 2: GCC’s project will increase postsecondary education access, affordability, 

completion, and post-enrollment success by setting Hispanic and other underserved students up 

for success in high-demand, high-wage careers. Invitational Priority: GCC’s Project will also 

address the impact of COVID-19 on students, educators and faculty by developing programs and 

services to support basic and mental health needs, an early alert/unified communication platform 

and peer mentors in the Vaquero Success Center.
19

Abstract

Goshen College (GC), a private, liberal arts institution located in the city of Goshen, 

Indiana, is the second largest city in Elkhart County with a 139-acre campus and an 

Environmental Learning Center near Wolf Lake, Indiana, and the Jonathan N. Roth Marine 

Biology Station, in Layton, Florida. Goshen College achieved Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) 

status in 2023 and is proposing to serve our Hispanic and underserved students with vitally 

needed support services, resources, staffing and a renovated location for students to have a 

“home away from home”. As of Fall 2022, GC has 717 undergraduate students including 5% 

who identify as Black or African American, 29% Hispanic/Latinx, and 11% nonresident alien. 

GC also serves a high number of Pell-eligible, low-income students (38%) and a high percentage 

of first-generation college students (35%). An additional 44% are commuter (non-residential) 

undergraduate students.

The proposal was developed with the concept of servingness (Garcia, Nunez, and Sansone, 

2019 in Toward a Multidimensional Conceptual Framework for Understanding “Servingness” 

in Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A Synthesis of the Research) as the driver for all activities. With 

intention, this project is not a deficit model based on barriers to success, but rather it is based on 

supports to success. The strategies proposed are primarily based on Bettinger and Baker’s

work, The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment 

in Student Mentoring (2011), which focused on individualized student coaching interventions. 

Goshen has incorporated 4 core strategies that were developed from a SWOT analysis.

The project and its proposed strategies below will support Hispanic, low-income, and other 

underserved students as they develop a sense of belonging through academic support services 

and social integration efforts.

Strategy #1 – Creation of a Student Success Center for Students at GC: To ensure 

retention and acclimation to the college, students must have a centralized, welcoming space to 

connect to campus, resources, and community.

Strategy #2 – Expand first-year advising program and incorporate SEL into first year 

curriculum through targeted course revision: Students need a trusted individual who 

understands their specific academic and social/emotional strengths and needs. Currently, GC 

provides first-year advising through faculty teaching the first-year seminar course (Core 100 

Identity, Culture, and Community). Connections advisors and major advisors will partner to 

create appropriate academic plans of study that support students with low GPA or are undecided 

about major.

Strategy #3 - Guiding and Advising Students to Choose a Program of Study and Career 

Path. Hispanic, commuter, and underserved students express a desire for more assistance with 

career. The project will hire a career educator to provide individualized career pathways for 

students, assist with developing micro-internships, and map career trajectories to major content.

Strategy # 4 - Facilitating Professional Learning for Faculty and Staff Cohorts: Hispanic 

and underserved students express a desire to work more closely with faculty throughout their 

college program and for faculty to develop their inclusive advising and teaching skills.

Competitive Preference Priorities Addressed: The proposed strategies and activities in 

Conexiones por Excelencia will meet CPP 1. Meeting Students Social, Emotional and Academic 

Needs. CPP 2. Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability Completion and Post 

Enrollment Success, and the Invitational Priority: Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on 

Students, Educators, and Faculty.
20

Harry S Truman College ABSTRACT

The TRUMomentum HSI project aims to support Hispanic and low-income students by 

improving their sense of belonging, increase the success rates of their academic performance, 

expand support services to address their unique personal needs and barriers they face, and 

provide professional development opportunities to the college community that promote cultural 

representation. These goals align with the college’s mission and strategic plan, and strategic 

objectives have been identified to measure the effectiveness of the program. Truman College is 

confident that these ambitious goals, when implemented with full participation from students and 

faculty, will lead to significant improvements in student success and institutional growth.

Through the implementation of the proposed programs and centers, Truman College 

plans to support student engagement, academic success, and personal and professional 

development. The Student Development and Engagement Center (SDEC) offers training and 

practical experiences to help students pursue postsecondary pathways and connect with staff, 

faculty, and alumni. The First Year Experience (FYE) Center focuses on building connections, 

ensuring academic readiness, and providing holistic support for students in their first year. The 

Truman Bilingual Learning Center (TBLC) supports Latino/a/x students by promoting 

bilingualism, career readiness, and professional development. Truman also plans to support 

faculty and staff by providing professional development opportunities, such as the Fireside 

Chats, where the college community can learn various techniques to support diverse student 

populations, improve teaching practices, and understand how to approach situations with a 

trauma-informed approach. The TRUMomentum HSI project will transform how Truman 

College supports Hispanic, Black, and underrepresented populations through these academic 

and holistic activities that are rooted in evidence-based practices and program design.
21

Project Abstract

La Sierra University: 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, CA, 92505

Project Director: Dr. Jennifer Helbley, Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 

jhelbley@lasierra.edu

Project Title: Promoting Baccalaureate Degree Completion in High-Need Areas for

Hispanics.

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

and complete articulated Food Science 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: Develop high-need Sustainability Science Program with 3 new degree pathways; 

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: Enroll at least 30 first time freshmen (FTF) students annually in the new SSP 

Pathways; O2: Increase by 10% points the percentage of Hispanic first-time, full-time degreeseeking undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary enrollment in the 

previous year and are enrolled in the current year who remain in a degree/ credential program 

(GPRA b – retention.); O3: Increase by 15 points the percentage of Hispanic, full-time degreeseeking undergraduate students graduating within six years of enrollment with a degree 

(GPRA a – native baccalaureate graduation). (2021 baseline: 33%); O4: Serve at least 200 

Hispanic students annually, who participate in grant-supported services or programs and who 

persist to complete a degree or credential (GPRA a - completion); O5: At least 50 students 

annually (with Hispanics equitably represented) will participate in Work-based Learning 

activities, and Internships.

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 new SSP laboratories; High Impact 

Practices for improved learning; Holistic Student Support Services.

Services to be Provided/Activities to be Conducted:

LSU’s SSP degree pathways 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 mental 

health workshops.

All project strategies and activities have been designed to meet both Competitive Preference 

Priorities (#1 & #2) as described in the NIA.

The ways in which our project services meet the CPPs include: Academic Advising Intrusive 

advising across educational sectors with tailored guidance and accelerated pathways to 

completion (CPP 1; CPP 2.a.2). Career Readiness Incorporate career-building and giving 

Hispanic students tools to become competent professionals (CPP 2.b, d). Learning Assistance 

helps students problem solve and feel a sense of support and belonging (CPP 1.a.1, 2; 2.b, d). 

Culturally Responsive welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment (CPP 1.a.1, 2, 3). 

Developing new SSP degrees A new high-need and high-earning degree pathway will increase 

postsecondary access for Hispanics (CPP 2.a, b, c, d). Mental Health Interventions 

Addressing the mental issues affecting students mainly due the pandemic (CPP 1.a.1, 2, 3).
22

Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program - Title V

Long Beach City College PASO Program Abstract

Long Beach City College (LBCC) is the ninth largest college in the California Community College 

System, serving 34,550 students in 2021-22. The College is a minority-majority serving institution with 

Hispanic students representing 50% of the student population. In 2021-2022 68% were economically 

disadvantaged and received some form of need-based financial aid. The College holds two federal 

minority-serving institution designations and is both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian 

American/Native American/Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).

The Postsecondary Achievement and Success Opportunity (PASO) Program will create a structured 

support system that allows student who do not enroll in college immediate after high school (indirect 

matriculants) to easily navigate College infrastructure and achieve their academic goals. This will 

include the creation of a team of Peer Navigators, other indirect matriculants who will act as a point of 

connection and help participants navigate complex college resources. To support persistence, the PASO 

program will provide exclusive math and English courses taught by professors who have completed 

additional professional development, including equity-training, so that they can complete key 

foundational courses. Participants will also receive support for transfer and completion support from 

PASO staff who are trained in academic advising. Finally, the program will ensure the creation of a 

welcoming environment by providing training to college members that will educate them on the unique 

characteristics and needs of indirect matriculants, including how to provide culturally-relevant services 

to Hispanic students.

PASO will create a highly supportive framework that leverages the unique characteristics of indirect 

matriculants by utilizing their internal motivation and empowering their ability to self-navigate, 

therefore achieving the following long-term goals: 1) Empower IDMs to persist through achieving key 

milestones; 2) Increase LBCC’s capacity to provide an inclusive environment that supports student 

success; and 3) Ensure IDMs are prepared to achieve their educational goals including completion and 

transfer.

This proposal addresses both of the solicitation’s two Competitive Preference Priorities (CPPs). 

The PASO Program address CPP#1: Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs through 

fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for underserved students through the creation of a team of 

Peer Navigators who will provide a personal point of contact for participants and have the shared 

experience of being indirect matriculants. This sense of belonging and inclusion will also be supported 

through professional development for college staff, faculty and administrators that will highlight not 

only the unique needs of indirect matriculants but specifically how to serve Hispanic indirect 

matriculants.

The PASO Program addresses CPP#2: Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, 

Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success, through by increasing the number and proportion of 

underserved students who complete postsecondary education programs. Peer Navigators will help 

students connect with financial aid resources, free textbook resources, and basic need support that will h 

help reduce the cost of attendance for participants. Additionally, the priority registration, PASO 

exclusive transfer-level math and English courses, and individualized transfer and completion support 

will help participants persist and complete their degrees and certificates at Long Beach City College.
23

Project Abstract: Los Angeles Harbor College Alcanzando el Éxito (Reaching Success)

Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) is a two-year community college committed to educating 

and empowering our students, providing equitable access to education, and serving our 

communities. With 60% of students identifying as Hispanic/Latinx, LAHC is a proud

Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Located in an 83-acre campus in Wilmington, CA, 

approximately 22 miles south of the city of Los Angeles, and near the Port of Los Angeles, 

Harbor College is an oasis of learning in a region surrounded by traditionally underserved areas 

such as Watts, Wilmington, Lomita, Harbor City, Carson, Gardena, San Pedro, and Long Beach. 

Alcanzando el Éxito’s primary goal is 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. Total Request: $3,000,000

Project Components

1. Bridge to Success - Expand dual enrollment and create pathways that guide Hispanic and 

low-income students in LAHC’s feeder schools with higher education opportunities and the 

culture of higher education.

2. Pathway to Success - Improve collaboration between Career Transfer Center and Workforce 

Training Department to enhance the infrastructure to connect Hispanic and low-income students 

to work-based learning from enrollment to completion to a viable career.

3. Teaching to Success – Develop equity-minded and culturally inclusive training for faculty 

that addresses the needs of dual enrollment students.

4. Building Sustainability for LAHC HSI Initiatives – Increasing LAHC’s Hispanic Equity 

Endowment to help increase financial resources in perpetuity to support the success of its 

growing Hispanic and low income students.

Major Activities: 1) Increase dual enrollment capacity by expanding number of courses, 

students and pathways; 2) Provide academic and socioemotional support; 3) Connect dual 

enrollment completers to Transfer Career Academic Pathways (TCAPs) through summer 

transition activities; 4) Expose students to career opportunities through Career Speaker Series 

and work-based learning activities (service learning, job shadowing, 21st Century work skills 

modules); 5) Expand industry partnerships, exploring internship opportunities for students, 

creating proactive recruitment strategies, and facilitating students’ internship application and 

placement; 6) Develop and implement training for dual enrollment faculty; and 7) Redesign 

courses to increase the quality, effectiveness, and learning experiences of dual enrollment 

students.

Competitive Preference Priority (CPP): Alcanzando el Éxito addresses CPP #1: Meeting 

student social, emotional, and academic needs and CPP #2: Increasing postsecondary education 

access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success.
24

Abstract

Applicant: Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC)

Project Title: LAMC GANAS: Gaining Access to Needs to Accelerate Success

About LAMC: Founded in 1975, Los Angeles Mission College is an accredited, open access 

two-year institution serving with strong historical ties to the economically disadvantage and 

ethnically diverse communities of the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and other 

regions of greater Los Angeles. However, the primary service area continues to be the nearby 

communities of Sylmar, Pacoima and San Fernando, California, where over 80% of residents are 

Hispanic. The majority of students at the College are financially disadvantaged, with 68% 

receiving some form of need-based aid. LAMC is a minority-majority serving institution with 

Hispanic students as the largest population on campus at 72%. Of the 11,974 Hispanic students 

enrolled, 61% were first-generation students.

Project Summary: Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) proposes to develop the GANAS 

Program (Gaining Access to Needs to Accelerate Success) designed to address the critical basic 

need insecurity faced by many of LAMC’s Hispanic and low-income students and the barriers it 

poses to their academic, professional, and personal success. The GANAS program will 

implement strategies to address the following four goals: 1) To increase LAMC’s capacity to 

address the basic needs and mental health of Hispanic and low-income students so that they are 

able to achieve their educational goals; 2) Create a continuum of care that supports Hispanic and 

low-income students experiencing basic need insecurity so that they feel valued throughout the 

process of completing their educational goals; 3) Ensure Hispanic and low- income students are 

prepared to transfer to a 4-year university; and 4) Provide short- and long-term career support 

that ensure Hispanic and low-income students have stable income and are prepared for the 

workplace. By achieving these goals, GANAS will create a community of support, collaboration 

between and across departments, and increased student outcomes measures including 

persistence, career support, graduation, and transfer.

Competitive Preference Priorities:

LAMC GANAS will address CPP#1: Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs 

through fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for underserved students who are 

experiencing the stress and trauma of basic need insecurity

LAMC GANAS will address CPP#2: Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, 

Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success, through the development and 

implementation of a student success program that integrates academic advising, career services, 

and services that meet students’ basic needs. Participants will be supported by GANAS staff 

specializing in basic needs insecurity, mental health, career development (including immediate 

job placement and long-term career support), and academic advising focusing on completion and 

transfer.

Project Cost: The total funding requested for LAMC GANAS is $2,999,999.
25

Manhattan College Title V 

La Promesa Manhattan: Improving Hispanic 

and Pell-eligible Student Success

ABSTRACT

Manhattan College (MC), located in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City, 

is a Catholic institution of higher education. Grounded in the Lasallian heritage, our mission is to 

provide a contemporary, person-centered educational experience that prepares graduates for lives 

of personal development, professional success, civic engagement, and service to their fellow 

human beings. With Title V funding, MC will build systemic and institutional capacity to 

support educational attainment, graduation, and positive career outcomes of Hispanic - other 

underrepresented and marginalized minority (URM), and low-income students by: a) developing 

a transparent transfer process into MC, including articulation agreements, particularly in STEM 

fields to support increased enrollment and educational attainment; b) providing services and 

supports to increase retention and graduation rates so they are more closely comparable to all 

students; and c) developing the DEI practices of MC administrators, faculty, and staff to improve 

a sense of belonging for Hispanic, URM and low-income students.

Our project is responsive to both Competitive Preference Priorities as follows:

• Competitive Preference Priority #1: Our Title V proposal will strengthen a sense of 

belonging and inclusion for Hispanic, URM, and low-income students, implement evidencebased and best practices for student success, and provide evidence-based professional 

development opportunities that build asset-based mindsets for faculty, staff, and students that 

are inclusive.

• Competitive Preference Priority #2: Our Title V proposal will improve access while 

decreasing the costs of college by implementing a strengthened transfer process; improve 

student outcomes using a variety of strategies including strengthened advising, and build on 

our institutional capacity to collect and analyze data for the purposes of transparency and 

improvement, and address student needs in multiple ways including a technology loaner 

program.

Our comprehensive development plan identifies our strengths and weaknesses and offers creative 

evidence-based solutions. Programs at MC are accredited. Institutionally, we have data-driven 

planning processes with effective administrative systems, and strong governance, leadership, and 

fund-development.

