Headquarters Office of Civil Rights

FY 2008
Annual Federal Planned Awards Report
on
Executive Agency
Actions to Assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Table of Contents

Page

I. Executive Summary 1

II. Goals and Measurable Objectives 1

III. Partnerships/Grants and Contracts 3

IV. Human Resources 4

V. FY Annual Plan Total Projected Awards for FY 2008

Appendices

• Minority Institutions of Higher Education Action Plan A1- A2

Federal Highway Administration
Annual Federal Planned Awards Report
on
Executive Agency Actions to Assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities

I. Executive Summary

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is committed to increasing the number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that benefit from Federally-sponsored programs. In support of this effort, this Plan outlines FHWA's goals, objectives, and strategies for FY 2008 HBCUs awards. The Plan was designed to strengthen the implementation of Executive Orders (EOs) in support of HBCUs, which authorizes Federal support to the nation's Minority Institutes of Higher Education (MIHEs).

In order to fully implement the planned awards and ensure its success, a collaborative effort from FHWA's Program Offices and its Divisions is required. Further, several action items from the MIHE Action Plan have been incorporated to assist with executing the goals and objectives indicated within the HBCU annual plan.

II. Goals and Measurable Objectives:

Four major goals, with measurable objectives, have been identified to increase the number of HBCUs participating in FHWA's Federally-sponsored programs.

Goal #1

• Increase the number of highway research, development and technology contracts, grants and cooperative agreements awarded to HBCUs.

  • Measurable Objective: FHWA will assist HBCUs in strengthening their research capabilities by providing research opportunities that will enable them to enhance their capacity in attracting research dollars (i.e., bidding on research and technology contracts, grants and cooperative agreements), recruiting top notch students and strengthening the institutions' standing.

Goal #2

• Expand the number of HBCU students pursuing transportation careers.

  • Measurable Objective: FHWA will market its programs (i.e., Dwight David Eisenhower Fellowship Program, Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups (STIPDG), Transportation and Civil Engineering Careers

  (TRAC) Program and the National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program, etc.) at high school and college/university Open House events, HBCUs and Job Fairs, Construction Career Days, community organizations, etc., to encourage students from middle school to post-graduate levels to pursue transportation careers. In addition, FHWA will publicize the successes and awardees of its programs in the FHWA newsletter, conferences and leadership meetings and to students at job fairs, etc.

Goal #3

• Increase the number of States participating in the NSTI Program.

  • Measurable Objective: FHWA will market the NSTI Program to the State Departments of Transportation (STA) via its Divisions. Division Civil Rights staff will promote the Program's benefits, successes and best practices to STAs but also visit local schools to create awareness and stimulate interest in secondary school students to take full advantage of the opportunities that exist in the transportation industry.

Goal #4

• Broaden and promote partnerships with HBCU partners and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.

  • Measurable Objective: While maintaining good working relationships with its existing HBCU partners and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, FHWA will undertake special efforts to assist HBCUs in devising strategies and solutions to increase the rate of minority college students interested in pursuing transportation industry careers as well as increasing the capacity of MIHEs to participate in Federal programs.

The FHWA will also continue to focus on the following three categories to expand opportunities for HBCUs:

1. Capacity Building;
2. Human Resources; and
3. Grants and Contracts.

As noted above, the FHWA also plans to implement a MIHE Action Plan to strengthen the participation of HBCUs and other MIHEs in its Federally-sponsored programs.

III. Partnerships/Grants and Contracts

In FY 2008, the FHWA plans to continue establishing partnership agreements with HBCUs to ensure greater participation of these educational institutions in highway research, development, and technology contracts and grants. Through partnership agreements, HBCUs are provided technical assistance, curriculum development, exchange of staff and resources.

Some of the planned major programs include the following:

• Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) provides the transfer of highway technology and technical assistance to rural and local governments. The LTAP centers conduct a variety of activities that include a communication center that links local highway agencies, tribal governments, States, universities, and the Federal government.
• Entrepreneurial Development Institute (EDI) provides training and technical assistance to disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) firms to enhance their capability to obtain highway construction and related contracts. Some training and technical assistance topics include: small business management; computerized budgeting and payroll; construction estimating and bidding; and business plan development.
• On-the-Job Training/Supportive Services (OJT/SS) and DBE/Supportive Services (DBE/SS) Programs arepre-apprenticeship programs and through partnerships between State governments and the construction industry, provides annual funding for DBE/SS and OJT/SS projects with innovative approaches and nationwide implications to support employment opportunities for people moving from welfare-to-work, women and minorities in fields of highway construction and transportation technology.
• Business Opportunity and Workforce Development (BOWD) Center Program is to provide targeted assistance to underutilized DBEs who are ready, willing and able to compete for and perform Federal-aid highway contracts. The BOWD Center also serves as a resource to recruit, hire and assist highway contractors (including DBEs) with meeting OJT requirements and developing their workforce.

In August 2006, the FHWA Headquarters Office of Civil Rights (HCR) began promoting partnerships to deliver both the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Supportive Services and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Supportive Services (DBE) programs in an effort to maximize the programs' resources and effectiveness. For this initiative, the HCR encouraged State Departments of Transportation recipients to partner with prime contractors, MIHEs, community-based organizations and the DBE community on a two-year pilot basis to establish Business Opportunity and Workforce Development (BOWD) Centers.

Of the 12 States currently funded, five have partnered with a HBCU as indicated in Table 1, below. The overall goal is to have 15 States participating in the program and establishing partnerships that will sustain the BOWD Center beyond the two-year period.

Table 1 – Currently Funded States and HBCU Partners

IV. Human Resources

The FHWA also addresses the need of strengthening HBCUs through Human Resources. This effort involves the funding of scholarships, fellowships and other related activities to HBCU students to pursue transportation-related careers. Fellowships are awarded to HBCU faculty to increase their understanding of the Federal and Federal-aid programs.

The major activities under this category are as follows:

• Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) awards fellowships to qualified students at various colleges and universities pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines. This program advances transportation education, research and workforce development and encompasses all modes of transportation. In

FY 2008, the FHWA plans to award a total of $1.6 million in fellowship funding to students at all IHEs, of which $360,000 is planned to be awarded to students attending HBCUs.

• National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program is a 4 to 5-week program designed to encourage and motivate youth to pursue transportation-related careers. The students actively participate in a series of academic and practical experiences. The HCR plans to continue extending the boarders of opportunity for youth with disabilities to participate in the NSTI program.

There are currently five specialized STIs, of which one is a HBCU: University of Missouri – Kansas City; Claflin University (HBCU); Rutgers University; University of Vermont; and Milwaukee Area Technical College. In FY 2008, the FHWA plans to increase the number of students participating and HBCUs serving as host site while maintaining its sponsorship of all the current educational institutes.

V. FY Annual Plan Total Projected Awards for FY 2008

Six of the 11 categories, as noted in Part I., Section B of this report, receive funding from the FHWA. This is an estimated decrease of $4,020,894 of the $8,348,866 planned awards to HBCUs as reported in FY 2007. The estimated decrease is due in part to a decrease in 1) funding levels and 2) the number of research and development projects. In Table 2, is a breakdown by category of the projected award(s) from FHWA to HBCUs totals $4,327,972.

Table 2 – Category Funding Breakdown

In FY 2008, the FHWA Headquarters Office of Civil Rights plans to award $2,303,638 to the colleges/universities listed in Table 3, as noted below.

Table 3 – FHWA FY 2008 Awards to HBCUs (Category 3 – Training and Category 6 – Student Tuition, Scholarships and Other Aid)