Spring 2023 Grantee Voices from the Field Newsletter

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US Department of Education Office of Post Secondary Education

Grantee Voices From the Field

Spring 2023 Newsletter

A Message From Office Postsecondary Education Assistant Secretary Nassar Paydar

Nasser Paydar (center in blue) appears with Emergency Response Unit Team to celebrate OPE’s accomplishments.

It is an honor to be part of both the current administration and the Office of Postsecondary Education. I wanted to reflect on some of the great work that we’ve done over the past two years and share my excitement for the work to come.

We have awarded over $76 billion in Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants thanks to the great work of the Emergency Response Unit. Since joining the Department, I’ve had many college presidents reach out to share their gratitude for these funds in keeping their costs down and students enrolled.

We also launched our first Postsecondary Student Success Grant — a $5 million investment in data-driven and evidence-based reforms for college retention and completion. These funds were awarded to historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, and community colleges. We allowed grantees to use HEERFs for construction, supporting a critical investment in their infrastructure that has long been underfunded.

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced student debt relief and continues to fight for working- and middle-class families as they recover from the pandemic. Over 360,000 public servants had their loans completely forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. And we brought another 1.1 million borrowers closer to forgiveness.

We’ve also made changes to income-driven repayment to provide more manageable payments for borrowers. And through negotiated rulemaking, we are working on such priorities as closing the 90/10 rule, to protect our nation’s veterans. The 90-10 rule refers to a U.S. regulation that governs for-profit higher education. It caps the percentage of revenue that a proprietary school can receive from federal financial aid sources at 90%; the other 10% of revenue must come from alternative sources.

These are just some of the many accomplishments from the Office of Postsecondary Education and the Department during the first two years of this administration. I hope all our grantees take a moment to pause and reflect on the work you all have accomplished for students and institutions. None of these improvements would have happened without the incredible dedication of the grantee community!

Secretary Cardona Updates- Raise the Bar to Lead the World

Secretary Cardona meets with National Parent Teacher Association Executive Director Nathan Monell to discuss the "Raise the Bar" initative.

Watch Secretary Cardona discuss the importance of bilingual education, teacher pay, and engaging students through virtual opportunities as he discusses the initiative "Raise the Bar: Lead the World."

Watch Secretary the Miguel Cardona discuss Raise the Bar on Youtube.

Secretary Cardona Opens American Indian Higher Education Consortium Legislative Conference

AIHEC leaders present Secretary Cardona with a commemorative gift.

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium held its annual legislative conference in 2023. Secretary Cardona gave opening remarks and shared his commitment to eliminate barriers for American Indians in accessing higher education.

The conference program actively engaged participants in policy conversations, explored best practices, and forged new partnerships to strengthen our institutions.

Secretary Miguel Cardona giving opening remarks at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium legislative conference emphasizing U.S. Department of Education’s commitment to higher education for American Indian students.

Participants convened in Washington, D.C. in February 2023 to discuss legislative priorities.

Learn more about OPE programs providing equitable access for higher education.

Miami Dade Hispanic-Serving Institution-STEM Program Catapults Students to new Heights With National Aeronautic Space Association

Submission by Logan Saucer, student transfer manager in the STEM Legacy Program and adjunct faculty member — STEM Legacy Program, Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus

The Hispanic Serving Institution - funded STEM Legacy program at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus celebrated National STEM Day on November 8, 2022, with a field trip to the Kennedy Space Center.

Students listened to a presentation from astronaut Terry Wilcutt about his three missions during the space shuttle program. A student named Kiara asked, "In space, when you close your eyes, do you have any sense of direction?" Mr. Wilcutt’s answer was "No!"

Students had the opportunity to observe a historic moment: the Space Launch System (Artemis I) on Launch Pad 39B, in preparation for a launch attempt on Nov. 16, 2022, to mark the U.S.’ return to the moon.

Miami Dade mechanical engineering students shared appreciation for the OPE grant program HSI STEM that funded the event. One student shared, "It was an amazing experience that brought up a lot of emotions … thank you so much for working with me and helping me attend."

Learn more about Hispanic Serving Institutions STEM grants

IFLE Program Manager, Cory Neal Featured on NPR's Grow Global Podcast

NPR interviews IFLE program manager Cory Neal to discuss Fulbright-Hays programs.

Submission by Cory Neal and Gary Thomas, International Foreign Language Education (IFLE) program specialists

The IFLE program office is pleased to announce that Fulbright-Hays program manager Cory Neal was featured on National Public Radio’s (NPR) "Grow Global Podcast" where he discussed the importance of cultural and language learning. Neal highlighted the pivotal role Fulbright-Hays programs play in strengthening the capacity and performance of American education in foreign languages, cultural understanding, international studies, and research.

