## STRENTHENING INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM

### Fiscal Year 2006 Grantee Abstracts

**[P031A060172 - Carteret Community College, North
Carolina]{.underline}**

Carteret Community College (CCC), North Carolina, is a two-year,
comprehensive, public, postsecondary institution annually serving 2,400
credit students full-time equivalent (FTE) of 1,321. A 13-member board
of trustees governs Carteret Community College. The Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accredits the college. The college
requests \$1,640,832 over five years to help solve persistent problems
that seriously impede its sustainability. These problems include: (1)
CCC's student retention and graduation rates are too low; (2) student
learning assessment plans and the Institutional Effectiveness Plan will
not meet accreditation standards; (3) students in online and hybrid
courses are less successful; (4) too few faculty know how to advise
students; (5) data management is inadequate; and (6) the college has
lost funding.

To address these problems, CCC has developed a comprehensive activity
plan of professional development based on three goals and eight
measurable objectives which will: (1) increase assessment of student
learning and institutional effectiveness; (2) document use of assessment
in improving student learning and support for the environment that
supports student learning; (3) increase student success in distance
education; (4) increase student engagement with the institution; (5)
increase the retention of first-year, first-time, degree-seeking
students into their second college year; and (6) increase the annual
graduation rate as well as the three-year graduation rate of first-time
students. A project director, paid in part by Title III, will work
closely with three directors paid with institution funds to achieve and
institutionalize the activity goals and objectives. Measures of success
include the increase in success rates by distance education students
(from 63 to 75 percent), increase in first-year retention (54-69
percent), increase in student engagement by 10 percent over 2006 levels,
and an increase in the three-year graduation rate (29-35 percent) and
one-year rate (18-24 percent).

**[P031A060129 - North Iowa Area Community College, Iowa]{.underline}**

North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) is a two-year public community
college located in Mason City, Iowa. The school was founded in 1918 as
Mason City Junior College and became North Iowa Area Community College
in 1966. The college enrolls over 3,100 credit students of whom 80
percent are first-generation college students, 60 percent receive some
form of federal financial aid, and 60 percent finished high school in
the bottom half of their graduating class.

Activity: \$1,732,128 over five years. *Improving Student Success
Through System Change.*

NIACC proposes a comprehensive student success model that will improve
student success, progress, retention, and graduate rates. The
multi-faceted activity will strengthen the institution by helping
students assimilate into college; develop clear career and educational
goals; become engaged with staff, faculty and fellow students; and be
prepared for and succeed in college-level courses. The project is
designed to improve student success through system change at NIACC.

The Title III activity includes three components:

*Academic Placement and Support*: NIACC will improve students'
opportunity for success through built-in activities, which support their
academic success from the time they enter college. The methods include
remedial mandatory placement based on assessment, supplemental
instruction (SI), learning disability services, and tutoring.

*Student Engagement*: NIACC will help students make the transition to
college and develop important relationships with others through rich
academic and social experiences. The methods include Learning
Communities and a Mentoring Program.

*Educational Goal-Setting and Intervention*: NIACC will help students
develop a clear educational plan and stay on track through early and
intrusive interventions at critical points where their progress and
success may be impeded. The methods include Web advising tools and an
Early Alert System.

Key Measures of Outcomes:

1\. Student success within classes: increase the percent earning
successful grades.

2\. Student academic progress: decrease the percent placed on academic
probation.

3\. Student retention from year to year: increase retention rates from
fall to fall.

4\. Student graduation rate: increase graduation rates within three
years of entry.

Resources -- Approximately 81 percent (\$1,408,587) of the five-year
budget will fund an

activity director, special populations counselor, mathematics and
composition & speech instructors teaching Developmental Education, a
Learning Communities Coordinator, Mentoring program coordinator,
supplemental instruction/early alert coordinator, and SI student
leaders. The main budget will allow for the remodeling and expansion of
the Student Learning Center and other needs related to the
accomplishment of the objectives.

