AANAPISI - FAQ & Grant History

FAQ

1. Who can be part of the program? This program is primarily geared towards ESL 970 students and provides academic and counseling support; however, our program is designed to support all students at Mission College, especially those interested in exploring the contemporary Asian American and Pacific Islander experience in higher education.
2. What's the membership cost? This program is free for everyone!!
3. Is there financial aid offered by AANAPISI? There is no financial aid or scholarships offered by AANAPISI. But we can help you apply and complete a financial aid application, as well as to search for scholarships, write resumes, and personal statements.
4. What if I need help with my homework? We can refer you to the tutoring center. We also help to organize study groups where students can exchange ideas and learn from each other.

History

Situated in the heart of Northern California's Silicon Valley, Mission College's enrollment consistently approaches 50% Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI). Despite the campus's large proportion of AAPI students, many face numerous obstacles to postsecondary success and enter college with significant needs for additional academic support. On average, 54% of all Financial Aid monies are awarded to AAPI students. Furthermore, most AAPI students were assessed into pre-collegiate-level courses with very high numbers enrolled in ESL. This contradicts the widely held notion of the "model minority myth" in which all Asian American and Pacific Islander ethnic groups are financially stable and well-educated. In an effort to increase its capacity to better serve Mission College's AAPI population, a joint collaboration has been made between the Office of the President, Office of Instruction, Office of Student Support Services, and the Office of Research, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness to identify best practices and address overall institutional improvements.

After Mission College was designated as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, it was awarded the highly competitive federal Title III AANAPISI Part A grant. This grant is designed to bridge AAPI student success gaps and targets those in the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) course sequence to transition successfully to college-level English. Part A activities include improving ESL curriculum and ESL student transitions to college programs, strengthening academic and student support services for AAPI students, and strengthening institutional research capacity to collect critical AAPI student data.

The following year, Mission College submitted another grant application and was awarded the federal Title III AANAPISI Part F grant in October 2011. This grant will implement strategies to overcome the documented institutional weaknesses and deficiencies presenting obstacles to success of AAPI students transferring to four-year colleges/universities especially in Science, Technology, Education, and Math (STEM) majors. Such strategies include addressing barriers AAPI students face in Developmental Math Courses and High Risk Transfer Courses, implementing best practice learning cohort models, improving student engagement in their learning, STEM-focused initiatives, and new strategies for faculty development.

Again, while the grant focuses on developing strategies that are culturally relevant to Asian American and Pacific Islander students, these resources are available to ALL students and will promote success and retention of ALL Mission College students.