NOVA Seeks New Staff for AANAPISI Grant, Today Is Deadline to Apply

November 1, 2021 / HR News/Training

The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is seeking interested faculty and staff to assist with the recently awarded Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) grant award. 

NOVA’s AANAPISI grant project, APPEAL (Asian Pacific Pedagogy for Equity, Achievement, and Learning), focuses on three specific activities associated with improving student success for AANAPI students at NOVA.

  • The first activity involves the creation of an Intercultural Learning Center on the Annandale Campus. The dynamic Intercultural Learning Center will focus on building community partnerships with AANAPI organizations across the college, generating events and programming that focuses on AANAPI topics and broadening NOVA’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence.
  • The second activity involves developing resources and professional development to help all NOVA faculty and staff develop a stronger awareness of AANAPI issues (i.e. such as the model minority myth) and how those issues can impact classroom management and instruction. In addition, this second activity involves strategic partnerships with NOVA’s Center for Excellence and Teaching and Learning (CETL) to develop more workshops on culturally responsive pedagogy and high-impact practices.   
  • The third activity involves the creation of a peer mentorship program for low-income and First-time In College (FTIC) AANAPI students. The peer mentorship program uses the model of difference education as a founding principle. Difference education partners new FTIC AANAPI students with 2nd year AANAPI peer mentors. Through organized dialogues (or focus groups) facilitated by designated AANAPISI grant support staff, AANAPI students (mentors and mentees) engage in discussions about culture, social class and their experiences navigating college life at NOVA. This difference education model of peer mentorship is research-supported to help students create a stronger culture of belonging so they can succeed.  

If you are interested in serving as a supportive lead for one of these activities, please indicate that in your letter of interest.

NOVA is seeking interested faculty and staff to help support each of the three AANAPISI grant funded activities. Interested faculty and staff should meet four or more of the following:

  • Be passionate about and committed to working with a diverse cross-section of high-need AANAPI students and other student groups.
  • Have experience working on AANAPI events and with AANAPI community partners.  
  • Have an educational background in a relevant field related to the grant (i.e. Asian American Studies,  Ethnic Studies, Women/Gender Studies, Sociology, English, Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Education etc.)
  • Have a minimum of two years’ leadership experience in higher education or in community-based organizational work.
  • Have strong organizational, writing and communication skills.
  • Have a working understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion concepts

NOVA employees who wish to be considered should submit a one-page letter of interest to Mariella Abanto at mabanto@nvcc.edu in the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion no later than Monday November 1, at 5 p.m. In addition to leads for the grant activities indicated above, the Office of DEI also seeks an interim AANAPISI Grant Coordinator. Individuals interested in serving in the Grant Coordinator role should have a master’s degree per guidance from USED and should indicate their interest in that position in their letter.

Interested full-time teaching faculty may be eligible for reassigned time for their work on the AANAPISI grant. Interested administrative/professional faculty and classified staff may be assigned alternate temporary duties to work on the grant.

NOVA’s AANAPISI Grant is managed by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.   NOVA’s CDEIO serves as the formal project manager for NOVA’s AANAPISI Grant and will make the selections. 

Submitted by:
Mariella Abanto Abanto, Office of DEI, mabanto@nvcc.edu