San Francisco State University recently announced a five-year, $1.5 million program designed to assist low-income AAPI students funded by federal government.
The goals of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Retention and Education (ASPIRE) program are to increase graduation and retention rates while improving the educational environment for AAPI students, according to San Francisco News.
The grant for the ASPIRE program has been funded by the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, a sector of the U.S Department of Education.
Grace Yoo, professor and chair of Asian American studies at SF State, will lead the program alongside Luoluo Hong, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, according to the university.
Yoo said that the program will “focus on addressing disadvantaged individuals’ needs in a number of key areas: academic barriers, non-cognitive skill gaps, financial pressures, learning disabilities and mental health challenges.”
The program was mainly designed for students with the greatest need of support, such as Cambodians, Laotians, Vietnamese, first-generation students, low-income individuals and students with learning disabilities, Yoo said.
“This project evolved from a need that Asian American Studies faculty found within the classroom. Since its founding in 1969, the College of Ethnic Studies has traditionally been a safe haven for students of color. Students have felt support within the college here,” Yoo said in the statement. “Faculty and staff in general understand that their mission is to support students in their retention and graduation from SF State.”
Currently, out of the 30,256 students enrolled at the university, 32.4 percent are Asian American and 0.5 percent are Pacific Islanders, making them the ethnic group with a combined highest percentage of students on campus, according to the 2016 SF State University demographics report.
Furthermore, Yoo also noted that half of all first-year students need remediation in math or English.
“This initiative is a real opportunity for targeted support,” Yoo said.
