Florida Education Fund Inc

TO PROMOTE GREATER INSTITUTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS

MCKNIGHT DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM:GRADUATION AND RETENTION RATESESTABLISHED IN 1984, THE FLORIDA EDUCATION FUND'S MCKNIGHT DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN AND HISPANIC AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE PH.D. IN HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED, CRUCIAL DISCIPLINES AND FIELDS OF STUDY WHERE AFRICAN AND HISPANIC AMERICANS HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY ENROLLED AND COMPLETED DEGREE PROGRAMS. SOME 1,641 FELLOWSHIPS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO AFRICAN AND HISPANIC AMERICANS PURSUING THE PH.D. DEGREE AND THE PROGRAM ENJOYS AN IMPRESSIVE NEAR 87% RETENTION RATE WHICH INCLUDED 371 MATRICULATING FELLOWS AND 1,061 GRADUATES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)PRESENTLY 69 FELLOWS HAVE ADVANCED TO CANDIDACY. 22 FELLOWS GRADUATED IN 2024. 41 NEW MCKNIGHT FELLOWSHIPS AND 21 DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS WERE AWARDED FOR FALL 2024 TO STUDENTS PURSUING STUDIES AT ONE OF 9 PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. EACH FELLOWSHIP CONSISTS OF TUITION, FEES, AND STIPEND.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITYIN ADDITION, DURING THE 2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR, WE OFFERED OUR FELLOWS OUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS AS WELL AS TRAVEL GRANTS FOR THEM TO ATTEND PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES TO FACILITATE THEIR RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION EFFORTS. PRESENTING PAPERS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES NOT ONLY PROMOTES NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB PLACEMENT, BUT ALSO ALLOWS THE FELLOWS TO RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK ON THEIR RESEARCH PROJECTS. FREQUENTLY, PARTICIPATING IN THESE TYPES OF CONFERENCES MAY ALSO LEAD TO COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES ON IMPORTANT CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH PROJECTS. WE EXPANDED OUR WRITING SUPPORT SERVICES TO INCLUDE NOT ONLY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WRITING WORKSHOPS FOCUSING ON JOURNAL AND MANUSCRIPT PUBLICATIONS, BUT ALSO EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE ON GRANT PROPOSALS, CONFERENCE PAPERS, AND REPORTS. THESE SERVICES ALLOW SCHOLARS TO WORK WITH PROFESSIONAL EDITORS TO HELP IMPROVE WRITING MECHANICS AND CONTEXTUAL ORGANIZATION, AS WELL AS CONNECT STUDENTS TO CONTENT EXPERTS IN SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES.TO REMAIN CONTEMPORARY, WE EXPANDED OUR CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS TO INCLUDE A SERIES OF SPECIAL TOPIC PANEL DISCUSSIONS ON BEST PRACTICES FOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAM PREPARATION AND DISSERTATION DEFENSES AS WELL AS PROVIDE PRESENTATIONS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESS; AND THE IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES ON BOOK AND JOURNAL PUBLICATION PROCESSES.FURTHERMORE, TO ENSURE OUR SCHOLARS TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF AMERICA'S GROWING JOB MARKETS AND TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE EXPOSURE TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, NOT-FOR-PROFIT THINK TANKS, AND PRIVATE SECTOR CORPORATE JOBS, WE EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOB MARKET EXHIBITORS AND RECRUITERS TO MEET OUR SCHOLARS DURING OUR ANNUAL GRADUATE SCHOOL CONFERENCES.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE:ESTABLISHED IN 1985, THE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE (COE'S OR CENTERS) ARE COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES WHOSE MISSION IS TO IDENTIFY AND MOTIVATE HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED MINORITY ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS AND ULTIMATELY INCREASE THE POOL OF THESE STUDENTS MOTIVATED AND QUALIFIED TO ENTER COLLEGE. THIS MISSION INCLUDES A) ASSUMING A MORE PROACTIVE STANCE IN THE EDUCATION OF YOUTH; B) EMPLOYING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GROUP ACHIEVEMENT MODEL FOR DISADVANTAGED ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS; AND C) INCREASING THE POOL OF STUDENTS WHO ARE PREPARED, MOTIVATED AND QUALIFIED TO ENTER HIGHER EDUCATION.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)TEN CENTERS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA HAVE INDUCTED APPROXIMATELY 24,000 HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS INTO THE NATIONAL ACHIEVERS SOCIETY. APPROXIMATELY 21,600 STUDENTS HAVE COMPETED IN THE ANNUAL BRAIN BOWL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITIONS. APPROXIMATELY 12,200 HAVE PARTICIPATED IN SAT PREPARATION AND/OR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING COURSES, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER CAMPS.

MCKNIGHT JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM:THE MCKNIGHT JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM PROMOTES EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH BY UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AND WOMEN. TO IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES OF EARNING TENURE AND PROMOTION, FELLOWS RECEIVE A ONE-YEAR SABBATICAL WITH FULL SALARY AND BENEFITS. DURING THE SABBATICAL, FELLOWS ARE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE IN RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROJECTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THEIR EFFORTS TO SECURE TENURE AND PROMOTION. WHILE THE PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITY PAYS THE FELLOW'S SALARY, THE FEF PAYS THE UNIVERSITY $15,000 TO ASSIST WITH NECESSARY TEACHING REPLACEMENTS AND SUPPORT COSTS. SINCE 1984, THE FEF HAS AWARDED 261 JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS TO AFRICAN AMERICANS, WOMEN, AND OTHER HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THIS INCLUDES FIVE NEW JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS FOR THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. THE MCKNIGHT JUNIOR FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ADVANCES FACULTY DIVERSITY WITHIN FLORIDA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. OF THE 261 FELLOWS AWARDED SINCE 1984, 106 HAVE OBTAINED TENURE OR PROMOTION OR HAVE EARNED DOCTORAL DEGREES.