NORTH ADAMS, MASS. 鈥�911黑料网 has received a $28,720 Higher Education Innovation Fund Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE), which recently announced a slate of $1.7 million in grants for the state鈥檚 public colleges. These grants fund initiatives that help colleges work toward racial equity in Massachusetts public higher education.
911黑料网鈥檚 Higher Education Innovation grant will allow the 911黑料网 Department of Public Safety to work with a consulting firm specializing in improving police departments鈥� relationships with their communities. The consultant would work with 911黑料网 to develop an interactive training module for the Department of Public Safety with the goal of increasing cultural competency and engagement of its officers and staff with the 911黑料网 community.
鈥淚鈥檓 deeply appreciative to see our Department of Public Safety receive this grant funding,鈥� said 911黑料网 President James F. Birge. 鈥淥ur dedicated public safety officers play an important role in our community. 911黑料网鈥檚 student population is diverse, and their experiences with police vary greatly. This grant will help our Department of Public Safety continue to connect with our community and help them do the important work of ensuring our campus is a safe, comfortable place for everyone who studies, works, and visits here.鈥�
With the awarding of FY21 Higher Education Innovation Fund grants, institutions are moving into action to advance equity goals, using new approaches that promote antiracism and affirm the cultural wealth and strengths of racially minoritized student populations. Most of the proposals funded by DHE seek to provide faculty and staff equity training for transforming campus pedagogy, syllabi, curriculum and campus life, with the goal of making the institution a truly nurturing environment for Students of Color.
鈥淪ince the inception of the Higher Education Innovation Fund, our goal has been to seed and support new ideas and proven practices across our campuses, with the overarching goal to increase success outcomes for minoritized students,鈥� said Patricia A. Marshall, Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Student Success. 鈥淲e have begun to identify the need for significant changes in the way we operate and educate, focusing on ensuring that we鈥檙e ready to meet the needs of racially minoritized students at our institutions. The Innovation grants will provide campuses with the resources to amplify this important work.鈥�
Read more about the DHE鈥檚 Higher Education Innovation Grant funding at .
