The Graduating and Advancing New American Scholars (GANAS) - Career Pathways project is a five-year, $3 million grant, that aims to improve academic and career outcomes for undergraduate students and further advance the campus's capacity to increase racial equity.

As part of its HSI mission to serve growing numbers of Hispanic, first-generation, and low-income students, including transfer students, UCSC is expanding support for students completing their degrees, excelling in the professional workforce, and contributing to multicultural communities. UCSC views cultivating inclusive excellence as its defining challenge and opportunity. As the campus strives to be a racially-just Hispanic-Serving Research Institution, its mission includes eliminating inequitable outcomes in student achievement, sense of belonging, persistence/retention, graduation, and career and other post-baccalaureate opportunities.

The GANAS-Career Pathways project strives to support Latinx, low-income, and underrepresented students by removing barriers that impede their success at UCSC and preparing them for rewarding careers once they graduate. It sets out a comprehensive three-level plan for a) curricular redesign with faculty; b) co-curricular interventions with students; and c) disrupting institutional constraints with equity practices and policies (Hurtado & Alvarado, 2015; Hurtado, 2019). 

The following grant goals were developed to improve students’ academic and career outcomes while building UCSC’s institutional capacity to increase racial equity and eliminate equity disparities.

  • Goal 1: To increase achievement (passing rates) and equity (reducing racial/social disparities) in Calculus
  • Goal 2: To increase achievement (passing rates) and equity (reducing racial/social disparities) in key gateway major courses through co-curricular Supplemental Instruction (SI)
  • Goal 3: To increase career advising, internship opportunities, and financial literacy of Latina/o, low-income, and underrepresented students
  • Goal 4: To build institutional capacity by providing coaching support to academic and student services departments to identify and disrupt barriers in practices and policies that contribute to racial inequity

The UCSC GANAS-Career Pathways Project Budget is $3 million from October 2020 - September 2025.

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Grant Abstract Year 1 Grant Activities Summary Year 2 Grant Activities Summary Year 3 Grant Activities Summary

Grant Initiatives

Following an extensive review of disaggregated student outcomes, campus reports and strategic plans, and relevant research, the following four activities were developed to meet the grant's goals.

  1. Redesigning Calculus in the Life Sciences will implement a comprehensive overhaul of curriculum and pedagogy with active learning and problem-solving sessions and a focus on inclusiveness and equity. This redesigned course sequence will be initially taught by instructors whose refinements will inform the final framework. More faculty will be trained and supported in adopting the framework, which will strengthen consistency and coherence in students’ academic pathways.

  2. Project Supplemental Instruction (SI) and Leadership Program will prepare and assign highly trained SI student leaders to key gateway courses with DFW rates (students making Ds, Fs, or withdrawing) of 20% or higher. SI Leaders will provide small-group sessions to support students with how and what to learn. SI leaders will have professional development, mentoring, and consistent feedback to improve their leadership and impact.

  3. Career Pathways Internship Program and Financial Literacy Coaching Activity will develop year-long career-based internships in a co-curricular cohort experience. Internships will focus on California’s workforce needs across Bio-Tech, Health, Agriculture, Accounting/Finance, Teaching/Education, and STEM. Interns will complete a concurrent Financial Literacy Module and participate in quarterly career advising sessions.

  4. Department and Practitioner Inquiry as a Driver of Change (“Departmental Selfie”) Activity will build departments’ capacities by: a) producing annual reports (Selfies) of disaggregated data that map students’ progress along academic milestones and points of intervention by “outing” racial disparities; b) developing interventions in practices and policies that contribute to inequity; and c) evaluating these interventions to improve departments’ capacities to make positive impacts on equity outcomes.

Anticipated Impact

Specific grant outcomes for student advancement as part of the GANAS Career Pathways project include:

  • Increase passing rates in Math (Calculus) 11A and 11B for Latina/o and EOP/low-income students by 15%
  • Reduce racial/social disparities in passing rates in Math (Calculus) 11A and 11B for Latina/o and EOP/low-income students compared to White students by 15%
  • SI participants will earn grades in courses supported by SI 0.5 grade point higher than those of non-participants
  • Reduce racial/social disparities in passing rates for EOP/non-EOP students by 12% in SI-supported gateway courses (Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, and Biology)
  • 100 students will have been placed in and completed in-demand career internships
  • 8 departments’ racial equity action plans will be developed, implemented, and shared as demonstration sites to incentivize others on campus and beyond to replicate equity-mindedness.

For more information about this grant, please contact Project Director, Lydia Iyeczohua Zendejas at zendejas@ucsc.edu