**[P031A060266 - Tallahassee Community College, Florida]{.underline}**

Tallahassee Community College (TCC) is a two-year public institution
founded in 1966. TCC is the fastest growing of Florida's 28 community
colleges, enrolling over 25,000 students annually in 56 programs leading
to an associate degree, certificate, or transfer to four-year
institutions. TCC students are 57 percent female, 79 percent below the
age of 25, and 44 percent minority including the state's highest
percentage of African-American community college students. The faculty
is composed of 170 full-time members and 356 adjunct faculty, with a
student-to-faculty ratio of 29:1.

Proposed Project: *Increase Student Retention and Graduation by
Re-Engineering Student Support Services and Reforming Developmental
Education* -- \$1,865,983 over five years.

This activity will be achieved by initiating a bold new program, Success
Oriented Academic Reform (SOAR), with Title III support that will
significantly increase TCC's low student success rate by: Re-engineering
the college's fragmented student support services by providing students
with a comprehensive assessment of skills and interests, an effective
orientation to the learning community, and a computerized tracking and
support system; reforming outmoded developmental education program by
re-designing the curriculum and instruction, training faculty and staff,
and integrating learning strategies; and establishing a culture of
assessment.

Key effectiveness indicators: By September 30, 2011, the fall-to-spring
persistence rate will increase by five percent (from 82 percent to 87
percent), the fall-to-fall retention rate will increase by 20 percent
(from 57 percent to 77 percent), former developmental students' success
in college courses will increase by 20 percent (from 59 percent to 79
percent), and the graduation rate will increase by 10 percent (from 24
percent to 34 percent) compared to 2003 baseline data. Title III support
will enable TCC to improve the institution's academic quality,
self-sufficiency, and capacity to increase student success.

**[P031A060085 - Central Maine Community College, Maine]{.underline}**

Delivering on the Promise is a project that will provide comprehensive
retention and transfer services to students in Central Maine Community
College's (CMCC) associate of arts degree program. In 2003, Central
Maine Technical College became Central Maine Community College and for
the first time offers the associate of arts degree to students who want
to begin their pursuit of a bachelor's degree at CMCC. Currently, 30
percent of CMCC's degree-seeking students are enrolled in the associate
of arts degree, but the College and its accrediting agency agree that,
"there is a lack of clarity about the degree as a program, as different
from a collection of general education coursework." The result has been
attrition in the first year as high as 55 percent within the first-year
and transfer to four-year programs at only 47.6 percent. These numbers
compare unfavorably with the outcomes of the College's traditional
Career students among whom first-year attrition is less than 40 percent
and placement (the outcome equivalent of transfer) is at 95 percent.

CMCC believes the experience of its associate of arts students reflect a
lack of engagement during the first year, combined with a failure to
provide guidance and support to associate of arts students. This project
will address the problems of high attrition by providing a First-Year
Experience for one year that will provide a sense of community and
opportunity for engagement to associate of arts students throughout
their CMCC career and Transfer Advising and Coordination to provide
support and an infrastructure for students to continue their studies at
a four-year institution. A total of 1300 students will participate in
the one-year experience and 950 will receive direct transfer advising
services during the project period.

The projected outcomes insure that associate of arts student persistence
to the second year will increase by 15 percent and that their rate of
transfer to a four-year program will improve to 75 percent by the end of
the project period. The total cost of this project is \$1,591,116 of
which 95 percent is for personnel. CMCC's request for funding decreases
by nearly 20 percent in Year 5.

**[P031A060041 - Pulaski Technical College, Arkansas]{.underline}**

Pulaski Technical College (PTC) is a comprehensive, public, open-door
community college serving the Little Rock area, fully accredited by the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) to offer more
than 40 associate degree and certificate programs and a wide range of
adult, continuing, and workforce education efforts, and governed by
seven appointed trustees. The Fall 2005 headcount was 7,685, a 50
percent increase since 2002, making PTC the largest and fastest growing
two-year college in the state. With 50 percent minority enrollment (45
percent African-American), PTC also serves more minority students than
any community college in the state. Nearly all of the students share
traits that put them at risk for failure in college, notably
first-generation students. More than three-quarters of faculty are
adjunct, and while all faculty are well-prepared in their disciplines,
PTC struggles to support their use of instructional methods proven
effective with at-risk students and to provide other structures to
promote student success.

