OEA/Ser.W/IV

CEPCIDI/doc.869/08 corr. 1

3 November 2008

Original: English

ANNUAL REPORT TO CEPCIDI ON THE OAS ACADEMIC

SCHOLARSHIP AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

(Document prepared by the Department of Human Development)

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ANNUAL REPORT TO CEPCIDI ON THE OAS ACADEMIC

SCHOLARSHIP AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

(Document prepared by the Department of Human Development)

Article 60.2 of the Manual of Procedures for the Scholarship and Training Programs of the Organization of American Statesstates that:

“The General Secretariat shall present annually to CEPCIDI, a comprehensive report on all the relevant matters of the functioning and effectiveness of the Scholarship and Training Program, including an analysis of impact and the recommendations for policies and strategies for improving its effectiveness.”

This report includesboth the OAS Academic Studies Scholarships and the OAS Professional Development Scholarships.

Part I: Academic Studies Scholarships

This report covers the period since the lifting of the pause on the OAS Academic Studies Scholarships Program on December 14, 2006 through October 15, 2008.

The General Secretariat has reported out previously to CEPCIDI on different aspects of the Academic Studies Scholarship program in:

  • CEPCIDI/SCSD/doc.392/07, Report on the Scholarship Program for the Period 2006-April 2007
  • Verbal Report to CEPCIDI on the Development and Administration of the OAS of the OAS Scholarship and Training Program as of August 20, 2007 which was presented on September 7, 2007 and later published as CEPCIDI document CEPCIDI/INF.18/07 dated September 21, 2007, Verbal Report on the Efforts to Achieve the Objectives set out in Article 11.2 of the Manual of Procedures of October 11, 2007
  • CEPCIDI/INF.21/07, rev. 2, Report of the General Secretariat to CEPCIDI on the Efforts to Achieve the Objective in Article 11.2 of the Manual of Procedures of Scholarships and Training Programs of the Organization of American States of 28 November 2007.
  • Draft Annual Report of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), CIDI/doc.6/08 of May 12, 2008.

As stated in the report to CIDI of May 12, 2008, two recruitment and selection processes to select scholarship recipients for graduate and undergraduate studies for academic cycles covering 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 were held. Additionally, a third academic cycle for awarding and placement for the period 2009-10 was announced in April 2008.

For the 2007-08 academic cycle, the Department of Human Development (“DHD”)/OAS was able to place 171 scholarship recipients as follows:

Graduate Studies

Self-placed 30

OAS-placed120

Total Graduate150

Undergraduate Studies21

Total Scholarships Recipients:171

The cost of direct benefits awarded to 2007-08 scholarship recipients totaled $5,177,177.00. Of that, $776,970.00 was awarded for undergraduate studies and $4,400,207.00 for graduate studies. Within thefigures for graduate studies, $3,404,144.00 or 77.30% was spent on OAS-placed scholarships and $999,063.00 or 22.7% for self-placed scholarships. These costs represent, in general, two academic years of study covering 3 fiscal years.

Average costs for the length of the scholarship, per student, by program and scholarship type, were as follows:

Undergraduate studies $36,999

Graduate studies (OAS-placed) $28,108

Graduate studies (Self-placed)$33,302

As with any Scholarship program, the final figures for actual program completion by the 2007-08 OAS scholarship recipients will vary due to withdrawals, cancellations, early completion of program, completion of study later than expected, approval of summer studies, fluctuation of the US dollar ,etc. As of October 15, 2008, twenty five (25) students from this cycle had already completed their program of studies.

The breakdown by graduate and undergraduate, gender, scholarship type, and country of study for the 2007-08 cycle appear as annexes to this document.(See Annex 1)

The results of the selection of scholarship awardees for the 2008-09 academic cycle were announced in January 2008, and 304individuals were selected to receive a scholarship (279 for graduate studies and 25 for undergraduate studies).As of October 15, 2008, the DHD/OAS has processed and signed 230 contracts for scholarships, 38 scholarships have been declined or cancelled, and the DHD/OAS is still in the process of negotiating placements in reputable institutions of higher learning for an additional 35 scholarship recipients. The total cost of the contracts already signed is $6,962,035.26. The total cost of the 2008/2009 cycle will be paid in up to three fiscal years. The costs recorded as of October 15, 2008 show the following data:

23 Undergraduate Scholarships at a cost of $916,418.19 with an average cost of $39,844.00 each

156 Graduate OAS-Placed at a cost of $4,461,192.00with an average cost of $28,597 each

51 Graduate Self Placed $1,584,425.01 with an average cost of $31,067 each[1]/

The final figures for the 2008/2009 academic cycle, as with any cycle, will be knownwhen all students have been placed and have signed their contracts which should be by the end of March 2009. However,as stated above, final costs for this cycle will vary owing to withdrawals, cancellations, early completion of program, completion of study later than expected, approval of summer studies, fluctuation of the US dollar,etc.

The breakdown of awardees by graduate, undergraduate, gender, scholarship type, and country of study for the 2008-09 cycle as of October 15, 2008 appear as annexes to this document. (See Annex 2)

The recruitment and selection for the 2009-10 academic cycle closed on June 30, 2008, and the international selection to award scholarships was held the week of October 6, 2008.

