$4.35 million STEM grant awarded to Coastal Bend College

Coastal Bend College, a Hispanic Serving Institution, was recently notified by the U.S. Department of Education of a grant award of $4.35 million dollars. The Title III funds, earmarked for HSI Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs, will be disbursed over a five-year period.

 “This grant allows us to offer some additional student services, including science tutoring, laptops for science classrooms, and more 2+2 degree plans for university-bound science majors,” said CBC Director of HSI STEM Grant Alma Adamez.

 CBC’s projected goals for the funds are to increase student attainment by:

• Modernizing physical and virtual learning spaces;
• Increasing passing rates in eight science gatekeeper courses and three math courses for STEM majors;
• Providing case management to increase retention;
• Expanding transfer agreements with state universities for STEM majors;
• Working with area universities to increase interest in STEM careers;
• Tracking science majors from through Coastal Bend College and on to university through degree attainment; and
• Expanding course offerings in the sciences including General Biology for Majors I and II, developed by university faculty.

 The college will get $870,000 per year through October 2016.

 CBC is a Minority Serving Institution according to the U.S. Dept. of Ed. CBC’s continued affiliation with Achieving the Dream has strengthened the capacity to make data-driven decisions by training staff and faculty to review best practices, take snapshots of current processes, survey stakeholders for input, and review internal and external data. 

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