**PTC Student Profile, Fall 2005**

Fall headcount: 7,685

Fall FTE: 5,106

Average age: 28

Plan to transfer: 61 percent

Plan to obtain certificate or terminal associate's degree: 28 percent

Female: 67 percent

Single parents: 25 percent

African-American: 45 percent

Other minority: 5 percent

First generation: 91 percent

Underprepared: 90 percent

Economically disadvantaged (Pell Grant recipients): 47 percent

Part-time students: 49 percent

Employed: 80 percent

Institutional Research: 2005

The proposed project addresses these deficiencies by strengthening
academic programming and support services with endowment to help sustain
new practices after funding.

# [P031A060116 - Felician College, New Jersey]{.underline}

# This project involves the replacement of an outmoded legacy Management Information System (MIS) with an updated system designed specifically for higher education. The original system, designed in the 1990's as an extension of a Microsoft Access program, no longer serves a college that has increased by at least one-third in terms of full-time equivalent (FTE) programs, faculty and administrative staff. In addition, the strategic plan calls for a number of initiatives that affect the organization and mode of operation for the entire college. These reengineering and restructuring efforts can only at best take place with a MIS system designed specifically for higher education to deal with the inherent complexities of academic and student demands so characteristic of the business world. In addition, the new MIS system will provide critical governmental updates for student financial operations. 

Felician College, Programs and Primary Audiences, serves 1,806 women and
men, offering more than 60 associate, baccalaureate and master's degree
programs. In 2005, the college graduated 335 students (27 masters, 274
bachelors, and 34 associates degrees). More than 91 percent of Felician
college students call New Jersey home; nearly half are from Bergen
County, where Felician's two campuses are located. The college's student
population is diverse, reflecting the demographics of the region: three
percent of students are minority. The median age is 22; in actuality,
students range from 15 to 72 years of age.

Faculty Profile - The college has 79 full-time faculty members, with 57
adjunct faculty to complete the course schedule. The full-time faculty
is 53 percent female, and 47 percent male. The college has made every
effort to ensure a low faculty-to-student ratio. In 2005-2006, the
full-time equivalent faculty-to-student ratio was 15:1.

**[P031A060124 -- Georgia Military College, Georgia]{.underline}**

**Georgia Military College (GMC) Student Profile, Fall 2005**

Total enrollment: 4,724

Full-time: 2,981

Part-time: 1,743

Cadets: 229

Minority: 2,254 (48 percent)

Average age: 27

Female: 60 percent

Underprepared: 69 percent

First-Generation: 80 percent

Work: 77 percent

Commuters: 95 percent

Pell Grant Eligible: 40 percent

Georgia Military College, established in 1879 and located in
Milledgeville, Georgia, is a comprehensive, open-admissions two-year,
multi-site college and a preparatory cadet high school and middle
school. Operating six campuses and two extension centers throughout
Georgia while continuing to maintain a Corps of Cadets at the
tradition-rich Milledgeville main campus, GMC is one of only five
military junior colleges in the nation. The college is accredited by the
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS) and directed by a publicly elected Board of Trustees and
President.

GMC Faculty Profile, Fall 2005

Full-time faculty: 103

Part-time faculty: 232

Minority faculty: 10 percent

Master's degrees: 242

Doctorate's degrees: 43

Average age: 50

Full-time Female: 50 percent

Faculty to Student ratio: 1:13

GMC Institutional Research

Mission: "To provide a liberal arts-based, two-year undergraduate
curriculum in an environment conducive to the holistic development of
the intellect and character of its students."

Georgia Military College offers associate of arts and sciences degrees
in behavioral science, business administration, criminal justice,
education, general studies, logistics management, and pre-nursing.
Georgia Military College depends on 92 percent enrollment revenues,
while receiving only three percent of funding from the state of Georgia.
Proposed Activity: *Strengthening Learner Support Systems* - increase
success for 69 percent of students placed in developmental courses,
first-time entering student retention and graduation rates by providing
best practices-driven instruction, faculty development, and student
information technology resources for the predominantly nontraditional,
academically underprepared, and underrepresented student body (48
percent African-American). Total Request: \$1,994,739.

