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Grant Funding, Activities, and Institutionalization

South became one of the first six recipients in the country, among two-year and four-year institutions, to receive the AANAPISI designation. In October 2008, $2.4 million in grant funding was awarded to South to improve the retention, progression, and graduation of Asian American and Pacific Islander Students (AAPI). This was the first time in US history that legislative intent was used to address issues relative to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) student success. In October 2011, South received a second AANAPISI grant for $2 million across 5 years. South’s AAPI students make up the largest population of students of color at South Seattle College.

In 2011, the AANAPISI designation became officially recognized as a type of Minority Serving Institution (MSI), opening up opportunities to other funding resources for South. South is dedicated to serving its diverse student populations. The AAPI-targeted programs and services developed under the AANAPISI program, which support the college’s mission and college priorities, were (and continue to be) open to all students, and improved the success of all student populations.

In 2021, South received another 5-year AANAPISI grant in the amount of $300,000/year to focus on increasing AA&PI student voices in the classroom and student services.

 

Beyond the Model Minority Myth: Asian/Pacific Islander Success in Higher Education

The focus of South’s first AANAPISI grant was to build South’s capacity to improve the transition, retention, progression, transfer and graduation rates of underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Grant strategies focused on: (1) increasing AAPI English Language Learner (ELL) transitions to college level courses and programs; (2) strengthening AAPI first year experiences; (3) Increasing transition from ESL classes to college courses; (3) Improving AAPI retention, intervention strategies, and outreach; and (4) Developing AAPI transfer pathways to four year colleges and universities.

A partial list of continuing programs developed under this grant include:

  • Transition Portfolios
  • Financial Aid Education
  • Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Study Group
  • VOICES (Vision, Opportunity, Inclusion, Collaboration, Equity and Social Justice) and Lunch & Learn
  • Asian American Pacific Islander Higher Education Resource Center (AAPIHERC)
  • Associate of Arts degree with an API Studies emphasis
  • Talk Story: Mobilizing Pacific Islanders in Higher Education

For a full list of programs developed under the first AANAPISI grant, please see the AANAPISI 2008-2011 Initiatives.

Fulfilling Our Promise to AAPI Students: "Start Here, Go Anywhere"

In October 2011, South was awarded a second AANAPISI development grant. This grant built upon the lessons learned from the first grant in strengthening South’s ability to serve low-income, under-served students with AAPI-targeted strategies. This project focused on providing: (1) services; and (2) creating a culturally responsive learning environment here at South.

The AANAPISI Center is the hub for AANAPISI programming. Our mission:

The AANAPISI Center is a centralized gathering space where Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and other underserved students, receive high quality and culturally-relevant programs and services. The AANAPISI Center exists to collaboratively strengthen and sustain an inclusive campus to foster academic success.

The AANAPISI Center, originally located on the second floor of the Library, was built with the intent to provide structured holistic support for AA&PI students, including culturally-relevant pro-active academic advising and educational planning, mentoring, tutoring, identity, leadership development, and building community. The Center also hosted faculty and staff professional development on understanding, working with, and engaging AA&PI students and connection to the larger AA&PI community.

Other major initiatives include:

  • Online Learner Orientation
  • Cultural Role Models
  • Community Service Learning
  • Financial Literacy, Funding Assistance, and Scholarships
  • South’s Transfer Advocate Program (TAP)
  • Individual Progression Portfolios
  • VOICES (Vision Opportunity Inclusion Collaboration Equity and Social Justice) professional development learning community
  • Engaging in Promising Practices Conference (February 6-7, 2015)
  • Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)

South Seattle College institutionalized the AANAPISI Center and sustained programming and activities that continue to serve the campus and community.

Collaborative initiatives and events include:

2016-17

2018-2021

Increasing AA&PI student voices in the classroom and student services

South received another 5-year AANAPISI grant in the amount of $300,000/year to continue building our college’s capacity to improve the enrollment, satisfaction and engagement, retention, progression, and graduation rates of underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA&PI) students, as well as establishing a method for disaggregating South’s data on AA&PI students. Grant strategies focused on: (1) orientation and onboarding; (2) proactive advising; (3) peer mentoring and tutoring; (4) faculty leadership series for identity-based courses and student services; (5) development of an AA&PI course; and (6) cultural graduation.

A partial list of continuing programs to be developed under this grant include:

  • Development of an interdisciplinary AA&PI identity-based course (Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)
  • A faculty and student services leadership series for identity-based courses and service approach
  • Associate of Arts degree program maps with an AA&PI Studies emphasis
  • Reopening a new AANAPISI Center in a brand new campus location in Robert Smith Building (RSB 12)
  • Re-establish the AA&PI Community Advisory Committee which began in 2007

2021-2022

2022-2023

2023-2024

2024-2025