Weaknesses identified in our Title V proposal include: 1) too many Hispanic, URM and lowincome students who fail to persist, be retained year to year, and fail to graduate on-time or 

within 150% of time in STEM fields. Furthermore, too many students drop, fail, or withdraw 

from core math and sciences courses. Finally Hispanic, URM, and low-income students have less 

positive career outcomes than their white peers; 2) Our transfer process for students who have 

completed an associate’s degree program takes too long and lacks transparency, causing a lower 

yield in terms of enrollment and frustration among incoming students; 3) Hispanic, URM and 

low-income students are mostly commuting to campus and report a lack of a sense of belonging;

4) Diversity among administrators, faculty, and non-teaching staff is lacking on campus and does 

not represent the MC students, nor the Bronx community where we are located; and 5) Failing to 

enroll transfer students and retain students through graduation negatively impacts institutional 

finances, making it difficult to launch new programs.

With Title V funding and the support of MC’s administrators, faculty, non-teaching staff, 

students, and alumni, we can provide services that strengthen our institution and improve student 

outcomes.
26

Abstract

Mercy College, a private, federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution with three 

campuses located in New York (Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, and Manhattan), is proposing a five-year 

project under the Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program. Project 

COMPASS (Connecting Mercy Pathways and Student Supports) is aimed at improving 

educational outcomes for Hispanic and other low-income students by implementing strategic, 

evidence-based innovations intended to engage students more deeply in learning while also 

connecting them with their peers, their faculty, and other college-wide support networks.

The goals of COMPASS are to increase the enrollment, retention, and persistence of 

Hispanic and low-income students; improve their on-time graduation rates; and meet student 

social, emotional, and academic needs. To achieve these goals, two key activities are proposed. 

First, we will establish a cohesive First-Year Experience, including a comprehensive FirstYear Seminar, for all Mercy College freshman. The First-Year Experience will support 

academic achievement by strengthening the resources available to promote student learning and 

by creating a network of support to help connect students with these resources. First-year Faculty 

Fellows will be trained to offer an enhanced level of care and attention, including growth

mindset skills, as part of the First-Year Seminar. In addition, dedicated Peer Mentors will be 

trained to assist first-year students in navigating college life, managing time and other stress 

factors, and seeking help where and when it is needed.

Second, we will implement a fully remodeled General Education curriculum 

including co-curricular structures. The redesigned General Education curriculum will work 

towards a more integrative, dynamic, and equity-minded model of Gen Ed for all Mercy students 

and will support student engagement and retention. Faculty Fellows supported by a dedicated 

Instructional Designer will collaborate to revise existing Gen Ed courses and develop new ones. 

The newly designed curriculum will envision subject matter from the perspectives of career and 

cultural relevance, incorporating themes from popular culture, current events, and applying 

theories to real world problems. In addition, funding would support a menu of integrated cocurricular activities, including field trips and guest speakers, to help bring course material into 

focus and connect students’ learning to their lived experiences.

The success of these activities will be measured by three core objectives:

1) Successful completion of the First-Year Seminar by at least 80% of registered 

first-time, full-time students;

2) Retention of at least 75% of first-time, full-time students enrolled in the FirstYear Seminar; and

3) On-time graduation of at least 50% of the Hispanic or low-income students who 

participate in project activities within six years.

COMPASS is centered on practices known to be effective, especially for Hispanic 

students, and is focused on meeting the priorities of the DHSI program to expand educational 

opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students. To that end, both 

the First-Year Experience and General Education activities described above are designed to help 

meet student social, emotional, and academic needs (CPP1) as well as to increase 

postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success 

(CPP2). Additionally, COMPASS addresses the impact of Covid-19 on students, educators, 

and faculty (Invitational Priority). Our project goals and associated activities have been 

developed to directly address institutional needs that are aimed at supporting the growth and 

stability of our college. We will increase Hispanic, low-income, and underserved students’ 

readiness for college by improving teaching and learning and by increasing students’ engagement 

in their college experience to foster an overall sense of belonging and inclusion.
27

TITLE: Abriendo Caminos: Holistic Support to Increase Hispanic and Underserved Student Success 

at Middlesex College

Middlesex College, Edison, New Jersey

POPULATION TO BE SERVED: Hispanic, low income, first-generation, underserved, English 

language learners, students impacted by COVID-19 or other factors who have dropped, part time and 

adult students

GOALS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES

By the end of the 60-month project period:

(1) the annual persistence rate at Middlesex College for all students from one year to the next will 

increase to 67% Baseline: 2022 Cohort =62%;

(2) the annual persistence rate at Middlesex College for Hispanic students from one year to the next 

will increase to 64% Baseline: 2022 Cohort=59%;

(3) the annual rate of degree or certificate completion for all students at Middlesex College will 

increase to 31% Baseline: FA2019 Cohort=27%;

(4) the annual rate of degree or certificate completion for Hispanic students at Middlesex College 

will increase to 25% Baseline: FA2019 Cohort=21%;

(5) at least 75% of faculty and staff will have adopted the use of student success technology and new 

advising procedures to navigate interventions toward student success.

MIDDLESEX COLLEGE TITLE V PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Project Activity: Proactive, Holistic Student Support from Enrollment through Completion aims 

to implement a personalized and seamless student success experience that addresses the needs of 

Hispanic, low income and underserved students, and increases student retention and graduation rates.

Component 1. Intentional Advising and Supports to help Students Reach Educational and 

Career Goals

This comprehensive approach involves increasing equitable access by redesigning advising 

supports and services, providing institution-wide staff and faculty training, implementing culturally 

responsive institutional improvements.

Component 2: Enhance Data Decision-Making to Improve Student Success Experience and 

Advance Continuous Improvement Culture

Enhancing data management and analytics for actionionble insights will strengthen 

institutional data decision-making capabilities. The project focuses on developing evidence-based 

interventions and student success initiatives to increase equitable access for underserved student 

populations, including Hispanic students, English language learners, low-income students, part-time 

students, adult students, and students who have dropped out.
28

Applicant: Morgan Community College, Fort Morgan, Colorado

Requested Budget: $2,903,964 over five years

Endowment: $280,000 is requested in Years 3-5 to develop an endowment fund. Fundraising for 

this purpose will be overseen by the MCC Foundation.

Project Title: MI CASA (MCC Innovating Careers, Access, and Student Achievement)

Project Summary: Morgan Community College enrolled 1,462 students in Fall 2022 (an FTE of 

760). Of these, 35.57% were Hispanic, 88% of all full-time degree-seeking students received 

some type of financial aid, and 45% were Pell eligible. MI CASA (“my house” in Spanish) was 

developed to help encourage Hispanic and low-income students to feel a sense of welcome and 

belonging at MCC. It will address a series of significant problems that were identified through an 

in-depth process that involved administrators, faculty, staff, students, and community members. 

This project will focus on three components:

1. Developing career services for future and current students through a combination of 

outreach and direct student support and the creation of the MI CASA Career and Transfer 

Center.

2. Analyzing existing advising practices and implementing a new campus-wide advising 

system, along with providing additional support to students through a new technology 

position.

3. Providing assistance to MCC’s English as a Second Language students.

Project Objectives:

Objective 1: By Sept. 30, 2028, MCC will increase fall-to-fall retention for Hispanic and/or lowincome students to 40%. Baseline: 32.04%

Objective 2: By Sept. 30, 2028, MCC will improve the average cumulative grade point average 

for Hispanic students to 3.23, making it equitable with the cumulative GPA for White students. 

Baseline: 3.09

Objective 3: By Sept. 30, 2028, MCC will increase the completion rate for Hispanic and/or lowincome students to 28.43%, which would be equitable with the average rate for White students. 

Baseline: 24.77%

Objective 4: By Sept. 30, 2028, MCC will increase the transfer rate for Hispanic and/or lowincome students to 10%. Baseline: 4.41%

Priorities:

MCC is responding to both Competitive Preference Priorities:

CPP1: Meeting student social, emotional, and academic needs.

CPP2: Increasing postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment 

success.

ABSTRACT
29

ABSTRACT

Mount Saint Mary’s University (MSMU, the Mount) in Los Angeles, CA requests 

funding from the Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) program to support 

the Empowering Hispanic Student Achievement project. MSMU is a Hispanic-Serving Institution 

(HSI): 57% of students identify as Hispanic). MSMU also has a large low-income population: 

66% of Mount undergraduates are eligible for Pell Grant aid. This project meets the requirements 

for both Competitive Preference Priorities.

MSMU’s first goal is to increase retention and graduation rates for FYFT students, 

including Hispanic and Pell-eligible students. Outcomes and impacts pertaining to this goal will 

be measured by specific measurable objectives for increasing first- to second-year retention by 

6% for each disaggregated group (all students, Hispanic students, and Pell-eligible students); 

increasing six-year graduation rates by 3% for all students, Hispanic students, Pell-eligible 

students, and first-generation college students); and increase student satisfaction rates on the 

Pathways to Student Success survey by 20%. To meet these ambitious but attainable objectives, 

MSMU will hire a director of student success and retention (DSSR), create a comprehensive 

First Year Experience (FYE), assign a success coach to work with first-year students, pilot a 

professional advising model for departments with a high advising load, provide faculty 

development workshops to train faculty on best practices for a changing student demographic 

and provide Spanish to English support for students whose first language is Spanish.

MSMU proposes a second goal to increase diversity and reduce attrition in the prenursing program. Over the course of the project, MSMU will reduce DFW rates in key prenursing courses by 50% and close the gaps in first- to third-year retention rates for pre-nursing 

Hispanic students, low-income students and students whose primary language is Spanish. To 

accomplish these objectives, MSMU will provide structural support in key biology and scientific 

concepts courses, hire a success coach to work with pre-nursing students and implement a cohort 

experience for pre-nursing. To increase the diversity of the pre-nursing program, the project team 

will partner with the division of enrollment management and the community ambassador 

program to conduct outreach to area high schools to encourage Hispanic students to consider 

nursing careers.

To accomplish the third goal, to increase communication and data sharing across the 

institution, MSMU will implement the Axiom Elite Middleware and Anthology Reach platforms. 

Through improved data sharing across platforms and the implementation of an early alert system, 

MSMU will be able to identify students at risk of leaving their studies and provide actionable 

information to the student support team.

Project success will be measured by an extensive, tailored evaluation plan that uses 

formative and summative assessment and frequent interactions between the external evaluation 

team and project leadership to ensure continuous improvement and progress toward the stated 

goals and objectives. The project will be led by Lacey Smith, Dean of Baccalaureate Programs. 

Dean Smith will lead a team of dedicated individuals from across the institution to manage the 

various components of the project, leading to improved outcomes for Hispanic and low-income 

students and fiscal stability for Mount Saint Mary’s University. MSMU will hire a data research 

analyst dedicated exclusively to student success and retention to ensure that the vast amounts of 

data this project will generate can be effectively and efficiently synthesized to help make crucial 

programmatic decisions.
30

U.S. Department of Education, Title V, Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions 

North Central Texas College--“Pathways to Completion”

ABSTRACT

North Central Texas College (NCTC) is the oldest continuously operating two-year public 

community college in Texas. NCTC serves a four-county area including Cooke, Montague, and 

Denton, and a portion of Young County. NCTC offers associate degrees, certificates, and 

transferable credits in Arts and Social Sciences, Math and Sciences, Career and Technical 

Education, Health Sciences, as well as Dual Credit and Adult & Continuing Education programs. 

In fall 2022, there were 7,360 students enrolled. Of the 1,253 who were first-time-in-college 

students, 31.5% were Hispanic, 48.1% were white, and 41.3% were Pell eligible. As a recentlydesignated Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2022, NCTC has both the challenge and the 

opportunity to expand educational opportunities through implementation of evidence-based 

services and activities designed to increase success and completion for the college’s large 

population of Hispanic and low-income students.

Goals: AP Goal 1: Increase NCTC’s capacity to improve academic achievement and completion 

for students, especially for Hispanic and underserved students; IM Goal 2: Expand professional 

growth and development opportunities for faculty and staff with emphasis on student 

engagement and success strategies for Hispanic and other underserved students; IM Goal 3: 

Increase access to high-quality data collection and analysis for transparency, accountability, and 

institutional improvement; and FS Goal 4: Stabilize college funding through improved student 

completion of credentials, transfer, or gained employment.

Problems to be Addressed: AP: low overall graduation rates; equity gaps in 4-yr graduation 

rates for Hispanic and low-income students; credit completion rates lower for Hispanic and lowincome students compared to other student populations; limited capacity for early and ongoing 

connections with students; limited course modalities impact students, especially low-income 

students; IM: siloed and limited data systems for acquiring accurate and comprehensive data; 

low/limited levels of professional development opportunities; FS: changing state funding model; 

unstable enrollment; lower tax revenue/state appropriations.

Implementation Strategies: 1. Coaching: Education to Career; 2. Guided Pathways: 

Expansion and Communication; 3. Course Redesign: Improved Access and Completion; 4. 

Professional Development: Student/Faculty/Staff Engagement; 5. Quality Assurance: Data, 

Evaluation, Analyses, and Decision-Making

Outcomes: Increased 150% graduation rates overall (Obj. 1.1); increased 4-yr graduation rates 

for Hispanic and low-income students (Obj. 1.2-1.3); increased fall-to-fall retention for Hispanic 

and low-income students (Obj. 1.4-1.5); decreased credit completion gap for Hispanic students 

(Obj. 1.6); increased student engagement (Obj. 1.7); and lower ratio of adv/success coaches to 

students (Obj. 1.8); increased implementation of strategies into courses/services (Obj. 2.1); 

increased faculty/staff satisfaction with data systems (Obj. 3.1).

Addresses CPP 1 and CPP 2 

Funds Requested: $2,843,827
31

Contact Person for the Title V Proposal: Dr. Ron Clinton, President, Northeast Texas 

Community College; 903-434-8100, ext. 8101; rclinton@ntcc.edu.

Institutional Background: Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC) is one of 50 public, 

open-access community colleges in Texas. The small College is located on 375 acres in a rural 

setting of gently rolling hills, streams, rivers, and farms, in the picturesque and historic Chapel Hill 

area. The main NTCC campus is located approximately equidistant between the county seats of the 

three counties which make up the NTCC district: Daingerfield (Morris County), Mount Pleasant 

(Titus County); and Pittsburg (Camp County). Over 36% of the service area population is minority. 

Competitive Preference Priorities: NTCC will address CPP #1, parts a, b, and c. Strategies 

include hiring a bilingual Community Engagement Coordinator who will work with multiple 

organizations focused on underserved populations to foster a welcoming pathway to higher 

education and hiring four bilingual High School Transition Coaches, asset-based mindset training, 

and evidence-based best practices from the What Works Clearinghouse (Castleman, Page, and 

Schooley (2014) and Bettinger, E. P., & Baker, R. B. (2011)). It will meet CPP #2, parts b, c, and d 

through transition coaching and increasing institutional research capacity through hiring of a data 

analyst.

Goals: The project will increase Hispanic and other underserved student retention and completion 

through 1) equipping staff and faculty with asset-based mindsets, 2) collaborating with 

organizations serving Hispanic and underserved students, 3) development of comprehensive faceto-face and virtual career and transfer services, 4) High School Transition Coaches to encourage 

post-secondary continuation and support graduating seniors to complete milestones to college 

enrollment, 5) implement integrated customer relationship management software, 6) implement a 

student-facing mobile app to increase engagement and sense of belonging, 7) increase institutional 

research capacity, 8) development of data dashboards for data-informed decision-making and 9) 

comprehensive training for faculty and staff to use data to improve student outcomes and 

institutional effectiveness.

Key Outcomes: The project has major three activities: (1) Increase the Number of Hispanic & 

Underserved Persons Who Explore and Enroll in Post-Secondary Education; (2) Increase 

Retention, Credit Accumulation, Credential Attainment, Completion and Transfer, and (3) 

Improving Planning, Institutional

Effectiveness and Research. Ten 

measurable objectives focus on 

improving enrollment, fall-to-fall 

retention, degree completion, 

transfer, remediation of student 

outcomes through improved data 

analysis and training, developing a 

customer relationship management 

system to engage students 

throughout their educational 

journey and permeating the College

culture with an asset mindset framework.

Five-Year Project Budget: $3,000,000.

