| NEWS RELEASE |
|
Office of External Communications |
Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199 |
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Marisa Ramirez |
|
A FINALIST FOR PRESTIGIOUS STAR AWARD State’s Award Recognizes Efforts to Close the Gaps in Higher Education HOUSTON, September 29, 2005—The University of Houston Center
for Mexican American Studies (CMAS) has been named a finalist for
the prestigious Star Award by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board. The Star Award was established to recognize exemplary contributions toward closing educational gaps, and supports the state’s “Closing the Gaps by 2015” higher education plan. “The Star Award is a special honor and tribute to the people on our college campuses who have the foresight, knowledge and skill to build and administer these successful efforts,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund A. Paredes. The Center for Mexican American Studies was established in 1972 and encompasses the humanities, fine arts, communications, education and social sciences. Located within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, CMAS has evolved into an academic unit with four components: teaching, research and publications, recruitment and retention, and community service. CMAS also includes a program, Academic Achievers, which mentors students beginning in high school to ensure they integrate fully into university life and stay through graduation. Latino students who participate in Academic Achievers have a graduation rate twice as high as other Latino students at UH. “If students are the first in their family to attend college, we know they’ll need extra help dealing with all the challenges of university life,” Rebeca Trevino, program manager for Academic Achievers said. “That means more than just academic help, but help with scholarships, social issues and counseling.” A nine-member committee consisting of Coordinating Board members, state community leaders and out of state education experts selected the Star Award finalists. The winner will be announced at an Oct. 10 ceremony at the Coordinating Board’s Governing Board Conference in Austin. For more information about the UH Center for Mexican American Studies, please visit http://www.class.uh.edu/CMAS/ About the University of Houston The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students. For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom. |
|