The release of four reports examining education at minority-serving institutions highlighted this month’s National Convening on Minority Serving Institutions, Educating All Students.
The Princeton, N.J., convening was the culmination of the USA Funds®-sponsored MSI Models of Success Project and featured the release of the following reports:
‘Models of Success’
In 2010 twelve minority serving institutions began participation in a three-year national “Models of Success” study sponsored by Lumina Foundation for Education, The Kresge Foundation and USA Funds. Each of the institutions identified success stories of programs or practices at the institution that made significant contributions to student retention, student learning and student degree attainment.
In addition to participation in the study, each institution received a $50,000 grant to build infrastructure and capacity on its campus.
The reports released during the convening highlighted the findings of the three-year study.
Marybeth Gasman and Clifton Conrad spearheaded the research to understand the work and contributions of MSIs throughout the United States; they hosted the convening. Gasman is professor of higher education in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and Conrad is professor of higher education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Focus on MSIs
At the convening, institutional leaders discussed each of the reports, attended panel discussions, took part in breakout sessions, and learned the results of the three-year study. Discussion topics included:
- Cultivating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Students.
- Addressing the Remediation Challenge.
- Designing First-Year Experiences.
- Lessons Learned from the Minority Serving Institutions Model of Success Project.
- Reflections on Race and Belonging: Shattering Myths of Justice in Education.
- Culture, Language and Community in Educating Minority Students.
A special session, Student Voices, gave attendees the opportunity to hear from today’s students about the unique challenges of minority students as they pursue postsecondary education.
Learn more about the MSI Models of Success Project and the results.