MOCAN – Missouri College & Career Attainment Network

Increasing equity in college and career for Missouri students

Postsecondary Equity

Centering Value in Postsecondary Education

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Postsecondary credentials are the proven path towards economic mobility, but recent polls show public perceptions of the value of postsecondary education are waning. Earlier this month, MOCAN hosted the “Centering Value in Postsecondary Education: An Action Agenda from the Postsecondary Value Commission” webinar in partnership with the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) to learn how institutions and other stakeholders can address student concerns.  

IHEP is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, policy, and advocacy organization committed to promoting postsecondary access and success for all students, with a focus on students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and other historically marginalized populations. Colleagues from across MOCAN’s three networks participated in the session led by Eleanor Eckerson Peters, Associate Director of Research and Policy and Janiel Santos, Research Analyst.  

According to the report of the national Postsecondary Value Commission, students experience postsecondary value when provided equitable access and support to complete quality, affordable credentials that offer economic mobility and prepare them to advance racial and economic justice in our society. There were three key takeaways shared by the presenters: 1) The equitable value movement is about fulfilling higher education’s promise; 2) Everyone has a critical role to play in delivering equitable postsecondary value; and 3) The equitable value movement is leading to tangible shifts in programs and policies. Postsecondary Equity Network (PEN) partners can access the recording and materials in the PEN Portal. 

AAC&U Announces 16 Institutions Hosting New Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers

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MOCAN was announced as one of 16 partners accepted as part of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Centers through the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC & U). We are the only non-institutional partner in this diverse and dynamic network of institutions working to address the historical and contemporary effects of racism in higher education by dismantling the false belief in a hierarchy of human values!

The institutions that were invited to join the TRHT Campus Centers network for Spring 2022 are:

  • Baldwin Wallace University (OH)
  • Benedictine University (IL)
  • Franklin & Marshall College (PA)
  • Hollins University (VA)
  • Kansas State University (KS)
  • Missouri College & Career Attainment Network (MO)
  • Mount Holyoke College (MA)
  • North Hennepin Community College (MN)
  • Northeastern Illinois University (IL)
  • Sewanee: The University of the South (TN)
  • State University of New York Oswego (NY)
  • Trinity University (TX)
  • University of Connecticut (CT)
  • University of Mount Union (OH)
  • University of St. Thomas (MN)
  • Georgia Highlands College (GA)

“We’re thrilled to partner with this new cohort of host institutions,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella, “and we look forward to supporting their vital efforts to promote racial equity and healing on their campuses, in their communities, and through the fast-growing network of TRHT Campus Centers around the country.”

Beginning with the inaugural cohort of TRHT Campus Centers at 10 AAC&U member institutions in 2017, the TRHT Campus Centers effort has grown into a dynamic and diverse network of host institutions, including community colleges, liberal arts colleges, HBCUs, minority-serving institutions, faith-based institutions, and large research universities. The new centers announced today bring the total number of TRHT Campus Centers to 71, continuing momentum toward AAC&U’s goal of establishing at least 150 self-sustaining, community-integrated TRHT Campus Centers at higher education institutions nationwide.

“As the network of TRHT Campus Centers expands, we remain humbled and dedicated to achieving our shared goals with our institutional partners. Doing the work of truth, racial healing, and transformation has been and continues to be, a great challenge and a privilege,” said Tia McNair, AAC&U Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the TRHT Campus Centers.

TRHT Campus Centers play a vital role in the national TRHT effort to address historical and contemporary effects of racism by building sustainable capacity to promote deep, transformational change. With the shared goal of preparing the next generation of leaders and thinkers to build equitable and just communities by dismantling the false belief in a hierarchy of human value, each campus center uses the TRHT framework to implement its own visionary action plan for creating new narratives about race in their communities and promoting racial healing and relationship building through campus-community engagement.

At the annual AAC&U Institute on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Centers, teams from institutions interested in hosting a TRHT Campus Center and teams from existing host institutions work with the guidance of mentors to develop action plans that support their visions of what their campuses and communities will look, feel, and be like when there is no longer a false belief in a hierarchy of human value. Held each June, the TRHT Institute is central to building the capacity of new and existing centers to further the vision of the national TRHT movement. Applications for the next TRHT Institute will open in winter 2023.

