The Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program

Program Purpose
Grants are awarded to Hispanic-Serving Institutions to assist eligible Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education to expand their capacity to serve Hispanic and low income students. Five-year development grants and one-year planning grants may be awarded.
Funds may be used for activities such as the renovation of instructional facilities, faculty development, the purchase of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, funds and administrative management, development and improvement of academic programs, acquisition of equipment to strengthen funds management and academic program, joint use of facilities, academic tutoring, counseling programs, student support services.
NOTE: The Title V Program is NOT a scholarship or fellowship program for individuals or for research. The program is designed to support institutions of higher education that are HSIs.
(http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/HEP/idues/hsi.html for additional details)

In 1999 Boricua College submitted a proposal to the US Department of Education to receive Education Assistance under the Title V. Our grant proposal was reviewed and accepted providing funding to two major activities to be carried out from October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2004.

Activity One: Improving Administrative Management by and Electronic M.I.S.
This activity will be aimed at producing a college-wide integrated managemet of information system to improve the collection of institutional data and enhance decision making. This activity covers the creation on 3 local area networks (LANs) connected through a virtual private network (VPN) in a wide area network (WAN). The three learning Centers located in Brooklyn in Manhattan will be able to communicate in real time, exchanging data and accessing data located in a centralized location in one of the centers. Internet and email capabilities, as well as online to network resources will be provided to staff and faculty members. The total funding, per budget year, provided by Title V Program for this activity is as follows:
1999-2000    $392,750.00
2000-2001    $392,750.00
2001-2002    $135,100.00
2002-2003    $82,549.00
2003-2004    $82,549.00

Activity Two:Using Technology for faculty development And Student Academic Succes
This activity has two component, both involving expansive use of technology. The first is for teaching in the classroom and the second for enhancing the Learning resources System.

The first part of this activity, creating three electronic classrooms and teaching English through computer assisted learning. English tutorials and other resources will be made accessible to the students so that they can enhance their English communication skills. Software and web-based resources from publishers and other sources will be accessible to the students.

The second part of this activity, creating an on-line Library of Instructional Modules will covert the Individualized Instruction modules to a digital format made available to the students in both CD medium as well as online. Students will be able to get access to these learning materials through all internal network locations

The total funding, per budget year, provided by Title V Program for this activity is as follows:
1999-2000    no funding requested
2000-2001    no funding requested
2001-2002    $257,650.00
2002-2003    $173,275.00
2003-2004    $173,275.00

Endowment Fund Building;
Boricua College requested from Title V Program the use of grant monies for the improvement of the institution's endowment fund. The College requested a total of $273,852, 12% of the total requested of $2,125,000.00. The College requested the funds to be made available during the budget years 2002-03 and 2003-04. As required by applicable Federal guidelines on endowment Challenge Grant, the College will raise at least one dollar for every dollar of grant funds requested. The increase in the College's endowment will be used as leverage to raise funds from non-governmental sources. The entire grant, including its endowment monies, will be an indication to the Hispanic and New York Communities that Boricua is a college worthy of financial support. Boricua intends to use 50% of the cumulative income (appreciation, interest and dividends) earned on the investment to help institutionalize the practices and improvements as a result of the project.

Additional Budget Information
Boricua College will also make available institutional funds to carry out the objectives of the title V grant. These institutional funds (per budget year) will be to cover some personnel, fringe benefits, equipment and supplies expenditures as summarized below:
1999-2000    $55,432.00
2000-2001    $55,425.00
2001-2002    $159,712.00
2002-2003    $224,212.00
2003-2004    $226,212.00

Contact person:
Prof. Irving J. Ramírez
VP for Information Technology
(212) 694-1000 ext. 605
iramirez@boricuacollege.edu