U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION AWARDS $3.5 MILLION GRANT TO OXNARD COLLEGE-CSUCI-UCSB PARTNERSHIP
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has announced the award of a $3.5 million grant over five years to improve the transfer rate of Oxnard College students who seek to continue their education at California State University, Channel Islands, and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Oxnard College has been awarded a five-year development grant of $700,000 per year to focus specifically on cooperative efforts in developing improved academic and student services for Hispanic and low-income students with a focus towards degree completion and transfer to the partner universities of California State University (CSUCI, or the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).
Oxnard College Interim President Robert Jensen and Ventura County Community College District Chancellor James Meznek will formally announce the partnership at an 11:30 a.m. press conference on Thursday, Sept. 14, at Oxnard College with officials from the two partner universities present, including California State University, Channel Islands President Richard Rush and University of California, Santa Barbara Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, the university’s Chief Academic Officer.
“This is a gateway for the Oxnard College students who want to become the future university students of California,” said OC Interim President Robert Jensen.
The $3.5 million grant represents a commitment to Oxnard College’s mission to promote high quality teaching and student learning in transfer and general education through enhanced student services and programs, said Oxnard College Executive Vice President of Student Learning Ramiro Sanchez. The grant is expected to be approved at the Sept. 12 meeting of the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees and is described as “opening and improving the inter-segmental pipeline for Hispanic students to degree completion through cooperative effort.”
The grant is one of 33 recently announced by the U.S. Department of Education totaling more than $20.5 million to directly benefit Hispanic-Serving Institutions of higher education. The grant funds will support new academic and faculty staff positions and will enhance student services and programs. Funds will also be transferred to an Oxnard College Foundation endowment for future student scholarships.
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