Availability + Affordability: Albany State University (ASU)

Albany State University, an early CMC grantee located in southwestern Georgia, used a robust implementation campaign and partnerships to make quick progress. Like many of the early grantees, necessity and opportunity served as a catalyst for a thoughtfully designed solution to overcome the dual barriers of availability and affordability.

ASU, founded in 1903, is one of 26 public institutions of the University System of Georgia. A majority of ASU students are first generation learners. Approximately 75% of the student body is female, and 97% of students received some form of financial aid. Not surprisingly, the community needs mirror the challenges of the student body. The poverty rate of Albany is almost triple the nation’s. A total of 28 census tracts within a 15-mile radius of the university qualify as eligible anchor communities for ASU under the CMC program. These all have median household incomes below 250% of the poverty threshold. Both the institution and community need:

• Access to higher education in remote communities.
• Improved Internet connectivity and digital inclusion.
• Increased institutional capability to deliver asynchronous and synchronous remote learning, including the enabling and vital IT support.

In response, ASU developed a multifaceted program with a total funding of $2,997,777 and an OMBI FY2023 ANNUAL REPORT Page 33 of 55 implementation timeline from April 2022 to March 2024. The implementation timeline centers on the fulfillment of three goals:

While a recent economic impact study citing that every ASU dollar spent generates an additional 47 cents for the surrounding region’s economy, ASU developed its own economic impact metrics using a logic model of inputs, activities, short-term outcomes, and long-term economic impact (Humphreys 2020). The inputs and activities leverage the talents of peer HBCUs and SMEs through a knowledge sharing partnership. Similarly, collaborations within the local community play a crucial role in driving change, exemplified by partnerships like the one with the Bill Miller Community Center, where ASU offers digital access and programming, as well as the association with a county school where ASU provides digital dual enrollment opportunities for district students. These partnerships serve as essential vehicles for building momentum. All metrics adopted by ASU include short-term outcomes (e.g., expanded broadband Internet access for the community including ASU remote learners) and long-term economic impact (e.g., raising the percentage of households with broadband Internet subscriptions to a rate consistent with the rest of Georgia or 81% of households.)

As ASU's implementation winds down, the university intends to share its experiences through the auspices of a replication manual for other HBCUs, the HBCU Library Alliance, Minority Serving Institutions, regional colleges, and the Georgia Higher Education System, NTIA, and interested parties. ASU will also propagate its experience and impact through education trade conferences. These grantee “Battle Over Barriers” lessons and best practices will help a broader spectrum of minority institutions and communities bridge the digital divide.

Availability + Affordability + Adoption: Mercy College

Mercy College, located in Dobbs Ferry, New York, is a comprehensive, independent, and federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). With campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, as well as an online platform, Mercy College caters to a diverse student body of over 7,000 degree seeking undergraduate and graduate students. Among its many achievements, Mercy College has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA). This anchor institution succeeds as an engine of economic vitality by ensuring that all career education at Mercy is informed by employer needs. Bolstering student and community workforce capacity, and matching these new skill sets with employer needs, has forged a local solution with national implications.

The anchor community surrounding Mercy College is home to many minority groups and contains neighborhoods where median household income ranges from a high of $29,470 (Census Track 36119003600) to a low of $13,097 (Census Track 36005002702). As of 2019, the Bronx, home to many of its students, had the lowest share of households with cable, fiber-optic or DSL (digital subscriber line) broadband (61.3 percent) among the five New York City boroughs. In this context, Mercy College recognizes the urgent need to provide equitable opportunities for education and economic empowerment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercy College experienced broadband access challenges preventing equal access to education. Challenge sparked innovation. To hurdle the triple barriers of availability, affordability, and adoption, Mercy College launched the Connected, Credentialed and Ready (CCAR) initiative. CCAR expands student access to technology, builds digital skills, and expands IT workforce capacity by focusing on three goals:

To achieve these goals, CCAR relies on two key activities. The first activity involves providing equipment and devices, such as laptops and hotspots, to support remote education for low-income students. The second activity centers on implementing an asynchronous digital skills credentialing program. This program enhances digital skills and IT workforce capacity for students and the surrounding community. It does so by addressing workforce needs in areas such as STEM/STEAM, coding, cybersecurity, web design, and other work-based learning programs.

CCAR has already made significant strides towards its objectives. The project team has been established. Partnerships with Coursera (for licensed course content) and four community organizations (to amplify available workforce training opportunities) have been formed. These initial efforts have launched four courses on project management, digital marketing, data analytics/cyber security, and IT support. A Laptop and Hotspot Event Series has successfully provided devices to 78 eligible students with an additional 400 laptops and 100 hotspots on order. By combining their commitment to student success, understanding of community needs, and collaboration with local employers, Mercy College's CCAR initiative aims to connect its students and the surrounding community to a prosperous digital future.