EducationPartnerships
May 2012Project Seeks to Strengthen
Community College-HBCU Ties to Bolster Student Success
Foster Dean has served as a Marine, and has been a business owner and a real estate agent.
He then worked two jobs while a full- time student at Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Dean may not be a traditional student, but he is following the path of many students today, juggling school and work to finance their education.
His plan was to complete his two-year degree in marketing and then enter the work force full time. But a new collaboration between community colleges and four-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities is encouraging community college students like Dean to transfer their credits toward bachelor’s degree work at HBCUs.
Dean will begin work at Fayetteville State University in the fall.
“Never in a million years did I think I would be graduating with honors from FTCC and on my way to a four-year college,” says Dean. “FTCC and the mentoring program have done so much for me. They work to connect with their students and show us we can move on, and I got the message. This has been an unbelievable experience, and I’m excited for the next chapter of my education at Fayetteville State University.”
Four organizations, including one of the nation’s largest volunteer service organizations of professional women, are working with the community colleges and HBCUs in hopes of building strong ties between the schools and enhancing
college completion rates. Continued on page 4
Using a $395,000 grant from USA Funds® and additional funding from Lumina Foundation for Education, The Links, Incorporated, is leading an effort to achieve the following goals:
uTo increase the graduation rate of community college students.
uTo increase the number of community college students who transfer to HBCUs.
uTo encourage greater collaboration among community colleges and HBCUs.
uTo increase the enrollment at selected HBCUs and to increase the graduation rate of students at HBCUs.
DeSandra Washington, Fayetteville Technical Community College, right, meets with students Michael Council, left, and Tamu Frazier to assist them as they transfer to Fayetteville State University.
Foster Dean, a student at Fayetteville Technical Community College, will transfer to Fayetteville State University in the fall.
Thurgood Marshall College Fund New York
Project TMCF/USA Funds Scholarship Program Geographic Scope National Amount $200,000
United Negro College Fund Fairfax, Va.
Project UNCF/USA Funds Scholarship Program Geographic Scope National Amount $200,000
Indiana Latino Institute Indianapolis
Project ILI Careers for the Future Education Program
Geographic Scope Indiana Amount $100,000
Arizona Community Foundation Phoenix
Project College Depot — Helping More Students Take Steps to College Success
Geographic Scope Arizona Amount $70,000
Indiana Dollars for Scholars Indianapolis
Project Hoosier Heroes 2011-2012 Geographic Scope Indiana Amount $70,000
Admission Possible Milwaukee
Project Admission Possible Milwaukee
Geographic Scope Wisconsin Amount $60,000
Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center Inc.
Indianapolis
Project Learning Communities Initiative, George Washington Community High School Geographic Scope Indiana Amount $50,000
GEAR UP Mississippi Jackson, Miss.
Project College Goal Sunday Geographic Scope Mississippi Amount $35,000
Florida Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Tampa
Project College Goal Sunday Geographic Scope Florida Amount $32,000
Provides need-based scholarships to students attending public Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Offers scholarship and other academic support to African- American students.
Helps students make career choices and provides the framework for students to succeed in postsecondary education.
Supports a program that provides information about college admissions and financial aid at a library center in downtown Phoenix.
Sponsors Indiana Dollars for Scholars’ annual Hoosier Heroes event and provides student scholarships for student-winners and their selected heroes.
Provides college enrollment resources and tools to low-income high school students in Milwaukee.
Assists students at George
Washington Community High School in preparing for and succeeding in postsecondary education.
Offers students and families free assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at sites throughout Mississippi.
Helps students and families with completing the FASFA, at sites throughout Florida.
Boys II Men Indianapolis
Project 2012 Boys II Men Program and College Tours
Geographic Scope Indiana Amount $30,000
Excelencia in Education Washington, D.C.
Project 2012 Examples of Excelencia and Celebracion de Excelencia
Geographic Scope National Amount $30,000
Glow Foundation San Francisco
Project Glow’s California Success Initiative
Geographic Scope California Amount $30,000
Interagency Community Coalition Fort Washakie, Wyo.