Accomplishments during this period

Expansion of the OAS Consortium of Universities. One of the objectives of the Outreach Program is to expand the OAS Consortium of Universities to obtain benefits through partnerships with reputable universities which are accredited in their own countries. Additionally, the Outreach program promotes the programs that are being administered by the Department of Human Development, namely: the OAS Scholarship and Training Programs, the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund and the Educational Portal of the Americas.

To this end, DHD/OAS staff visiteduniversities in member states andattended symposiums and conferences where they met with potential partner university representatives.Additionally, member countries and individual universities approached the GS/OAS to explore possibilities for partnerships.

As of October 15, 2008, 79 institutions in 16 member states were part of the Consortium. Currently, the DHD/OAS is in negotiations with 78 higher education institutions as possible Consortium partners.

Expansion of Partnerships in the Field of Higher Education with Member States. The OAS began a pilot program in which the Government of Argentina and the GS/OAS aresponsoring a scholarship program which is open to nationals of OAS member states for doctoral and post-doctoral studies and research in universities in Argentina.The first scholarship recipients will begin studies in March 2009. It is hoped that this program will be the first of many such partnerships with other member states.

Direct placement of scholarship awardees by the DHD/OAS.The aim of this program has been for the DHD/OAS to place more students in a reasonable number of higher education institutions in the OAS Consortium if this resulted in both reduced costs and more efficient administration. As a result of the partnerships that were developed by DHD/OAS, particularly in the Caribbean and Latin America, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of OAS scholarships recipients studying in universities in member states in these regions. DHD/OAS directly placed 69 of the scholarship recipients in recognized universities both in and outside the OAS Consortium for the 2007-08 academic cycle and, to date, has directly placed 140 graduate students and 9 undergraduate studentsfor the 2008-09 academic cycle.(The rest were placed by the third-party administrator or were self-placed).

An important additional benefit of taking on the direct placement of students was that DHD/OAShas developed in-house knowledge in the area of university placements and a deeper understanding of university offerings in the Hemisphere. Additionally, the act of having OAS staff work with awardees in their placement has given awardees a greater appreciation of the OAS role and what it means to be an OAS scholar. This did not preclude DHD from exploring together with OAS awardees placement in universities outside the Consortium.

In placing OAS scholarship awardees, the DHD/OAS and its third-party administrator have gone to great lengths to discuss the proposed curriculums of study and the institutions that will best serve the needs of the students in their chosen fields of study to ensure a good “match” and, it is hoped, a successful outcome to the scholarship as reflected through completion of the proposed plan of study.

Advice and Assistance to Member States. In an effort to assist member states in understanding the OAS Scholarship Program and to take advantage of its benefits, the DHD/OAS sent a survey to the ONE's and OAS country offices to identify ways in which the program could be improved. Using the survey results, feedback from applicants and/or member states and internal evaluations of the first two announcement cycles, DHD/OAS has in each new academic cycle, revised the information in its announcements, informative bulletins,and guidelines in an effort to make it clearer and more user-friendly. It has engaged in more telephone and e-mail exchanges with the ONEs and OAS offices on specific questions. It added a Frequently-Asked-Questions section to the Scholarship Web site. It visited some member countries to: promote the Scholarship program with government agencies, universities, and students; explain the administrative procedures; advise on the minimum requirements, in particular with regard to academic merit, and the review and selection of candidates.We have noticed a continuing improvement in the quality of the candidates presented and the quality of the presentations themselves which facilitates the review of candidates by the international Selection Committee and improvesthe chance of an eventual placement of awardees in reputable educational institutions.

Increased Dissemination of the Academic Scholarship Program. As mentioned, the visits to promote the Scholarship Program and the Consortium partnerships have produced positive results through increased dissemination of the Program to more students and the re-branding of the Scholarship Program with the OAS name. Consortium partners and potential partners have been particularly helpful in publicizing the scholarship program, visits from DHD/OAS specialists, and OAS scholars studying the countries through press releases and university web sites.

Additionally, we are pleased to report that there is increased interest and support from the member governments in facilitating the visits and potential agreements and partnerships with both public and private educational institutions.

DHD/OAS continues to publicize the Scholarship Program through issuances to the Permanent Missions, ONEs, OAS country offices on the Scholarship Program, as well as press releases in the member states which are disseminated by the OAS Department of Press and Communications.

Finally, DHD/OAS has made the basic documentation on the Scholarships Program available in all four official languages of the OAS.

Expansion of the Fellowship Management System (FMS). In addition to the financial control capabilities, the second module was implemented for the recruitment and selection process. This module allows individuals to apply on line, maintains a database of all applicants, includes automated capabilities for preparing statistics, informational charts, pre-populated evaluation forms, sending various notifications to awardees, and keeping track and implementing the second year extensions of active scholarship students.

Student Networks.DHD began a program to organize current OAS scholars to act as mentors for new scholarship recipients who will be attending the same institutions to help orient and assist them in getting to know the country and the university.

