Felician receives $2.3M federal technology grant

Matthew Fazelpoor//February 9, 2023//

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Felician University received a $2.3 million grant that will upgrade and expand the university’s broadband infrastructure, computing resources and online technologies, to make remote learning fully accessible. – FELICIAN UNIVERSITY

Felician University announced Feb. 8 it is the recipient of a $2.3 million federal grant to boost its technology infrastructure.

The award comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce through the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program and the Internet for All initiative. The funding will be used to upgrade and expand the school’s broadband infrastructure, computing resources and online technologies, and to make remote learning fully accessible.

Additionally, the grant will be used to teach telehealth best practices to three groups of Felician students in nursing, counseling psychology, and behavior and autism studies. The school will partner with three organizations that serve communities and will benefit from the collaboration of the telehealth-based services and resources, including: Franciscan Community Development Center’s Community Based Psychotherapy Center, Mount Carmel Guild Academy, and the South Bergen Jointure Commission.

James W. Crawford III was named the sixth president of Felician University, June 28, 2021. — Crawford

Felician is one of only 12 minority-serving higher education institutions to receive the funding, which is aimed at expanding technology and reliable high-speed internet access across the nation.

James Crawford III, Felician University president, said that the institution is very grateful for the award.

“The grant is important to Felician as it allows us to achieve our goals of building broadband capacity and furthering broadband access, while improving digital skills across the institution and in the communities we serve,” said Crawford.