NORTHEAST TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROJECT ABSTRACT

NTCC Student Profile Fall 2022

Indicator # %

Fall 2022 Headcount Enrollment 2,794 100%

FTE Enrollment 2,110 100%

Full-Time Status 1,217 44%

Female Students 1,775 64%

Hispanic Enrollment 1,308 47%

Total Minority Enrollment 1,942 70%

Non-Traditional Age Students 615 22%

Pell Grant Recipients 2021-22 1,174 42%

Students Enrolled in Dual Credit (2021) 905 32%

Source: NTCC Accountability Report, 2022; TPEDS 2021-22.
32

Abstract: TASSELS

Transforming and Advancing Student Success through Excellence and Learning Supports 

Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), a comprehensive public state university in Chicago, 

enrolls 5,756 primarily commuter students in over 70 undergraduate and graduate degree 

programs. It serves a population diverse in age, culture, language, and race. Undergraduates (n= 

4,207) are 38.2% Hispanic and 11.2% Black/African American. NEIU received its federal 

designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in 1997. It is the longest-standing four-year 

public HSI in the Midwest. Academic programs employ a variety of perspectives to enrich 

learning experiences and prepare students for our society’s multiculturalism. The increasingly 

diverse administrative staff and faculty demonstrate NEIU’s commitment to diversity.

The proposed Title V project addresses the most urgent problems in the CDP analysis: 

second-to-third-year retention rates are low, leading to low graduation rates; many humanities 

and social sciences majors are not linked to career relevance; student tracking and support 

systems, especially academic advising, are inadequate, disparate, dislocated, and not uniformly 

used across all campus constituencies. Many of the strategies are extensions of existing programs 

at the University and call upon existing resources while acknowledging that those resources are 

disparate and isolated.

This grant will provide the resources needed to (1) draw common academic success, student 

support, and transition initiatives together; (2) bring together units that provide integral student 

support services so that they are not disparate and providing unnecessary roadblocks to student 

persistence and completion; (3) provide systematic access to student data across instruction and 

student support offices and add mentoring for students and for those supporting their success; (4) 

strengthen the structures and data sharing to engage faculty, staff, and administration across 

NEIU in increasing retention; and (5) implement a social science and humanities center to 

connect non-STEM students to career-preparation opportunities. The project will, by building on 

existing programs, address a stubborn barrier to student retention and graduation. Retaining these 

students will increase the financial resources of the University, making it possible to sustain the 

system when federal funding ends.

NEIU is confident that TASSELS will offer a rich and complex source of information in 

support of a comprehensive approach to supporting Hispanic or low-income students on their 

pathways to success, thereby adding to best practices available for institutions like NEIU. We 

have structured this project with intent and design to meet the needs of our students. We 

anticipate that this system will increase the value of an NEIU education without increasing its 

cost, and increase enrollment and retention, making it possible to attract more students.

Successful activities will be shared with institutions such as NEIU to increase the number of 

effective student support strategies in practice.

Tassels project goals: Improve first-to-second-year and second-to-third-year retention rates by 

advancing strategies that promote student success; strengthen pathway from enrollment to 

graduation and post-graduation success; improve academic program delivery; and align 

curriculum to standards and career needs to facilitate transition from degree to career. Student 

success objectives with targets are (1) increase first-to-second-year retention of Hispanic and 

other low-income students from 62.7% to 68%, (2) increase second-to-third year retention of 

Hispanic and other low-income students 46.2% to 50%, (3) reduce the number of financial aid 

holds for all underrepresented minority students from 84.5% to 64.5%, (4) increase enrollment 

from 5,756 to 6,043.

The project addresses both competitive preference priorities.
33

Nova Southeastern University (NSU), FL 

Title V Individual Development Grant 2023 - Abstract

Title: SHARK TAILS: Success for Hispanics in Academics, Research, and Knowledge Through 

Administration of Integrated Learning Supports

Applicant Institution: Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Fort Lauderdale, FL

NSU will increase its capacity to offer evidence-driven holistic support services to help both native and 

associate degree transfer students majoring in Computer Science, Cybersecurity Management, 

Information Technology, and Engineering (C2ITE). All targeted undergraduate degree programs will be 

transformed based on strategic and coordinated guided pathways that maximize the relationship between 

student mindset and academic success. The Comprehensive Development Plan is responsive to the needs 

of all students, particularly those who are members of Hispanic and other underrepresented groups, as 

well as those who are low-income. Collaborators are HSI Broward College (BC) and Broward County 

Public Schools (BCPS).

Overall Project Goal

The project goal is to transform NSU's C2ITE undergraduate degree programs by increasing institutional 

capacity to better understand issues in the retention and degree attainment of STEM majors who attend 

HSIs to pursue successful STEM careers and contribute to the US innovation economy. The outcome will 

be a sustainable model of sound educational practices that generate promising evidence in increasing 

success measures that broaden the participation of students who are historically underrepresented.

Increased institutional capacity will involve fostering DEIA-related supportstrategies, increasing faculty 

ability to deliver guidance based on a framework that focuses on developing students' full potential.

Comprehensive Development Plan Goals

G1: Close gaps for entering, lower division, and transfer students who are at risk. G2: Support native and

transfer student transition from on-boarding through BS degree completion. G3: Strengthen opportunity

equity for Hispanic, low-income, and other underrepresented students.

Comprehensive Development Plan Objectives(Outcomesto be achieved by September 30, 2028)

Objectives: 1. Form a new holistic and timely support system for struggling C2ITE freshmen and 

sophomores and entering native and transfer students. 2. Conduct an education research study on the 

effectiveness of coordinated coaching for academically challenged diverse C2ITE majors at HSIs. 

Measurable Outcomes: By September 30, 2028: O1. Undergraduate full-time enrollment of Hispanic 

and other underrepresented students in C2ITE BS degree programs will increase 5%. O2. Fall-to-Fall 

retention rate for NSU Hispanic and other underrepresented full-time C2ITE major will increase 7% for 

underrepresented students and 9% for Hispanic students. O3. Percentage of full-time C2ITE majors who 

are on track to graduating within 6 years will increase to 25% in Computer Science and Cybersecurity 

Management, 7% in IT, and 40% in Engineering. O4. Enrollment of full-time associate degree transfers 

from BC in NSU C2ITE BS degree programs will increase 700%.

Project Activities

Al: Specialized STEM Early Alert Services - Specialized tutoring, coaching/mentoring for targeted 

students at academic risk identified in 7 STEM gateway courses through Early Alert Systems. A2: STEM 

Dual Enrollment with Broward County Public Schools - Exploration of computing dual enrollment 

course offerings and an Introduction to Research summer program. A3: Culturally Responsive Holistic 

STEM Mentoring/Coaching/Advisement/Advocacy - Establishing a critical mass of STEM faculty and 

near-peer students who will serve as coaches/mentors/role models/tutors/allies based on DEIA-focused 

training that prepares them to provide meaningful, holistic support to Hispanic and other diverse STEM 

majors. A4: STEM Faculty Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Professional Development -

Faculty will participate in training to learn the most effective mechanisms for coaching and advising 

diverse students revolving around a graduation and wellness mindset. Cultural responsiveness training 

will be incorporated to strengthen the faculty ecosystem; near-peer mentors will be trained as well. AS:

Broward College Associate Degree Outreach Programs and Services - Strengthening connections 

between NSU and associate degree graduates at feeder community college Broward College.

Activities are based on evidence in diverse student success (particularly among Hispanics), coaching/ 

mentoring, student wellness, student identity, professional development, and guided pathways.
34

Our Lady of the Lake University

With a strategic, intentional focus on Latinx, first-generation, and low-income 

student athletes, this project will interrogate and disrupt institutional mediocrity to catalyze 

a paradigm shift in how Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) serves Latinx, firstgeneration, and low-income students. To achieve this, we plan to engage students as 

partners in institutional improvement, while setting high expectations and holding 

students, faculty, and staff accountable, and fostering a vibrant, inclusive learning 

environment where students feel they belong and can be successful.

With campuses in San Antonio, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley, OLLU 

serves 2,550 students annually (avg.), including 1,300 undergraduates – 78% of which 

are Latinx, 44% will be the first in their families to graduate with a four-year degree, 

and 58% receive the Pell grant. Kinesiology is OLLU’s 2nd largest undergraduate major 

and has above average retention rates, yet Kinesiology majors have below average GPAs 

and graduation rates. Notably, 78% of these majors are student-athletes, a population 

that, while bringing social capital and experiencing varying degrees of support and 

accountability from coaches, face extraordinary academic challenges including time 

constraints, misadvising, complicated eligibility requirements, and, at times, a lack of 

academic support. A disconnect in communication and expectations between coaches, 

faculty, and staff directly affects student success. Using a lens of inclusion, diversity, 

equity, and accessibility, this project will improve academic attainment of Latinx students 

by achieving the following objectives:

Obj. 1: Matriculate, retain, and graduate students in Kinesiology through 

equity-driven, evidence-based approaches (CPP 1, 2). OLLU will A) develop a 

collaborative advising model with staff advisors, faculty advisors, the faculty athlete 

representative, and athletic coaches; B) embed course-based undergraduate research 

experiences into select courses, renovate the kinesiology lab, including creating the 

Women’s Metabolic Health Institute focused on cardiometabolic health in Latinas, and 

upgrade equipment to bolster experiential learning; and C) implement a cohort-based 

enrichment program including summer orientation, learning communities, and peer 

mentoring.

Obj. 2: Improve student preparedness and competitiveness for continuing 

education, careers, and post-graduation success. OLLU will embed optional 

certifications into the BA/BS degree, including Mental Health First Aid, CPR/AED, ACSM 

Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, and Exercise Physiologist; provide 

opportunities to work in an on-campus wellness program; and help students prepare for, 

secure, and complete internships in kinesiology-related fields.

Obj. 3: Meet student social, emotional, and academic needs and faculty/staff 

well-being (Invitational Priority, CPP 1). OLLU will create a wellness program and track 

engagement in relation to persistence, retention, and degree completion. In partnership 

with experts in the field, OLLU will provide ongoing, evidence-based professional 

development designed to build asset-based mindsets for faculty, staff, and administrators 

centered on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Collecting, analyzing, and 

publishing data will ensure transparency, accountability, and institutional improvement. 

This project addresses both competitive preference priorities and the invitational 

priority.
35

Pacific Oaks College (PO) Title V HSI Grant Application

Abstract

Pacific Oaks College (PO), located in Pasadena California, is a private, non-profit, 

Hispanic-serving, degree-granting institution that serves approximately 1,068 students. The 

region served by PO has a Hispanic population of approximately 49% far above the U.S. 

average of 18.9%. PO offers undergraduate degrees in early childhood education, psychology, 

human development, advocacy & social justice, and teacher credentialing & education degree 

programs. PO has been able to maintain its Latinx undergraduate population amidst the 

negative impact to higher education institutions due to the pandemic. However, these adult 

students are now requiring additional academic support. PO does not have sufficient support 

in place to assist these students. This Title V project, the Intentional Student Retention 

Initiative, will “Intentionally” focus on providing extra needed student interaction (academic 

systems instruction, personalized coaching, and will be offered all support services available 

by trained ISR advisors who will not only answer all their academic needs but will ensure that 

their academic journey is not alone.

The Intentional Student Retention Initiative is designed to help eliminate many challenges 

identified at PO including the lack of support to help students navigate the educational system; 

no professional development opportunities for students; limited support for online students; and 

few professional development opportunitiesfor faculty and staff. These issues identified through 

a self-study and through a review of several related documents will be addressed through the 

development of activities that will enable PO to increase the services provided to students. This 

will be through five project components:

Component 1: Development of the Intentional Student Retention Center

Component 2: Outreach

Component 3: Improve Professional Development Opportunities and

Component 4: Data Analysis

Component 5: Endowment

Amount requested: The total request for this project is $2,646,726 over five years. This 

represents approximately 63% invested in salaries and fringe benefits; 10% for equipment and 

supplies; 11% for contractual; 4% for construction; 5% for travel; and 6% for other expenses.

Program Management and Evaluation: PO is requesting $695,593.60 over five years to 

support the program management dimension of the project. This represents just over 25% of the 

full project request and includes $645,593.60 for a full-time Project Director (salary and fringe). 

The budget also contains a $75,000 line-item request for an outside evaluation component.

Contact Person: Dr.Judy Castro, Project Director

45 Eureka Street

Pasadena, CA 91103

925. 216. 6774

JCastro1@pacificoaks.edu
36

Palo Verde College

Blythe, California

Palo Verde College (PVC) proposes a Title V Developing Hispanic Serving 

Institutions grant entitled “The CRECER Project.” 1 The project addresses three significant 

needs at the college. First, it will be used to expand institutional research capacity, which will 

drive clearer and more precise understandings of PVC students, their needs, and their 

outcomes. Second, project funds will be used to support expansion of the college's emerging 

high-quality professional nursing programs including registered nursing (RN), certified 

nursing assistant (CNA), and licensed vocational nursing (LVN). Finally, to continue 

building strength in Nursing and Allied Health, and other areas of science, technology, 

engineering, and math (STEM), this project will help to fund improvements in classroom 

equipment to accommodate greater learning.

Palo Verde College is a small public 2-year institution in a single-college district 

in the California Community Colleges. From AY2018-19 through AY2022-23, PVC 

served about 7,500 unique students on average each year across all sources of enrollment, 

and an overall unduplicated headcount of about 20,000 individuals. About 63.0% of 

students identified with any nonwhite ethnicity, and 37.9% indicated that they were 

Hispanic of any ethnicity.

The CRECER Project has three main goals:

• Increase the college’s ability to serve students through institutional research.

• Increase enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of Nursing students.

• Increase enrollment of Hispanic and low-income students in science courses.

The college will accomplish these goals through a variety of strategies including the 

addition of personnel in institutional research, new adjunct faculty in Nursing, an Academic 

Success Coach, and expanded students services like tutoring and supplemental instruction. 

New classroom and clinical equipment will be purchased through project funding. In 

addition, faculty and staff will benefit from expanded professional development 

opportunities.

Palo Verde College seeks a total of $3 million over five years for this project.

The CRECER Project addresses Competitive Preference Priority Number1: Meeting Student 

Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs and Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing 

Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment

Success. The project also addresses the Invitational Priority.

1 Crecer, translated from Spanish to English means "to grow." This Title V project will help Palo 

Verde College (PVC), a small and rural member of the California Community Colleges (CCC), 

to grow by Creating Reliable and Effective Capacity for Educational Responsivity (CRECER).
37

PROJECT ABSTRACT

UPREACH: Unifying PCC’s Resources to Empower 

& Accelerate Completion for Hispanic Students

Pasadena City College (PCC) was founded in 1924 in the spirit of innovation to respond to the 

needs of the local community. Today, PCC serves over 30,000 students annually across Los 

Angeles County. Los Angeles County is home to 9.8 million residents whose backgrounds and 

needs are diverse and whose contributions are essential to the region’s overall success. PCC will 

deploy the following three interconnected strategies to implement and scale the equity-minded 

interventions identified by research as holding the most promise to increase attainment of 

Hispanic students, filling essential gaps to realize a seamless pathway to careers in regionally 

high-demand, high-wage careers:

STRATEGY 1: Actualizing a Unified Approach to Personalized Care – Unify the myriad 

supportive and caring resources that are currently distributed across PCC’s campus and empower 

and embolden students to utilize these resources. Further unify PCC’s approach to career 

readiness by integrating classroom learning with career exploration.

STRATEGY 2: Foster Community and Connection through a Cariño Mindset – PCC will 

enact a culture emphasizing human connection and personal relationships to improve students’ 

sense of community and belonging, more effectively connecting them with programs and 

services.

STRATEGY 3: Coalesce Existing Technologies to Develop a Unified and Student-Friendly 

Experience – PCC will identify fragmentation of current technologies and consult with 

providers to develop a seamless approach to electronic communication and student-support 

services.

5-Year Objectives to be accomplished by September 30, 2028: Increase Hispanic student 

enrollment from 14,176 to 15,000; Increase Hispanic student retention from 78.4% to 85%; 

Increase Hispanic student overall course success rates from 59.5% to 65%; Increase Hispanic 

student completion of transfer-level English in the first year from 47% to 55%; Increase Hispanic 

student completion of transfer-level STEM math from 36% to 42%; Increase Hispanic student 

completion of transfer-level non-STEM (SLAM) math from 45% to 52%; Increase self-reported 

sense of belonging from 53% to 63%; Increase Hispanic student participation in work-based 

learning activities from 1,884 to 2,500; Increase Hispanic student consultations with Career 

Counselors from 761 to 2500.

