Title: On Line Counseling and Advisement

RFA Identification Number: 96-0480

Funding Source: Telecommunications Model Applications Pilot Project (TMAPP) Funds

Term of Grant: June 15, 1997 through July 31, 1999

Funding Category: Student Support Services

Maximum Funds Available: $371,500 (Range of awards $25,000 to $85,000)

Number of Awards: Four to twelve

Application Due Date: May 12, 1997

The grant award specified in this Request for Application (RFA) will be for two years only. There will be no continuation funding for any award resulting from the favorable review of a grant proposal developed pursuant to this RFA.

Purposes/Uses of Funds

This project is designed to support the planning and implementation of an on-line counseling/academic advising program. The purpose of the project is to augment existing services by providing an alternate means of delivering counseling/advisement to students, and particularly those students served via distance education. In addition, the project is designed to provide an opportunity for counseling faculty and advisors to utilize current technology to meet increasing student need. Any community college(s), district(s) or consortia may apply for funding. Consortia may include K-12 and university partnerships.

Objectives

Proposals should clearly describe how students will benefit from implementation of the project, demonstrate how the counseling/advising services will be enhanced, how the project has been integrated into the day-to-day business of the college and should identify how a project can be replicated or adapted by other colleges system wide.

Proposals must include the following elements:

1. Student access to counseling/advising services (individual and group) via telecommunications technology that increases efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery and promotes ongoing interaction between counselor and student. (Strategies may include but are not limited to e-mail, voice mail, Internet networking, video conferencing, satellite downlink functions, etc.).
   
   
2. A dissemination plan for project results and/or products. Funded projects will be expected to disseminate information and provide consultation through a statewide forum(s) and/or conference as mutually agreed upon by the grantee and the Chancellor's Office up to 24 months after completion of the project. Remote electronic access to student records and transcripts for purposes of counseling and advising; and
   
   -Proposals may also include, but are not limited to, a combination of any of the following elements:
   
   
3. Remote electronic access to campus information, i.e., catalogs, schedules, etc.
   
   
4. On-line student education plans.
   
   
5. Ability to track student contacts and identify counselors and advisors using the system.
   
   
6. Automatic flagging and identification of probationary students and those subject to academic dismissal; students without stated goals; and students enrolled in basic skills courses.
   
   
   • Minimum criterion: The proposal must include at least #1-2 of the Proposal Criteria listed above.
   • Desirable criteria: The proposal would also include a combination of 3 or more of Proposal Criteria #3-7 above. Additional elements may of course be included by the applicant.

The applicant must demonstrate the ability to design, implement, and manage a technical project, and must also demonstrate that sufficient technology and infrastructure are available to carry out the scope and objectives of the proposal. In addition, the applicant should itemize the technology and identify the availability of the technology necessary to implement the proposal. Technical readers will be included in the review process in order to assess the technical viability of the proposal.

The duration of the project shall be 24 months. This will allow up to one year for planning, and the second year for implementation. Applicants may apply for an extension at the end of the second year if further implementation time is required; however, extensions will not be granted pro forma. Campuses would have to provide justification for any extensions requested.

Upon completion of the project, the grantee will submit a project-end evaluation and report. Questions and issues to be addressed will include but are not be limited to the following:

• Actual objective [performance]outcomes.
• Identification of problems/successful strategies.
• Recommendations for college/district implementation, next steps.
• Funding analysis.
• Counselor/student satisfaction survey.

Recommended Budget

In the interest of maintaining flexibility and encouraging innovation, the Chancellor's Office is planning to fund a combination of grants ranging from $25,000 to $85,000. The proposal review committee will determine what combination of proposals will have the maximum impact on the system; i.e., what combination will provide the greatest benefit to colleges in the eventual adoption and implementation of successful projects and/or strategies across the system. 96-