Page 30 - April Report2022

April Report 2022
Grant Program Committee meeting minutes (8) c. George Washington University
Malcolm welcomed Dr. Maxine Freund, Associate Dean for Research and External Relations for the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University, and Dr. Elisabeth Kutscher, Visiting Assistant Professor with GWU. Both Maxine and Elisabeth appeared before the Committee via Zoom. An application had been circulated requesting $250,000 over 2 years to conduct a 3-phase study of State University System of Florida graduates with disabilities. Notes from a meeting Bea, King and Bobby had with Max, Elisabeth and Development Officer Susan Boerstling in February were circulated as well.
This proposal came to the Committee in March 2020 but was put on hold because of the pandemic. The researchers were asked about their qualifications. Elisabeth has experience following up with graduates of the Viscardi Center, a network of non-profit organizations providing a lifespan of services that educate, employ and empower people with disabilities. Elisabeth also has worked with schools to develop research studies. Max has worked in transition programs for about 35 years. She believes there are supports for students with disabilities in the higher education environment that would be simple to implement. She and Elisabeth believe the research from the study would not only benefit the Foundation, but it would also be helpful to the schools and the graduates.
Max and Elisabeth were asked about the focus groups they are suggesting during the June SUSF meeting. They responded that the focus groups will help them find out how COVID has changed the DRC representatives’ work experience, learn the differences between the campuses and explore how the representatives are collaborating with their colleagues in Career Services. In addition to the representatives, the researchers want to talk to about 40 graduates. Elisabeth said this data set would be too small for a quantitative study but is sufficient for the type of qualitative study they’re planning. Elisabeth and Max must seek Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from GWU. They would like to have the SUSF sign off on it as well. Max and Elisabeth left the meeting.
The Committee had a robust discussion about the trade off between grants that directly benefit students as opposed to funding research. A question came up about the need for the researchers to attend the SUSF meeting. One explanation is that there could be value in establishing working relationships with the school contacts. Also, there might be a disconnect between the services that are available and what the graduates say are available. There was considerable discussion about the IRB process and what it might entail. Also, a suggestion was made to expand the pool of graduates to include students who have not received JSF funding. However, the Committee is most interested in the outcomes of the students in which the Foundation has invested.
The Committee approved, pending IRB approval, a request from George Washington University as presented for $250,000 over 2 years to study post-college outcomes of students with disabilities in the State University System of Florida.
11. Disadvantaged programing a. December convening
David reported that the convening will explore the notions of persistence and grit among economically disadvantaged students. It also will delve into the supports available to these students and why they sometimes need extra help. A potential presenter is Konrad Glogowski, Director of Research and Evaluation for Pathways. Plans are to include a student perspective, possibly from a Nativity Prep graduate who is now on staff there.
b. Operation Jump Start
An application from Operation Jump Start (OJS) and a report from a September 2, 2021 videoconference had been circulated. The application requests $15,000 for one year to support
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