To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.

Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Hispanic Development Fund

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As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to an end, MOCAN is highlighting a program doing great work with Hispanic and Latinx students in Missouri, the Hispanic Development Fund. The mission of the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Development Fund is to improve the quality of life of Latino families in Greater Kansas City by engaging the Latino community in Philanthropy to build stronger communities through grantmaking and scholarship support.

In 1983, the Hall Family Foundation approached leaders in Kansas City’s Hispanic community with an innovative idea for them to control philanthropic resources for their own community. The concept had never been attempted before: to give leaders in the Kansas City Latino community resources for them to decide philanthropic priorities in their own community. Through the leadership of Tony Salazar and others in the community, the group rose to the challenge of investing the initial funds contributed by the Hall Family Foundation. 

The Hispanic Development Fund, or HDF, soon proved the concept could become a reality. In 1986, the Hall Family Foundation made a pledge to further support the fund by helping create an endowment. Over the ensuing years the HDF leadership through hard work and perseverance continued to raise more endowment funds, many from within the Latino community. In 2006, HDF, as a result of its growth and success, became a regional affiliate of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation.

In 2022, HDF awarded scholarships to 415 scholars, totaling $900,000 in awards. Their Family College Prep Program annually serves more than 1,000 students through college campus visits, family college night, FAFSA/scholarship workshops, and one-on-one college advising.

What started as an initial investment of $100 going towards 100 students in 1984, has grown to one of the country’s largest Latino focused scholarship funds. With nearly 5,000 alumni across the globe and over $7 million in direct scholarship support provided, the HDF Scholarship Program continues to impact the lives of our students and their families.

John Kearney, Executive Director of HDF, shared a few reasons why supporting Hispanic students with scholarships is important:

  1. Hispanics are the fast growing demographic in the United States and contribute to our economy and communities in so many valuable ways.
  2. Although Hispanic students have made significant increases in college-going rates over the past decade, there is still work to be done in supporting Hispanic students in college completion, especially bachelor degree attainment.
  3. 77% of our 2022 HDF Scholars are first-generation college students who need financial and college-going support.
  4. 15% of our 2022 HDF Scholars are undocumented and in a state like Missouri, need significant financial aid to overcome the barriers to post-secondary education put in place by our state’s legislature.

To learn more about the Hispanic Development Fund, you can visit their website and read their annual report.

Supporting Racial Healing & Institutional Transformation

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Missouri College and Career Attainment Network (MOCAN) recently participated in the American Association of College and Universities (AAC&U)’s 2022 Institute on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT). The Institute focused on creating campus centers to dismantle racial hierarchies and build equitable communities. A team from MOCAN’s Postsecondary Equity Network (PEN) represented the organization and joined the work.

About TRHT Campus Centers

Among the most urgent challenges facing America today is the growing division across racial and ethnic identities. Increasing aversion to difference and rising distrust among communities nationally have left colleges and universities with the challenge of how to heal from the legacies and harm of racism and bias. AAC&U is partnering with higher education institutions to develop TRHT Campus Centers. The Centers are designed to 1) prepare the next generation of strategic leaders and critical thinkers to promote racial healing and, 2) to catalyze efforts to address current inequities grounded in notions of a racial hierarchy. As a national, community-based initiative, the TRHT effort launched by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation seeks to address the historical and contemporary impacts of race and racism within our communities.

The Institute on TRHT Campus Centers is designed to help campus teams identify evidence-based strategies that support their vision of what their communities will look, feel, and be like when the belief in a hierarchy of human value no longer exists. Teams established strategic goals that align with both their vision and the TRHT Framework. During the Institute, the MOCAN team identified steps for achieving those goals, and developed plans for evaluation, communications, engagement, and sustainability.

Campus teams engaged in PEN will participate in and design Rx Racial Healing® Circles, participate in workshops, and collaborate with experienced TRHT Campus Center mentors, workshop facilitators, and evaluation consultants to develop and/or refine their transformative campus action plans.

This year’s Institute included over 600 participants from 75 colleges, universities, and organizations. MOCAN is honored to be the first statewide organization accepted into the Institute.

