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Project Abstracts

for Fiscal Year 2019

Promoting Postbaccalaureate 

Opportunities for Hispanic Americans 

(PPOHA) Program
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Table of Contents

P031M190015 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla .................3

P031M190053 San Juan Bautista School of Medicine ........................................4

P031M190064 University of Houston-Clear Lake ..............................................5

P031M190059 California State University Fullerton ..........................................6

P031M190055 National Louis University............................................................7

P031M190040 SUAGM, Inc. dba Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus

...................................................................................................................................8

P031M190047 Colorado State University-Pueblo...............................................9

P031M190005 Atlantic University College .......................................................10

P031M190028 Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc.............................................11

P031M190029 CSUB Auxilary for Sponsored Programs Administration ........12

P031M190038 Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico ....................................13

P031M190042 EDP University of Puerto Rico, Inc. .........................................14

P031M190023 Adams State University .............................................................15

P031M190078 Our Lady of the Lake University...............................................16

P031M190035 Nova Southeastern University ...................................................17

P031M190066 Carlos Albizu University ...........................................................18

P031M190016 Texas A&M International University........................................19

P031M190041 Metropolitan State University of Denver ..................................20

P031M190063 Mount Saint Mary's University..................................................21

P031M190004 Dominican University................................................................22

P031M190019 The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz...........23
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PR/Award # P031M190015

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla (PR) $599,996.00 proposes to 

strategically address institutional problems through the proposed PPOHA project, 

which includes two initiatives.

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

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

• Develop a General Research Lab and a Tissue Culture Research Lab 

equipped with appropriate equipment for conducting rigorous scientific 

graduate research

• Incorporate more and more advanced research into graduate curriculum by 

using new equipment, resources, tools available in the GRC

• Develop/pilot comprehensive graduate support model to nurture 

development of essential

• skills required for graduate school success and professional success

• Develop/pilot Graduate Student Research Forum focusing on each graduate 

discipline

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

programs

• Develop/pilot new professional certificate in Information Security in 

Computer Forensics

• Develop/pilot new professional certificate in Marketing & Graphic 

Design

• Develop/pilot new professional certificate in Environmental Health & 

Toxicology
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PR/Award # P031M190053

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (PR) $599,980.00 proposes to strategically 

address through this Title V, Part B (PPOHA) Activity, which proposes to:

• Renovate an existing space in the library to create a Graduate 

Resource Center (GRC) with sufficient space to meet 

medical/graduate students’ educational and training needs;

• Develop vital resources and services within the Graduate Resource 

Center to address gaps in student skills in statistical analysis, writing, 

clinical reasoning, and financial literacy;

• Establish a Virtual Anatomy Lab and integrate innovative technology 

tools as a fundamental aspect of the MD curriculum;

• Develop a robust professional development system to address 

identified gaps in faculty skills and knowledge and strengthen 

faculty’s role as clinical educators;

• Establish a comprehensive student information system (convert 

current paper-based processesto a digital platform system and develop

robust support services) to meet student needs;

• Develop and administer a graduate scholarship program to provide 

financial assistance to low-income students.
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PR/Award # P031M190064

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

• Increase the number of Hispanic and low-income. individuals who earn a 

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with initial teacher certification;

• Increase the number of Hispanic and low-income individuals who earn an 

EdD in Curriculum and Instruction;

• Broaden the MAT offerings through collaboration with the University of 

Houston-

• Downtown (UHD); and

• enhance MAT and EdD graduates’ financial literacy.

We propose a multifaceted project that will increase the number of Hispanic teachers 

who persist in the profession and who receive doctoral degrees in curriculum and 

instruction. To achieve the four program goals, we will provide direct student services 

such as graduate program enrollment specialist, teacher mentors, graduate 

assistantships, financial literacy workshops, scholarships, and opportunities for 

networking with other Hispanic graduate students. The program enrollment specialist 

will provide one-on-one support to students as they complete admissions paperwork, 

apply for financial aid, and decide on their class schedules. Hispanic mentors will serve 

as role models and guides as students’ progress through their degrees and into 

classrooms or into school district leadership positions.
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PR/Award # P031M190059

California State University Fullerton (CA) $598,675.00 proposes to address the 

university’s institutional gaps and weaknesses and serves to develop the campus 

climate for graduate education. The overarching project’s objective seeks to increase 

the number of Hispanic and other disadvantaged students who enroll, persist and 

complete a graduate degree in a timely manner at CSUF, by providing effective 

advising and academic support, and by fostering meaningful engagement opportunities 

for Hispanic and other disadvantaged graduate students.