Competitive Preference Priorities (CPPs): CPP #1: Address social, emotional, and academic 

needs by fostering a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe environment for Hispanic and other 

underserved students through intentional, early, ongoing, and sustained efforts to connect 

students to their peers, college personnel, and their programs of study; CPP #2: Increase 

postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success by 

setting Hispanic and other underserved students up for success in high-demand, high-wage 

careers.
38

Pima County Community College District (PCCCD – d/b/a Pima Community College or PCC) is an 

open- admissions two-year community college serving more than 31,000 students at multiple

campuses throughout Tucson, Arizona (pop. 1,052,030) as well as virtually via PimaOnline.

Hispanics comprise more than half of all PCC students (52%) and 43% of students who are 

enrolled exclusively online (meaning they take no face-to-face courses on one of our campuses.) 

Residents of Pima County are predominantly White (84%), with Hispanics residents making up 

the second largest racial/ethnic group at 39%. Almost 15% of area families live in poverty, 

which is higher than the national rate of 12% (U.S. Census).

The proposed StriveOnline project meets both purposes of the DHSI program as stated in the 

funding notice: 1) to help large numbers of Hispanic students and other low-income students 

complete postsecondary degrees, and 2) to expand and enhance academic offerings, program 

quality, faculty quality and institutional stability of colleges that are educating the largest 

enrollment of Hispanic students.

The institution’s overarching weakness stems from performance gaps between online students 

and students who attend at least some classes on-campus (exclusively online or 100% online 

versus not 100% online). While online enrollment is the only demographic showing significant 

growth at the College, students in online courses are failing at higher rates. Students who are 

100% online also fail to persist and complete at rates higher than their on-campus peers.

Addressing serious deficiencies in how we serve and engage online students, StriveOnline will 

implement a comprehensive Activity to completely revamp the support services for online 

students and update the underlying infrastructure that supports the online program for student 

success.

The Activity has two components: 1) develop and expand online student supports in a Virtual 

Success Center (like a one-stop-shop for on-campus students) and 2) develop and update 

essential infrastructure for online student success. Component #1 will develop comprehensive, 

evidence-based supports such as success coaching, peer mentoring, virtual communities, and 

virtual engagement activities—all of which are designed to increase the academic success and 

engagement of online students. Component #2 invests in developing targeted data dashboards to 

enable data-driven decision-making, support continuous quality improvement (CQI), and in 

expanding the media lab/studio that is essential to creating engaging learning activities for the 

rapidly-growing number of online courses. This proposed activity will rely on multiple evidencebased strategies to increase student engagement and academic success, while also building the 

college’s capacity to produce online courses and online services that meet quality standards.

Finally, professional development for faculty and staff is interwoven throughout the entire 

Activity to include both how to use the newly developed data dashboards as well as building 

asset-based mindsets to support student social, emotional and academic success.

Competitive Preference & Invitational Priorities: This application addresses Competitive 

Preference Priority #1 and #2, and the Invitational Priority. See the Project Narrative for details

Total Five-Year Budget Request: $2,999,999
39

Providence Christian College

ABSTRACT

Providence Christian College (“PCC”) is a private, Christian university in Pasadena, CA. PCC 

offers a three-phase liberal arts education. All students take 64 hours of Core classes and then 

choose one of eight Concentrations, ranging from Education to Business Economics & 

Entrepreneurship to Biblical and Theological Studies. A Capstone is done in their fourth year 

and includes apprenticeships, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities. PCC 

students graduate with a well-rounded liberal arts degree coupled with career-oriented 

experiences that serve them beyond their college years.

Over 46% of PCC’s enrollment is Hispanic students. This Title V project, Promesa de la 

Providencia (The Promise of Providence), is designed to address the needs of these students.

The purpose of Promesa de la Providencia is to build institutional capacity to increase the 

number of Hispanic and low-income students attaining postsecondary degrees. The project 

has the following objectives:

• Increase enrollment of Hispanic and low-income students by 15%.

• Create a sense of “belonging” on campus.

• Institute a Summer Bridge program for underserved students.

• Increase retention rates of Hispanic and low-income students by 10%.

• Increase graduation rates and graduate school placement for Hispanic students.

Project goals will be accomplished through student-centered activities including a) extensive 

community outreach b) creation of a Summer Bridge program for underserved students c) 

renovation of student success space d) provision of success coaching, tutoring and supplemental 

instruction and d) professional development for faculty and staff to ensure success of all students 

in a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment.

Providence Christian College is requesting $3,000,000 over five years to support 

the project initiatives.

Promesa de la Providencia addresses Competitive Preference Priority Number1: Meeting 

Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs and Competitive Preference Priority 2: 

Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment 

Success. This grant application also addresses the Invitational Priority.
40

Project CAMINO: Fortifying a Guided Pathway for College & Career Success 

LaGuardia Community College, CUNY

LaGuardia Community College is a powerful success engine for Hispanic and low-income 

students. Each year LaGuardia serves 15,000 credit-earning students: 45% are Hispanic, and at 

least 65% are low-income, if measured solely by Pell grant recipients. LaGuardia constantly 

assesses the needs of our students and our efforts to address those needs, and recent initiatives 

have shown measurable evidence of success, including a graduation rate that has nearly doubled 

in the last decade. Stanford’s Mobility Report Card ranked LaGuardia in the top five community 

colleges nationwide in moving low-income students to the middle class.

However, LaGuardia has more to do to improve retention and graduation rates to help more 

students reach their goals for college success, transfer, and careers. Thousands of admitted 

students do not engage fully in college orientation, dramatically undercutting access to the 

benefits of a LaGuardia education. Many students change their major after accruing credits, 

extending their time to graduation, and many fail to transfer to a baccalaureate campus despite 

their early intentions. We must support LaGuardia students more effectively from the time that 

they choose to attend, through major selection and the new student registration process, during 

their time at the college, and as they move toward transfer or career. We must provide guidance 

as well as time for career exploration and help students succeed in the present while they work 

toward their futures.

The promise of Project CAMINO is underscored by its name. In Spanish, camino means path or 

pathway, and CAMINO will support 40,000 high-need students as they find and map their own 

paths. Building on a foundation of rigorous, What Works Clearinghouse-accepted research and 

leveraging extant institutional strengths, resources, and current practices within a Guided 

Pathways framework, CAMINO will implement whole-college reform—from student acceptance, 

orientation, and first semester success to graduation, transfer, and career—through three 

cumulative and complementary Major Tasks:

Major 

Task 1

Pathway to College & Career: LaGuardia will support incoming students with rolling 

orientations within College-Career Communities, mentoring from discipline-based

faculty, an online module to explore majors, and updated digital tools that connect 

students earlier to support.

Major 

Task 2

Pathway to Learning & Degree Success: LaGuardia will enrich the student experience 

by bringing advisors and mentors together within college-career communities for ongoing

PD to support inclusive advising and data-informed intervention practices. Faculty will 

support Experiential Learning through course-based co-curricular learning activities.

Major 

Task 3

Pathway to Career & Transfer: LaGuardia will boost transfer success by increasing 

our capacity for holistic transfer support and offering ePortfolio studios to showcase 

students’ academic and co-curricular activities in support of transfer and careers.

Meeting students’ social, emotional, and academic needs and increasing college access, 

affordability, completion, and success (Competitive Preference Priorities #1 & #2) are central to 

CAMINO, but these are not discrete objectives. CAMINO is a cohesive, well-structured, and 

integrated pathway that focuses on the needs of and challenges facing our Hispanic students. If 

we provide our Hispanic and low-income students not just with equitable access but with 

improved means to achieve success, LaGuardia can evolve from being a Hispanic-enrolling 

Institution to a Hispanic-serving Institution.
41

Rio Hondo College Title V: LEGACIE+ : A Male Success Initiative Project Abstract

Rio Hondo College (RHC) is a two-year, public college located in the city of Whittier, 

California. As a HSI with 81% of its student population identifying as Hispanic, RHC served 

17,241 students in FY 2020-2021. Student population is made up of 28% full-time students and 

72%, part-time students. Over 56% of RHC students are considered high need, low-income, firstgeneration college students. RHC’s five-city service area has a population of 303,137 with an 

unemployment rate of 9% and 16% of residents live in poverty. The highest levels of economic 

insecurity and unemployment factors within the state due to the pandemic have been found in the 

Los Angeles region, where unemployment factors have greatly impacted students and their 

families and contributed to the likelihood of increased rates of food and housing insecurity.

RHC’s Title V grant project, “LEGACIE+” (Latinos Empowered Guided And Cultivated In 

Education): A Male Success Initiative, using a cohort-mentorship model to engage traditional 

and non-traditional male students who identify as Latino, other Men of Color (MOC), or those 

who self-identify as men in the East San Gabriel Valley. RHC intends use Title V funding to 

scale up and enhance the student experience and institutional outcomes via LEGACIE+ by 

implementing strategies to attain two (2) interrelated goals: 1) Increase AS/AA/ADT degrees 

and/or Certificate of Achievement attainment of LM/MOC by creating culturally relevant and 

collaborative outreach, academic support systems, and holistic student support programs; and 2) 

Create systemic institutional transformation to support LM/MOC through the development of a 

Transfer Success program, a mentorship certificate, and Faculty professional development in 

collaboration with Cal State Polytechnic, Pomona (CPP) while developing internal 

accountability tools. LEGACIE+ is designed as a cross system collaboration that connects 

LM/MOC students to mentors and campus resources at both RHC and CPP to support academic 

and personal success.

LEGACIE+ will employ five strategies to accomplish the stated goals: (1) Engage (CPP2): 

deepen and expand community outreach services and engagement activities to LM/MOC high 

school students and adult learners (25+) (2) Empower (CPP2): increase LM/MOC student 

enrollment at RHC and participation in academic support systems designed in a culturally 

relevant way to create academic success, a sense of campus belonging, and provide career 

exploration and life planning;; (3) Guide (CPP1&2): provide mentoring, tutoring, case 

management, LEGACIE+ Summer Academy, and basic needs wrap around services to increase 

retention and completion; (4) Cultivate (CPP): create systemic transformation creating a 

Transfer Success Program, developing an online Certificate in Mentorship with a focus on 

supporting mentors, increasing transfer partnerships, and providing culturally relevant 

professional development for Faculty and staff; and (5) Knowledge Share (CPP1): create 

focused Data Warehouse Tools and dissemination strategies leading to an annual “State of Male

/Men of Color Student Success” Report. Together, these five strategies will improve efficiency 

while strengthening institutional effectiveness in engaging and educating LM/MOC students, 

assisting them to reach the summit of their education and career goals.

RHC is requesting $2,984,915 over five years to support LEGACIE+ strategy implementation, 

knowledge generation, and best practices dissemination.

Competitive Preference Priority: LEGACIE+ addresses CPP #1: Meeting student social, 

emotional, and academic needs; and CPP #2: Increasing postsecondary education access, 

affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success.
42

Saint Elizabeth University 

Morristown, NJ

Abstract

Saint Elizabeth University (SEU) was established by the Sisters of Charity in 1899 in historic 

Morristown, New Jersey. Formally designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution, SEU has 

approximately 1200 students distributed between its Undergraduate Programs for Traditional-age 

university students, its Undergraduate Continuing Studies Programs, and its Graduate Programs. 

SEU serves a highly racially/ethnically diverse student body. As a measure of its commitment to 

the economically disadvantaged, SEU enrolls a large percentage of students who are eligible to 

receive federal Pell grants (62% traditional-age undergraduates; 70% traditional-age Hispanic 

undergraduates). Many are also first-generation University students.

Project Title: Strengthening STEM and Health Science Project

The goal of the proposed DHSI project is to increase academic success, first-year retention and 

university graduation rates, among low income Hispanic and other underserved low income 

(Pell-eligible) STEM and Health Science University students.

Projected Primary Outcomes and Results: Freshmen-to-sophomore year retention of underserved 

Pell-eligible STEM/Health Science students will increase from 66% to 75% by Year One of the 

project, to 80% by the midpoint of the project, and ultimately to 89% by project completion, 

ambitiously matching that of the small, but highly successful STEM Scholars Program. By the 

end of the grant-cycle, there will be an increase in the four-year graduation rates of non-STEM 

Scholars Program underserved Pell-eligible STEM/Health Science students from 53% to at least 

70%. The University will also have a strengthened technology infrastructure, enhanced learning 

spaces, and reinforced student support for its STEM and Health Science Programs.

The Project has six objectives:

Objective 1: To improve scientific literacy, identity, and confidence, as well as math preparation 

for low income Hispanic, and other low income STEM/Health Science freshmen.

Objective 2: To increase gateway and milestone course completion rates for low income 

Hispanic, and other low income STEM/Health Science students.

Objective 3: To increase overall credit acquisition during the freshman year among low income 

Hispanic and other low income traditional-age STEM/Health Science students.

Objective 4: To improve freshmen year to junior year persistence in majors for low income 

Hispanic and other low income STEM/Health Science students

Objective 5: Accommodated through digitally-optimized flexible learning spaces and updated 

labs, to increase undergraduate research and project-based learning initiatives and activities 

among low income Hispanic and other low income traditional-age STEM/Health Science 

students.

Objective 6: To improve academic engagement, Campus Life engagement, and career readiness 

for low income Hispanic and other low income traditional-age STEM/Health Science students.

The Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2 are addressed. Funds requested: $2,925,253
43

2023 Title V ¡Si Se Puede! ABSTRACT San Jose City College

San Jose City College (SJCC), an accredited, public, two-year, Hispanic Serving Institution 

located in San Jose, California proposes the Title V ¡Si Se Puede! project. Yes, it can be done! 

SJCC enrolls 10,990 students of whom the majority (46%) are Hispanic students, 46% report 

being the first in their family to attend college, and 66% receive Pell, California Promise or other 

low-income based financial aid (Cal-PASS Plus, 2021-2022).

High Need for the Project: Only 19% of Hispanic Santa Clara County residents have 

earned a bachelor’s degree, yet SJCC’s enrollment has dropped by over 1,000 students since 

Fall 2019. This fact alone underlies a range of equity gaps for Hispanic and low-income 

community residents. Relying on service sector and essential-worker income sources yielded 

disproportionately negative COVID-19 Pandemic impacts for SJCC’s Hispanic students and 

their families. 27% of Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 deaths occurred in Hispanic families 

who make up 25% of the population (ACS, 2021). Despite this, recent institutional analysis 

shows Hispanic students hold hope for their futures and want a rewarding collegiate experience.

The project’s overarching goals and measurable objectives are to materially increase 

Hispanic students’ postsecondary enrollment, retention, completion and transfer through three 

major activity themes:

1. Pathways to College: Strengthen successful college and transfer transitions through 

evidence-based strategies such as Dual Enrollment (DE) and Summer Bridge 

Experiences (SBEs) designed to empower Latinx students to leverage their social and 

cultural capital toward overcoming roadblocks and achieving postsecondary outcomes (Peña 

& Rhoads, 2019; Saucier, et. al, 2020).

2. Pathways to Career and Transfer: Strengthen Latinx postsecondary retention, completion

and transfer through increased participation in First Year Experiences (FYE) Student 

Pathways to Opportunity & Transfer (SPOTs), Honors Programs, and intensive cocurricular experiences curated bolster academic achievement, enhance socioemotional wellbeing, generate a sense of belonging, and ensure Latinx postsecondary and career outcomes 

success (Scrivener, et al., 2015; MRDC, 2023)

3. Organizational and Professional Learning: Deliver evidence-based professional learning 

to advance the adoption of evidence-based pedagogical practices and thereby achieve SJCC’s 

educational equity and anti-racism goals leading to stronger sense of belonging for all.

The project is fundamentally guided by the competition’s Invitational Priority Addressing the 

Impact of COVID–19 (a) by providing resources and supports to meet the basic, fundamental, 

health and safety needs of students and educators through strategies such expanded mental health 

and wellbeing supports, zero-cost textbooks, and Peer Mentoring. The project responds to 

Competitive Preference Priority 1 area (a) fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for 

underserved students through DE, SBE, FYE and SPOT programming and (c) by providing 

evidence-based professional development opportunities designed to build asset-based mindsets 

for faculty and staff. The project responds to Competitive Preference Priority 2 area (d) 

through DE, FYE, SPOT and Honors Programs experiences and co-curricular pathways.