Bronx Institute GEAR UP Students Thrive With Arts at Bronx Lehman College Art Gallery

Submission by Herminio Martínez, Ph.D., Bronx GEAR UP THRIVES (BGUT)

The GEAR UP-funded program at Bronx GEAR UP THRIVES (BGUT), New York City has partnered with the Lehman College Art Gallery, an on-campus gallery serving the students, faculty, and the community. BGUT students can now participate in hands-on afterschool art classes to facilitate social and emotional learning.

The curriculum, developed by the Lehman College Art Gallery, is related to Bronx after- school classes in the fall and the spring and aligns with the humanities block in the summer program to facilitate social and emotional learning resources for GEAR UP students.

Pennsylvania State University Talent Search Program Launches #IamTrio Campaign to Profile diversity

The #IamTRIO social media campaign features a variety of TRIO students to encourage participation.

Submission by Autumn Lusk, M.Ed. Penn State Talent Search, and Dr. Nicole Josemans, Department Program Analyst for Talent Search

Penn State Talent Search launched a Twitter campaign called #IAmTRIO to recruit and recognize the variety of students impacted by the TRIO Talent Search program. The social media campaign has transformed into a platform that showcases student stories and experiences.

Penn State praises the #IAMTRIO social media campaign as an effective strategy to recruit students.

#IAmTRIO weaves a deep, intricate, and engaging narrative that dispels the misconception that all students in TRIO programs have similar backgrounds, circumstances, or demographics.

Talent Search Program Coordinator, Becky Gross echoed this sentiment, saying, "Having our programs active on Facebook and LinkedIn has really expanded our reach and engagement in our community and beyond with parents, adults, and alumni. It is especially the past program participants who are continuously looking for ways to engage with our program online and in-person."

Penn State Talent Search celebrates TRIO Day in February 2023.

Counselors are now able to showcase people that potential participants can identify commonalities with so that Talent Search can be recognized as an inclusive space. Counselor Gloria Swanson reflected on the change in recruitment since she started in 2015, "There were years in the past when we were way behind as the school year was finishing up, but now with these tools, it is easier, faster, and more efficient. We can engage in more meaningful conversations with students and their parents, especially the parents, and begin building relationships."

Office of Postsecondary Education Employee Spotlight- Dr. Jeongsoo Kim, Data Coordinator

Dr. Jeongsoo Kim, Data Coordinator for the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), joined us in 2022. Dr. Kim works with the data stewards and professionals within the OPE programs to ensure strong data governance principles. Dr. Kim’s goal for the OPE data community is to continue the trend of a data-centric model of program management through effective data governance. She says this requires a focus on cultural and technical aspects of our work. In her short time, she has organized a formal Data Governance Board to work together towards this vision. Dr. Kim says, "Equity, good data, and serving others primarily drive my purpose in my work at the U.S. Department of Education. I strongly believe in the importance of good data. Accurate data provides evidence and a solid foundation for making informed decisions, solving problems, and achieving goals."

Dr. Kim values integrity and data as key strategies to better understand the impact of OPE programs on postsecondary attainment. Dr. Kim has also practiced these principles outside of the office by teaching a wide range of people, including toddlers, high school students, UC Berkeley undergraduate students, young adults in Ethiopia, and professors in India. Dr. Kim says, "I enjoy teaching and mentoring people of all ages, as I find it rewarding to see the positive impact I make on their lives. Integrity is crucial for building trust and credibility with students, colleagues, and other stakeholders, while innovation drives progress and helps us find new solutions to challenges." OPE is pleased to have Dr. Kim join our team of professionals who continue to strive to improve the data collection and analysis process for better grantee and student outcomes.

OPE Announcements

Share Your Good News with the Grantee Community

Grantee Feedback: Grantee Satisfaction Survey is now live!

The Department launched the annual 2023 Grantee Satisfaction Survey on April 11, 2023 to gather feedback from grantees about their experiences with ED-staff and resources. OPE values the grantee project directors’ feedback and suggestions for improvements when interacting with the Department. Our programs use the feedback you provide in the survey to improve the delivery of services to our grantee community. Contact your OPE program specialist to learn more about the survey. 

OPE Peer Review Opportunities

The Department provides opportunities for individuals to participate in its peer review process, reviewing applications for competitive grant funding. Learn how to become a peer reviewer by reading the Department’s peer review guidelines.

Email photos, stories, updates and other news to OPECOMS@ed.gov.

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