Press Releases

Ford Foundation Marks Five-Year Point of Initiative to Help Universities Reach Poor and Excluded Students around the World

“Pathways to Higher Education” Now Active in 130 Institutions in 20 Countries

NEW YORK, 23 October 2006 — This fall the Ford Foundation marks the halfway point of a $50 million, ten-year effort to help colleges and universities better serve students from marginalized communities in countries around the world.

Pathways to Higher Education now supports the efforts of some 130 higher education institutions in 20 countries to recruit and retain talented students from poor, indigenous and minority communities, often in remote and rural regions. The geographic reach of the program has expanded rapidly since 2001, when it was launched among a small set of institutions in Mexico, Brazil and Vietnam.

The initiative was conceived as a companion to the foundation?s International Fellowships Program (IFP), which provides direct support to thousands of students from some of the world's poorest communities for graduate and post-graduate study. Pathways serves as a complement to IFP by helping to ensure that colleges and universities better meet the needs of undergraduate students from these communities and set them on a path to advanced study.

Some examples of the kind of changes that Pathways has helped bring about include:

• Academic support centers for indigenous students at 11 universities in Mexico, where students can take advantage of courses in writing, mathematics, science and computer literacy.
• Curricula enhancements, including the development of new courses in Peruvian universities to teach students about intercultural communication and leadership.
• New outreach programs at universities in Vietnam to recruit students from remote and rural communities.
• Mentoring programs and training for the first generation of Afro-Brazilian students to attend the State University of Rio de Janeiro and over 20 other universities in Brazil.
• Programs among many Pathways universities to connect students with funding for books, housing and other needs.

"Pathways is sparking discussion and new ideas across a growing number of campuses and communities about how to serve students who used to think college was out of reach," said Janice Petrovich, director of education programs at the Ford Foundation. ?We hope it has already shown that relatively small adjustments to university practices can open up opportunities for a whole set of students who might otherwise be excluded from the advantages of a college degree."

As the number of colleges and universities participating in the program increases, so too does the number of students participating within each institution. Universities in South Africa, Vietnam, Chile and Peru, for example, have reported a 72% increase in the number of students taking advantage of Pathways programs on their respective campuses.

A recent survey conducted among a sampling of Pathways institutions points to additional signs of momentum:

• 77% of the participating universities have developed new programs and improved their courses.
• 57% have made changes in university admissions policies and practices.
• 70% have developed support groups for participating students.
• 57% have conducted seminars and learning programs for faculty.
• 80% of the universities report that they are sharing lessons about what is working with other universities in the Pathways network.

The program has also begun to attract attention and funding from governments and development institutions. The World Bank, for example, is cofunding an expansion of the Pathways program in Mexico, which will allow it to reach 3,000 additional students in states with large indigenous populations. In China, the government is now cofunding Pathways projects at GuiZhou Normal University. South Africa?s National Department of Education has also provided funds for projects at North West University, University of Venda and University of Fort Hare.

"The funding being committed by governments and other donors shows that we're on to something," said Petrovich. "The initiative brings value to universities by broadening their reach, their relevance and their service to their national communities."

As the program continues, Petrovich said the foundation hopes to capture data about individual retention and graduation rates among students who have taken advantage of Pathways programs. This data is expected to emerge as participating universities establish a multiyear track record with the program.

Countries with major institutions participating in the Pathways program include Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam.

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The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than half a century it has been a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide, guided by its goals of strengthening democratic values, reducing poverty and injustice, promoting international cooperation and advancing human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Russia.