[**P031A060130 - Chipola College, Florida**]{.underline}

The Institution: Chipola College was established in 1946 as a public,
open-admissions institution serving five rural counties in the Florida
panhandle. Affiliated with the Florida Department of Education, Chipola
awards associate of arts and associate of science degrees, certificates
of training, and a bachelor's of science in secondary education degree
to address the critical need for middle and high school math and science
teachers. The college has 56 full-time and 78 adjunct teachers, creating
a faculty to student ratio of 1:58.8. However, 81 percent of instruction
is provided by full-time faculty. In 2004-2005 Chipola enrolled 3,293
students. Students were 58 percent female, 42 percent male, 19.2 percent
African-American, 2.4 percent Hispanic, 1.5 percent other minorities, 90
percent first-generation, 51 percent low-income, and 75 percent
employed.

The Problem: Chipola fails to retain most of its students until they
graduate. About 76 percent of the academically underprepared and 58
percent of all students do not graduate in five years.

The Solution: Proposed activity - *Increasing Student Retention by
Strengthening Instructional Support and Increasing Student Engagement*
with three related components: Component 1: Instructional Support
establishes a PASS Lab (Promote the Academic Success for Students) for
on-demand tutoring and course-embedded supplemental instruction (SI) in
high-risk courses; Component 2: Student Engagement develops a Freshman
Seminar by extending orientation creating learning communities of 15-20
students; and Component 3: Faculty Development links Components 1 and 2
by training faculty in retention and student engagement strategies.

This Proposal: Based on extensive research and study of best practices,
Chipola requests \$1,808,241 over five years to improve early on-campus
experiences and promote persistence by achieving ambitious goals and
objectives, including a 25 percent increase in fall-to-fall retention, a
20 percent increase in graduation within three years, and a 30 percent
increase in student engagement.

**[P031A060133 - Midlands Technical College, South
Carolina]{.underline}**

Midlands Technical College (MTC), located in Columbia, South Carolina,
is a comprehensive, two-year, publicly supported community college
enrolling 15,000 credit students annually. MTC proposes one activity
\$1,993,061 over five years, *Improving Developmental Studies Student
Success, Retention and Graduation*, to comprehensively address the
fundamental challenges facing students entering the college without the
basic academic skills to do college-level work and to persist to
graduation. A majority of freshman, entering MTC immediately post-high
school, test into at least one remedial class. These students are
underprepared by the public K-12 school system to succeed in
postsecondary settings. Recent studies show that South Carolina has the
nation's lowest high school completion rate (Education Week, June 22,
2006); ranks 49th in SAT scores; and has the third lowest ACT scores in
the nation. While MTC has a dynamic developmental studies (DVS) program,
those students continue to falter, in part because of the capacity
demands on the program and the resulting limited ability to structure
personal targeted interventions. New strategies within the college's DVS
department must be deployed to positively impact retention of these
at-risk students.

This target activity consists of improving the outcomes for students
enrolled in developmental studies by strategic reading tutoring,
supplemental instruction, personalized counseling and advisement,
computer tracking of academic progress and scheduled interventional
meetings as indicated by tracking data, training of faculty in reading
pedagogy and faculty development.

MTC will: 1) increase retention and success for over 3,000 developmental
studies students by two percent each fall to fall over five years (10
percent over five years); 2) increase by two percent per year the number
of developmental studies students who complete their final DVS course;
3) provide professional development in new skills and methodologies for
at least 33 percent of DVS faculty annually; 4) provide professional
development annually college-wide on strategies for helping DVS students
succeed; and 5) establish measures to determine the percentage of
successful completion of first college-level course by DVS students over
five years.

**[P031A060252 - Utah Valley State College, Utah]{.underline}**

Utah Valley State College is a four-year state college in transition to
a regional university; it also embraces the philosophy and mission of a
comprehensive community college. Programs of study include both liberal
arts and technical. Utah Valley State College (UVSC) offers a total of
48 bachelor's degrees, 84 associate's degrees, and 39 certificates and
one-year diplomas.

