Attachment A

Federal Highway Administration

Fiscal Year 2006
Annual Federal Performance Report on Executive Agency Actions to Assist
Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Executive Summary

This report outlines strategies that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has implemented to increase the participation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in federally sponsored programs.

The goals and measurable objectives the FHWA sought to achieve during FY 2006 were to:

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

   In view of the FHWA's commitment to ensure greater participation by HBCUs in highway research, development, and technology contracts and grants, some of the activities under this category include the following:

   • Research and Development Grants - The following universities received funds to conduct studies, observations and other activities regarding highway safety issues (i.e., road surfaces, bridges, seat belts).

     College/University	Awarded Funds	College/University	Awarded Funds
     Alabama A&M University	$75,791	Morgan State University	$31,000
     Howard University	$900,000	Prairie View A&M University	$34,190
     Jackson State University	$26,144	Tennessee State University	$276,801
     Langston University	$264,730	Texas Southern University	$255,253
     LeMoyne-Owen College	$295,293	University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff	$346,514
     Meharry Medical College	$144,672

   • Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) - The purpose of the LTAP is to provide the transfer of highway technology and technical assistance to rural and local governments - the following universities received funds for this program:

     College/University	Awarded Funds
     Jackson State University	$170,000
     South Carolina State University	$19,563

2. Increase the number of HBCU students pursuing transportation careers by participating in programs such as the Dwight David Eisenhower Fellowship Program, Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups, Transportation and Civil Engineering Careers Program and maintaining/expanding the number of HBCUs sponsoring a Summer Transportation Institute.

   • Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) - An intermodal, congressionally mandated program originally authorized by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act in 1991, and reauthorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users in 2005. In FY 2006, FHWA awarded 195 Eisenhower Fellowships to graduate and undergraduate students at various colleges and universities to pursue transportation-related education and research opportunities. Of the 195 fellowships, 70 were awarded to students at the HBCUs listed below.

     College/University	Number of Recipients	College/University	Number of Recipients
     Alabama A&M University	2	Philander Smith College	4
     Benedict College	7	Prairie View A&M University	3
     Claflin University	3	Shaw University	2
     Florida A&M University	3	South Carolina State University	7
     Hampton University	3	Southern University A&M University	1
     Howard University	4	Tennessee State University	3
     Jackson State University	3	Texas Southern University	2
     Kentucky State University	4	University of Maryland - Eastern Shore	3
     Morgan State University	4	Virginia State University	5
     North Carolina A&T State University	4	Winston-Salem State University	2

   • Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups (STIPDG) - A National intermodal 10-week internship program that promotes the entry of women, persons with disabilities and members of diverse groups into transportation careers where these groups are underrepresented. The STIPDG provides college students with opportunities to sharpen their research, written, and oral presentation skills, while receiving real-world work experiences, and often times, first introductions, to real transportation work in their majors or fields of study. For FY 2006, the STIPDG included a total of 61 students. Of the 61 internships, 20 were awarded to students at the HBCUs listed below.

     College/University	Number of STIPDG Recipients	College/University	Number of STIPDG Recipients
     Alabama A&M University	2	North Carolina A & T State University	2
     Benedict College	2	South Carolina State University	6
     Florida A&M University	2	Southern University at New Orleans	2
     Jackson State University	2	Texas Southern University	1
     Morehouse College	1

   • Transportation and Civil Engineering Careers (TRAC) Program – This is a hands-on science and math education program. A 54-module computer-based and Internet-accessible "TRAC PAC" is provided to participating high schools and some middle schools. Encourages interest in transportation, engineering, and related disciplines among minorities and women, but is not exclusive.

   Maryland

   • Maryland TRAC Joint Steering Committee – Comprised of Federal, State, private and educational industries - coordinated and participated in the following activities:
     • Solicit additional TRAC schools in the Maryland area;
     • Develop scholarships opportunities for TRAC students;
     • Expand partnerships with private industry firms; and
     • Develop a Web-based tracking system for TRAC schools and students.
   • FHWA Maryland Division Office Civil Rights Specialist and Quality Coordinator, along with representatives from the Maryland State Highway Administration and AASHTO TRAC Program hosted 30 high school students at the Pre-College Workshop during the Annual Black Engineers of the Year Pre-College Fair at the Baltimore Convention Center on February 17, 2006. The workshop provided the students with hands-on-activities with bridge building and problem solving, which are components of the TRAC Program.

