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TSU announces partnership with KIPP

Posted on Wednesday, July 05, 2017

Texas Southern University (TSU), KIPP Foundation and KIPP Houston Public Schools (KIPP) will enter into a memorandum of understanding to develop programs that address the challenges of low-income students eligible to enter college. The signing will take place June 12, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. in the Rod Paige Education Building auditorium at Texas Southern.

“We are excited to partner with KIPP Foundation and KIPP Houston Public Schools. This agreement focuses on student success, a top priority for our institutions. We will work together to ensure that KIPP can provide their children with access to an excellent education and that TSU fulfills its obligation as an Urban Serving Institution,” said TSU President Austin A. Lane.

Since 2012, approximately 45% of students entering Texas Southern are listed as first-generation, acknowledging that they are first in their families to attend college. This designation comes with a unique set of challenges that must be met to ensure their continued matriculation up to the point of graduation. These eager young minds need extra attention to navigate academic, social and institutional paths due to lack of exposure.

Sehba Ali, KIPP Houston Public Schools superintendent, and Mike Feinberg, KIPP co-founder, will participate in the signing ceremony. TSU will be represented by President Lane, Wendell Williams, special assistant to the president, and Brian Armstrong, executive director of enrollment services.

“TSU is critical in helping KIPP Houston Public Schools reach our goal of 82% of our students completing their college degree,” said Bryan Contreras, KIPP college director. “There is such a rich history and legacy at TSU, and our students need to be part of it. This is a special partnership since it adds to our growing list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and it is very affordable for our families. We cannot wait to send more KIPPSters to TSU this fall.”

 

About KIPP Foundation and KIPP Houston Public Schools

KIPP was founded in Houston in 1994 and has since grown to 200 public charter schools in 20 states and D.C. educating 80,000 children. Houston is KIPP’s largest region and educates 13,500 students in 26 schools and serves an additional 2,300 alumni in college and beyond. While only 10 percent of students from low-income communities in Harris county graduate from college, 50 percent of KIPPsters, tracked from the 8th grade, graduate college. www.kipphouston.org.

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

Texas Southern University (TSU) is a comprehensive, metropolitan institution providing academic and research programs that address critical urban issues, and prepares its increasingly diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population of 8,000 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.

Category: News Media

Press Contact

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Last updated: 10/05/2018