Expanding Access and Increasing Capacity in Far West Texas
Sul Ross State University (SRSU), an Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) per 20 U.S. Code §1101a, serves two-thirds of the Texas-Mexico border with campuses in Alpine, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde, Texas, and is located in multiple “anchor communities” as defined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, requests a total of $2,773,623 over a project period of two years to implement the Expanding Access and Increasing Capacity in Far West Texas project.
The project will implement networking and distance learning upgrades across each of SRSU’s four campus locations and will launch a laptop provision pilot program to distribute capable laptops to up to 500 students who demonstrate need and otherwise lack access to such technology when off campus.
At the SRSU Alpine Campus, upgrades will focus on taking advantage of recent infrastructural improvements to bring networking capabilities into the 21st century, including upgraded wiring to distance learning classrooms, improved firewalls, and upgrading switches.
At the three campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde which comprise SRSU’s Rio Grande College, improvements will focus on distance learning and classroom and common space upgrades to ensure that the commuter and simulcast learning style of the campus provides students an opportunity to excel which meets or exceeds the opportunity of students who attend in-person learning elsewhere.
Finally, the laptop provision program will put students who would otherwise be at a technological disadvantage on even footing with their peers and measure the results.