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Research Paper Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the 2007 Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups By: Kertisha L. Dixon Wednesday August 8, 2007 From the United States
Department of Transportation- Under the Instruction of Mr. Frederick D. Isler The Associate Administrator for Civil Rights 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups U.S. DOT STIPDG TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction………………………………………………………………………Section I Background……………………………………………………………………….Section II Goals of Student Research/The Goals of the FHWA………………..……........Section III Methodology and Procedures…………………………………………………….Section IV Findings ………………………………………………………………………......Section V Discussion and Conclusion ……………………………………………………..Section VI Works Cited Page……………………………………………………………….Section VII Section I. IntroductionMinority Intuitions of Higher Education are also known as MIHEs. They are Broken down into four main components; Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Serving Institutions, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Institutions. The Executive Orders are what link MIHEs to the Federal Highway Administration and to the Federal Government as a whole. The key objectives of this research paper are to; present a through understanding of MIHEs, present a full background of MIHEs as well as the Executive Orders and how they came into existence and how they connect MIHEs to the Federal Highway Administration, and to present key information that can be possibly used by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Agencies as a whole to increase the success rate of partnerships between the Federal Highway Administration and other Federal Agencies. Section II. BackgroundWhat are Minority Institutions of Higher Education? As discussed in the aforementioned section, MIHEs are intuitions that serve the educational needs of a broad base of minorities and they are broken down into four main categories: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Serving Institutions, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Institutions. To thoroughly understand these terms and their meanings it is necessary to break them down on an individual basis. I will begin with the definition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCUs as they are also referred to, are defined as "postsecondary institutions that were established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans. HBCUs enroll 14 percent of all African American students in higher education, although they constitute only three percent of America's 4,084 institutions of higher education. HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents. These institutions matriculate approximately 24 percent of all African American students enrolled in four-year colleges, award masters degrees and first-professional degrees to about one in six African American men and women, and award 24 percent of all baccalaureate degrees earned by African Americans nationwide. The majority of the 105 HBCUs are located in the Southeastern states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. They include 40 public four-year, 11 public two-year, 49 private four-year, and five private two-year institutions.” (The Department of Education: The Executive Orders) Next, Hispanic Serving Institutions are defined as "accredited and degree-granting public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education with at least 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment. It should be noted that Title V of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended in 1998--which authorizes a federal Hispanic-Serving Institutions program--applies additional criteria for specific program eligibility. To meet the Title V definition of an HSI, an institution of higher education must also have a high enrollment of needy students, low educational and general expenditures, and 25 percent or more undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment, where 50 percent of Hispanic students are low-income." (The Department of Education: The Executive Orders) Next, there are Tribal Colleges and Universities which are defined as "those institutions cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note), any other institution that qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and Dine' College, authorized in the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978, Public Law 95-471, title II (25 U.S.C. 640a note)." (Executive Order 13270) Finally, institutions that serve Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are defined as "institutions of higher education that, at the time of application for grants, have an enrollment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander undergraduate students that are 10 percent or higher of its population." (The Department of Education: The Executive Orders) According to the United States Department of Education, "In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12232, which established a federal program "... to overcome the effects of discriminatory treatment and to strengthen and expand the capacity of historically black colleges and universities to provide quality education." In 1981, President Reagan, under Executive Order 12320, established the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which expanded the previous program and set into motion a government-wide effort to strengthen our nation's HBCUs. In 1989, President George Bush signed Executive Order 12677. This Executive Order established a Presidential Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to advise the President and the Secretary of Education on methods, programs, and strategies to strengthen these valued institutions. In 1993, President William Jefferson Clinton signed Executive Order 12876. This Executive Order required that a senior level executive in each agency have oversight in implementing the Order; and that the Office of Management and Budget be involved in monitoring implementation of the Order. On February 12, 2002, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13256. This Executive Order transferred the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to the Office of the Secretary within the U.S. Department of Education." From the Executive Orders, the White House established several educational initiatives that directed the Executive Branches and Federal Agencies to identify and implement programs that would increase the participation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities in FHWAs in Federal and Federally Sponsored Programs. These MIHEs are mandated by the following Presidential Executive Orders (EO):
