Mission

The Institutional Programs Development Division (IPDD) is a component of the OPE Institutional Service (IS) program office. IPDD provides funding in a number of areas to postsecondary institutions, and serves data analysis, IT support and program improvement functions for IS divisions and OPE-wide.

Programs

The Institutional Programs Development Division manages the following programs and initiatives:

• Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow - Baccalaureate Degree Programs (TCT-B)
• Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow - Master's Degree Programs (TCT-M)
• Demonstration Projects to Ensure Students with Disabilities Receive a Quality Higher Education (Disabilities)
• Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID)
• Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Coordinating Center (TPSID-CC)
• Endowment Challenge Grants and Endowment Activities. The Department supported the Endowment Challenge Grants program (ECG) through the mid-90s, and then converted the program to funded endowment activities (EA) as a component of other Institutional Service (IS) grant programs¹. ECG and EA funds must be retained and reported by grantees for 20 years from the date endowments are created; IPDD staff manage these activities in collaboration with IS program staff.

Other Initiatives: Data Collection and Reporting

• Institutional Service Annual Performance Reports (APRs). IPDD staff oversee annual data collection for over a dozen programs and nearly 1,000 open grants through a Web-based system.

Other Initiatives: Information Technology, Analysis, Data Development Support

• Information technology and systems support. IPDD staff serve as subject-matter experts and liaison for various IT-related activities. During FY 2014 and FY 2015, these include: liaison with the Office of the Chief Information Officer's (OCIO’s) g5 functional team and system usability testing; implementation of SharePoint workflows for key Higher Education Programs (HEP) and Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) management activities such as control mail, grant slate management, Federal Register notices, and others; and a contract activity to test the feasibility of shared functionalities in grant data collection and management.
• Implementation of an eligibility database. A final pilot trial of a matrix determining eligibility for all Title IV-eligible postsecondary institutions on the basis of existing data will be conducted in early FY 2015, following initial tests in FY 2014. A successful effort can lead to the elimination of preliminary eligibility applications for many or most IS applicants.

Division Contacts

Shedita Alston: Disabilities, TPSID, TPSID-CC; 202-453-7090; shedita.alston@ed.gov
Freddie Cross: Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow Program; 202-453-7224; freddie.cross@ed.gov
Chris McCormick: Endowment Activities, IT Liaison; 202-453-7640; christopher.mccormick@ed.gov

¹ The programs that currently support endowment grant activities are: Strengthening Institutions Program (84.031A); Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGI) (both under 84.031B); Historically Black Colleges and Universities Master’s Degree Programs (HBCU-MA, 84.382G); Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI, 84.031S); Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI, 84.031P); Predominantly Black Institutions Master’s Degree Programs (PBI-MA, 84.382D); and American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCU, 84.031T).

U.S. Department of Education
Office of Postsecondary Education
Institutional Service
Institutional Programs Development Division
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20202

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