Award to benefit program
Campus Times
February 7, 1997
The University of La Verne is one of six recipients of a 1996 Edison
International Grant for excellence in higher education.
Sixteen independent colleges in Southern California applied and only
six grants were awarded. On Dec. 13, ULV received the largest award, $50,000.
Smaller awards were made to Claremont McKenna, Mount St. Mary's, Occidental,
Pitzer and Pomona Colleges.
Edison International provided the $150,000 in grants to colleges and
universities for "innovative collaborative efforts addressing target
objectives and meeting the needs of the community," according to the
Edison proposal.
Dr. Barbara Jefferson, director of development corporate and foundation
relations at ULV, received the invitation to apply for the grant, and after
reading the criteria, sent a copy to the School of Business and the First
Generation Student Success Program.
Britt Ortiz, director of the First Generation Student Success Program,
wrote a proposal requesting the need for a $50,000 grant towards this program.
The proposal stated that a new program entitled "Summer Assessment
and Family Engagement Initiative" would begin this semester. The program
will target "at risk students" from traditionally under represented
and under served populations: first generation/ high financial need first
year students and their families.
The program consists of Summer Assessment workshops that will serve
to develop effective channels of communication with the families of the
students. At the workshops, students will be awarded an Edison International
Book Award to motivate, support and provide an incentive for excellence.
"The grant enhances the existing family engagement initiative.
ULV received the $50,000 because the proposal was very strong. It met the
criteria in what they [Edison] hoped to accomplish," said Dr. Jefferson.
Edison's target objectives fell under the three categories of education,
economic development and environment, and the funded programs needed to
promote leadership and diversity in one of those areas.