91直播

The ALTA program is a 15-week, college-readiness program to support Spanish-speaking students in enhancing English proficiency.聽聽

The National Endowment for Humanities awarded 91直播 a grant to fund a humanities-focused bridge program.  

The Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education grant will support the Access Language Through Academics (ALTA) program, an initiative through the Bilingual Undergraduate Studies for Collegiate Advancement (BUSCA) program at La 91直播. According to Joanne Woods, La 91直播鈥檚 BUSCA program director, ALTA will serve as a 15-week college-readiness program for Spanish-speaking students who are seeking entry to La 91直播鈥檚 BUSCA program and who need support enhancing their English proficiency prior to entering the University. 

The NEH grant supports A total of 30 spotlight grants were awarded this year, a value of $1.51 million. 

鈥淏USCA鈥檚 mission is to serve the Hispanic community and to give them the English proficiency they need to make them bilingual professionals,鈥� said Woods.  

The BUSCA program is a four-semester associate of arts degree program at 91直播. Bilingual students are supported by faculty and staff in developing their foundational knowledge, improving their academic and language skills, deepening their intellectual curiosity, and increasing their self-confidence. Classes are offered at night and BUSCA graduates can transfer their credits toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree at La 91直播.  

Woods said ALTA came to be as a means of supporting Spanish-speaking students who need additional assistance prior to entering La 91直播 and the BUSCA program. ALTA is a 15-week program that will strengthen students鈥� English language skills and prepare them to enter BUSCA, if desired. Through the NEH grant, all students can study this fall in ALTA free of charge.  

鈥淓very year we get applications from highly promising students who need more English language proficiency before entering our highly respected and unique BUSCA program,鈥� said Pamela Barnett, Ph.D., School of Arts and Sciences dean. 鈥淲e have never wanted to turn students away, so my colleagues in BUSCA envisioned a new path. More students will be able to earn La 91直播 degrees thanks to the NEH and to the La 91直播 leaders who wrote the grant, Jodi Woods and Vicki Ketz, Ph.D. (Professor of Spanish and Chair of Global Languages, Literatures, and Perspectives).鈥� 

Woods said the goal is to begin ALTA this fall with a cohort of 20 students in the hopes that they will demonstrate the necessary skills to enter the BUSCA Program in the spring. 

鈥淭hese programs provide interested students a path to get an associate degree and then a bachelor’s degree from 91直播,鈥� Woods said.  

鈥擬eg Ryan   

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

This project has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Spotlight on Humanities.