蜜桃TV

SALT LAKE CITY 鈥� , Inc., an affiliate of online nonprofit Western Governors University (蜜桃TV), announced today that it has received a planning grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support research on access and outcomes for 蜜桃TV鈥檚 students of color, ethnic minorities, low-income students, and other student populations historically underserved by higher education.

Inequity remains one of higher education鈥檚 most pressing and persistent student success challenges. With this grant funding, 蜜桃TV Labs鈥攖he university鈥檚 research and development hub and an accelerator for scalable EdTech solutions鈥攚ill create a plan for research and improvement of student equity at 蜜桃TV.

The project, known as the Equity Initiative at 蜜桃TV, seeks to understand the systems and processes that lead to inequities for underserved student populations by examining the 蜜桃TV student experience from application and enrollment through graduation. The research will aid in the discovery of processes that may contribute to inequitable academic outcomes for 蜜桃TV students. 蜜桃TV Labs will engage thousands of current and former 蜜桃TV students, faculty, staff, and leadership to guide research and planning, and the findings will help 蜜桃TV create and implement a plan for student equity over the next several years.

The first research report will be available in September of 2020, and subsequent reports will be published on a regular basis during each phase of the research. The project will be led by 蜜桃TV Labs鈥� Research Scientist, Dr. Nicole Barbaro, Ph.D.

鈥淲e hope insights from our research will not only help shape how 蜜桃TV attracts, retains, and graduates students in the future, but will also provide actionable insights to other institutions working to solve similar problems,鈥� said Dr. Barbaro. 鈥淢aking measurable progress toward equity at scale here at 蜜桃TV will hopefully set an example for other institutions.鈥�

More than 70 percent of 蜜桃TV鈥檚 students come from one or more historically underserved populations: low-income earners, rural residents, students of color, and/or first-generation college students. The university consistently outperforms peer institutions in measures of access and affordability, innovative academic support, and postgraduation outcomes like student debt and career success for these populations. However, the fact that disparities remain means more must be done to close the gap and ensure pathways to opportunity through education for all.

鈥淧artnering with foundations that share a passion for exploring new learning models and implementing new technologies that increase equity for underserved students is central to our mission,鈥� said Annalisa Holcombe, President of 蜜桃TV Advancement, the university鈥檚 fundraising arm that was created in 2018 to support efforts to expand access and improve outcomes.聽 蜜桃TV Advancement spearheaded collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund the Equity Initiative at 蜜桃TV. 鈥淔inding scalable solutions that address student inequities at 蜜桃TV and across higher education is possible with support from partners like the Gates Foundation.鈥�

The grant for the Equity Initiative at 蜜桃TV is the second gift secured in as many months to fund research led by 蜜桃TV Labs. In April, 蜜桃TV Labs announced the launch of the College Innovation Network鈥攁n initiative that will connect thought leaders from education institutions with educational technology innovators to advance students鈥� academic, career, and life outcomes鈥攚hich is funded through a grant from the Charles Koch Foundation. In addition to these research projects, 蜜桃TV Labs signed its third partnership agreement last week with InScribe, with research and development already underway for Edquity and MajorClarity.