OAS Scholarship Alumni Association. As a way to address the issue of evaluating the OAS Scholarship Program, DHD/OAS is launching an OAS Scholarship Alumni Association. Its mission is to develop a body of knowledge which will permit the OAS, together with each member state, to evaluate the impact of the OAS Scholarship Programs on the development priorities, programs, and projects of the member states and institutions and to use that investment in human capital to give back to the member states through knowledge-sharing by former scholarship recipients. Two pilot projects – one in an English-speaking member state and another in a Spanish-speaking member state - will begin this month.

50th Anniversary Celebration.DHD/OAS has begun to organize information for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the OAS Academic Scholarship Program which will involve contacting, with the cooperation of the ONEs and OAS country offices, ex-fellows to cooperate on short and long-term projects to promote the Scholarship Program and mobilize knowledge gained from the Program.

Financial Credit Project Initiative. DHD/OAS is aware of the difficulty that many students have in financing their undergraduate university studies in their own countries. These students can only aspire to the OAS graduate academic scholarship program in the future once they have addressed the need of financing their undergraduate studies. To this end, the DHD/OAS has been exploring financial credit programs and best practices from public and private institutions in various member states, as well as other international organizations.In May, DHD/OAS hosted the XXI Seminar on Educational Credit: Multilateral Partnerships and Strategies for the Development of Educational Credit Programs which was attended by private and public finance institutions and other international organizations. DHD/OAS is also embarking on a pilot program to assist a member state to develop and establish an educational credit program which can be a model for other member states with similar needs.

Suggested Recommendations for Improving Program Effectiveness

  • DHD/OAS will continue to provide the ONEs and national selection commissions with information and guidelines to aid them in the selection of OAS scholarship candidates, particularly as relates to the evaluation of applicants. As a result of the evaluation of candidates made during the international selection process during two academic cycles, it has been suggested that they may wish to diversifyby considering in their deliberations, submitting more candidates from the regions outside the capital cities.
  • On-Line Academic Study Programs and the Length of the Academic Scholarship Period. The General Secretariat wishes to suggest that an extension of the total academic period beyond two academic years be consideredfor those wishing to obtain on-line distance education graduate degrees. These degrees are designed for individuals who, for family, work, and personal reasons, are unable to study full time in situ at universities, and because they have these other commitments, may need more time to complete a graduate degree..

The General Secretariat would like to propose that the academic scholarship period be extended to three (3) years for graduate on-line degree programs in the understanding that they may not exceed the established monetary cap.

Observations from the 2008-09 Academic Cycle

Declinations of scholarships:There are fewer declinations of scholarships in the 2008-09 cycle than in the 2007-08. However, a number of member states continue to recommend more candidates for self-placed scholarships than can be accommodated under Article 11.2 of the Manual of Procedures. Candidates also have not taken seriously the new parameters of theOAS scholarships, i.e., the preference for awarding OAS-placed scholarships, the restrictions oncountry of study, and the $30,000 annual monetary cap. These elements continue to contribute to the decision of awardees to decline an OAS scholarship.

Academic merit: A key factor in the ability to place awardees (OAS-placed) is academic merit. DHD/OAS has emphasized in the scholarship announcement, verbal notes, and guidelines for national selection commissions the importance of sending candidates with strong academic merit to ensure that selected awardees can be placed in accredited institutions of higher learning. While the quality of candidates has improved in general with each cycle, there are still candidates with questionable grade point averages (GPA’s) who are put forward for consideration. Neither the OAS nor its third party placer can influence a university to adjust its academic standards to accommodate awardees with weak academic records.Of necessity, the OAS will implement a policy of only accepting candidates whose GPA’s are above average as determined by the standard within each member state.

Contracts established with students by the sponsoring country. Article 32.3 of the Manual of Procedures indicates that “the National Liaison Office or the designated equivalent or some other appropriate authority of the sponsoring country shall establish a contract with the scholarship recipient obligating the recipient to return to the sponsoring country, in accordance with this Manual.The contract shall obligate the scholarship recipient to reimburse the government of the sponsoring country, on behalf of the General Secretariat, the value of the OAS scholarship.Funds so collected shall be paid to the General Secretariat for deposit in the OAS Capital Fund for Scholarships”.

The GS/OAS wishes to note that the Scholarship Contract Offer it makes with students contains a clause which obligates scholarship recipients to return to the sponsoring country for at least two years or reimburse the OAS for the cost of the Scholarship. We urge member states to keep this in mind if making contracts with OAS scholars and to consider that contracts which exceed these conditions may force financially needy grantees to decline the scholarship.

University strikes: DHD/OAS wishes to inform that owing to strikes which are occuring in some universities where OAS scholarship recipients are placed currently, the total length of the academic study period may need to be reviewed for these students. We do not foresee, however, that this will have an impact on the totally monetary cap for these scholarships.

World economic crisis and impact on the Scholarship Program: DHD/OAS anticipates that the current economic crisis will have an impact on the scholarship monies that universities have available to give out, in particular, to students from other countries. This could result in fewer new partnership agreements with universities or the inability of universities with which the OAS has agreements to honor those agreements. This would have an impact on the number of scholarships that could be awarded during the next cycle.