A successful ¡Si Se Puede! Title V project will increase certificate and degree completion 20% 

over the AY 2021-2022 baseline meaning 877 more students will achieve this important lifetime 

success. SJCC requests a budget of $2,961,575 from October 1, 2023-September 30, 2028.
44

Applicant: Santa Barbara City College

Project Title: Inside and Outside the Online Classroom (SBCC's El Campus Invertido / The Flipped 

Campus)

About SBCC: Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is a comprehensive community college serving the 

southern Santa Barbara County, California. In 2021-2022, the student population was 13,781 (5,191 fulltime equivalent), comprising 53% minority students (39% Hispanic) and 35% low-income.

Project Summary: SBCC is developing a project for this Title V grant competition that will assist more 

students - especially those who are Hispanic and low-income - in earning a degree through the 

development of an innovative project to reduce the modality gap (the difference in success rates between 

in-person and online classes) for the Hispanic student population. This project will have two parallel 

tracks. Firstly, it will train significant numbers of faculty to undergo the POCR process and align their 

courses with the CVC-OEI and Peralta rubrics, a process that has been shown to reduce modality gaps in 

and of itself. Secondly, it will create on-campus support spaces for the significant number of local 

Hispanic students who take online classes on account of their life circumstances. These activities will help 

SBCC to improve metrics related to the success of its Hispanic student population. The POCR training 

will support faculty in learning how to align their courses to the CVC-OEI rubric, will train faculty whose 

courses are already aligned how to serve as reviewers for the process, and will pay reviewers to review 

classes that are submitted for badging. In addition, it will provide staff support for revising curricular 

materials to make them accessible online. The on-campus support for students who are taking online 

courses will include the development of an integrated Learning Commons in the facility currently 

designated as the SBCC Library and Learning Resource Center. These spaces will be upgraded so that 

students can connect to the internet as needed, charge their devices safely, Zoom from sound insulated 

spaces, and work collaboratively with other students and faculty. In addition, the space will integrate 

Basic Needs Services into the only central space on campus that is open to students in the evenings.This 

project is designed to improve the experience of students taking online courses, while at the same time 

providing a flexible space from which students living in conditions that do not support their online 

learning can work on their own schedules.

Project Objectives: SBCC has established four project objectives. Each will be supported by 

performance indicators that will illustrate how the college expects to meet its five-year targets.

Objective 1: By Sept. 30, 2028, SBCC will improve the fall-to-fall retention rate for Hispanic 

students by six percentage points.

Baseline: 67% Goal: 73%

Objective 2: By Sept. 30, 2028, SBCC will increase the percentage of Hispanic freshman students 

who pass all of their courses with a C or better by seven percentage points.

Baseline: 67% Goal: 74%

Objective 3: By Sept. 30, 2028, SBCC will decrease the average time to degree completion for 

Hispanic degree-seeking students from 7.1 to 6.0 semesters.

Baseline: 7.1 semesters Goal: 6.0 semesters

Objective 4: By Sept. 30, 2028, serve 10,000 students with grant-funded services.

Baseline: 0 Goal: 10,000

Project Cost: The total funding requested for Experiencia en SBCC is $2,998,568. This represents 

funding for salaries and fringe benefits for administrators, faculty, and staff (22%); architectural planning, 

construction management, and evaluation (7%); travel (1%); equipment (18%); supplies (25%);

construction (25%); and other expenses (2%). Competitive Preference Priorities: SBCC is responding for this 

application to both CPP 1 and CPP 2.
45

Title V 2023 Santiago Canyon College

ABSTRACT

Santiago Canyon College’s Title V Project—Establishing Nuestro Lugar—will implement 

research-based strategies to increase Hispanic and low-income students’ college enrollment, 

completion and transfer. At SCC, 58% of students are Hispanic and 39% are low-income.

The design of the project is informed by scholarship on improving Hispanic students’ success in 

higher education (Garcia, 2023), on the influence of the physical environment on students’ 

experience, engagement and outcomes (Samura, 2018; Museus, 2017), and on evidence-based 

practices (What Works Clearinghouse, Effective Advising for Postsecondary Students, 2023), as 

well as deeply influenced by existing work to create an equitable and inclusive campus: e.g., 

faculty members work for the DECIDE program; classified staff and managers Caring Campus 

Initiative. In addition, students and faculty members had a strong influence on the design of the 

project through participation in five project planning sessions.

The key components of the project include the following:

1. Establish the Nuestro Lugar Center staffed by a full-time counselor and 10 Peer Mentors to 

provide case-management advising, mentoring, and coaching, as well as academic (study area, 

tutoring, service learning, learning communities) and support services (peer support, 

counseling, advisement, and incentives and referrals to use campus resources and services).

2. Create a campus where Hispanic students and families feel like they belong: create bi-lingual 

materials and website; provide bi-lingual outreach and orientation for parents/guardians and 

students; creation of artwork on campus that reflects Hispanic heritage, peoples, and cultures.

3. Provide extensive and continuous professional development that prepares faculty to implement 

culturally responsive and relevant pedagogical practices.

4. Create a Virtual Student Union to connect online-only students to support services.

5. Establish an alumni association and develop an active list of donors to increase scholarships 

and support innovative practices that improve equity and social justice, as well as raise funds 

to build the endowment fund, comprised of grant funds and SCC matching funds.

Key outcomes from implementing the project components include the following:

• 50% of incoming Hispanic students and parents participate in outreach/orientation, each year.

• 25% of SCC Hispanic students use Nuestro Lugar Center services, each year.

• 10% of Hispanic students in learning communities or service learning, by end of the project.

• 200 faculty will participate in professional development to implement culturally responsive 

and relevant pedagogical (CRRP) practices.

The project components will contribute to achieving the following measurable objectives:

• Increase Hispanic students’ persistence rate by 10% by the end of the project.

• Increase Hispanic students’ completion & transfer rates by 15% by the end of the project.

• Increase financial aid awards to Hispanic students by 5% each year of the project.

• Increase Hispanic students’ sense of belonging by 30% by the end of the project.

• 25% of courses with low Hispanic success rates implement CRRP and best practices.

The Nuestro Lugar Project will address Competitive Preference Priority #1 and Competitive 

Preference Priority #2.
46

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) seeks to be a community that supports academic, 

spiritual, physical, and emotional wholeness, encouraging all members to find their purpose and 

lead lives of service. Founded in 1893 and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges 

and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Southwestern Adventist University 

(SWAU) offers forty-five on campus bachelor’s programs, eight online programs, and two 

master’s programs from its campus in Keene, Texas. SWAU is committed to diversity, with 47% 

of students currently identifying as Hispanic of any race and 80% of students from a minority 

group. Our proposed project, Building Supports for the Critical First Two Years of College to 

Ensure Progress to Degree Completion for Hispanic and Other At-Risk Students, reflects our aim to 

enact servingness across our structures, culture, and environment to better serve Hispanic 

students.

Goal #1: Academic Programs | AP1.a: Reimagine and relaunch the Summer Bridge program, 

preparing students for their freshman year and leading them through their transition to 

sophomore year. AP1.b: Develop a highly effective, sustainable second year experience (SYE) 

program by fully integrating the current effective practices of the existing SWAU FYE program, 

focusing on early career preparation for the underprepared SWAU students, into a cohesive highimpact approach following AVID program principles and requirements for higher education 

institutions and modeled on best practice SYEs.

Goal #2: Institutional Management | IM2.a: Improve SWAU practices with second-year 

students by developing a partnership with the AVID program and developing an AVID Higher 

Education (AHE) program at SWAU. IM2.b: Strengthen the culture of evidence (now focused 

on improving institutional effectiveness related to student outcomes) by developing capability to 

evaluate specific practices for efficiency and effectiveness. IM2.c: Establish a permanent and 

fully institutionalized Center for Academic Success and Advising (CASA) in a central location 

on campus to provide direction and leadership needed for a new era of service to Hispanic and 

other low-income students.

Goal #3: Fiscal Stability | FS3.a: Improve operating efficiency and reduce costs through more 

evidence-based decision making and allocating of funds to programs which are proven to be 

effective with SWAU students. FS3.b: Improve SWAU’s scores on all measures of student 

success that are critical milestones towards completing baccalaureate degrees for 

underrepresented students.

Competitive Priorities: The project is also intentionally designed to address the Invitational 

Priority (IP) and both Title V Competitive Preference Priorities (CPPs). IP: Strategies to address 

the impact of COVID-19 on students, educators, and faculty: IP.a: Provide resources to meet 

basic needs; IP.b: Address well-being; IP.c: Assist students who did not enroll, withdrew, or 

reduced course loads due to COVID-19. CPP #1: Strategies to address social, emotional, and 

academic needs by fostering a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe environment: CPP 1.a: 

Foster a sense of belonging and inclusion; CPP 1.b: Implementing evidence-based practices; 

CPP 1.c: Providing evidence-based professional development. CPP #2: Strategies to increase 

postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success: CPP

2.a: Increase postsecondary access; CPP 2.b: Increase enrollment and completion; CPP 2.c: 

Establish a system of high-quality data collection; CPP 2.d: Develop and implement integrated 

success programs.
47

PROJECT ABSTRACT: Saint Peter’s University (SPU), Jersey City, New Jersey

SPU, an HSI for 25 years with an undergraduate student body of 67% racial/ethnic minorities (41% 

Hispanic) and 54% low-income (Pell recipients), proposes the Bienestar for All (Wellbeing for 

All) project to position students to thrive academically and to promote wellbeing for students, staff, 

and faculty. The project will implement four interconnected, evidence-based strategies derived 

from the comprehensive analysis that aim to increase the number and percent of Hispanic and lowincome students enrolling, persisting, and graduating. The objective targets are to increase firstyear persistence by 5% and satisfactory academic progress by 8%; increase second- and third-year 

persistence by 3%; increase the graduation rate by 2%; increase students’ sense of belonging by 

10%; and increase undergraduate enrollment by 13%.

Objective I. Foster inclusion, sense of belonging, and wellbeing with a robust diversity, 

equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) infrastructure by creating a Center for Inclusive 

Excellence. Activities: (1) Create a Center for Inclusive Excellence led by a DEIJ executive, (2) 

Hire and train student DEIJ interns/ambassadors, (3) Develop a DEIJ strategic plan that includes 

training programs for students, faculty, and staff that foster a campus-wide sense of wellbeing and 

belonging. Objective II. Enhance student performance in the core curriculum through a firstyear seminar and re-entry program that include high-impact practices in project-based 

learning classrooms: (1) Create a first-year seminar linked to core courses to promote career 

relevancy of general education skills, (2) Develop a re-entry program with accompanying 

persistence tracking system for students who stopped out because of the pandemic or for other 

reasons, (3) Upgrade instructional spaces for project-based learning. Objective III. Increase 

student success by expanding academic, career, financial, and wellbeing support: (1) Create 

First Strut program for first-generation Hispanic and low-income students and their families, (2) 

Create a Career Closet to provide appropriate clothing and training for job seekers, (3) Fund 

academic and cultural experiential learning. Objective IV. Increase opportunities for postsecondary education among underserved populations by rebuilding networks disrupted 

during the pandemic: (1) Create a peer mentoring program with area schools/organizations, (2) 

Offer a summer leadership institute on change agency with college prep components, (3) Develop 

a bilingual faculty/staff speakers’ bureau to promote career awareness and college readiness.

Bienestar for All will implement a social belonging intervention reported as evidence of 

effectiveness by What Works Clearinghouse (WWC): A customized belonging intervention 

improves retention of socially disadvantaged students at a broad-access university (Murphy et al., 

2020). (https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/InterventionReports/WWC_SocialBelonging_IR_report.pdf). 

COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITY 1: In addition to the sense of belonging 

intervention, the project implements four activities from WWC practice guides/intervention 

reports for advancing success for underserved students: (1) first-year experience learning 

community, (2) digital badging, (3) intentionally coordinated comprehensive student support, and

(4) performance-based monetary incentives. Other components that foster an inclusive 

environment are curriculum renewal, a Center for Inclusive Excellence, first-generation commons, 

student diversity ambassadors, and faculty/staff professional development.

COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITY 2: The project includes three components to 

promote post-secondary access and success: La Cultura Cura Mentoring Program with high school 

students; Promotores Leadership Institute to prepare ambassadors on college benefits and 

affordability (FAFSA filing), and a faculty/staff speakers bureau with bilingual participants to 

promote college readiness and career awareness.
48

Project Abstract

Sul Ross State University (SRSU), a Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI) with campuses in 

Alpine, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde, Texas, and a location onsite at Midland College in 

Midland, Texas, serves two-thirds of the 1,200-mile Texas-Mexico border. Part of the Texas 

State University System (TSUS), SRSU is the primary bachelor's-degree granting institution of 

higher education throughout a 32-county service region in South and West Texas and seeks to 

fulfill its mission of offering life-changing opportunities by delivering quality undergraduate and 

graduate education; fostering critical thinking, creativity, diversity, and research; and 

empowering students to excel beyond the frontiers of what is possible.

Through this project, entitled Digital Transformation and Modernization in Far West Texas, 

SRSU proposes to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment 

of, Hispanic students through two overarching program goals: 1) Increase institutional capacity 

and expand educational opportunities; and 2) Enhance the educational experience to support 

student success. To achieve these goals, the Digital Transformation and Modernization in Far 

West Texas project will attain the following measurable objectives: Increase the number of 

degrees and certificates awarded annually from a baseline of 544 to 598 by Sept. 2028; Increase 

total enrollment from a baseline of 2,071 to 2,278 by Sept. 2028; Increase the percentage of 

employees who "Strongly Agree" with the statement "I have access to appropriate technology" 

from a baseline of 16.95% to 35% by Sept. 2028; Increase the percentage of students who 

respond that they "Very often" or "Often" work with other students on course projects or 

assignments (NSSE Collaborative Learning Indicator 1e) from a baseline of 38% to 54% by 

Sept. 2028; Increase the percentage of students who are working or enrolled within one year after 

earning a degree or certificate from a baseline of 75.6% to 85% by Sept. 2028; Outfit the lab, 

classroom, or other learning spaces of at least six academic programs (cumulative) with modern 

equipment on par with current industry standards; Increase the annual persistence rate (retained 

from one year to the next) from a baseline of 68.6% to 75% by Sept. 2028; and Increase the 

percentage of students and employees who "Strongly Agree" with the statement "I know where 

to access information needed for marketing and communication at SRSU" from baselines of 25% 

and 9.66%, respectively, to 35% by Sept. 2028.

This project will address both CPP-1: Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic 

Needs and CPP-2: Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and 

Post-Enrollment Success, as well as the Invitational Priority: Addressing the Impact of 

COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty.

The budget requested ($2,993,974) reflects reasonable and justified expenses to achieve the 

objectives by implementing three primary activities: Catalyze a digital transformation to create 

resiliency and flexibility while increasing the attractiveness and accessibility of academic 

programs; Modernize equipment, instrumentation, and capabilities to provide world-class 

experiences for students across methodologies; and Improve the experience of students online 

and onsite to increase persistence and success.
49

Title: TAMIU Student Emotional and Academic Success(SEAS) 

Texas A&M International University

Abstract

The TAMIU Student Emotional and Academic Success (SEAS) at Texas A&M International 

University (TAMIU) will provide resources and program innovation to a Hispanic-serving 

institution (HSI) with an undergraduate population that is 96% Hispanic and 74% low-income. 

The proposed Title V initiative, the TAMIU SEAS Program, will meet both Competitive 

Priorities 1 and 2 through the activities described below and the Invitational Priority by 

addressing the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on our students. Overall, this project supports the 

improvement in HSI-specific academic and non-academic outcomes at TAMIU.

The TAMIU SEAS centers on meeting students social, emotional, and academic needs. The 

primary objective of the TAMIU NLE is to expand mental and physical wellbeing services to 

students. Other objectives of this project include enhanced advising to improve retention of 

stopped-out students; academic student success programs in nursing and the social sciences; and 

the development of certificates conferring highly marketable skills.

Within thisframework, otherspecific activities, and goalsfor the TAMIU SEAS Program, which 

all seek to improve student wellness, retention, and completion at TAMIU, include the following:

► Improved disability services to TAMIU students and faculty.

► Increased crisis intervention mental and physical health services assisting 200 students per 

year.

