UD Receives $1.1million in Funding Through US Department of Education
Sep 1, 2010 | University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
The US Department of Education's Student Support Services Program has awarded the University of Dubuque a $1.1 million grant over the course of five years - providing academic, financial, and personal counseling to low-income, first-generation students, or students with disabilities.
"We are honored to receive funding from the US Department of Education for this important program," commented UD President Jeffrey F. Bullock. "UD's Mission calls us to goals that are ambitious, and which speak directly to the educational needs of a country that is undeniably changing. We have always been a nation of immigrants. UD was founded to educate an earlier era's immigrants - German Presbyterians, in particular - and prepare them for ministry."
"Today, new immigrant, underserved, and emerging populations are coming into their own as they pursue the American dream. A high percentage of these students are first-generation and come from low-income economic situations. Federal funding from this grant helps us to live into our Mission , to continue the work on which we have already embarked, and to help prepare the next generation of educated citizens upon whom our country's continued strength and vitality will depend."
The University's Student Support Services (SSS) program will greatly influence an important population within the student body. Of the current undergraduate population, 36% are first-generation, 22% are low-income, and 6% have a disclosed disability. Funding from the grant will support 140 of these students annually with particular needs including: guided coursework in math and language; tutoring; study skills instruction; disability services; technology assistance; academic, personal, and financial counseling; peer mentoring; and cultural opportunities.
Jennifer Erickson, director of the University's Academic Success Center (ASC), led the UD team that authored the grant with a goal of enhancing the academic support services provided to the University's students. Erickson states, "We are all excited thinking about the doors this grant will open - allowing us to address both needs and opportunities that students bring. The grant will fund additional departmental staff, enabling students to receive individualized attention and encouragement. Everyone in the ASC looks forward to contributing to the long-term success of our students."
Programs planned under SSS include a comprehensive plan for professional, peer, and computer- based tutoring in the Academic Success Center (ASC); individualized learning opportunities to strengthen students' abilities in core subjects; diverse skill workshops; expansion of the mentoring, counseling, and advising services currently available to SSS students; and increased cultural enrichment programming.
