By Scott Harvey
Commerce – Texas A&M University-Commerce has been awarded a $68,000 SEMILLAS grant to bolster its project to increase graduation rates among first-generation Latino college students. A&M-Commerce is one of only five colleges and universities from across the nation, and the only institution in Texas, chosen by Excelencia to receive a grant.
The SEMILLAS grants, supported in 2010 by the Kresge Foundation, are part of Excelencia in Education's "Growing What Works" national initiative. The initiative supports the replication of effective educational programs to advance Latino achievement in either two-year or four-year colleges. The long-term goal of the project is to increase the use of these effective programs for the country's fast-growing Latino college age population.
SEMILLAS is the Spanish word for seeds. It also stands for Seeding Educational Models that Impact and Leverage Latino Academic Success.
US Census Bureau figures show Latino young adults are less likely to have earned an associate degree or higher than other young adults. In 2008, eight percent of Latinos 18 to 24 years-of-age had earned a degree, compared to 14 percent of all young adults. Latino adults, 25 years and over, were also less likely to have earned an associate degree or higher than other adults, with 19 percent of Latinos earning a degree, compared with 29 percent of blacks, 39 percent of whites, and 59 percent of Asians. Meanwhile, census projections estimate that Latinos will be 22 percent of the nation's college-age population by 2020.
These colleges and universities received grants for work in one of three program areas: Integrating services to improve retention for first-generation Latino college-goers, promoting seamless transfer for Latino students moving from two-year to four-year institutions through effective student and academic support services; and developing and sustaining academic programs and practices designed to engage Latino students in the learning process for successful completion.
"We're thrilled to receive the Kresge SEMILLAS grant," said Dr. Dan Jones, President of Texas A&M University-Commerce. "The grant will add value to our efforts of providing student success to Latino students and transforming their lives and the lives of their families through higher education."
Excelencia staff and members of the "Growing What Works" initiative will work with the selected institutions throughout the 2010-2011 academic year and will share their findings on program successes.
Excelencia in Education is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate Latino student success in higher education.