These Executive Orders are necessary to ensure that all MIHEs have full participation and opportunity in programs offered by the Federal Government and Federal Agencies as a whole. Prior to the establishment of the Executive Orders, MIHE's were not granted fair and equal participation in programs offered by the Federal Government. For example, According to Census 2000 Brief--The Black Population: 2000, Bureau of the Census "Congress explicitly authorized funding for HBCUs in 1965, in part, based on a finding that States and the Federal Government discriminated against Black institutions in the allocation of land and financial resources under the Morrill Act of 1862. Congress also found that the Black institutions had been discriminated against in the award of grants and contracts under the Higher Education Act and other Federal programs that benefit institutions of higher education and that the current state of Black colleges and universities is partly attributable to these discriminatory actions. While African Americans continue to lag behind their White cohorts in overall education attainment, HBCUs have contributed significantly to the effort to attain equal opportunity through postsecondary education for Black, low-income and educationally disadvantaged Americans. According to NCES statistics, in 2003, the immediate enrollment in college after graduating from high school was almost nine percentage points lower for Black students (57.5%) than for white students (66.2%). Also, in 2003, full time degree-seeking black undergraduate students graduated from four-year institutions within six years at a rate that was 18.8 percentage points lower (38.5%) than the percentage for comparable white students (57.3%). In 2001-2002, African Americans earned only 9% of the bachelor's degrees, 8.4% of the master's degrees, and 5.4% of PhDs awarded in the United States , though African Americans comprise 13% of the population. Policymakers, researchers, and educators agree that Blacks are underrepresented in several academic disciplines, and are less likely to receive professional degrees in the sciences and related technology fields, and visual and performing arts.” (Census 2000). It is because of the Executive Orders that programs such as the Summer Transportation Internship for Diverse Groups exist because prior to them programs such as this were virtually non-existent. Today, all agencies that receive federal funding are required to be in accordance with Executive Orders. Federal Agencies indicate compliance and accountability by the following actions: (a) establish an annual goal for funds to be awarded to the Minority Institutions of Higher Education (MIHEs) and to provide technical assistance to MIHEs regarding the program activities of the agency; (b) submit annual planned awards and performance awards reports to the Secretary of Education containing data on its plans/accomplishments to increase the participation of MIHEs in Federal and Federally Sponsored Programs; and ( c) submit data on all outreach efforts directed towards the Hispanic, Native American and Alaska Native communities (i.e. promoting and encouraging the development of language, culture, traditions, and educational efforts directed toward early childhood development, elementary, and secondary students). In 1991, the Federal Highway Administration’s Historically Black College and Universities and Other Minority Institutions of Higher Education Task Force recommended the establishment of partnerships to increase the participation of those institutions in the Agency’s Federal and Federal-aid highway programs. The partnerships were required to have, at a minimum, the active participation of an FHWA Division Office, a State Department of Transportation and a college or university. In response to the recommendation, the FHWA South Carolina Division Office, the South Carolina Department of Transportation and South Carolina State University developed a transportation career education initiative entitled "Summer Transportation Institute" (STI). The Summer Transportation Institutes were established to introduce high school students to transportation systems, innovations in transportation, management of transportation systems, construction skills, research and technology. The program was designed to create awareness and stimulate interest in transportation careers, particularly among students entering minority colleges and universities. Participating colleges and universities hosted the institutes and provided housing and instructors for each session. The Federal Highway Administration and the South Carolina Department of Transportation managed the program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The first summer transportation Institute (STI) was established in 1992 at South Carolina State University with an enrollment of 20 students. After the tremendous success of the first STI on the SCSU campus in 1992, other FHWA Division Offices, State Department of Transportation, Colleges and Universities expressed interest in, and established STIs. After a six-year pilot program, "Congress in the Transportation Equity Act" for the 21st Century authorized funding for the first transportation career education program for secondary school youth entitled "National Summer Transportation Institute" (NSTI). The United States Department of Transportation (Federal Highway Administration) educational initiative addressed a crucial workforce need for the transportation industry. The DOT believed that this was a great opportunity to prepare youth for future transportation careers especially since a number of transportation employees were eligible or would soon retire. Through industry partnerships, the NSTI provided transportation career education awareness to secondary school students and encouraged them to consider transportation-related courses of study in their higher education pursuits. The NSTI program component was used to design another national transportation initiative, the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program that was established by Former Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater. Prompted by President Clinton’s