A charter school leader has been named the founding dean of an innovative community college within the University of St. Thomas.
Alvin Abraham, executive director of KIPP Minnesota, which operates the Northstar Academy charter school in Brooklyn Center, will lead UST’s Dougherty Family College in downtown Minneapolis.
St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan called Abraham a “transformative leader.”
The two-year college opens in August in downtown Minneapolis with about 150 students. St. Thomas trustees think that with intensive mentoring and advising, students will graduate at higher rates than those at public community colleges.
The Dougherty college is accepting applications from prospective students through July 14.
Students must have at least a 2.5 high school grade-point average and must demonstrate high financial need. Tuition will be as low as $1,000 a year for the neediest students, and all will get free laptops, meals and transportation, as well as paid internships.
After two years of full-time study, students are expected to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a private or public four-year college in Minnesota.