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

Hispanic

Student Enrollment in a Graduate Program (with improved advising and advisor 

training, plus a graduate studies readiness certificate program), 2. Develop Hispanic 

Student Educational Engagement (with a fellowship program, mentoring and 

expanded services from the Career Center) and 3. Improve Hispanic Retention and 

Graduation Rates (with faculty development, peer support groups and expanded online 

resources). Each of these three areas contains strategies and services directly targeting 

Hispanic and disadvantaged student academic success and degree completion. The 

project’s well-designed management plan crosses university divisions— academic 

affairs, student affairs and information technology—and includes management team,

faculty coordinators and advisory committee. The assessment plan allows for informal 

and formal feedback, requires regular assessment providing for improvement in the 

plan, and will assist in institutionalizing services at the end of the grant-funded project. 
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PR/Award # P031M190055

National Louis University (IN) $276,377.00 proposes Comunidades Latinas 

Académicas con Visión de Éxito (CLAVE), an integrated set of strategies for 

increasing Hispanic participation and success in graduate programs through building 

academic supports and networks.

Specifically, CLAVE will:

1. Increase enrollment of Hispanic students in masters and doctoral 

programs. Build a stronger network to provide outreach with Hispanicserving community-based organizations; outreach to prospective and 

currently enrolled students; and build and actualize partnerships and 

scholarship pipelines with local HSIs to better serve Hispanic

communities.

2. Develop a fellowship program to support a network of promising diverse 

doctoral scholars. Form a Fellowship Committee; institute a faculty 

mentor for fellowship recipients to support throughout the doctoral 

program; and provide assistance with teaching and research assistant 

placements.

3. Increase graduate students’ professional networks, writing capacity, 

and financial and professional knowledge base through the 

establishment of a graduate student resource center. Create a 

postdoctoral fellow program that could potentially diversity the current

faculty members; design and implement a writing program for the 

dissertation phase; deliver financial literacy supports; and host 

networking and professional development workshops.
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PR/Award # P031M190040

SUAGM, Inc. dba Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus (PR) 

$599,886.00 proposes to reduce attrition and increase completion rates by 2% through 

the development of a permanent Center for Graduate Student Support Services.

 Activity 1: Develop a Mentoring Program. The proposed mentoring program 

will train faculty to become mentors. It will focus on human relationships, 

commitment, and resources that will help graduate students find success and 

fulfillment in their personal, scholarly, and professional development. The 

mentoring program will recruit 12 faculty members/year to serve as mentors and 

pair them with 8 graduate students/semester to guide them through their years 

of study. By 2024, the major expected outcomes are (i) a total of 60 mentors 

will have provided mentoring services to 480 students; (ii) attrition will have 

decreased; and, (iii) completion rates will have increased by 2% compared to 

baseline 2019.

 Activity 2: Establish an Assistantship Program to support and stimulate 

UAGM-GC graduate students in obtaining academic experiences that will 

contribute to their development as researchers and/or university professors 

in their respective disciplines. The students will be able to participate of one 

of three basic experiences: teaching (TA), research (RA), and/or clinical work. 

The program will build stronger social connectivity between students and the 

university, creating a sense of belonging that will help student persistence. 

Graduate teaching assistants will play an important and influential role in

undergraduate student learning. This activity will develop and offer 

instructional skills workshops to train TA/RAs. The trainings will increase the 

use and effectiveness of the teaching behaviors in the classrooms and research 

skills in laboratories in support of theses and dissertations. By 2024, the major 

expected outcomes are (i) 82 graduate students will have been selected, trained, 

and participated of active teaching, research or clinical experiences; (ii) attrition 

will have decreased; and, (iii) completion rates will have increased by 2% 

compared to baseline 2019.

 Activity 3: Establish a Graduate Student Writing Program enhancing career

development, graduate employability, and help to form fundamental and 

transferable skills. The Program will provide support to graduate students during 

every stage of their development as academic and scientific professional writers, 

in the form of articles, proposals, posters, and more. Trained graduate writing 

assistants will help graduate students to navigate and decode the complex 

expectations of graduate writing. Graduate writing assistants will be experts in 

a specific discipline, as they will be trained to identify communication and 

content expectations to meet writing goals. By 2024, the major expected 

outcomes are (i) 160 graduate students participating during the 5-year grant; 
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(ii) attrition will have decreased; and, (iii) completion rates will have increased 

by 2% compared to baseline 2019.
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PR/Award # P031M190047