   Mississippi

   • Mississippi Division Office will continue to partner with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) in managing the TRAC program.
     • Mississippi is the first State to integrate the TRAC program into the 7th grade career discovery curriculum.
     • TRAC program is currently in 229 schools statewide, an increase from 188 in FY 2005.

   Vermont

   • Vermont DOT TRAC Program provides a vehicle for promoting civil engineering careers in the transportation industry, particularly for women and minorities, by partnering teams of engineers with middle and high school students. The program has been expanded to include seven middle and high schools, including three schools in the greater Burlington area, with the State's most diverse and disadvantaged populations.

   • National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) - This 4 to 5-week program is designed to encourage and motivate youth to pursue transportation careers. Since its inception, more than 6,000 students and 31 HBCUs have participated in the Program. FHWA's Office of Civil Rights continues to extend the borders of opportunity for youth with disabilities to participate in the NSTI - joining the pilot specialized STI at the University of Missouri Kansas City are four new specialized STIs for youth with disabilities at: Claflin University, Rutgers University, University of Vermont and the Milwaukee Area Technical College.

     The following table indicates the number of colleges/universities, name/number of HBCUs and number of students who participated in the program for FY 2006.

     Total Number of Colleges/Universities	50	Total Number of Students	980+
     Number of HBCUs	26	Total Number of Students	540+
     HBCUs - Host Sites
     Alabama A&M University		Langston University
     Albany State University		Lincoln University
     Benedict College		Morgan State University
     Bethune-Cookman College		North Carolina A&T State University
     Cheyney University of Pennsylvania		Prairie View A&M University
     Claflin University		South Carolina State University
     Clark Atlanta University		Southern University A&M University
     Delaware State University		Tennessee State University
     Elizabeth City State University		Texas Southern University
     Hampton University		Tuskegee University
     Howard University		University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff
     Jackson State University		University of Maryland - Eastern Shore
     Kentucky State University		Virginia State University

   • On-the-Job Training Supportive Services (OJT/SS) - The provisions for the program provide annual funding for 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.[1] HBCUs are encouraged to develop proposals to assist minorities and women in developing job readiness skills and support systems, which facilitate acceptance and retention in highway construction trades or related technology fields. In FY 2006, the FHWA awarded $489,550 for OJT/SS projects to the colleges/universities listed below.

     Colleges/Universities	OJT/SS Program	Awarded Funds
     Benedict College	School-to-Work Transitional Program	$40,800
     	School-to-Work Mitigation Program	$2,943
     	School-to-Work Internship Program	$39,199
     LeMoyne-Owen College	Welfare-to-Work Program	$400,000
     South Carolina State University	School-to-Work Transitional Program	$3,886
     	School-to-Work Mitigation Program	$2,722

3. Establish a partnership in every State or Territory where a HBCU is located.

   The goal of the partnerships is to forge better, ongoing relationships with each HBCU. Moreover, since 1991, the FHWA has signed partnership agreements with 28 HBCUs to provide technical assistance, curriculum development, and exchanges of staff and resources. In FY 2006, in an effort to maximize existing resources to enhance the effectiveness of the OJT/SS and the DBE/SS programs, the FHWA Headquarters Office of Civil Rights (HCR) promoted partnerships to deliver both programs together. The HCR encouraged State DOTs to partner with prime contractors, HBCUs, community based organizations, and the DBE community to establish Business Opportunity and Workforce Development (BOWD) Centers - 2-year pilot program.

   The purpose of the BOWD Center is to provide targeted assistance to help develop underutilized DBEs who are ready, willing and able to compete for and perform Federal-aid highway contracts. The Center also serves as a resource to recruit, hire and assist highway contractors (including DBEs) with meeting OJT/SS requirements and developing their workforce. BOWD project director(s) will partner with HBCUs and utilize faculty to teach courses, such as money management and other non-technical skills, as well as provide the use of their facilities. The FHWA has approved funding for BOWD Centers located in the following States: Colorado, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia. The Delaware State University will participate in the BOWD Center sponsored by FHWA with Maryland and Delaware as participating states.

4. Develop other youth initiatives.

   Iowa

   • A Career Fair was held for high school students to learn more about transportation-related careers on April 20, 2006 at the Iowa State Center - Ames, Iowa. Sixty-one students, eight instructors and four parents attended the event.

   Kansas

   • The YWCA of Topeka Career Assistance Network (CAN) program counselor conducted sessions at 10+ high schools. These sessions targeted schools that had a high minority enrollment. The intent was to educate students on the careers available in the highway construction industry and also on the different types of training that can be obtained through the YWCA CAN program.

