2008 Woodie Awards
$2.7 Million Grant to Aid Low-Income Students, Hispanics
Jeff Stark
Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A federal grant to help low income students and students from Hispanic backgrounds has been awarded to Citrus College.
The Hispanic Serving Institutions solo grant will generate $2.7 million over five years.
In spring 2004, Dr. Michael J. Viera, superintendent/president of Citrus College brought faculty and staff together to apply for two nationwide HSI grants.
Now that Citrus has been awarded one of the grants, the college is expected to reapply for the other in spring 2005.
HSI grants are provided to colleges by the Department of Education through Title V.
To be considered for the grants, colleges must meet a 25 percent Hispanic student enrollment criterion, and have a high percentage of low-income students.
With a large amount of students on financial aid and a 40 percent Hispanic student population, Citrus more than qualifies.
The Citrus College proposal, which is known as Project GOAL! "Growth in Outcomes and Academic Learning," was originally proposed for $2.4 million over five years, but Citrus has received $2.7 million.
The grant focuses on institutional development in basic skills areas recognized to be critical to the academic success of underprepared students.
The administration is looking to establish a program aimed at aiding Hispanic and other students who are at high risk of academic failure.
The main goals of the new program are to increase the number of students who earn a successful grade in basic skill courses by 10 percent, increase the number of students placed in ESL basic courses by 70 percent, and increase student engagement in the learning process.
"The grant is going to help support students in the basic skills classes and it is going to help those students achieve a higher level of learning," said Dr. Saadia Lagarde Porche, co-principle investigator of the grant proposal.
According to Dr. Beverly Van Citters, also co-principle of the committee that wrote the grant proposal, Los Angeles County is one of the lowest counties not only in California but the nation in terms of reading, English and math standardized test scores among adolescents.
"So many students need their skill levels to be bolstered," Van Citters said.
"The grant is going to help provide instruction, so the students won't get lost," Van Citters said.
"Forty-five percent of freshman drop out," Viera said. "We want to increase the persistence of the incoming students. We want to help the underprepared college students, and move the non-transfer class of students to the transfer class."
Viera became superintendent/ president in June 2003. One of his main goals was to apply for and receive a HSI grant and it didn't take him long to do this during his first year.
"Without his leadership it wouldn't have worked," said Van Citters. "Dr. Viera encourages people's creativity."
Viera said that the grant went into effect Oct. 1.
The Hispanic Serving Institutions solo grant will generate $2.7 million over five years.
In spring 2004, Dr. Michael J. Viera, superintendent/president of Citrus College brought faculty and staff together to apply for two nationwide HSI grants.
Now that Citrus has been awarded one of the grants, the college is expected to reapply for the other in spring 2005.
HSI grants are provided to colleges by the Department of Education through Title V.
To be considered for the grants, colleges must meet a 25 percent Hispanic student enrollment criterion, and have a high percentage of low-income students.
With a large amount of students on financial aid and a 40 percent Hispanic student population, Citrus more than qualifies.
The Citrus College proposal, which is known as Project GOAL! "Growth in Outcomes and Academic Learning," was originally proposed for $2.4 million over five years, but Citrus has received $2.7 million.
The grant focuses on institutional development in basic skills areas recognized to be critical to the academic success of underprepared students.
The administration is looking to establish a program aimed at aiding Hispanic and other students who are at high risk of academic failure.
The main goals of the new program are to increase the number of students who earn a successful grade in basic skill courses by 10 percent, increase the number of students placed in ESL basic courses by 70 percent, and increase student engagement in the learning process.
"The grant is going to help support students in the basic skills classes and it is going to help those students achieve a higher level of learning," said Dr. Saadia Lagarde Porche, co-principle investigator of the grant proposal.
According to Dr. Beverly Van Citters, also co-principle of the committee that wrote the grant proposal, Los Angeles County is one of the lowest counties not only in California but the nation in terms of reading, English and math standardized test scores among adolescents.
"So many students need their skill levels to be bolstered," Van Citters said.
"The grant is going to help provide instruction, so the students won't get lost," Van Citters said.
"Forty-five percent of freshman drop out," Viera said. "We want to increase the persistence of the incoming students. We want to help the underprepared college students, and move the non-transfer class of students to the transfer class."
Viera became superintendent/ president in June 2003. One of his main goals was to apply for and receive a HSI grant and it didn't take him long to do this during his first year.
"Without his leadership it wouldn't have worked," said Van Citters. "Dr. Viera encourages people's creativity."
Viera said that the grant went into effect Oct. 1.