1) Colorado State University-Pueblo (CO) $576,284.00 proposes to integrate 

curricular (new and redesigned coursework and graduate programs, with 

increased access), co-curricular (graduate research opportunities, mentorship, 

student services), and programmatic (professional development, financial 

literacy, internship placement, and bridges to PhD) activities to achieve our 

primary goals of: 1) Expanded post-baccalaureate educational opportunities and 

degree attainment for Hispanic students; 2) Expanded post-baccalaureate 

academic offerings, as well as enhanced program quality to support our large 

numbers of Hispanic and low-income students in completing postsecondary 

degrees; 3) The VIAJE program, a unique bridge to PhD program with CSUFort Collins; 4) A integrated Financial Literacy program imbedded in both the

curriculum (online and face-to-face) and orientation; and 5) A Professional 

Science Master’s in Applied Agriculture.

2) We have designed four major programs/activities to achieve our primary goals, 

including; 1) Building a Graduate Student Resource Center, 2) Creating a 

Center for Modern Online Graduate Education, 3) Creating an Office for 

Graduate Student Opportunities, and 4) Redesigning Graduate 

Curriculum. The Broad theme of CUMBRE is to build our institutional

capacity to attract, support, and graduate Hispanic and low-income graduate 

students from the local community.
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PR/Award # P031M190005

Atlantic University College (PR) $600,000.00 proposes a Promoting

Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Project to expand 

graduate educational opportunities for our region. The proposed PPOHA project 

“Next Step: Graduate Studies” seeks to improve the academic attainment of 

graduate students, expand the graduate academic offerings as well as to enhance the 

program quality at AUC. 

AUC is committed to promoting high-quality postbaccalaureate opportunities for 

Hispanic and low-income students. The goals of “Next Step: Graduate Education” 

align with the purpose of the PPOHA Program. Goal 1: Expand graduate 

educational offerings for Hispanic and low-income students through distance delivery 

of existing graduate programs and collaborative efforts with other institutions of higher 

education; Goal 2: Improve retention and graduation rates through academic and 

student support services that contribute to higher rates of completion; and Goal 

3:Increase enrollment of Hispanic and low-income students in postbaccalaureate 

programs through more accessible degree programs and direct financial assistance. 

AUC proposes to achieve these goals by expanding academic and student support 

services through the establishment of a Graduate Center; making programs in high 

demand fields available via distance education through curriculum development and 

distance education delivery capacity; faculty development; providing scholarships; 

financial literacy instruction (CPP2); and creating alliances with other higher

education institutions (CPP1). The proposed strategies will assist AUC to better serve 

graduate students and increase the retention and graduation rates.

By improving the success of Hispanic graduate students, AUC will positively impact 

social and economic outcomes not only for AUC region but for other communities. 

AUC will also conduct ongoing evaluation of the project to ensure the achievement of 

its objectives and provisions of the Government Procedures and Results Act (GPRA) 

that demonstrate project accountability. Data analysis will support activities 

improvements continuously throughout the Project.
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PR/Award # P031M190028

Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc. (CA) $532,056.00 proposes to strengthen the 

infrastructure of services through a Graduate Resource Center for graduate students’ 

success:

Goal 1: Increase Hispanic/low-income student enrollment and provide support 

services by establishing a Graduate Resource Center. The Graduate Resource Center 

will offer advising, series of workshops and a computer lab for mentoring to maximize 

success for local area Hispanic students at California State Polytechnic University at 

Pomona.

Goal 2: Implement Faculty, Teaching, and Research Assistant professional 

development workshops to better prepare faculty for effective mentorship and students 

for success in the workforce at Cal Poly Pomona Hispanic students.

Goal 3: Offer Teaching and Research Assistantships and scholarship for students to 

support their graduate studies as well as Financial Literacy workshops and create 

opportunities for professional growth.

Outcomes/Contributions: The project will deploy the following strategies to achieve 

notable increases in Hispanic enrollment, and successful completion of graduate 

degrees as well as beneficial change in faculty engagement with students and pedagogy 

methods: a) Regional four-year college student access/outreach workshops, financial 

literacy training, campus visits, and advising; b) Expand graduate studies program 

support student service through the Graduate Resource Center; c) Faculty engagement 

(training in effective mentorship, cultural competency and other topics) as well as 

Teaching and Research Assistantship training for graduate students.
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PR/Award # P031M190029

CSUB Auxiliary for Sponsored Programs Administration (CA) $599,590.00 

proposes to: 

G1: Enhance and create additional capacity—by strengthening existing STEM related 

programs and developing two new programs—for the CSUB STEM graduate program 

which facilitates increased enrollment, provides needed student support, improves 

research facilities and engages faculty to better serve Hispanic graduate students 

through degree completion.

