Chancellor Zimpher Announces Nearly $2 Million in Grants for Education Pipeline Initiatives at SUNY Community Colleges

Community Colleges at Genesee, Jamestown, Jefferson, and Mohawk Valley Earn U.S Department of Education Funding

 

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today announced that four SUNY community colleges, Genesee, Jamestown, Jefferson, and Mohawk Valley, have received nearly $2 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) for initiatives that aim to improve the education pipeline in New York State. The grants will go toward increasing college enrollment capacity and providing low-income and at-risk students with the support they need to succeed in college.

 

“SUNY is committed to closing the achievement gaps that exist at all levels of education across New York State, and these grants serve as the most recent examples of our campuses offering every potential student an opportunity for success in higher education and beyond,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “The faculty at each of these colleges are to be commended for their vision and leadership as SUNY seeks to provide the best education possible to all those interested in pursuing a postsecondary degree.”

 

“The SUNY community colleges are keyed in to the needs of the communities and families they serve,” said SUNY Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education Pipeline Johanna Duncan-Poitier. “With each of these programs, Genesee, Jamestown, Jefferson, and Mohawk Valley are providing an invaluable service to their students and to their respective communities.”

 

TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program Grant

 

Mohawk Valley Community College and Genesee Community College were two of 128 recipients in 44 states to be awarded TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program grants to provide counseling and information on college admissions to qualified individuals who want to enter or continue a program of postsecondary education.

 

The goal of the program is to increase the number of participants who enroll in postsecondary education institutions. The program also provides services to improve financial and economic literacy, as well as assist participants in pursuing financial aid options.

 

MVCC President Randall J. VanWagoner, Ph.D., said, “College education is increasingly important for students and families who seek better economic mobility and for communities who need a highly skilled, motivated workforce to realize their potential. With this support MVCC will continue to meet the educational and economic needs of the Mohawk Valley.”

 

Genesee President Dr. James M. Sunser said, “For so many of our unemployed and underemployed citizens, the Educational Opportunity Center is the first step in a path toward a better life. TRIO funding is an investment in the future of our communities and our nation. I am confident that our Center will continue to open the doors of higher education to Western New York residents. I am also confident that we and sponsors of other educational opportunity centers across the nation will contribute toward President Obama’s goal of dramatically increasing the number of college-education citizens across the United States.”

 

As part of the $47,676,723 million in TRIO EOC program first-year program grants, MVCC and Genesee were awarded $230,000 and $361,593, respectively.

 

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Grant

 

In addition, the DOE recently awarded $ 177.4 million for 66 grants under Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) that will help some 275,000 at-risk students to prepare for college and receive the support they need to achieve success in postsecondary education. MVCC was among the recipients and received a first-year grant for $519,790.

 

This is a competitive six or seven-year matching grant that targets entire grades of students, involves partnerships with local organizations and businesses, and includes matching local contributions and in-kind services. Grantees serve an entire group of students, usually beginning no later than seventh grade, and follow them throughout high school.

 

To have been eligible, projects must include at least one low-income middle school, one college or university, and two community or business organizations. Partners work together to provide students and their families with college preparatory support services, including mentoring, counseling, tutoring, and summer programs to succeed in higher level math and other gateway college preparatory courses, as well as information about college and financial aid options.

 

Mohawk Valley Community College is partnering with Utica City School District middle schools and high school on the grant. Their work will be centered on cohort-based mathematics skills training and tutoring.

 

“As open institutions, SUNY’s community colleges are welcoming an increasing number of students who start college without needed math and study skills. Unless colleges and our educational partners work creatively together to intervene, these students face steep barriers to college completion. This GEAR-UP grant will have a deep impact here in our community, where we will start students on the right path early. This will help hundreds of young people toward educational attainment and better career prospects,” said VanWagoner.

 

Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) Grant

 

Finally, Jamestown Community College and Jefferson Community College were each awarded just under $400,000 as part of DOE’s Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant program for the 2011-12 academic year. The program helps colleges expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability.

 

"We are extremely pleased that our federal officials recognize JCC's strengths and, by supporting this grant, have indicated their belief that higher education is a key to economic vitality," said JCC President Gregory T. DeCinque. "Community colleges are tremendous engines to power this nation."

 

“We are excited about the opportunities that this grant will allow us to bring to our students,” said Dr. Carole A. McCoy, president of Jefferson Community College. “Many initiatives, such as additional counseling services and new success coaches, will directly benefit students, while others relate to faculty development in the areas of student engagement. In the end, the common goal is the ultimate success of our students.”

 

At Jamestown Community College, the three key grant-funded strategies will be strengthening student technology competency to prepare them better for the workforce and/or transfer, enhancing student persistence, and enhancing access to higher education through expanded distance learning opportunities. The college will invest in new technology to support diverse academic programs such as nursing, media arts and digital audio production, and engineering science and mechanical technology. The college will also provide additional training opportunities to fully utilize new equipment and other instructional technologies.

 

Jefferson Community College will receive $1.98 million dollars over the next 5 years with initial year funding of $398,000. The college will utilize the funding to increase student retention directly through additional advising, counseling, and academic support resources, and indirectly through faculty development including a mentoring program, online development and training, and mini-grants for student engagement initiatives. Jefferson will also increase and retain enrollment of online adult learners, especially active duty soldiers, by increasing the flexibility of online courses and developing two new online programs. Improved student services include a new online orientation and pre-advising program, personal outreach to high risk students, creating an online career pathways program and developing a student portal. Additionally, the college plans to improve data accessibility for institutional research and increase the college’s endowment.

 

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 467,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with nearly 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu