MEDIA ALERT
September 29, 2011
What: Hispanic Serving Institution Science Technology Engineering and Math (HSI STEM) and Articulation grant has been awarded to Napa Valley College.
This grant is in the amount of $788,581 for the first budget period (10/01/2011 through 9/30/2012). It is anticipated that the grant will be for a total of 5 years. If the full amount requested is received, the five year total will be $3,814,040.
The award was announced to the college community by Dr. Edna Baehre-Kolovani, college president.
Sources/Contact information:
Dr. Edna Baehre-Kolovani, Superintendent/President, 707-256-7161
Sue Nelson, Vice President of Instruction, 707-256-7150
Oscar De Haro, Vice President of Student Services, 707-253-3110 (Note: His office is moving Monday; availability will be limited.)
José Hernández, MESA Director, Hispanic Serving Institution Eligibility Developer, 707-253-3179 (Not available Friday; will be available Monday)
Quotes
“This grant recognizes the needs of our community and will enhance the quality of instruction at Napa Valley College for all our students,” said Dr. Edna Baehre-Kolovani, president. “This award will benefit all of our students. I am very pleased that the college’s efforts to secure additional funding were successful. Given the state budget cuts, this additional funding from a national source is critical to supporting our mission especially in the areas of STEM careers. Educating students to be able to pursue careers in these fields is both a local as well as a national priority. The grant provides additional resources for our faculty and counseling staff to continue their excellent support for students.”
“Our faculty will now have additional resources that will benefit our students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We will be able to provide additional math instruction and improve articulation with four-year universities. We are thrilled that this grant application was successful,” said Sue Nelson, vice president of Instruction. “I would like to thank Dr. Bonnie Moore, chair of Science, Mathematics and Engineering, and all those who worked on this effort; especially grant writer Judie Walter-Burke, who pulled it all together.”
“Student support services will be enhanced and improved by this grant,” said Oscar De Haro, vice president of Student Services. “New funds will allow us to develop related student service, strengthen counseling services and further enhance the opportunities for success afforded our students at NVC – all NVC students not just those of Hispanic descent.”
He added that, while the grant acknowledges the growing Hispanic population at the college, all students will benefit.
Additional information from De Haro:
“This was an effort in which many had a hand…it is the first time in NVC’s history that the Hispanic Serving Institution status has been achieved and such a grant awarded.
The entire endeavor is truly a monumental feat because it entailed two major steps: One was to have successfully documented the 25% or more of full-time Hispanic student population at NVC and second, seeking and taking advantage of the timely opportunity to apply for a Federal grant designated for colleges and universities with this demographic characteristic of Hispanic students.
“I wish to personally acknowledge Dr. Edna Baehre-Kolovani for her undivided commitment to sustain this labor-intensive effort. “
“Teamwork at Napa Valley College has been extremely important in this effort to bring additional resources to benefit and better serve our students and our community,” said José Hernández, Hispanic Serving Institution Eligibility Developer.
Judie Walter-Burke, dean Research, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, also expressed appreciation to all those who contributed to this effort including Dr. Robyn Wornall, director of Institutional Research, faculty and staff. “This grant will strengthen our existing excellent programs and also provide new support for all our students well into the future,” she said.
Background
The goals of the program are to increase the number of STEM degrees awarded to Hispanic students and to increase the number of students transferring to the UC or CSU systems declaring a STEM major. Grant funds will be used to provide for a full range of student needs – from those with weak math skills to advanced science majors. Activities will be structured around four strategies that promote student success:
1) Faculty development opportunities;
2) Development and improvement of academic programs;
3) Acquisition of equipment for strengthening Math, Physics, Chemistry and Engineering programs, the Math Center and a STEM Center;
4) Development of STEM specific student services.
Activities will include learning communities, supplemental instruction, STEM counseling and community outreach. Funds will also support: project administration and coordination of activities; a full-time STEM counselor; additional math instruction; a half-time research analyst; and, increased efforts in articulation with four-year universities.
The award was announced to the college community by Dr. Edna Baehre-Kolovani, college president, who said, in part, “Our success is truly a team effort and I thank each and every one of you for helping NVC achieve HSI status. Thank you to Oscar De Haro, Omar Pena, Martha Navarro, Dr. Robyn Wornall, Jose Hernandez, Jessica Millikan, Jose Sanchez, Betty Malmgren, Liz Gomez, Sue Nelson, Hector Brambila, and other staff for coordinating the “Declare Yourself” drive and data collection. Thank you to the dedicated faculty and energetic members of the Associated Students who encouraged our students to register. Thank you to Judie Walter-Burke, Dr. Robyn Wornall, Dr. Bonnie Moore, and Carolyn Sanchez for their diligent compilation of data and development of the successful grant application package.”
“Please join me in appreciation of all the people and programs who worked to achieve this success:
José Hernández, HSI Eligibility Developer/MESA Director
Judie Walter-Burke, Research, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Robyn Wornall, Office of Institutional Research
Sue Nelson, Vice President of Instruction
Oscar De Haro, Vice President of Student Services
Jessica Millikan, Admissions & Records
Dr. Bonnie Moore, Division Chair, Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Division
Lauralyn Bauer, Division Chair, Counseling
Jose Sanchez, Information Technology
Martha Navarro, Student Services
Liz Gomez, Admissions & Records
Alex Shantz, Associated Students, Napa Valley College (ASNVC)
Dr. Sandra Nichols, Student Services Volunteer
Omar Peña, ASNVC
Veronica Gomez, Upward Bound
Ramon Salceda, Talent Search
Renee Hernandez, Talent Search
Rene Rubio, Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement
Karen Smith, Information Technology
Betty Malmgren, Community Relations
Carolyn Sanchez, Research, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Faculty members who shared information with their students
Programs/offices that provided student data:
EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services)
Student Support Services
Testing and Tutoring Center
Health Occupations
MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement)
Press release from the US Dept. of Education
For immediate release
More than 100 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) will receive a total of $107.4 million to strengthen and expand educational opportunities for Latino students, the U.S. Department of Education announced. The HSI program provides grants to make college more attainable for Hispanic students and allows institutions to enhance their academic offerings, program quality and institutional stability.
About $100 million of the funds are designated for 109 grants that will enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) components at schools that enroll a high percentage of Hispanic students. The grants may be used for purposes such as scientific or laboratory equipment for teaching, the construction or renovation of facilities, purchasing educational materials, academic tutoring or counseling programs, teacher education, and student support services.
In addition, approximately $7.8 million is being awarded through the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions program. Thirteen grants will be given to schools to assist them in furthering educational opportunities for students through faculty development, curriculum development, academic tutoring and mentoring, and other services.
“We know that Latinos will play an integral part in helping America reach President Obama’s goal of having the highest college graduation rate in the world by 2020,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “These two programs will help to spur academic achievement for Hispanic students, especially within STEM programs, which are key to building a highly skilled workforce that can compete in a global marketplace.”
Both programs fund grants for a total of five years.
A Hispanic-Serving Institution is defined as an eligible institution of higher education that has at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate enrollment students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of the application.
More information about the Hispanic-Serving Institutions grant programs are available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/index.html.
See a complete list of grantees and their award amounts.
Posted: 3/21/2012