Project College Goal Sunday Geographic Scope Wyoming Amount $30,000
American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Project Indiana Tornado Relief Geographic Scope Indiana Amount $25,000
Student African American Brotherhood
Toledo, Ohio
Project Student African American Brotherhood National Conference 2012
Geographic Scope National Amount $25,000
Excelencia in Education Washington, D.C.
Project 2012 Accelerating Latino Student Success
Geographic Scope National Amount $20,000
State Higher Education Executive Officers Boulder, Colo.
Project SHEEO State Agency Workshop: A Peer-Based Collaboration Opportunity at the 2012 SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference
Geographic Scope National Amount $20,000
Stillman College Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Project Stillman College Access and Attainment Events
Supports a community program for African-American male students that develops skills for success in middle school, high school and throughout postsecondary education.
Recognizes programs that have demonstrated effectiveness in accelerating Latino student success in higher education.
Increases access to postsecondary education for low-income students through mentoring and financial literacy education.
Assists students and families with completing the FASFA, at sites in Wyoming.
Supports Indiana tornado disaster relief efforts.
Sponsors an annual leadership conference with a focus on the academic and social success of African-American males.
Supports a workshop aimed at fostering communication and collaboration to promote Latino student success.
Sponsors an event focused on student learning and accountability, state data systems and productivity.
Provides assistance to families in the completion of financial aid and college enrollment applications.
Selected Grants Awarded by USA Funds Jan. 1–March 31, 2012
USA Funds awards grants to advance its nonprofit mission to enhance postsecondary education preparedness, access and success.
In February, while the eyes of the world were focused on Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, many organizations were focused on giving back to the game’s host community.
A USA Funds-supported group was among those working to revitalize an Indianapolis area selected for refurbishing as the Super Bowl Legacy Neighborhood. That organization, Rebuilding Together Indianapolis, hosted the National Football League-sanctioned “Kickoff
to Rebuild.”
Rebuilding Together Indianapolis is an affiliate of Rebuilding Together USA.
The nonprofit organization’s mission is to preserve and revitalize houses and communities, assuring that low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled and families with children, may continue to live in warmth, safety and independence.
On Feb. 3 hundreds of Rebuilding Together Indianapolis volunteers, past
and present NFL players and HGTV star Carter Oosterhouse came together to revitalize a dozen homes in the Super Bowl Legacy Neighborhood. John Morrical, USA Funds senior auditor, was among those who took part in the February event.
USA Funds has been a supporter of Rebuilding Together Indianapolis since the organization’s first event in April 2001.
In addition to USA Funds’ financial support, Rebuilding Together Indianapolis has received hands-on assistance from USA Funds employees — especially Morrical and Dawn Courtney, USA Funds manager of marketing strategies.
Morrical has spearheaded USA Funds’ involvement with Rebuilding Together Indianapolis, serving as a volunteer starting in 2003 and joining the organization’s board in 2005.
He has been the board’s president and now serves as the board’s immediate past president. Courtney has volunteered with the organization for four years and has served on the board as the publicity chair for the past two years.
“The look on the faces of the homeowners we help is priceless,”
says Morrical. “It’s an opportunity to see firsthand the improvements made not just to someone’s home, but to their lives. I think what I get back as a volunteer is actually much more than what I am giving the people we help.”
Rebuilding Together Indianapolis also conducted a pre-game build on Nov. 5 to help 12 homeowners with landscaping,
painting and home repairs, and to install a new playground at a local park.
The activities of Rebuilding Together Indianapolis are
“possible only with the support that Rebuilding Together receives from its corporate sponsors, supporters and volunteers,”
says Charles Smith, president of Rebuilding Together Indianapolis. “Locally, we have been very fortunate to be able to grow each year.
“This continued growth happens only when you have corporate sponsors like USA Funds who support our mission by supporting their employees who are active within the organization. John and Dawn both have played a large part in Rebuilding Together’s growth and continued success.”