► Using technology to improve student learning outcomes within nursing and social science 

courses.

► Expand certificates in marketable skills for all TAMIU students.

► Expand efforts to retain stopped-out students.

► Over a five-year period, the TAMIU SEAS Program will impact students over 5,000 

students having a profound impact in terms of addressing student’s social, emotional, and 

academic needs.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: The TAMIU SEAS Program will address this priority by 

meeting students’ social, emotional, and academic needs. Specifically, TAMIU SEAS will 

promote HSIspecific student wellness, academic, and non-academic success. Wellness programs 

will focus on student mental and physical health. Improved disability services will impact our 

most at-risk students. These programs will have a positive impact on Hispanic students’ 

academic outcomes.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: The TAMIU SEAS Project will address this priority by 

increasing postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success.

The TAMIU SEAS project focuses on the development of marketable skills certificates will act

as a catalysis impacting economically disadvantaged South Texas region. Affordability is 

addressed by the academic resources that we will offer our high-need, minority student population 

at no cost. Enhanced advising will entice stopped-out students to return to their educational studies. 

Finally, state-of-the-art instruction supported with cutting edge equipment and software will form 

a milieu leading to student post-enrollment success in the fields of social science and nursing.
50

ABSTRACT

Pushing the Education and Human Development Pipeline (PEP): 

Furthering Texas A&M University as a Hispanic-Serving Institution 

Project Director: Dr. Beverly Irby, beverly.irby@tamu.edu, 936-870-5536

Project Pushing the Education and Human Development Pipeline (PEP): Furthering Texas 

A&M University as a Hispanic-Serving Institution is supported by Texas A&M University 

(TAMU), the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD), the Center for Research & 

Development in Dual Language & Literacy Acquisition (CRDLLA), the Education Leadership 

Research Center (ELRC), and the Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education 

(IECDE). We will work in collaboration with Texas community colleges, including Houston 

Community College, Lone Star College, Texas Southmost College, Blinn College, and Alamo 

College District, and their area districts. We address Competitive Preference Priority 1: Meeting 

Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs; Competitive Preference Priority 2: Increasing 

Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success; and 

Invitational Priority: Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty.

Project PEP will include three major components. Component 1 will involve the 

development of a strong 2+2 transfer pipeline program with community colleges in two Texas 

urban centers (Houston and San Antonio), the Rio Grande Valley, and Central Texas to recruit 

and advise 600 Hispanic community college graduates (who have earned their two-year degree). 

These transfer students will be recruited to TAMU and the TAMU Higher Education Center at 

McAllen into high-needs teaching and workforce majors: math/science education, special 

education, bilingual education, early childhood/K-6 education (language arts/reading), and 

human resource development. We will engage with 2+2 students’ families to make connections 

and to provide information about financial aid and supporting their college students. Component 

2 will focus on student retention, mentoring, and advising and will house the randomized control 

trial (RCT) for impact. Students will be supported through a range of personalized academic and 

social-emotional learning (SEL) services, including tutoring, advising, counseling, and 

mentoring at the Student Success Center (TAMU), the SEHD Byrne Student Success Center, and 

the creation of the Byrne Success Center South (at the McAllen campus) and other TAMU 

success-focused services. Component 3 will center on providing virtual professional 

development (VPD) and virtual professional learning communities (VPLCs) to 1,000 K-12 

educators and school counselors and 200 and college/university faculty. The VPD and related 

VPLCs will extend their knowledge of culturally relevant pedagogy and strategies for working 

with Hispanic youth and college students.

PEP Component 2 incorporates a faculty-student mentoring program based on strong 

evidence from an Institute of Education Sciences practice guide (Karp et al., 2021) and on 

promising evidence from a What Works Clearinghouse-evaluated study (Campbell & Campbell, 

2007). Via an RCT study, we will evaluate the effectiveness of the faculty-student mentoring 

program in terms of student achievement, retention rates, graduation rates, and student SEL. 

Three hundred randomly assigned treatment students will participate in the structured mentoring 

program for two years. Three hundred control students will not participate in the mentoring 

program, although they will have access to all the other supports, including peer mentoring and 

other supportive faculty mentoring in residencies and internships offered through the project.

Other research approaches will be used to assess the component parts of Project PEP.
51

Institution: Texas A&M University San Antonio

Proposed Project: Caminos Hacia el Exito (Pathways to Success)

Summary: A&M-SA has a student enrollment that is 76.4% Hispanic and 50% Pell eligible. The 

university has an ongoing commitment to changing educational outcomes and economic 

disparities for its students. The project proposed in this application, Caminos Hacia el Exito 

(Pathways to Success), has been designed to reach as many undergraduate students as possible. It 

will assist the institution with this vision through the development of three in-depth activities: 

Laying the Foundations and Removing Barriers; Vertically Integrated Pathways; and Changing 

the Culture Through Professional Development. Specific components of these activities include:

• Developing summer bridge programs for students not deemed college ready as well as 

transfer students;

• Making laptops available for loan;

• Redesigning the First Year Seminar course to incorporate career exploration;

• Hiring Peer Leaders to work with students;

• Incorporating experiential learning into courses; and

• Providing in-depth professional experiences for faculty and staff.

Each activity is designed to improve the success of the university’s large population of Hispanic 

and low-income students.

Objectives: This project was established with four objectives, as illustrated below.

Objective 1: By Sept. 30, 2028, increase the TSI readiness rate for incoming freshmen by 15 

percentage points.

Baseline: 55%; Goal: 70%

Objective 2: By Sept. 30, 2028, improve the course success rate (C or better) for Latinx 

undergraduate students by 4.92 percentage points, which is equal to the rate for White 

students.

Baseline: 76.89%; Goal: 81.81%

Objective 3: By Sept. 30, 2028, increase the fall-to-fall retention rate for Hispanic and lowincome students by 5 percentage points.

Baseline: 78.9% ; Goal: 83.9%

Objective 4: By Sept. 30, 2028, increase the graduation rate for Hispanic and low-income 

students by 5.44 percentage points, which is equal to the rate for White students.

Baseline: 32.06%; Goal: 37.5%

Budget: A&M-SA is seeking $2,999,354 over a five-year period to implement programming. 

Based on serving approximately 3,500 students and 200 faculty/staff over the course of the grant 

(accounting for some students and employees participating in multiple interventions), TAMUSA 

expects the cost per participant to be just above $800 each, representing a reasonable use of 

federal funds.

Competitive Preference Priorities: TAMUSA is responding to both CPPs for this project.

ABSTRACT
52

Texas State Technical College

Abstract

From 2023-2028, the Turbo HSI (THSI) project at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) will 

implement services and activities that boost the persistence, degree/certificate completion, 

employment prospects, and earning potential of institution’s students, with a strong focus on 

meeting the needs of Hispanic and low-income individuals. Specifically, the THSI project will 

consist of three components:

1. A program of direct student services (DSS) (cf., Title V, Part A, Sec. 503(b)(5)) to 245 

low-income, Hispanic TSTC students who are at-risk of stopping out, not completing their 

degree/certificate program in a timely manner, or not finding employment or not earning at 

least an average wage post-graduation;

2. Professional development for TSTC faculty members (cf., Title V, Part A, Sec. 503(b)(3)) that 

enhances their ability to effectively instruct Hispanic, low-income, and other students; and

3. Renovations and equipment purchase for TSTC classrooms, laboratories, and other facilities 

(cf., Title V, Part A, Sec. 503(b)(3)) to ensure TSTC students benefit from a state-of-the-art 

learning environment that is essential for individuals in training to enter technical fields.

This will address FY2023 Competitive Preference Priority (CPP) #1 by delivering difference 

education, which is designed to enhance the sense of belonging and inclusion experienced by 

underserved students on college campuses, to the 245 aforementioned students as part of the 

DSS program. THSI will also address CPP #1 by making the development of asset-based 

mindsets the focus of the professional development the project provides to TSTC faculty 

member. THSI will address CPP #2 by prioritizing for receipt of DSS individuals who were/are 

emancipated minors, just coming out of foster care, or otherwise disconnected youth, as well as 

taking a proactive approach to connecting all DSS recipients with reliable and durable wraparound support.
53

0MB No. 1894-0003

ABSTRACT - Title V DHST - University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB)

Project Title: Academy for Community-, Action-, and Use-Inspired Scholarship & Education 

(A-CAUSE)

Goals:

• Consolidate, improve, and expand undergraduate research scholarship and creative 

activities (RSCI) programs, making RSCI fundamental components of the learning 

environment, especially for Hispanic and low-incomes students.

• Engaging UCSB's Hispanic and low-income students in culturally congruent RSCI, 

prioritizing community-based, action-oriented, and use-inspired RSCI.

• Transform the ways that UCSB faculty embed undergraduate culturally congruent RSCI 

opportunities and approaches into their ongoing RSCI agendas.

• Develop new RSCI collaborations between UCSB faculty and those at other HSIs in 

California and beyond to create and strengthen pathways between 2- and 4-year 

institutions and between undergraduate and graduate programs.

Expected Outcomes: A-CAUSE will result in institutional transformation at UCSB. It will 

create a new resources center for Hispanic students that provides them with resources that 

improve rates of persistence, graduation, and enrollment in post-baccalaureate graduate and 

professional programs. It will facilitate a new RSCI culture at UCSB in which culturally 

congruent RSCI related to social, economic, and technological justice is embedded in the 

fundamental RSCI enterprise. It will promote new networks of RSCI collaboration and trust 

among HSIs in California which will forge new Hispanic student pathways for transfer and 

enrollment in graduate and professional programs. Specifically, A-CAUSE will result in an 

increase of Hispanic seniors who have participated in independent undergraduate RSCI 

opportunities by 35%; 500 faculty members participating in A-CAUSE professional 

development programs (45% of all UCSB faculty); an increase of UR faculty by 4%; an 

increase of extramurally funded collaborative research projects with other HSIs in California by 

24 projects; an increase in the average GPA of Hispanic undergraduates by .5% and an increase 

of Hispanic seniors who enroll in graduate or professional school by 25%.

Contributions Related to Research, Policy, and Practice: A-CAUSE will create new models 

for policy and practice related to faculty promotion and tenure, and a virtual certificate program 

that will be accessible nationally for faculty interested in developing culturally congruent RSCI 

mentoring practices.

Population(s) to be Served: Hispanic and low-income students at UCSB (Over 9,000 students); 

over 1,000 faculty members at UCSB; at least 200 faculty membersfrom other HSIsin California.

Primary Activities: Create the Academy for Community-, Action-, and Use-Inspired 

Scholarship & Education (A-CAUSE) a one-stop clearinghouse for culturally congruent RSCI 

activities, opportunities, internships, applications, and funding which will consolidate 

information about the disparate RSCI opportunities available across UCSB's departments and 

divisions, including student and faculty development in addition to facilitation of RSCI 

collaboration across the state of California.

Subrecipient Activities: No subrecipients
54

Career Awareness and Pathways at City College 

(CAPACity) ABSTRACT

The City College of New York (CCNY), a public, 4-year Hispanic and Minority Serving 

Institution (HSI/MSI), was established in 1847 and is the flagship campus in the City University 

of New York (CUNY) system - the nation’s largest urban university system. Located in the 

predominantly Hispanic and African American neighborhood of Hamilton Heights, CCNY serves 

more than 12,000 undergraduate students per year, with more than 10,000 of these coming from 

New York City itself. CCNY provides an affordable entry point into higher education for low 

income and first-generation students, and has an extremely diverse student body, reflective of the 

diversity of the city.

CCNY’s Title V grant proposal, CAPACity (Career Awareness and Pathways At City College), 

will scale up practices from existing successful programs in STEM and expand their reach into 

the social sciences, arts, humanities, and architecture to reach a larger portion of the population 

and address weaknesses identified in our Comprehensive Development Plan. This initiative will 

focus on three areas - Career Awareness, Pathways and Skills – to improve retention, graduation, 

and post-graduation employment outcomes for Hispanic and other low-income students. By 

launching new programming in The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership (CP), 

the CCNY Division of Humanities and the Arts (H&A), and the Bernard and Anne Spitzer 

School of Architecture (SSA), CAPACity will leverage the newly established Office for 

Experiential learning to build capacity to serve an additional 44% of the undergraduate student 

body. With a grounding in the literature and best practices, CAPACity will create a new student 

career advising model; create and expand mentorship and experiential learning opportunities for 

students; build capacity in career services; and develop the internal infrastructure to map 

students’ pathways and track engagement with integrated services and experiential learning.

The purpose of this initiative is to improve student success and post-graduation outcomes for 

Hispanic and low-income students by improving student retention, graduation, and marketability 

for employment in their field of choice. Specific project goals include to: 1) integrate student 

services to address social, academic and career needs in a comprehensive manner; 2) expand 

existing opportunities for professional mentorship and experiential learning to foster career 

awareness and create clear pathways to post-graduation success; 3) increase communication 

between students, alumni and faculty to create a sense of belonging to the College and their 

discipline; and 4) develop the internal infrastructure to map students pathways, and track student 

engagement with integrated services and experiential learning. These project goals will have 

measurable and significant outcomes, such as increased student participation in advising and 

career services, with 1000 students experiencing integrated advising and 2300 participating in 

career workshops; 450 students participating in near-peer mentoring; 1500 students participating 

in professional mentoring and internships; increased academic and social belonging; and the 

creation of data tools and analytics to track current students’ usage of advising and alumni postgraduation outcomes. We expect that this initiative will greatly impact the retention and 

graduation rates of the Hispanic and other low-income students at CCNY.

CCNY is requesting $2,985,059 over five years to support the CAPACity initiative and its 

associated activities. Competitive Preference Priorities: CAPACity will address both 

Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2, as well as the Invitational Priority. Contact: Dr. Doris 

Cintron, Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, The City College of New York.
55

California State University, Sacramento 

Abstract

TECH4Equity

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

brick and mortar university enrolling a diverse student body of 31,000 students. Located in 

the heart of California’s capital city, the University proposes the Title V DHSI Project 

“TECH4Equity” to build our technological capacity to face increasing student demand for 

online course options and stay competitive in an evolving higher education landscape 

where declining enrollment threatens our fiscal stability and growth.

To address this need, TECH4Equity aims to expand our flexible, online course options that 

align with customized online wraparound student support services. We propose two 

campus-wide strategies primarily serving Hispanic and low-income students:

1. Redesign quality online courses in critical General Education (GE) and 

Engineering pathways to increase pass rates for Hispanic and low-income 

students in courses with a high fail rate, high enrollment and high equity gap.

2. Expand digital and AI-supported resources to build on personalized tutoring 

and advising relationships that contribute to underserved student persistence.

Our overarching goal is to increase enrollment, retention/persistence, and graduation rates 

for Hispanic and low-income students. Both strategies are based on What Works 

Clearinghouse evidence-based studies that: 1) use digital resources to design and deliver 

instructional content online impacting academic achievement; and 2) build on advising 

relationships while using technology to increase student achievement and persistence.

Primary project activities include: 1) professional development to develop faculty knowledge 

and skills using online, inclusive, culturally responsive and AI-informed teaching tools; 2) 

minigrants to redesign targeted GE and Engineering courses; and 3) integrating technology 

into existing peer tutoring and advising programs to design wraparound student support 

services that: a) expand online supplemental instruction for new redesigned courses; b) 

provide computers and hotspots to address the digital divide; and c) use AI innovation via 

our new Herky chatbot to trial retention campaigns for Hispanic students from migrant 

farmworker families and add a multilingual Spanish language webpage and chatbot function 

to make outreach more responsive to students and families.

The project has strong support from institutional leadership. It serves Sacramento State’s 

2023-28 Strategic Plan goal to shift from an institution of place to one that includes quality 

online learning to address changing student need in a post-pandemic era. Moreover, it 

builds on prior DHSI grants that focused on faculty professional development to strengthen 

our fiscal stability in response to new demographic and competitive challenges. The 

project’s overall five-year budget of $3,000,000 represents a cost-efficient approach that will 

support personnel, fringe benefits, professional development, supplies, travel and external 

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

Title V competition.
56

The University of Texas Permian Basin

ABSTRACT

Fueling the nation’s talent force and ensuring a more prosperous future for all requires Hispanic 

Serving Institutions such as the University of Texas, Permian Basin (UTPB) to address the 

obstacles to Hispanic and low-income students’ success. This is particularly significant in Texas, 

where the Texas Education Agency (2019) reports that 51% of K-12 students are now Hispanic. 