Project Overview: UVSC will address a top institutional priority of
improving student success and retention (a loss of 57 percent of its
freshman cohort annually) by implementing an integrated and
comprehensive Student Success and Retention Initiative focused on the
first-year experience with the objective of increasing its fall-to-fall,
first-year student retention by 12 percent. To accomplish its objective,
UVSC will: 1) implement a First-Year Experience (FYE) that emphasizes
learning and a successful transition to college with particular
attention to students in at-risk populations; 2) implement a Student
Retention Information Tracking System to provide reports and information
aimed at a retention and persistence of students to graduation; and 3)
implement a training program for faculty, staff, and key administrative
leaders on the FYE and best practices for teaching first-year students
and on using the Student Retention Information Tracking System. These
initiatives would increase the ability of students to succeed in UVSC's
outstanding academic programs, focus the institution's managing
personnel on a viable solution to a pressing problem, and strengthen the
financial stability of the institution by providing a more secure
student enrollment base. These outcomes are critical to address UVSC's
evolving role in the community and its soon-to-be realized role as a
regional university.

[**P031A060179 - Mars Hill College, North Carolina**]{.underline}

# 

Mars Hill College is a private, four-year, liberal arts
institution---the oldest in Western North Carolina. Associated with the
Baptist denomination, Mars Hill is renowned as a college where faith is
affirmed and diversity is welcomed. The Fall 2005 headcount included
1,329 students (68 percent traditional and 32 percent evening students.)
The student body is 59 percent female and 41 percent male; 82 percent
Caucasian, 12 percent Black, 16 percent other or unknown; and
approximately 900 students reside on campus. Mars Hill employs 75
full-time faculty and approximately 45 adjuncts, and boasts a student to
faculty ratio of 13:1.

Like many smaller liberal arts institutions in America, the college is
dealing with enrollment, graduation, and retention rates that do not
match the full potential of the institution. To reverse this situation,
faculty, staff, and administration are requesting a Title III
Strengthening Institutions project to provide the seed money necessary
to create a rigorous liberal arts learning environment that 21st century
students will find attractive, stimulating, and meaningful. The project
will enable faculty to identify student learning outcomes and assessment
strategies for all programs, strengthen academic advisement, integrate
technology into instruction, create research opportunities and honors
programs, provide meaningful professional development for faculty, and
market the newly engaged learning environment to internal and external
constituents.

Approximately \$2,000,000 is requested over a five-year period (October
2006 through September 2011) to initiate these activities. Mars Hill
also has developed effective strategies to institutionalize these
initiatives by meeting or exceeding the on-campus enrollment goal of
1200 students by fall 2011, and through proactive fundraising to match
Title III endowment funds that will help assure continued academic
enhancement beyond the federal grant period.

# [P031A060240 - Thiel College, Pennsylvania]{.underline}

Thiel College, Greenville, Pennsylvania, is located in rural Western
Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1866 and is a private, liberal
arts college with an enrollment of 1304 students in 2005-2006 and an
operating budget of \$22,904,265.

.

Activity 1: \$1,789,208 over five years*: Focus on creating a
comprehensive learning experience by strengthening the advising process
to be more responsive to the developmental, discernment and career needs
of students through an integrated, supportive and challenging learning
community*.

To strengthen retention and graduation rates through improved advising
support services and curricular enhancements. Indicators of success
include: 1) Increase freshman-sophomore retention from 65 percent to 74
percent by 2010-2011; 2) Increase five-year graduation rate from 38
percent to 46 percent by 2010-2011; 3) Increase awareness of engaging
pedagogies by providing development opportunities to 75 percent of the
faculty; and 4) Impact the delivery of 33 percent of the courses through
curricular design, e-portfolio and engaging pedagogies.