In addition to the Super Bowl-related activities, Rebuilding Together Indianapolis hosts its regular, annual event in April.
This year Morrical, Courtney and other volunteers representing USA Funds joined volunteers from other organizations to refurbish a designated neighborhood in Indianapolis. During the day, workers tackled tasks, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical projects, landscaping and weatherizing.
“I love the chance to do hands-on work,” Courtney says, “and it’s amazing to see such incredible progress in one day. It’s a great feeling to see everyone come together.”
USA Funds Employees Help Indianapolis
‘Rebuild Together’
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John Morrical of USA Funds, right, takes part in the annual spring Rebuilding Together Indianapolis event in 2011. Among those joining him at the event were Jamie Silva, then a player with the Indianapolis Colts, left, and Cheryl Darland of PNC Bank.
Founded in 1946, The Links, Incorporated, is an organization of 12,000 professional women of color who work to promote educational, civic and intercultural activities to enrich the lives of African-Americans and members of the larger
community. Through 274 chapters in 42 states, the organization’s members contribute more than 500,000 hours of service to the community annually.
The Links, Incorporated, has partnered with the United Negro College Fund, the UNCF Special Programs Corp. and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education to implement the community college transfer program. The ultimate goal is to create a model for student success that other, similar partnerships may replicate to encourage higher education completion.
“You don’t have to look far to see we have a national education crisis on our hands,” says Margot James Copeland, national president, The Links, Incorporated. “Only 27 percent of Americans have college degrees. The United States cannot be a world leader with three-fourths of our population not college-trained.
“The Links, Incorporated, has a history of being on the forefront of issues that impact the community and serving as advocates for the underserved. This transformational program is bringing together the necessary components to help our students succeed and prosper in their educational pursuits and the 21st century work force. Not only will the students benefit from this collaborative effort, but communities at large also will reap the rewards for generations to come.”
Linking community colleges and four-year HBCUs During the five-year program, members of The Links, Incorporated, will work with faculty and staff from selected institutions to ensure that at least 50 percent of the
participating community college students complete transfers to HBCUs and receive bachelor’s degrees. The initial year has focused on planning and recruiting schools and students.
Each selected community college is paired with a nearby HBCU and chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
The following are the community college-HBCU partnerships in each of the five targeted states:
uBluegrass Community and Technical College and Kentucky State University (Kentucky).
uHinds Community College-Utica campus and Tougaloo College and Jackson State University (Mississippi).
uFayetteville Technical Community College and Fayetteville State University (North Carolina).
uAustin Community College and Houston-Tillotson University (Texas).
uTidewater Community College and Norfolk State University (Virginia).
uJ. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and Virginia Union University (Virginia).
“Members of The Links, Incorporated, know that education is one way to improve an individual’s quality of life,” says Jacquelyn Madry-Taylor, senior adviser for research and program development for the UNCF Special Programs Corp., and a member of The Links, Incorporated, National HBCU Committee. “And this program is a way to increase academic options for students, particularly African-American students.”
Assisting students
A minimum of 25 students at each identified community college will receive financial support, mentoring, academic coaching and other services needed for successful transfer to an HBCU.
Each student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and a desire to transfer to an HBCU. Upon completion of at least 30 hours or a two-year program, each community college student will transfer to an HBCU. The transfer program will place students in specific learning communities aligned with their educational and career interests.
The students will have an opportunity to apply for a program designed to assist them in their higher education decision- making process. They also will receive one-on-one mentoring and advising from college and university staff and local members of The Links, Incorporated.
Meanwhile, the community colleges and HBCUs will have the opportunity to collaborate to help facilitate the students’
transfer to HBCUs from community colleges — with the goal of encouraging more community college students to transfer to HBCUs in the future.
The organizations coordinating the project will track the progress of the students for up to five years.
“We are committed to looking at every issue that could be a barrier to a student’s transferring and completing a degree.
