AUSTIN, Texas—The Community College Leadership Program (CCLP) at The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded a $1.8 million grant to help 27 community colleges throughout the nation raise success rates for underserved students. The Lumina Foundation for Education grant is designed to fund the first round of a multi-year project, called Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, that will bolster community colleges’ assistance to low-income students and students of color.
“We are delighted to be working with the Lumina Foundation for Education and other major organizations to focus on facilitating success for our most at risk students,” says Dr. John Roueche, Sid W. Richardson Regents Chair in Community College Leadership and director of the CCLP. “Our program has a history of research and development activities in this area, and this grant will enable us to significantly expand our efforts. We greatly appreciate the commitment of the Lumina Foundation to this most important initiative.”
With education-related organizations such as the American Association of Community Colleges, Jobs for the Future, Teachers College at Columbia University and the Futures Project at Brown University, the CCLP will be conducting research on best practices for increasing student success. A focus on policy development, public engagement and knowledge development will characterize the partnership of national organizations and participating colleges.
The community colleges in New Mexico, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida that were selected were chosen due to their large populations of underserved students as well as their commitment to implement changes that will benefit these students. All of the colleges will utilize data on student attainment to guide their work.
“Nothing less than a competitive future for the country is at stake as community colleges strive to help more low-income students and students of color,” says Byron McClenney, CCLP project leader. “These colleges have the opportunity to be leaders in change.”
The CCLP, which is the oldest graduate program in the nation to be devoted to the preparation of community college leaders, has graduated more than 550 students since its creation in 1944.
For more information contact: Kay Randall, 512-232-3910.