G2: Develop a university-wide “graduate school-going culture” through a robust and

comprehensive program that encourages, supports, engages, and prepares students to 

pursue graduate education.

5-Year Project Objectives Related to Project Goals:

O1: To increase enrollment in CSUB’s STEM related graduate programs (with 

Hispanics equitably represented) by 20% above 2019 baseline (4% increase per year) 

and sustain the improved rate after the grant period.

O2: To double the number of graduates from CSUB STEM related graduate programs 

(with Hispanics equitably represented) as compared with the 2019 baseline.

O3: To increase the completion rate of STEM related graduate courses by all STEM 

graduate students (and with Hispanics equitably represented) by 20% above 2019 

baseline.

O4: To double the number of CSUB students accepted into partnership Master’s and 

PhD programs not available at CSUB.

Strategies: S1: Develop an interdisciplinary, student-centered, and fully supported 

research program including a Summer Research component and an Undergraduate 

Research (UR) conference that will increase the participation and retention of Hispanic 

students in CSUB’s STEM related graduate programs. S2: Develop a comprehensive 

and collaborative faculty mentorship program to supervise graduate research activities 

in CSUB’s STEM related programs. S3: Develop a centralized Graduate Research 

Center (GRC) adequately equipped to meet the computing needs of students enrolled 

in the CSUB STEM related graduate programs. Student services by the GRC will 

include an Annual Grad Fair, UR showcase, GRE Prep, Financial Literacy workshop, 

Critical Thinking workshop. S4: Develop two new programs and strengthen existing

STEM related graduate programs and develop seamless transfer pathways to PhDs and 
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other Master’s programs that do not exist at CSUB through cross-institutional 

collaborations.
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PR/Award # P031M190038

Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico (PR) $599,805.00 proposes Broadening 

Computer Science Education and Modernizing Graduate Services, an activity to 

establish online access to three master’s degrees and one graduate certificate in our 

high-demand computer science program, while implementing services targeting the 

needs of the graduate population. UPPR will revise and convert to online format a total 

of 27 courses leading to our most in-demand computer science master’s degrees and 

certificate. We will renovate and update a total of 2,128 square feet in our Graduate 

Center to establish spaces conducive to effective, interactive, and flexible services. 

Renovated facilities will include a new 1,375 square foot Graduate Teaching and 

Learning Center (GTLC). The GTLC and other renovated spaces will promote 

individual and collaborative research, consultation among students and professors on 

campus and at a distance, and professional development for target computer science 

course faculty. Updated facilities will support redesigned and new graduate services, 

as well as a series of Graduate Workshops addressing topics important to persistence

and completion, including financial literacy. Services will be developed for real-time 

on-campus and distance delivery as well as for asynchronous online access. We further 

propose to establish new Summer Fellowships and a new Research Assistantship for 

graduate financial support.
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PR/Award # P031M190042

EDP University of Puerto Rico, Inc. (PR) $600,000.00 proposes to expand graduate 

educational opportunities for our region. The proposed PPOHA project Improving 

Graduate Opportunities through Distance Learning and Financial Literacy seeks to 

enhance the academic attainment of our graduate students, expand the graduate 

academic offerings as well as to enrich the program quality in the Institution. 

The specific goals are:

Goal #1: Expand graduate educational offerings for Hispanic and low-income students 

through distance delivery of existing high-demand graduate programs; Goal #2: 

Improve graduation rates (academic attainment) through services that contribute to 

higher rates of completion; and Goal #3: Increase enrollment of Hispanic and lowincome students through more online accessible graduate programs and through direct 

financial assistance. The services developed through this Project will provide graduate 

students with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to succeed through 

workshops, mentoring, Graduate Student Center (GSC) and state-of-the-art

technological resources. Additional services we propose that are more specific to 

graduate students are financial literacy instruction, assistance with identifying and 

applying for external financial resources, discipline specific graduate student 

handbooks, assistance with thesis preparation, and access to research resources. The 

GSC will also increase access by streamlining the graduate admissions process and 

improving our communications to students waiting for a decision on their applications. 