We want to make sure we have a plan in place to address each barrier and make the transfer process as seamless as possible for students,” says Madry-Taylor.
“We already we have a solid plan in place and are excited for the potential of this program and what it can mean for community colleges, HBCUs and the students they serve.”
Strengthening Community College-HBCU Ties
Continued from page 1
Historically Black Colleges and Universities serve as a viable option for students to obtain a bachelor’s degree and could serve hundreds of community college students who may not even have considered continuing their education beyond community college.
While HBCUs traditionally have been very successful at meeting the holistic needs of students and are able to attract students to their respective campuses, a number of these institutions, nonetheless, have challenges retaining students who come underprepared academically and with high financial needs.
Often serving the same student profile, HBCUs and community colleges have a tremendous opportunity to work together to create a seamless transfer process. That process would allow students desiring to obtain a baccalaureate degree to do so without having to repeat courses, and to receive increased mentoring and advising prior to and while attending HBCUs.
We believe that a key to increasing graduation rates at both community colleges and HBCUs is the development of pipeline activities that address the barriers to college completion faced by students at community colleges and HBCUs. With the current cuts to institutional budgets, community organizations such as The Links, Incorporated — whose members are well positioned in cities around the nation — can play a vital role in ensuring that more community college students enter and graduate from HBCUs.
These community organizations can take part in volunteer activities to address the nation’s need for a more college-educated population, particularly among underrepresented populations. Those activities can include:
uTutoring.
uMentoring.
uHosting meetings and forums to discuss issues of transferability.
uDirecting students to scholarship activities.
uProviding scholarships to deserving recipients.
With the assistance of USA Funds and Lumina Foundation, The Links, Incorporated, has set out to demonstrate just how partnerships with community-based organizations can work.
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Margot James Copeland, executive vice president at KeyCorp and national president of The Links, Incorporated, chose members of a National HBCU Committee for The Links, Incorporated. That committee selected community colleges and HBCUs in five states — Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky and Texas — to join in partnership with The Links, Incorporated, and other organizations.
The organizations and HBCUs are testing a strategy for moving a larger number of students through the higher education pipeline to completion.
Joining The Links, Incorporated, and the selected community
colleges and HBCUs in this effort are the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, the United Negro College Fund and the UNCF Special Programs Corp.
These organizations have track records for accomplishing goals that significantly affect America’s educational system. It is our hope that, by involving these groups, we will encourage other community-based organizations, agencies and the philanthropic organizations that are interested in and desirous of increasing the college completion rate to also get involved to achieve such outcomes.
Jacquelyn Madry-Taylor has been senior adviser for research and program development for the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corp. since 2011. She guides research and business initiatives for the NASA Science and Technology Institute for Minority Institutions.
Dorothy Cowser Yancy first became president of Shaw University — the South’s first historically black college — in 2009. Located in Raleigh, N.C., Shaw University is a private, liberal arts university of 2,700 students, awarding both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Community-Based Organizations’ Role in Promoting Community College Students’ Success at HBCUs
Madry-Taylor Yancy
Jacquelyn Madry-Taylor
Senior Adviser for Research and Program Development, United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corp., and Member, National HBCU Committee of The Links, Incorporated
Dorothy Cowser Yancy President, Shaw University, and
Chair, National HBCU Committee of The Links, Incorporated
P.O. Box 6028
Indianapolis, IN 46206-6028
In This Issue of USA Funds Education Partnerships
Project Seeks to Strengthen Community College-HBCU Ties to Bolster Student Success
See how a USA Funds-supported project is encouraging school and community collaboration as well as student success at community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
USA Funds Employees Help Indianapolis
‘Rebuild Together’
Learn about USA Funds’ corporate and employee support for an organization that works to revitalize Indianapolis communities.
Community-Based Organizations’ Role in Promoting Community College Students’ Success at HBCUs
Read thoughts from representatives of The Links, Incorporated, about how community-based organizations can bolster student success at community colleges and HBCUs.
Strengthening community college-HBCU ties.
