News Release
October 30, 2009
Lumina Foundation Awards Grants to support Minority-Serving Institutions
Indianapolis—Lumina Foundation for Education today announced grants totaling almost $4.5 million to support models of success among minority-serving institutions (MSIs).
"Working with these institutions, Lumina seeks to amplify the collective voice and national leadership of MSIs. These grants will enable MSIs to improve institutional practice and develop policy to more effectively educate all students of color," said Jamie P. Merisotis, president and chief executive officer of Lumina Foundation.
These nine grantees were selected from more than 70 responses received through a request for proposal (RFP) process. The RFP invited proposals from organizations that demonstrated a high potential to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:
- Improve MSIs' capacity to collect, analyze and use data to inform decisions that promote student success.
- Create a collective voice for policy advocacy on behalf of MSIs.
- Strengthen policy and practice to improve developmental education.
- Increase MSIs' commitment to transparency and effectiveness in improving student learning outcomes.
- Increase the postsecondary completion of traditionally underserved students, especially men of color.
The grantees include:
American Indian Higher Education Consortium (Alexandria, Va.) $500,000 to assist Tribal Colleges and Universities to become more effectively engaged in higher education policy at the local, state and national level.
Florida International University (Miami, Fla.) $495,800 to evaluate student success initiatives and improve programs to raise undergraduate persistence rates using a data-driven inquiry process.
Institute for Higher Education Policy (Washington, D.C.) $604,600 to provide support to the Lumina's Minority Serving Institution's Models of Success Program. IHEP will promote grantee projects at the institutional, state and federal levels, convene grantee meetings, provide technical assistance, and coordinate consultant support to document project outcomes.
Jackson State College Development Foundation (Jackson, Miss.) $487,000 to create a multi-state, peer-learning network to ensure postsecondary success for minority students.
Salish Kootenai College (Pablo, Mont.) $402,200 to identify factors that improve the postsecondary retention and success of American Indian students enrolled in developmental studies courses.
Southern Education Foundation (Atlanta, Ga.) $500,000 to enhance student learning outcomes assessment, documentation and use at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions.
University Corporation at Monterey Bay (Seaside, Calif.) $500,000 to improve the effectiveness of developmental education courses at three Hispanic-serving institutions.
University of North Carolina, General Administration (Chapel Hill, N.C.) $500,000 to increase the retention and graduation rates for students of color at all six minority-serving institutions within the University of North Carolina system.
University of Texas El Paso (El Paso, Texas) $500,000 to identify the institutional structures at minority-serving institutions that foster student success and increase the effectiveness of transfer programs across the state.
Lumina Foundation for Education is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college—especially low-income students, students of color, first-generation students and adult learners. Our goal is to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025. Lumina pursues this goal in three ways: by identifying and supporting effective practice, through public policy advocacy, and by using our communications and convening power to build public will for change.
For more information, contact Dianna L. Boyce, Communication Associate, Lumina Foundation for Education, at 317.951.5116.
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