Additionally, the project seeks to establish collaboration with other institutions of 

higher education to expand graduate education offerings. These components of

Improving Graduate Opportunities through Distance Learning and Financial Literacy 

will enable EDP to better serve graduate students, increase retention and graduation 

rates.
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PR/Award # P031M190023

Adams State University (CO) $593,488.00 proposes to improve pathways to post-baccalaureate 

teacher licensure, supplementary credentials, and advanced degrees in education and higher 

education administration.

1) To improve the 4-year master’s degree attainment rate for Hispanic and lowincome students by 15% over the grant period, ASU’s PPOHA project focuses 

on 3 strategic goals that also address Colorado’s deficit of highly qualified and 

diverse teachers and educational leaders:

2) Expand Teacher Education and Higher Education Administration 

Graduate Programs to Meet Rural Education Needs: ASU will redesign 28 

online courses in education programs and 10 courses in higher education 

administration to national quality and cultural responsiveness standards to 

increase the number of certified and highly qualified Hispanic teachers, school 

and college leaders in Colorado; a new online master’s in education with math 

emphasis and a Leadership Ph.D. expand access to careers;

3) Provide Outreach and Support for Graduate Students: Outreach 

partnerships with schools and colleges across the Southwest, 48 scholarships 

awarded annually to Hispanic and historically underserved students, online 

orientations, a mentoring program, and additional academic supports will 

increase enrollment, persistence, and completion rates;

4) Build Capacity for Graduate Program Development and Improved 

Services to Diverse Students: Extensive faculty/staff development in online 

instructional design and cultural responsiveness standards, online faculty 

orientations, and an equity institute will build effective graduate programs to 

improve Colorado’s PK-20 educational pipeline.
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PR/Award # P031M190078

Our Lady of the Lake University (TX) $600,000.00 proposes to improve and expand 

graduate student facilities, services, and offerings at Our Lady of the Lake University 

in San Antonio (OLLU) and its sister campuses in the Rio Grande Valley(OLLURGV) and Houston (OLLU-Houston). 

Aim 1: Expand post-baccalaureate educational opportunities and improve academic 

attainment of Latinx students through culturally responsive pedagogy, integrated 

information literacy and research education, and dedicated spaces for graduate 

students.

Aim 2: Expand the post-baccalaureate academic offerings in the Rio Grande Valley to 

include a Master of Science in Psychology – Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), a 

Psychological Services to Spanish Speaking Populations (PSSSP) Certificate, and a 

Master of Arts in Teaching, as well as enhance program quality across OLLU 

campuses and online programs. In addition, OLLU will pilot a blended instruction 

model to promote shared learning for graduate students across campuses.

To ensure project implementation is iterative and sustained, OLLU will develop a 

system to include student, faculty, and staff stakeholders for continuous quality 

improvement of graduate programs and services. The project includes a robust 

evaluation and research plan. By incorporating the research component alongside the 

evaluation component, we aim not only to ensure a successful, full fidelity 

implementation of grant activities, but also to share lessons learned with similarly 

situated Hispanic-serving institutions.
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PR/Award # P031M190035

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) (FL) $592,892.00 proposes to build a flexible, 

supportive, and effective academic pathway as students with Bachelor’s Degrees

efficiently transition into (and through) Computer Science-related graduate degrees. 

Outcomes include increasing enrollment and graduation rates in Master’s and PhD 

degree programs in Computer Science, with a specific focus on increasing success 

among Hispanics and other underrepresented students.

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

O1 - Expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for Hispanic and other 

students by increasing the number and/or percentage of Hispanic and other students 

pursuing targeted Computer Science-related graduate degrees full-time. (Target: 15% 

increase by 09/30/24; Grant resources: Outreach Coordinator, new outreach 

programming and materials, scholarships) Component 1.1: Enhanced outreach 

services to diverse and low-income populations, including increasing scholarship 

availability. Component 1.2: Broader outreach services.

O2 - Increase the number of targeted Computer Science-related graduate degrees 

awarded at NSU, especially among Hispanic, Black, and women students. (Target: 

15% increase by 09/30/24; Grant resources: Stipends to develop and pilot test new and 

enhanced instructional methodologies, faculty professional development, mentoring 

stipends, scholarships) Component 2.1: Faculty professional development in diverse 

student learning. Component 2.2: Pedagogical modifications based on diverse student 

learning styles. Component 2.3: Faculty mentoring.

O3 - Enhance the quality of Computer Science-related graduate programs by 

incorporating interinstitutional research experiences. (Target: 20 participants by 

09/30/24; Grant resources: Stipends to develop and pilot test new and enhanced 

collaborative research experiences, technology/space renovation, research 

supplies/instrumentation, faculty and student travel, Research Specialist, faculty 

professional development, stipends to pilot test new and enhanced approaches)

Component 3.1: Innovations in research experiences – inter-institutional research 

teams with the University of Puerto Rico and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. 

