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| Loera |
PULLMAN, Wash. Representatives from Washington State University Pullman’s TRiO programs are in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, where they are learning strategies for making their programs more visible and increasing the number of people advocating for them.
TRiO programs are supported by federal grant money and aim to support disadvantaged and underrepresented students. Such programs at universities across the country have been threatened in recent years and some have been discontinued due to lack of financial support caused by the failing economy.
WSU’s TRiO programs, including Student Support Services, Upward Bound and the McNair Achievement Program, so far have been spared the budget ax and remain strong. But Lucila Loera, assistant vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment, said the threat of budget reductions or program eliminations remains real. By attending the National Association of Educational Opportunity Program’s (NAEOP) regional conference in Coeur d‘ Alene, WSU’s TRiO leaders, along with the directors from WSU’s College Assistance Migrant Program and First Scholars Program, are learning how to be proactive in addressing the situation.
“Given the political and budgetary climate, and the threat to key programs like TRIO, the timing could not be more critical,” she said. Loera is president of the regional NAEOP which advocates for TRiO programs in Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Oregon.
The conference theme Revitalize Your Network: Refine Your Practices and Redesign Your Approach to Educational Accessis designed to help attendees enhance their professional networks with exposure to innovative practices and tools that will improve the quality of services delivered to non-traditional students.
WSU President Elson S. Floyd participated on a President’s Panel Monday morning along with Rodolfo Arévelo, president of Eastern Washington University; Joe Dunlap, president of North Idaho College; and James Gaudino, president of Central Washington University.
Loera said Floyd and the other panelists made it clear that strong advocacy for TRiO programs needs to come from top leadership at higher education institutions. They believe given the demographic mix of students attending colleges and universitiesparticularly in the Northwest, TRiO programs are essential to helping more students succeed and graduate.
Loera said Floyd and the other panelists made it clear that strong advocacy for TRiO programs needs to come from top leadership at higher education institutions. They believe given the demographic mix of students attending colleges and universitiesparticularly in the Northwest, TRiO programs are essential to helping more students succeed and graduate.
Loera also said TRiO leaders are making a concerted effort to reach out to TRiO alumni at the conference. Alumni can be key advocates for the programs at the local, regional and national levels.
“TRiO alumni know better than anybody the impact these programs are having on student success,” Loera said. “They are happy to be engaged in telling their stories and we’re pleased we’ve been able to connect with many WSU alumni at this conference.”
Conference highlights this year include a keynote address by Donna M. Beegle, who speaks, writes, and trains across the nation to advocate for effective communication across poverty barriers. Beegle’s story and work have been featured in newspapers around the nation, on local television, and on national programs such as PBS and CNN.
Participants are also learning how TRiO legislation and regulations impact project recordkeeping, reporting and evaluation, and on the recruitment and retention of Native American students. Other topics include financial aid, service learning, tutoring, providing direct student support, financial literacy, budget management, and utilizing social media.
WSU’s Kristine Attao, director of Student Support Services, and Angie Larkin, a retention counselor in Student Support Services, are co-chairing this year’s conference.
NAEOP provides professional development for over 130 TRiO programs in the Northwest. Nationally TRiO programs support over 850,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilitiesfrom sixth grade through college graduation.
NAEOP provides professional development for over 130 TRiO programs in the Northwest. Nationally TRiO programs support over 850,000 low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilitiesfrom sixth grade through college graduation.
For more information about the NAEOP conference or to see a fuller schedule of events, visit www.naeop-trio.org and click on events and training.
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