Almost one in five (19%) Texas residents without a postsecondary education live in poverty 

(2020 U.S. Census).

UTPB's Title V DHSI project, The Permian Basin Access & Success Initiative - Iniciativa de 

Acceso y Éxito de la Cuenca Pérmica (IDEA), is a comprehensive and evidenced-based 

response to the needs of Hispanic and low-income UTPB undergraduate students. Through 

comprehensive and evidence-based strategies and activities, the project will strengthen 

enrollment, persistence, transfer-in, graduation, and career placement results for UTPB’s 

Hispanic (52%), first-generation in college (41%), and low-income (39%) students who 

comprise a large and growing percentage of our enrolled population and community. The IDEA 

Project will ensure students regain lost momentum and experience a sense of hope for the future 

as we recover from the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Title V project will strengthen UTPB’s academic programs by expanding our capacity to 

offer Summer Bridge Experiences, Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), mentored, paid internships, 

and Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs). Evidence shows these experiences strengthen 

students’ academic success, sense of college belonging, connections to academic discipline, and 

professional success. The Project will enhance institutional management through 

comprehensive, assets-based, culturally relevant faculty and staff professional learning to ensure 

the project’s learning experiences reflect the highest quality standards. Through outreach efforts 

and increased student retention, we will improve UTPB’s fiscal stability by increasing 

enrollment. Our application responds to both Competitive Preference Priorities (1&2) and the 

Invitational Priority as follows:

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Using high-impact practices, such as Summer Bridge 

Experiences, UTPB will customize academic instruction and support to advance a sense of 

belonging in college for Hispanic and underserved students.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: The IDEA Project addresses this priority by creating 

clearer pathways to UTPB, increasing the number of underserved students who enroll in and 

complete postsecondary education, and implementing multiple comprehensive and evidencebased initiatives through its Summer Bridge Experiences, Peer-Led Team Learning, internships, 

and Undergraduate Research Experiences.

Invitational Priority: The Project will provide resources and support to meet the basic, 

fundamental health and safety needs of students and educators through cross-agency 

collaborations that support mental, physical, and economic well-being. We will also re-engage 

students impacted by the pandemic through Summer Bridge Experiences and peer mentoring.

We request $2,999,806 over the project period from October 1, 2023-September 30, 2028.
57

DHSI Title V IDEA Project

Abstract IAUPR Arecibo Campus Title V

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: Develop a Holistic Students Support Program to Promote Students Academic 

and Career Success The holistic student support program will be an integral and inclusive effort 

to support students to focus on addressing all aspects of their academic, social, emotional, and 

physical well-being. (Priority 1).

Component 1 effort includes:

The Holistic Students Support Program with a range of interventions and services such as 

counseling, tutoring, mentoring, health services, social-emotional learning, career success, 

family engagement and engaging students, that will be available in the Holistic Student 

Success Services Center. Workshops and lectures will also be available on different topics 

that will help students, faculty, and staff. As an enrollment strategy, new and returning 

students will have the opportunity to participate in orientation activities (Tiger Orientation 

Activities). The Student Success Pathway to Graduation and Employment (SSPGE) will be a 

completion strategy, guiding students through their academic life. With this plan we will 

increase the number and proportion of underserved Hispanic students who will enroll and 

complete postsecondary education.

Component 2: Strengthening the academic environment through faculty and staff training, 

internships, and the availability of on campus student housing and services.

Component 2 efforts includes:

1. Faculty and Staff Development Program: Enhancing Social-Emotional Well-being – The 

Faculty Development Program will support the social-emotional well-being of students by 

including activities and resources into their curriculum to enhance emotional intelligence, selfcare practices, and interpersonal skills into the academic environment. The Staff Development

Program will provide the knowledge to support the social-emotional well-being of students 

focusing on the student and staff interactions.

2. Internal and External Internships- Students will have the opportunity to practice skills 

inherent to their discipline with the support of faculty and mentors, that will allow the 

strengthening and integration into the profession. The internship plan will be designed to

consider workforce experiences, skills, and abilities for student’s future work.

3 Housing construction The Student Well-Being Village will be a conglomerate of two 

buildings and a town square, beginning with the one in this proposal. Each will be designed for 

higher education students and plays a crucial role in supporting their overall academic success, 

personal growth, and well-being. To design our housing construction, we will consider their 

specific needs and create an inclusive, diverse, safe, comfortable, and equity environment.

The anticipated outcomes include an expected increase in students’ retention, increased in holistic 

services and engagement activities. Improvement of the academic programs with new internships 

and faculty curriculum strategies to improve students’ well-being, better staff interaction and the 

satisfaction of students’ basic needs by providing the students, in campus student housing.
58

ABSTRACT

California State University Northridge (CSUN) is one of the largest public 4-year HSIs in California with a fall 2022 

undergraduate enrollment of 31,957 students with 57 % identifying as Hispanic, 56 % receive Pell grants, and 71 % are 

First Generation. Demographic trends, along with the significant effects of the pandemic, have substantially impacted 

enrollment levels across the CSU including CSUN (projected drop of 9.5 % in FTES in 2022-23). "Strengthening Equitable

Culturally Responsive Environments” (SECURE) for Student Success (S)fS2

”: Using a Servingness Model to Support 

Hispanic and Underrepresented Students” is designed in collaboration with two community colleges (LA Pierce College, 

and College of the Canyons), to expand the number of Hispanic and underrepresented (URM) students in Art, Health 

Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science and the STEM disciplines and reduce equity gaps in achievement. It supports 

CSUN’s efforts to enhance recruitment, stem the decline in enrollment, and improve fiscal stability. Closely aligned with 

CSUN’s Road Ahead (long-term strategic plan), (S)fS2 is a cross-divisional, multi-disciplinary project, to address and 

institutionalize the competitive preference priorities in the DHSI RFP through four major objectives: 1. Increase enrollment, 

improve academic performance (retention/graduation rates) and reduce equity gaps. (CPP 2(a), 2(b), 2(c), 2(d)), 2. Expand 

and enhance curriculum, research internships, and culturally-relevant, work-based learning experiences in in-demand 

industry sectors. (CPP 1(b), 2 (d)), 3. Support and increase faculty capacity to plan and implement culturally responsive 

pedagogies, proactive advisement and mentoring. (CPP 1(c)), and 4. Develop a “Servingness” model and culturally 

enhancing academic experiences to support mental health, emotional wellbeing, and academic outcomes. (CPP 1(a), IP)

Strategies and activities to accomplish these objectives include targeted outreach and recruitment, summer bridge 

workshops, ongoing workshops on study skills, time management and financial literacy, research internships, faculty, peer 

and industry mentoring programs, career guidance, increased experiential learning opportunities, wrap-around student 

services to support students in hybrid/virtual learning environments, and webinars on mental health and emotional 

wellbeing. Curriculum will be expanded and enhanced to emphasize culturally responsive pedagogies to reduce equity gaps, 

close articulation gaps, and develop and offer hybrid/online courses that improve access for working students. Bi-annual 

workshops and faculty professional development activities are built on Garcia, Nuñez, and Sansone’s (2019) 1

servingness 

model at HSIs to support 40-50 faculty to create a culturally responsive faculty community of practice. Select anticipated 

outcomes (in support of Hispanic and low-income undergraduate students) to be accomplished in 5 years:

1.1 Increase enrollment by 10 %, from 18,313 (fall 2022) to 20,144.

1.2 Increase the number of Hispanic. and low-income undergraduate students retained and who complete a degree program 

by 10 % and 20 % respectively compared to the year 1 baseline.

2.1 Increase the number of students participating in experiential learning opportunities by 500 in 5 years.

2.2 Increase the number of hybrid/virtual undergraduate courses by 10 per year over the year 1 baseline.

3.1 Increase by 50, the number of faculty professional development opportunities to enhance and use CRT, and increase the 

number of participating faculty by 100 in 5 years over the year 1 baseline.

3.2 Increase by 100 the number of revised courses and modules using CRT, and serve 6,000 students in 5 years.

4.1/4.2 Gains in reports of peer-mentoring, cultural validation and campus belonging will increase by 5 % annually.

The project’s participatory evaluation framework examines the relationship between student participation in the transfer 

model and (a) validation and belongingness, (b) social-emotional learning and development, (c) academic success and 

program completion, and (d) career preparation in their chosen fields. The study will use a mixed-methods design. Multiple 

data sources, including student group interviews, student structured journals, group survey (Undergraduate Research 

Student Self-Assessment), faculty group interviews, institutional data, and matching analysis with both institutional and 

program data (quasi-experimental design or QED) to examine institutional changes from program activities will be used. 

Individual faculty or group interviews will be facilitated to support understanding of changes in equity-minded teaching.

The evaluation study will use a culturally responsive approach, including an informant at the community colleges and 

CSUN, investigator triangulation and peer feedback, and member checks with research participants.

Looking to the future, employment opportunities are especially high in areas such as Digital Technology, AI, Health 

Sciences, Cybersecurity, Biotechnology, Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Technology, and Sustainability. Our overall goal 

is to increase CSUN’s capacity to serve the needs of Hispanic and URM students in these fields, and to recruit, enroll, 

retain, and prepare them for exciting careers in the post pandemic workforce. With the launch of CSUN’s Global HSI 

Equity Innovation Hub in fall 2024, and CSUN’s Road Ahead strategic plan we are well positioned to achieve the project 

objectives and ensure sustained long-term outcomes after federal funding ends.
59

The University of Connecticut-Waterbury (UC-W), a designated Hispanic Serving Institution 

(HSI) proposes, Camina Conmigo (Walk with Me) to address the need for increased retention and 

graduation of Hispanic, low-income, and underserved students on the UC-W campus. Through 

activities designed to increase academic support, student engagement and sense of belonging, and 

financial literacy and wellness. A public, four-year institution, UC-W offers nine baccalaureate 

degree granting programs and also provides transfer students to the main campus, the University 

of Connecticut (UC-Storrs), located in Storrs, Connecticut. The administrators, faculty, and staff 

have developed this proposal with the concept of servingness (Garcia et. al, 2019) as the driver for 

all activities. UC-W proposes to take intentional action and strategically and purposefully serve 

Hispanic, low-income, and other underserved students in their endeavors to complete 

postsecondary degrees. With intention, this project is not a deficit model based on barriers to 

success, but rather it is based on supports to success. The four-pronged approach addressing 

increasing engagement and belonging, academic support, financial literacy and wellness, and 

career preparation will create capacity-building mechanisms strengthened by the interrelationships 

of individual components. The strategies proposed are primarily based on Bettinger and Baker’s 

work, The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in 

Student Mentoring (2011), which focused on individualized student coaching interventions.

Camina Conmigo will address the following goals: Goal 1. Increase fall-to-fall retention rate 

of Hispanic and low-income students will occur through the development of a peer mentoring 

initiative, college success coaching, and a specialized FYE course. Goal 2. Improve academic 

outcomes for Hispanic and low-income students by Increasing Academic Support includes 

the addition of a tutoring initiative and an academic mentoring initiative. Goal 3. Improve 

graduation rates for Hispanic and low-income students includes major and career exploration 

and culturally competent academic advising. Goal 4. Improve financial literacy and wellness 

includes providing financial counseling, financial literacy programming and an online hub, and 

assistance in completing financial aid applications.

Competitive Preference Priorities (CPP) Addressed: Yes. CPP1: The project will address 

social, emotional, academic, and career development through creating a positive, inclusive, and 

identity-safe climate at UC-W by fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion through 

implementing a peer mentoring initiative and college success coaching using evidence-based 

practices for advancing student success. Project staff will promote cultural competency and 

diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professional development to faculty, staff, and students 

engaged with each initiative. Workshops and presentations on topics to include developing an 

asset-based approach; difference and intersectionality theory; and access, equity, and inclusion in 

higher education will be promoted. CPP2: The project proposes multiple comprehensive and 

evidence-based initiatives to include culturally responsive advising, financial literacy and 

wellness, and the providing laptops in the Camina Conmigo space. Whether experienced 

individually or in combination, all integrated project activities are designed to foster postsecondary 

academic success.

University of Connecticut-Waterbury 

Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution Abstract
60

UST Title V CORE (Counseling, Outreach, Retention and Engagement) Program

Project Director: Daniel Garcia Evaluator: Dr. Amaury Nora

The UST Title V CORE Program will increase Hispanic, low-income and underserved 

student retention, success and graduation rates through the creation and delivery of new 

academic and non-academic support services for freshmen and transfer students. This Title V 

Program will create a new CORE Center to provide support to students struggling with UST’s 

newly implemented core courses, as well as help with gatekeeper courses that have historically 

high failure rates. CORE will foster a greater sense of inclusion and belonging for Hispanic and 

underserved students by implementing evidence-based student success services. This program 

will also assist students by providing wrap-around support and referrals for academic and basic 

needs, as well as the implementation of a convenient e-Books textbook access system, new 

computing center with loaner laptops and tablets, and a core curriculum textbook loaner library.

Title V CORE staff include the Project Director, Student Success Manager, Success 

Coordinator and an Administrative Assistant. CORE staff will be trained to provide one-on-one 

student success coaching and wrap-around, proactive (intrusive) counseling to freshmen and 

transfer students. Peer mentors will also provide support to students in the CORE program.

Faculty Success Leaders will receive theory-based training focusing on student 

belonging, inclusion, cultural awareness and growth mindset instruction. The five Faculty 

Success Leaders will then deliver training to smaller groups of additional faculty on coaching 

techniques, belonging and inclusion, cultural awareness and building asset-based mindsets for 

instruction. These efforts will help create an expanded culture of belonging and inclusion on the 

UST campus and improve student retention and completion rates.

A new predictive analytics program will be implemented to support financial planning, 

forecast tuition revenues and predict critical program-specific enrollment and labor needs. This 

software will replace dated budgeting procedures and the current, unwieldy course scheduling 

process. By improving forecasting capabilities, UST will accurately determine faculty labor 

needs, reduce overall operating costs and increase institutional financial stability. Finally, an 

endowment component requiring a 1:1 match will create a new scholarship fund for Hispanic, 

underserved and low-income students.

The CORE program will feature proactive counseling focused on the best practices from 

Bettinger and Baker’s coaching theory (2011), a theory that meets the evidence of “strong 

evidence of effectiveness” by the U. S. Department of Education’s NCES What Works 

Clearinghouse. This program will also be influenced by the Cultural Asset theory of Nora and 

Kangala (2015) and the Growth Mindset theory of Canning, Muenks, Green & Murphy (2019).

This project will be directed by Daniel Garcia, who is the founding Director of the UST 

Rising Stars Student Success Program and previous director of several successful TRIO grants. 

The program will be evaluated by Dr. Amaury Nora, a respected higher education researcher and 

expert in the field of Hispanic student retention and success.

Meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and 2: The CORE Project meets CPP 1: 

Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs and CPP 2: Increasing Postsecondary 

Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success

Strong Supporting Theory Used: Bettinger and Baker (March 2011). The effects of 

student coaching in college: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student mentoring.

Total number of students served by this project: By September 2028, at least 3,735 

students will participate in this grant, at an average cost of $802 per student.
61

University of St. Francis (USF) 

ABSTRACT

Overview and Goal: University of St. Francis (USF), of Joliet, Illinois, a newly designated Hispanic 

Serving Institution (HSI), with steadily growing Hispanic enrollment, will implement Going 

from Si se Puede to Si se Pudo, a Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) 

project, with one overarching DHSI goal: to transform how the institution engages with current 

and future students to improve retention over the five-year project period.

Objectives and expected outcomes: By spring 2028, USF will achieve three institutional 

objectives: (1) increase retention of full-time, first year (FTFY) students to 80% by redesigning 

instructional support programming; (2) increase Latinx students’ 6-year graduation rate to 60%; 

and (3) increase the 6-year graduation rate for all students to 66%.

Population(s) to be served: The project will serve USF’s more than 1,200 undergraduate 

students, 30% of whom are Hispanic, 40% of whom are Pell-eligible/ low-income, and 64% of 

whom are first-generation college students. Approximately 75% of USF undergraduates are from 

the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area, with half coming from Will County, Illinois where 

USF is located.