Component 3.2: Technology/telecommunication and space renovations to strengthen 

online faculty and student communications. Component 3.3: Faculty professional 

development – inter-institutional faculty connections with the University of Puerto 

Rico and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

.
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PR/Award # P031M190066

Carlos Albizu University (FL) $599,995.00 proposes to address gaps and weaknesses 

that hinder the University from adequately serving the needs of Hispanic and 

disadvantaged postbaccalaureate students. To this end, CAU-M’s proposed activity 

includes two initiatives:

Initiative 1: Strengthen and Expand Online/Hybrid Graduate Offerings—CAU-M will

upgrade its distance learning infrastructure to support dynamic online and hybrid 

learning and renovate and equip a new Speech & Language Pathology Lab to support 

increased program enrollment capacity. With the appropriate tools in place, CAU-M 

will revise its existing Industrial-Organizational online program and convert its Ph.D. 

in Human Services program for online delivery and its Master of Science in Speech & 

Language Pathology program for hybrid delivery, adhering to rigorous Quality Matters 

standards. A core group of CAU-M faculty and staff will receive training to become 

Quality Matters reviewers in order to sustain the new QM review and course 

certification process. Along the way, CAU-M faculty and staff will receive support 

and guidance from a mentor institution who has successfully launched online graduate

academic programs (Competitive Preference Priority 1).

Initiative 2: Strengthen Graduate Student Support—A technology-rich Graduate 

Student Center will be established as a dedicated space for graduate student 

collaboration, research, writing assistance, and financial literacy instruction 

(Competitive Preference Priority 2). Additionally, to promote improved persistence 

and completion, a series of targeted graduate student seminars will be developed and 

piloted as well as a system to award fellowships to graduate students with unmet 

financial need. 
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PR/Award # P031M190016

Texas A&M International University (TX) $332,723.00 proposes to expand our 

postbaccalaureate Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program to create more 

opportunities for our traditionally underserved and high-risk student population (94% 

Hispanic, 45% low-income) to complete a postgraduate degree in this targeted field. 

High health care demands are known in our region, as the Health Resources and 

Services Administration has designated Webb County as a Medically Underserved 

Area, Medically Underserved Populations, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.

We propose to convert our successful face-to-face FNP program into an online hybrid 

format.
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PR/Award # P031M190041

Metropolitan State University of Denver (CO) $373,817.00 proposes to increase the 

number and success of students who come from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds 

(most significantly, Hispanics) to enroll in and succeed in the postbaccalaureate 

dietetics degree program—making MSU Denver the premier graduate program for 

minority students interested in dietetics.

PPOHA-Denver will: (1) Provide exposure for MSU Denver students, high school 

students and students from Colorado two-year institutions to create education and 

awareness about the dietetics profession, (2) Increase the acceptance, enrollment and 

retention of diverse students in the MSU Denver dietetics baccalaureate program so a 

pool of applicants is prepared for the postbaccalaureate dietetics program, (3) Increase 

the number of applicants from minority populations to MSU Denver’s dietetics 

postbaccalaureate program, (4) Increase the enrollment and retention rates of minority 

students in the MSU Denver postbaccalaureate dietetics program and (4) Increase 

partnerships with community organizations that serve Hispanic communities for 

research, collaboration or internship opportunities for graduate students. 
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PR/Award # P031M190063

Mount Saint Mary’s University (CA) $600,000.00 proposes to Increase the number 

and proportion of Hispanic students enrolling and completing post-baccalaureate 

degrees.

Part 1: Increase graduate student access to and success in high-demand 

professions. Collaborate with local HSI (CPP1) to develop Accounting and Project 

Management programs; provide academic support and license exam prep to ensure 

success; provide scholarships to minimize student loan debt.

Part 2: Improve students’ professional and financial readiness. Develop 

professional pathways with curriculum integration and partnership development with 

local Hispanic-serving organizations for direct internship experiences and financial 

literacy education training programs (CPP2).

Part 3: Better support and advise students by eliminating efficiencies and 

improving IT infrastructure. Develop online IT dashboard with 24-hour 

accessibility for complete and seamless degree planning for students; training for 

faculty to maximize their use of new tools to promote stronger advising and improved 

student retention and completion rates.
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PR/Award # P031M190004

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

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

professional students enrolled.

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

baccalaureate certificates awarded.

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

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

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