Supplementary Proposal to include Asian American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) in Existing Minority Serving Institutions Models of Success Project

Clifton Conrad and colleague Marybeth Gasman (University of Pennsylvania) identify and elevate exemplars of student success at minority serving institutions. Recently, USA Funds awarded Conrad, Gasman and their team of researchers with a $275,000 grant to examine Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-serving institutions. The Minority-Serving Institutions Models of Success Project studies retention, learning and degree attainment at three AAPI schools over the next two years. Team members will examine the environments at these colleges and universities, study student success initiatives and institutional data, and research peer and faculty-student relationships. This work builds on research by Conrad and Gasman that dates to a three-year, $1.5 million award in 2011 from the Lumina Foundation for Education, USA Funds and the Kresge Foundation. These funds also support studying "models of success” – especially as they relate to student retention and degree attainment -- at a range of minority serving institutions.