Title V HSI Collaborative Grant

The US Department of Education has awarded a Title V HSI (“Hispanic Serving Institutions”) Grant of $3 million to California State University, Stanislaus, Merced College, and Modesto Junior College. Funded from 2003-2008, the project was conceived, proposed, and supported by The Higher Education Consortium of Central California (HECCC). The HECCC member institutions are: California State University, Stanislaus, Merced College, University of California, Merced, and the Yosemite Community College District, which includes Columbia College and Modesto Junior College. With CSU, Stanislaus serving as the lead institution, the grant’s primary focus is three fold: increase student success in mathematics and math dependent courses through the implementation of “Supplemental Instruction,” increase the number of students who transfer from community colleges to a university, and facilitate related regional research.

As officially qualified Hispanic Serving Institutions, CSU, Stanislaus, Merced College, and Modesto Junior College serve a student population who face formidable obstacles in achieving success in their pursuit of higher education and have traditionally had a disproportionately low transfer rate to four-year institutions. The three institutions are building upon their history of cooperation in HECCC to address this obstacle for all students. Therefore, the project consists of two parts, inclusive of a strong regional research component and is coordinated through a regional Title V Project Director with the support of the Chancellors/Presidents, Vice Presidents of Instruction, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of CSU Stanislaus.

The goal of Activity One is to improve student performance in algebra, economics, and chemistry through the creation of an Academic Enrichment Program using Supplemental Instruction (SI).

The goal of Activity Two is to increase the transfer rates of currently enrolled Merced College and Modesto Junior College students into four-year institutions. Target population is first-generation, college-bound Hispanic students and/or low-income community college students who have enrolled in an intermediate algebra course and have declared an education goal of transfer to a four-year university.

Joint regional data collection and analysis is the third overriding activity, which focuses on the goals of this grant project. This requires tracking the subsequent academic success of the community college students who transfer to CSU Stanislaus as well as an identification and examination of the institutional obstacles that remain between the colleges and university. The second regional research focus is to measure the effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction in relationship to student academic success. Ultimately, based on the research findings, we plan to create meaningful institutional change to address institutional barriers, measure the effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction with our local population, and identify effective student support strategies.