Project Title:
DC Connection: Building Broadband and IT Capacity
Funding Program:
Connecting Minority Communities Program
Project Purpose/Type:
Dominican College of Blauvelt (DC)’s Connection Program aims to provide access to reliable technology and stable internet on campus and within campus buildings, update learning systems, and improve student technology to support technological fluency and student success in the classroom and in professional pursuits.
City/Town/Service Area:
State(s):
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$1,979,985.00Funding Amount$1,979,985.00Total Project Cost0.00Non-Federal Cost Share
The DC Connection Program will: (1) Expand internet access on campus by adding more wireless access points in various locations across campus; (2) Provide subsidize broadband access and equipment such as hotspot access equipment, Wi-Fi extenders, and headphones to be lent to DC students for long-term use; (3) Hire two additional IT staff members to support training materials and to ensure that students are able to leverage technological resources toward achieving academic success and that faculty and staff are best positioned to use technological resources to support the student experience and are able to identify potential academic and social issues; and (4) Purchase video cameras and podcasting equipment that can be used to facilitate experiential learning with technology in several different classrooms on campus and enhance remote learning to improve digital skills and IT workforce capacity.
As a result of implementing the activities, students will report fewer problems with access to technology or the internet, and students accessing support services will increase. Faculty members will demonstrate substantial increases in confidence in the use of technology in the classroom and for administrative/reporting functions and will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of system use for student success. Finally, there will be an increase in the number of students who will demonstrate basic digital fluency.
The DC Connection Program project will help all DC students, and especially low-income students who may not have the resources to successfully navigate academic and professional work in a post-pandemic world or to succeed in remote learning environments. This project will also benefit the larger local, regional, and national communities in Orangeburg, New York. This project will position graduates to better succeed in their chosen fields by providing a stronger background in the use of technology toward accomplishing professional goals and objectives. Those benefits will likely be passed on to the populations served by DC graduates in Orangeburg.
The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.
The applicant does not fund a consortia. The applicant’s activities do not occur in the surrounding anchor communities.