   Kentucky

   • Kentucky Civil Rights Office placed a Kentucky State University student in the Student Career Experience Program. The student assisted the Civil Rights Program Manager and the Ohio River Bridges DBE Project Manager in the area of civil rights.

   Maryland

   • FHWA's Division Office provided information on FHWA's programs (i.e., STIPDG, Professional Development Program) at Maryland's Annual Construction Career Day Fair on April 25, 2006. Approximately 1,000 high school/college students attended the event.

   Michigan

   • FHWA Division Office participated in the Michigan DOT Career Days Fair – it was 2-day event with over 300 middle/high school students in attendance.

   Mississippi

   • In conjunction with the TRAC program, Roadways Into Developing Elementary Students (RIDES) program was developed by the Mississippi School of Education through a grant from the Mississippi DOT.
     • RIDES was piloted in 15 schools statewide and has expanded from 115 classrooms to 217.
     • The program gives teachers two trunks with manipulative lessons focusing on subjects such as math and science – critical to transportation and civil engineering fields.
   • Mississippi Department of Transportation and the Division Office partner with cities to host a Summer Urban Youth Corps Program which provides not only transportation-related skills training to the students but also training in basic life skills -12 cities participated.

   South Carolina

   • South Carolina Division Office in partnership with South Carolina DOT continues to implement the Youth Corp Program (YCP) – the program is designed to inspire young people to consider transportation as a career choice, while working during summer months - this is a 12-year old program.

   Vermont

   • The VTrans Youth Corps is a youth training, education and paid employment program, that is co-sponsored by VTrans and FHWA, in partnership with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC).  Having completed ten successful seasons, the program annually employs approximately 75 youth, ages 16 - 24, which teams up with non-profits, towns and municipalities to perform work on more than a dozen community-based projects throughout the State, such as maintenance and landscaping on rail trails and bike paths, community recreation areas, and other high visibility transportation enhancement projects. Each crew is recruited and staffed to include women, minorities, disabled and socially and economically disadvantaged youth. Over the course of the 7-week program, Corps members learn valuable and sustainable job skills, and are introduced to the concept of community service and respect for the environment.
   • VTrans continued its participation in the Community Based Learning (CBL) program, a partnership with high schools that provides job shadowing opportunities for students pursuing careers in engineering and transportation maintenance.

FY Annual Performance Awards

In FY 2006, the total funding for awards to HBCUs was $7,930,572, an increase of $355,700 over the total awards funded during FY 2005 - $7,574,872.

Summary

The FHWA HBCU program goals and objectives outlined above were developed to meet the requirement of the Executive Order 13256. Moreover, they support the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program (GAMTTFP). The GAMTTFP is a National education initiative built on partnerships with the transportation and education communities.

Thus far, the FHWA has established partnerships with 28 HBCUs. Specifically, the report overall shows that the FHWA continues to focus on expanding opportunities for HBCUs in three categories -- Partnerships, Human Resources, and Grants and Contracts.

In FY 2006, HBCUs showed an increase of funds over the total funds awarded during FY 2005 for the categories listed below.

The FHWA's Universities and Grants Programs' (U&GP) mission is to attract qualified students to the field of transportation education and research, and advance transportation workforce advancement. The U&GP is responsible for administering the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program. In FY 2006, the U&GP awarded 195 Eisenhower

Fellowships. Of the 195 fellowships awarded, 70 went to students at 9 HBCUs, an increase for this category compared to 60 awarded during FY 2005.

For FY 2006, the amount awarded to the NSTI Program remained the same. However, the number of host sites decreased from 52 to 50. Of the institutions serving as host sites, 27 were HBCUs. FHWA is exploring all options to ensure that the NSTI Program will continue in 2007 and beyond.

Further, in FY 2006, due to budget constraints the overall total funds for the training and student tuition assistance, scholarships and other aid categories decreased as indicated in the table below.

In closing, the FHWA continues to publicize the successes and awards of the Summer Transportation Institutes, Cooperative Education efforts, Fellowships, and other forms of student employment in newsletter, annual reports and its Web site.

[1] Title 23 United States Code provides for annual funding for OJT/SS projects.

Attachment B: FY 2006 Summary of Total Agency Performance Awards by Category

Return to Memorandum - FY 2006 Annual Federal Performance Report on Executive Agency Actions to Assist HBCUs