PCC Receives $6.3 Million in Grants to Improve Student Success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
October 31, 2011
Tucson, AZ – Pima Community College has been awarded two federal grants totaling more than $6.3 million. The grants will increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students enrolling in and completing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs, and will improve overall low-income student success.
PCC’s West Campus has received a U.S Department of Education Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM Grant. PCC is one of only eight Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Arizona. HSI is a U.S. Department of Education designation for institutions with Hispanic enrollment of more than 25 percent.
Through the grant, PCC will improve educational achievement in the transfer-level sciences, focusing on innovative approaches to Mathematics, a critical component to success in the sciences. Additional focus areas are Engineering, Chemistry, Physics and Majors Biology.
The grant will help PCC integrate new teaching and learning technologies, support collaborative and inquiry-based teaching, and enhance opportunities for professional tutoring to support student success.
The grant will also seek to strengthen existing ties with The University of Arizona in Engineering, and other science areas, and provide more comprehensive support to students as they work toward a two-year Associate Degree in Science with intent to transfer to a four-year institution in a STEM field. This will be accomplished through training, a remodel of classrooms to support collaborative learning, and other programs and activities.
Additionally, the grant will strengthen STEM advising and career planning for Hispanic and low-income students.
The award over the five-year life of the grant is $4,321,377.
West Campus President Dr. Lou Albert notes that Southern Arizona’s aerospace industry employs thousands, and that the area’s bioscience, solar energy and analytic instrument/optics sectors are growing.
“The College’s increased emphasis on achievement in STEM fields will help our students transfer to a university to attain a bachelor’s degree, or find employment in industries that will be the backbone of economic development in the region,” Dr. Albert said.
PCC’S Northwest Campus has received a U.S. Department of Education Title III-Thinking Outside the Box grant to integrate instruction and student support in order to increase low-income student completion rates. The award over the five-year life of the grant is $1,995,795.
Through the grant, PCC will improve assessment, monitoring, intervention and support for at-risk students. Also, PCC will teach faculty to make new technologies and best practices part of classroom instruction, and will develop an Engagement Center in the Northwest Campus Library/Computer Commons that will bring together instructors, students, support staff and peer tutors.
“The grant will strengthen Northwest’s ability to combine instructional and support resources to maximize student engagement and success,” Northwest Campus President Dr. Alex Kajstura said.
The PCC Board of Governors is expected to approve the grants at its scheduled monthly meeting on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of PCC’s District Office, 4905 E. Broadway.
CONTACT:
C.J. Karamargin
Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations
(520) 206-4850