Westmont Launches Program to Aid Underserved Students

Thanks to a $50,000 matching grant, the Institute for the Liberal Arts at Westmont will reach out to underserved students this fall through an innovative Liberal Arts Ambassadors program. The collaborative project between Westmont and the University of La Verne involves college students from underserved groups engaging with prospective students in junior high and high schools. Students who attend liberal arts colleges are more likely to graduate than those who enroll at public universities, but underserved students often don't consider liberal arts schools when choosing a college because they are unaware of the option.

Ambassadors will make presentations on the value of a liberal arts curriculum to students from low-income families, underrepresented ethnic groups or families who haven't attended college. In addition, the ambassadors will learn more about their distinctive education by taking a class on the history and philosophy of the liberal arts.

The Institute for the Liberal Arts seeks to promote the continued vitality of the liberal arts tradition in American higher education.

"A liberal arts college offers students a different kind of education than they receive at a large, research university," Westmont Provost Shirley Mullen says.

"Underserved students benefit from the smaller classes and greater interaction with professors typical of liberal arts schools. We're excited that the new program will reach out to these students and give them more information about the different options in higher education."

The Liberal Arts Ambassadors program is supported by a $50,000 competitive grant awarded by the UPS National Venture Fund, which is operated by the Foundation for Independent Higher Education(FIHE) in Washington, D.C. An anonymous matching gift from a friend of Westmont provided the $50,000 match.

“The UPS Fund only awarded nine competitive grants this past academic year,” said FIHE President Dr. William E. Hamm, “So, Westmont’s success is a notable achievement. The Liberal Arts Ambassadors program is a perfect fit for our new and national effort among private colleges to increase access and improve success for first generation, low-income, minority and new American students.”

The UPS National Venture Fund is financed by an endowment created by United Parcel Service at FIHE, which is now valued at more than $40 million. The endowment supports innovative programs aimed at improving undergraduate education as well as UPS scholarships at 645 private colleges. Westmont and LaVerne are affiliated with FIHE through their membership in the Independent Colleges of Southern California.