MOCAN’s TRHT Action Plan

The MOCAN action plan includes three goals:

Promote racial healing activities on campus and in the community:

Address the systemic actions and false beliefs in racial hierarchies that exist in postsecondary education systems. MOCAN will develop a cross institutional team that will utilize Rx Racial Healing® Circles and conduct the “difficult dialogue” sessions to address the systems and inequitable practices.

Erase institutional barriers to equal treatment:

Each PEN institution will create (or update) their diversity statements and equity plans to include actionable, resourced steps. When implemented, the plans will address inequities in student success, completion, and representation. MOCAN will engage national leaders to work with each campus to develop or strengthen their diversity statements and equity plans.

Prepare the next generation of leaders to build just and equitable communities:

MOCAN will partner with the PEN institutions and other statewide and regional organizations to develop trainings for diverse professionals to prepare them for leadership opportunities in the field. MOCAN, collaborating closely with partner organizations, will provide workshops, seminars and training opportunities at the annual conferences of key professional associations focused on developing and acquiring leadership and administrative skills. MOCAN will also provide targeted professional development opportunities for diverse professionals in the field related to trends and topics in higher education.

MOCAN’s TRHT Team

Trent Ball, Senior Director Postsecondary Equity & Attainment, MOCAN

Dr. Feleccia Moore-Davis, Campus President, and Chief Academic Officer, St. Louis Community College Meramec Campus

Dr. Richard Stephenson, Academic Success Centers Coordinator and Diversity Committee Co-Chair, Jefferson College

Dr. Rabekah Stewart, Assistant Vice President Multicultural Services, Missouri State University

Dr. E. Andre Thorn, Director Center of Academic Success, and Excellence, University of Missouri Columbia

Deanna Williams, Special Advisor to the President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Fontbonne University

Putting Purpose First

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Purpose First Attendees

Fifty people representing 21 postsecondary institutions, and representatives from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) came together this month at the MOCAN Purpose First Summer Institute. They met to discuss, plan, and strategize on how to increase the retention and career readiness of BILPOC students, students from low-income communities and adult learners across the state of Missouri.   

The institute introduced Complete College America’s Purpose First framework, demonstrating the impact early career and academic advising can have on student retention, completion and the perceived and understood value of postsecondary education. Complete College America is partnering with MOCAN to provide support and resources for institutions to develop intentional, resourced, and actionable plans. These plans are designed to support students in graduating and excelling in careers that match their interests and abilities.   

The goal is to help students navigate the systems, practices, and policies within postsecondary education, so they earn their degree or credential within a reasonable timeline, and therefore with less debt. This requires supportive, directive academic and career advising. These are the structural tools for developing the pathway into their careers.  


The highlight of the day-long workshop was the student panel. Three students from campuses across the state shared the most important lesson: that students succeed because of the authentic relationships they form with the people assisting them on their journey. Students need the support of people who listen to understand. These connections are an investment in their journey. Relationships matter to students’ individual, educational pursuits. 

What’s next? Institutions have been invited to apply for deeper coaching and grant funding to support their plans. Over the next three years, their work will inform the broader effort to connect students to their purpose. Lessons learned will be shared with the Postsecondary Equity Network partners to extend the impact. 

Purpose First: Increasing Equity in Career Preparation for Missouri Students

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MOCAN’s Postsecondary Equity Network (PEN) is excited to launch an innovative three-year initiative to eliminate equity gaps in degree completion and increase career preparation for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

The Purpose First initiative kicks off with a summer institute with Complete College America (CCA) on June 10th. At the institute, CCA will train teams from Missouri’s 2-year and 4-year institutions on CCA’s Purpose First model.

Providing clear information and career guidance early in student onboarding is critical. Integrated career and academic advising throughout a student’s degree program leads to fewer changes in major, fewer lost credits, and less risk of students stopping out with no degree.

The initiative with CCA will specifically focus on using the Purpose First model to support BILPOC students and those from low-income backgrounds.

Colleges participating in the institute will be invited to apply for three years of additional support, including CCA coaching and mini-grants to integrate career and academic advising.

Registration is open through June 3rd.