strong support for education, Secretary Slater established the program with four objectives: improving students’ math, science and technological skills; strengthening the links between the transportation sector and community colleges, junior colleges, and technical schools; expanding transportation programs at undergraduate and graduate institutions; and easing the transition from school to work in the transportation field. Section III. GoalsThe desired end result of conducting my research was to gain key information that can be possibly used by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Agencies as a whole to increase the success rate of partnerships between the Federal Highway Administration and other Federal Agencies. The Federal Highway Administration-Department of Transportation lists the goals of the partnership between MIHEs and the Federal Highway Administration as those designated to: Increase educational opportunities for under-served populations, merge academic study with practical work experience for students majoring in relevant fields and related disciplines, create a pool of talented students to explore and understand professional practices within DOT through exposure to research and development, technology, administration, and the Federal government environment, provide professional experience for ethnically diverse students and students with disabilities that will enable them to make informed career choices, and create a pool of potential, future employees who have had positive, meaningful work experiences with the Federal government, and consider DOT as a serious career choice. The Federal Highway Administration program objectives for its MIHEs are to increase the participation of HBCUs and other MIHEs in all phases of FHWA Federal and Federal-aid programs with special emphasis on Research and Technology programs. The FHWA Minority Institutions planned and actual activities and outreach efforts also include: (a) Partnerships with HBCUs and other MIHEs; (b) National Summer Transportation Institutes; (c) Summer Transportation Internship for Diverse Groups; (d) Transportation and Technology Academy; (d) Transportation and Civil Engineering Careers; (e) Initiatives under/ or activities involving Hispanic, Native American and Alaska Native Communities; and (f) other youth initiatives. Section IV. Methodology and ProceduresMy research was conducted over the 10 week course of my internship experience through the Summer 2007 Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups. I conducted my research through telephone and face to face interviews with employees of the Federal Highway Administration, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and various Federal Agencies. The interviews consisted of 20-30 minute question sessions with Federal Employees where they were asked a variety of questions to provide me with an increased understanding of their particular agencies participation, successes and areas for improvement regarding MIHE programs. I also used archival data, and internet material from the websites of the Department of Education, the White House, and the Federal Highway Administration. From the compilation of my data I was able to identify common success and failures regarding MIHE programs. This information can be found in my Discussion and Conclusion Section. Section VII. Discussion/ConclusionMy research on this topic matter has reinforced the critical, yet, unique array of opportunities afforded to students who attend MIHEs. My research has shown many barriers that prevent MIHEs and their students from being competitive and successful in obtaining jobs, contracts, and programs from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Agencies as a whole. One, historically MIHE's and their students were granted little to 0% of federal jobs, contracts, and programs prior to the Executive Order 12232 signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. Due to this barrier, MIHEs are still competing to match the financial and technical support of majority institutions that did not face this same barrier. Because of this knowledge, I recommend that Federal Highway Administration and Federal agencies overall allocate funding to ensure that MIHEs have individuals within their institutions that are equipped to write grants for jobs, contracts, and entry into programs as they become available. Secondly, while the Executive Orders have ensured the perpetuity of MIHEs thus far, it is strongly suggested that legislation replace the Executive Ordeders, design programs for MIHE's, and submit annual performance reports regarding these programs targeting MIHE's and their students. This suggestion is made due to various states across the United States that are shifting away from developing Affirmative Action programs and are moving towards developing programs under the large umbrella of the terms "Equal Opportunity Employer." This creates more regression than progression for MIHEs and their students. As a student who attends a MIHE I understand the urgency and dire need to protect these historic resources available to minority students. MIHEs provide far more than an academic education to their students. They provide the opportunity for rare, social, culturally and individual development of minority students. The Federal Highway need not support MIHEs and their students because these students lack the abilities to succeed and need handouts. The Federal Highway Administration should support MIHEs because these Universities contain some of the brightest and most innovative thinkers of the day. However, these institutions have had to face discrimination and barriers that are undeniable. It is due to this that the Federal Highway Administration and all agencies under the Federal Government should continue to invest its time and resources procuring partnerships with MIHEs. Works Cited The Department of Education The United States Department of
Transportation-The Executive Orders Evidence: Section 321 of Title III of the Higher Education Act findings and purposes NCES Digest of Education Statistics, 2003 (Tables 264, 267, and 270) Census 2000 The Black Population: 2000, Bureau of the Census. Minority Institutions of Higher Education Program Publication No. FHWA-HCR-07-019
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A Study of Minority
Institutions for Higher Education and their Partnerships with the Federal Highway
Administration and Federal Agencies