Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, located in South Los Angeles, CA and Compton Unified School District assembled to cooperate in establishing joint educational programs, efforts, and collaboration to increase college preparation, access, and success for CUSD students and graduates.
The signers were Mr. Darin Brawley, Superintendent, Compton Unified School District, and Ms. Satra D. Zurita, President, Board of Trustees (CUSD) with Dr. David M. Carlisle, President and Chief Executive Officer, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, and Dr. Steve O. Michael, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, also of CDU.
The purpose of the CDU-CUSD partnership is to increase access to Med-STEM based instruction to create college and career-ready graduates. It is also designed to establish targeted and focused admission programs and processes that guarantee priority admission to CDU for all admitted qualified graduates of CUSD high schools including: Centennial High School, Compton High School, Dominguez High School, Early College High School and Harriet Tubman High School.
Superintendent Darin Brawley said, “Healthcare is part of the global economy and is something that will not change. I am very happy about the partnership and collaboration that will support CUSD students.”
Eriana Pula, Student Board Member, Centennial High School thanked CDU and said, “This partnership can prove society wrong about CUSD students.”
To achieve these goals, CDU and CUSD will:
Promote institutional exchanges by inviting faculty/teachers and staff of the partner institutions to participate in a variety of teaching and/or research activities and professional development
Jointly sponsor an annual hiring fair to place qualified CDU graduates as teachers in CUSD hard-to-staff schools
Provide opportunities and recruitment for CDU graduates to be hired in newly created STEM, Health and Sciences programs
Establish concurrent enrollment coursework that will provide college credits to CUSD high school students taking A-G aligned coursework
Provide opportunity for parents to sign the CUSD Scholar Compact at the matriculation/graduation of CDU-bound students of the CUSD schools
Finally, CDU Provost Dr. Steve O. Michael said, “What we want to do is to build a pipeline that will nurture you and guide you right from now. We are not coming there to sell. We are coming there to transform and change lives. That is our intention. We want you to know CDU and we want to know you.”
For more information about the agreement, please contact the CDU Office of the Provost, Dr. Michael at (323) 563-4927.
For more information, visit http://www.cdrewu.edu/, and follow CDU on Facebook, Twitter (@cdrewu), and Instagram (@charlesrdrewu).