Primary activities: Through the Title V DHSI project, USF will carry out the following 

activities to strengthen academic programs, improve institutional management, and increase 

fiscal stability: (1) Strengthen the first-year experience program to support all incoming students 

from orientation through sophomore retention by hiring a retention specialist, redesigning the 

required Foundations 1 first-year seminar, implementing an annual two-day faculty training 

institute for seminar instructors, offering free summer remedial math courses, and providing peer 

mentoring for incoming students; (2) Increase support for Latinx undergraduates by hiring a 

community outreach and relations coordinator to build partnerships, adding a bilingual academic 

coach and bilingual academic advisor, holding bilingual parent and family outreach events, 

expanding the availability of bilingual, culturally responsive campus ministry programming, 

offering a Spanish Language for Professionals course for faculty and staff, and translating 

admissions and financial aid materials into Spanish; (3) Integrate multicultural/ culturally 

responsive curricula across academic areas by providing professional development and faculty 

support for course revisions, and developing new courses on Hispanic cultural, historic, literary, 

and political issues; and providing a co-curricular tracking app for the USF campus community 

to engage in HSI-affirming events and activities; (4) Expand developmental on-campus 

employment opportunities for low-income undergraduates and support them with an endowment; 

and (5) Create an on-campus commuter lounge.
62

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Ventura College (VC) is an accredited, public, two-year California Community College located in Ventura, 

California, a community located approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa 

Barbara. Founded in 1925 as the first institution of higher education in Ventura County, VC enrolls nearly 

18,000 students annually–61% of whom are Hispanic. The VC team developed its project, Project PORT: 

Post-Traditional Opportunities, Research, and Transformation, after a lengthy planning process, literature 

review of extensive research and examples of excellence, and an in-depth workshop with Dr. Gina Garcia, a 

leading HSI scholar on transforming HSIs through more intentional servingness. Through these efforts, VC 

designed this project to be a major step towards becoming a more effective HSI. The project will deploy 

three strategies designed to attend to Hispanic student connection, belonging, and holistic support in a postpandemic era. STRATEGY 1: EXPAND FLEXIBLE, SUPPORTIVE PATHWAYS: VC will create 

accessible on-ramps to high-wage careers in the region for VC’s historically underserved adult, re-entry, and 

rural learners. STRATEGY 2: DESIGN WRAP-AROUND, INTEGRATED, & AFFIRMING

SERVICES: VC will improve servingness to Hispanic students by shifting the burden of retention from the 

student to the college. By providing holistic support, VC will help students stay on path despite financial and 

basic needs barriers. STRATEGY 3: STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR DATAINFORMED ACTION: VC will expand institutional capacity and infrastructure to create a serving-minded, 

engaging, and supportive learning environment for Hispanic students.

CDP GOALS: Goal #1: Academic Programs: Improve academic programs by creating accessible onramps to high-wage careers in the region for VC’s post-traditional students (i.e., historically underserved 

adult, re-entry, and rural learners). Goal #2: Institutional Management: Expand institutional capacity and 

infrastructure to create a serving-minded, engaging, and supportive learning environment for Hispanic 

students. Through holistic support and participatory action research networks, VC will drive a culture shift to 

advance VC’s Hispanic-serving identity, increase cultural competence among faculty, staff, and students, and 

better involve students in decision-making on campus. Goal #3: Fiscal Stability: Increase student outcomes 

and close equity gaps to ensure alignment with state-mandated performance-based funding focused on 

student equity and student success, as well as increase enrollment-based apportionment.

5-YEAR OBJECTIVES: To be accomplished by Sept. 30, 2027—VC will increase: Enrollment at VC 

East Campus (VCEC) to 1,000 Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES), achieving “educational center” status 

for VCEC; Ensure that Hispanic students represent at least 80% of VCEC enrollments, maintaining 

representation at par with the surrounding community; Hispanic student course success rates; Hispanic 

student fall-to-fall persistence; post-traditional student fall-to-fall persistence; number of certificates 

(certificates of completion + transfer certificates) awarded to Hispanic students; number of associates degrees 

(AA/AS + ADTs) awarded to Hispanic students

COMPETETIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITIES (CPPs) #1 & #2: The project is intentionally

designed to address both Title V CPPs. CPP #1: Foster a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe environment 

for Hispanic and other underserved students: Foster a positive, inclusive, and identity-safe environment for 

Hispanic and other underserved students through intentional, early, ongoing, and sustained efforts to connect 

students to their peers, college personnel, and their programs of study; Create a culture of Hispanic 

servingness by developing and institutionalizing comprehensive professional development; Leverage the 

case management model to directly connect students with campus and community resources around basic 

needs, including mental health services; Establish student ambassador “El Equipo” teams. CPP #2: Increase 

postsecondary education access, affordability, completion, and post-enrollment success: Address issues of 

access for Ventura County’s post-traditional population by augmenting relevant course offerings and 

expanding academic program modalities and scheduling to include online, hybrid, evenings/weekends, and 

short-term courses; Develop part-time program maps; Strengthen data measurement and collection systems 

to better monitor and evaluate post-traditional learner outcomes
63

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Warner Pacific University (WPU) is a private, Christian, liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon, 

serving approximately 700 undergraduate and graduate students annually. As of fall 2022, roughly 

61% of WPU’s traditional undergraduates identify as students of color, including 32% who identify 

as Hispanic. WPU is proud to be Oregon’s most diverse university and the state’s first federally 

designated four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Our proposed project reflects our aim to 

enact servingness across our structures, culture, and environment to better serve Hispanic students.

Goal #1: Academic Programs | Actualize a coordinated campus-wide initiative that integrates 

career considerations and experiential learning into the WPU academic experience and ensure 

students are equipped to make informed decisions about their educational and career pathways from 

entry through to completion and career launch. Strategy 1.a: Responsive Academic Programs: 

Ensure WPU’s academic programs embed career relevance throughout the curriculum in response to 

employer needs; develop a Spanish translation certification program to prepare students for indemand careers throughout the region. Strategy 1.b: Career-Focused Experiential Learning: 

Intentionally introduce and reinforce career-relevant thinking, learning, planning, and experiences 

throughout the WPU student experience, moving well beyond basic exploration to career preparation 

and attainment for Hispanic students.

Goal #2: Institutional Management | Improve servingness to Hispanic and low-income students 

through improved wrap-around supports that honor cultural wealth and foster a sense of belonging in 

and out of the classroom. Strategy 2.a: Holistic Advising & Support Redesign: Promote 

persistence through an ecosystem of wrap-around support services designed to holistically support 

students in both the cognitive and affective domains of learning, and increase their sense of 

belonging. Strategy 2.b: Peer & Faculty Mentorship: Develop and implement a coordinated 

campus- and community-wide mentorship and coaching initiative to connect Hispanic students with 

their peers and faculty.

Goal #3: Fiscal Stability | Adapt and institutionalize a new, evidence-based model of student 

advisement that adequately serves WPU’s student needs, increasing student outcomes, closing equity 

gaps, and stabilizing tuition revenue. Increasing institutional capacity for data-driven improvements, 

professional development, and community relations will work in concert with one another to elevate 

our service to Hispanic students. Strategy 3.a: Center for Academic Success & Achievement: 

Create a permanent, accessible, welcoming, and inclusive physical space on campus with designated 

staffing to increase visibility, improve CASA’s reach, and maximize impact on Hispanic student 

outcomes. Strategy 3.b: Comprehensive Professional Development: Drive a college culture shift 

to advance WPU’s Hispanic-Serving identity, as well as increase cultural competency among faculty 

and staff.

Priorities: The project is also intentionally designed to address the Invitational Priority (IP) and both 

Title V Competitive Preference Priorities (CPPs). IP: Strategies to address the impact of COVID-19 

on students, educators, and faculty: IP.a: Provide resources to meet basic needs; IP.b: Address wellbeing; IP.c: Assist students who did not enroll, withdrew, or reduced course loads due to COVID-19. 

CPP #1: Strategies to address social, emotional, and academic needs by fostering a positive, 

inclusive, and identity-safe environment: CPP 1.a: Foster a sense of belonging and inclusion; CPP

1.b: Implementing evidence-based practices; CPP 1.c: Providing evidence-based professional 

development. CPP #2: Strategies to increase postsecondary education access, affordability, 

completion, and post-enrollment success: CPP 2.a: Increase postsecondary access; CPP 2.b: 

Increase enrollment and completion; CPP 2.c: Establish a system of high-quality data collection; 

CPP 2.d: Develop and implement integrated success programs.
64

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Applicant: Westchester Community College

Location: 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla New York 10595

Title: Viking ROADS Expansion: Caminos al Futuro en Westchester Community College

Students Served: Hispanic and low-income students.

Requested funding: $2,931,988

Overview: Westchester Community College (WCC) is a public community college serving one 

of the most diverse student populations in the State University of New York (SUNY) System and 

is SUNY’s first Hispanic Serving Institution. WCC enrolled 8,807 undergraduate credit students 

in fall, 2022 and assures that 42% of FTE undergraduate enrollment was Hispanic in Fall, 2021 

(2,851 Hispanic Undergraduate FTE/6,781 Total Undergraduate FTE) in 2021-2022.

Goal: Increase WCC’s capacity to serve Hispanic, low-income, and all students with evidencebased, high impact practices proven to double the graduation rate and increase academic success, 

persistence, completion and transfer, lowering the cost of successful outcomes per student.

Research-Based Strategies: The Accelerated Studies in Associate Programs (ASAP) model. 

research on which this project is based meets the What Works Clearinghouse Tier 1 Strong 

evidence standards for a randomized controlled trial. Students in ASAP were significantly more 

likely to graduate from college within 150% of time and maintain full-time enrollment (Miller and 

Weiss, 2021)1, and the graduation rates of developmental students doubled (Scrivener, et. al., 2015)

2

.

Strategies include: expand enrollment in ROADS; increase “just-in-time” capacity for early 

warning outreach and support in 11 high enrolled developmental, gateway and pre-transfer to 

increase success rates by 5 percentage points for all classes; use college data to target Hispanic and 

low-income students to benefit from “Welcome, Continue and Complete” workshops/outreach to 

increase retention, completion and transfer by 5 percentage points for all groups; and increase 

sustainability for student success through professional development in ASAP, early warning, 

culturally relevant methods, teaching students with disabilities and online learning.

Expected outcomes. The overall goal of the project for Hispanic and all first-time full-time 

(FTFT) students is to double the number of Hispanic and all FTFT students supported by casemanaged advisors in Viking ROADS (from 320 to 670 students); ensure that all Hispanic, lowincome and beginning college students feel Welcome and encouraged to Continue and Complete

their degree’s (WCC’s Strategic Plan goal); steadily increase retention, completion, and transfer 

rates for Hispanic and all FTFT students by five (5) percentage points over the grant period; and 

promote sustainability by equipping faculty, staff, counselors, and administrators with 

professional development in Starfish early warning, culturally responsive instructional methods, 

strategies to support learners with disabilities, and approaches to effective distance learning.

WCC is responding to both of the Competitive Preference Priorities and the Invitational Priority.

1 Miller, C. and Weiss, M. (2021), Increasing community college graduation rates: A synthesis of findings on the 

ASAP Model from Six Colleges across Two States). NY: MDRC. Retrieved 6 8 2023, from 

https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/90361

2 Scrivener, S. et. Al. (2015). Doubling Graduation Rates: Three-Year Effects of CUNY’s Accelerated Study in 

Associate Programs (ASAP) for Developmental Education Students. Study: 81588 (ed.gov)
65

ABSTRACT

Institution: William Rainey Harper College

Project Title: Driving Student Success Through High-Impact Practices

Goals and Expected Outcomes: Goal 1 (Academic): Improve student success outcomes for 

underserved minority students, including Hispanic and Black students, through expanded 

academic support programs and professional development. Goal 2 (Institutional): Enhance 

student supportive services and basic needs support for underrepresented students to foster 

academic success, personal development, and overall well-being and make more effective and 

efficient use of limited institutional resources. Goal 3 (Fiscal): Improve College’s capacity to 

equitably evaluate initiatives to make data-informed decisions for leveraging fiscal resources for 

replication and scaling of successful initiatives. Outcomes include: increased graduation and 

average credit accumulation rates and decreased stop-out rates for Hispanic, Black, and other 

underserved students; improved teaching through culturally responsive pedagogies and practices 

that create a more welcoming and engaging learning environment; improved equitable advising 

through culturally responsive advising practices; increased awareness and usage of supportive 

services with centralized advocacy and resource center; increased student financial literacy 

leading to financial wellness; and improved process for leveraging fiscal resources to scale 

successful initiatives, pilot programs, and promising practices.

Contributions to Research, Policy, and Practice: Driving Student Success Through HighImpact Practices will contribute to the body of knowledge among educators and practitioners 

who are focused on and invested in improving enrollment, persistence, stop-out, and graduation 

rates for Hispanic and other underserved students.

Population to be served: Harper College is a comprehensive community college serving 23 

communities in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Harper enrolls more than 21, 000 

credit students (headcount) annually of which 27.8% are Hispanic. This project will serve 

Hispanic, Black, low-income, and other underserved students.

Primary Activities: Activities include scaling the Connected Advising program, which connects 

students of color to academic advisors of color and provides positive incentives to participating 

students; updating 12 training modules for integrating culturally responsive pedagogies and 

practices for faculty and offering new multicultural competencies and culturally responsive 

advising training to student-facing staff; establishing and promoting a centralized Advocacy and 

Resource Center; coordinating multiple mentoring programs; developing and offering a financial 

literacy program; and creating an institutional framework to evaluate, scale, and appropriately 

fund successful initiatives and pilot programs which will better leverage fiscal resources.

Competitive Preference Priorities: This project supports and includes responses to CPP1, 

CPP2, and the Invitational Priority.

Subrecipient Activities: N/A
66

Yakima Valley College 

ABSTRACT

As a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution located on the traditional lands of the 

Yakama Nation, Yakima Valley College (YVC) cultivates equity and a culture of innovative and 

inclusive teaching and learning. Title V funds will enable a servingness framework at YVC that

recognizes the importance of equitable opportunity and access for diverse students to participate 

as change agents. The over-arching goal of the proposed YVC Title V DHSI project is to drive 

genuine and lasting culture change on campus, so Latinx and low-income students excel in their 

studies and graduate from college well prepared to pursue employment and leadership roles.

Three interlocking project components will drive this campus change: (1) a career-readiness 

program that is student-centered; (2) a leadership learning community to create a more inclusive 

HSI environment that is institution-centered; and (3) a campus wellness program that provides 

culturally appropriate support for students and staff, benefiting social-emotional health, college 

success and centered in our community. This grant is titled the HSI Relevance Project (HSI-ReP) 

to reflect YVC’s intention to make learning relevant to the campus community.

YVC’s cultural, geographic and economic factors combine to create a valuable testbed for 

transforming the capacity of a diverse, rural, two-year college. The Service District spans nearly 

8,000 square miles in south central Washington State, encompassing three counties, the Yakama 

Nation Reservation, and the Yakima Training Center, a 300,000-acre military facility. In 2021 –

2022, more than 6,000 students attended YVC; 67% identified as persons of color - 59% 

Hispanic, 3% Indigenous, and 5% others. YVC offers 50 comprehensive degree programs, 

including five Bachelor of Applied Sciences degrees, 13 Direct Transfer Agreements, and 39 

professional-technical certificates.

Yakima Valley College requests $2,872,888 over five years for the HSI-Relevance Project to 

advance its institutional goals to improve and sustain an institutional culture that is educationally 

equitable, enhancing, and welcoming via the following key objectives and related activities:

1. Strengthen academic programming by integrating career relevant curriculum and creating 

a career advising center around YVC’s six Guided Pathways (CPP2).

2. Strengthen institutional capacities for servingness by creating Shared Equity Leadership 

academies for students and personnel and elevating student voice in college decisionmaking (CPP1).

3. Strengthen fiscal stability through robust campus wellness curriculum and counseling, 

including offering Mental Health First Aid Training, developing peer-to-peer support 

networks, and supporting student affinity groups (CPP 1).

Project Director: Dr. Keith Reyes 

kreyes@yvcc.edu

509-574-4806