Adams State Awarded Third Title V Grant

Anthony Guerrero
The Paw Print

Adams State College has recently been awarded its third Title V Grant, spanning the last decade. It comes in the amount of 3.18 million dollars to help improve student engagement and success. Title V Grants are awarded to Hispanic serving institutions; Hispanic serving institutions are defined as those colleges and universities with at least a 25 percent Hispanic enrollment rate. Adams State has a 32 percent rate which is up three percent since the last year. Fifty-five percent of the Adams State population is considered low income and over eighty percent qualify for Federal Pell Grants. These are the highest rates of any public institution in the state of Colorado. These grants are designed to help colleges offer better academics, quality of programs, and stability.
Dr. Lillian Gomez has been designated as the Title V Grant Director, while Dr. Eva Brown has been assigned the role of activities director. Plans for the money include constructing a new Student Success Center on the first floor of the Nielsen Library. It would be designed to be inviting to students who do not normally visit the library, according to Provost Michael Mumper. It will be the future home of, not only the Title V Director, but also the Academic Advising Center, TRIO Student Support Services, STAY program, and disability services. There is also a new “Summer Bridge” program designed to aid in the transition of freshman to college, which will mirror the successful Summer Scholars program offered by Student Support Services. In the grant’s future, the college will hire a career counseling coordinator to help students in career planning and placement.
The grant will aid in the expanding of the Center of Equity in Teaching and Learning. This program was launched under Adams State’s first grant award in the year 2000. The grant will also be used to improve the technology resources available at Colorado’s premier institution. Two technology enhanced classrooms will be constructed during the first two years of the grant. Technological services for students with disabilities will also be provided. This will encompass an Open Book advanced screen reader, low vision desktop magnifier, daisy digital readers, talking dictionaries, digital recorders, live scribe devices, and recording for the blind and dyslexic.
Adams State College was also awarded a Title V Cooperative Grant in the past. The results of this program will end in March of 2011. This was a five year project with five objectives. They included increasing the enrollment of community college students in the four year teacher education programs, increasing the number of students in the baccalaureate programs, improving the faculties’ instructional skills, improving the academic performance of students, and improving the course alignment between the community colleges and Adams State College.