Current and Present Projects with Selected Descriptions

CAPA has completed a variety of research and evaluation projects. Studies have been completed or are in process with programs related to: 

NASA

• CAPA completed the Harriet G. Jenkins Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Program Five-Year Program Evaluation.  This evaluation included the development of a historical profile of the program participants and advanced to a presentation of program impacts based on feedback from the past and current fellows and their advisors.  The report closed with recommendations for JPFP program improvement. 

Department of Education

• CAPA completed a Title VI funded study titled Internationalization and Foreign Language Course Offerings at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  The study found that HBCUs have a greater focus on internationalization when compared to U. S. Institutions from an earlier American Council on Education study that utilized a comparable survey.  There is not, however, wide instruction on HBCU campuses of the nation’s critical languages such as Arabic and Chinese.  The study recommends that HBCUs initiate steps to take advantage of the focus on internationalization and offer their students a greater variety of critical languages, emphasizing the connection between foreign language education and preparedness to meet the challenges of globalization. 

• CAPA and a Clark Atlanta University professor, Dr. Komanduri Murty completed a Title VI funded study focused on HBCUs and titled Minority Participation in International Programs and Activities: Attitudes, Obstacles, and Future Directions.  The study found that HBCU student attitudes towards international education activities and programs are highly positive.  They view international education as beneficial to academic work, personal growth and interests, and future career benefits.  Obstacles to greater participation in international education activities and programs include:

a.       Inability to afford costs of study abroad experiences;

b.      Fear and safety concerns on the part of the family and/or student related to multiple issues (i.e. post 9/11 concerns, host-country racism, ability to speak language, and general success in a foreign country);

c.       Participation in international activities do not fulfill graduation requirements; and

d.      Lack of knowledge of opportunities. 

Institute for Capacity Building/United Negro College Fund

Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute

• CAPA is currently working with the Patterson Institute of UNCF to conduct an assessment of faculty development at all of the private HBCUs.  All institution Chief Academic Officers have been surveyed.  A pilot of a faculty survey is being conducted.  Results will inform on the state of faculty development at HBCUs.

USAID

Department of Defense

Department of Justice

• CAPA is currently working on a project funded by The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is a component of the US Department of Justice.  CAPA is conducting ongoing research focused on reducing violent crime in minority communities in close proximity to Historically Black Colleges in the Southeastern region of the United States.

Central Intelligence Agency

National Library of Medicine