MassBay Community College
Challenge
With campuses in Wellesley, Framingham and Ashland, MassBay Community College has provided Boston and MetroWest area students with a wide variety of educational programs for almost fifty years. Offerings include credit and non-credit courses, associate degrees and certificates, professional training and technical skills in areas as diverse as automotive technology, health care, liberal arts and business. Despite MassBay Community College’s leading role in educating students throughout Massachusetts, MassBay recognized the need to further develop relationships with members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation and federal agencies in order to remain competitive for future federal funding opportunities.
Solution
O’Neill and Associates provided MassBay Community College with government relations services to support the institution’s pursuit of federal grants from the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, USAID, and other federal agencies, as well as support MassBay’s pursuit of appropriations in the FY2011 Federal Appropriations Bill. Services included:
- Increasing MassBay Community College’s visibility on Capitol Hill by coordinating a series of meetings with federal legislators, administrators, and their staffs;
- Working closely with the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in support of funding, such as gathering Congressional support for appropriations requests and grant applications in the form of cosponsors and support letters for grants submitted to federal agencies;
- Working directly with MassBay Community College on the crafting and submission of appropriation requests, grant applications, and loan applications;
- Organizing and coordinating a grassroots campaign of letter writing from MassBay Community College staff, faculty, members of the Board of Directors and distinguished alums to further advocate for these projects; and
- Facilitating introductory presentations on behalf of MassBay Community College with potential private and non-profit sector teaming partners for grants.
Results
MassBay Community College was awarded a $400,000 grant from the Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education’s “Strengthening Institutions” program. This grant is the first award of a five year program that could provide up to $2,000,000 for MassBay Community College to develop programs that aid its low-income students by enhancing academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability.
In addition to the Title III grant, MassBay also received approval for a three-year Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant through the Department of Education. The FIPSE is a collaborative grant won in partnership with the University of Massachusetts-Boston, focusing on teacher education and study abroad between Massachusetts and Haiti. MassBay is the lead institution on the project, which will include the development of a curriculum, the training of Haitian teachers, and a shared practicum for higher education candidates at all participating institutions.