**[P031A060171 - North Central Texas College, Texas]{.underline}**

The College: North Central Texas College (NCTC) is a comprehensive,
public community college with an open-door admissions policy, covering a
three-county service area, including Cooke, Montague, and Denton
Counties. The Gainesville Campus (Cooke County) enrolls 1,950 students;
the Corinth Campus (Denton County) enrolls 4,550 students; and the Bowie
Campus (Montague County) enrolls 330 students. North Central Texas
College's ethnic enrollment breakdown is 78 percent white, 9.6 percent
Hispanic, 7.4 percent black, 2.9 percent Asian; and 2.1 percent others.
Since 1999, NCTC has experienced a 65 percent increase in enrollment.
Eighteen percent of students are 18 years old and under, 59 percent
19-25, 14 percent 26-35, seven percent 36-50, and one percent 50+. Of
the 285 NCTC faculty employed in fall 2005, 100 (35 percent), were
full-time (FT) and 185 or (65 percent) were part-time. The full-time
faculty-to-student ratio is 1:70; total faculty-to-student ratio is
1:24.

Title III Project: NCTC's project will focus on implementing a
comprehensive academic and effective readiness program for students to
increase retention and completion rates. Major activities include:
Centralized Student Success Centers to coordinate comprehensive
retention strategies; an orientation program; THEA (Texas Higher
Education Assessment) and COMPASS test preparatory classes;
individualized tutoring; fully functioning writing, reading and math
labs; supplemental instruction; career counseling; early alert system;
academic advising; study skills and financial aid workshops. The total
cost of the project is \$1,830,849; 64 percent salary/fringe benefits,
15 percent contractual, nine percent supplies, eight percent equipment,
three percent travel, one percent other costs. NCTC has identified the
following goals:

North Central Texas College Strengthening Institution Goals

-   Academic Goal 1: To improve student retention rates at several
    points in the college's interaction with the student;

-   Academic Goal 2: To enhance student success and college readiness;
    and

-   Academic Goal 3: To improve success rates in college preparatory
    courses.

**[P031A060230 - York College, New York]{.underline}**

York is a public, four-year commuter college that enrolls approximately
5,900 students (headcount) who pursue more than 40 different majors, 30
minors, and a variety of certificates in both professional programs and
the liberal arts and sciences. It is a senior college of the City
University of New York (CUNY) located in Queens, New York. Approximately
75 percent of York students are from Queens, which is one of the most
ethnically diverse counties in the nation. There is also a great deal of
poverty, as evidenced by the fact that more than half of York's students
come from families that make less than \$30,000 per year. Fall 2005 data
show that 94 percent of students are from minority groups (61 percent
African-American, 21 percent Hispanic, and 12 percent Asian) and 68
percent are female. In addition, approximately 50 percent of new
students admitted are transfer students (largely from CUNY's community
colleges). York employs 172 full-time faculty and 269 part-time faculty.
The student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1.

Based on a thorough analysis of its strengths, weaknesses and problems,
the college is requesting Title III funds to strengthen academic support
and advising services, improve instruction and establish college-wide
learning outcomes assessment practices. Key measures of success will be
to: (1) increase full-time equivalent enrollment by 10 percent, (2)
increase graduation rates by 10 percent, (3) increase fall-to-fall
retention by 10 percent, (4) increase success rates in key entry-level
courses by 15 percent, (5) increase student satisfaction with the
quality of academic advising by 10 percent, and (6) increase the number
of academic departments with assessed learning outcomes that
comprehensively measure student abilities at the general education,
program and course levels, the results of which are linked to strategic
planning and budgeting, up to 100 percent.

**[P031A060236 - University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Chippewa
Valley, Wisconsin]{.underline}**

*Stronger Together: An Educational Partnership for the Changing Economy*
is a cooperative project proposed by the University of Wisconsin-River
Falls (UWRF) and Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC).

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Chippewa Valley Technical
College are different sorts of institutions, but they serve the same
primary area: seven counties in western Wisconsin and one county in
eastern Minnesota. This area, immediately to the east of Minneapolis-St.
Paul, is experiencing rapid growth, but within three years the number of
high school graduates---the primary market for both institutions---will
start to decline. In order to grow and thrive, UWRF and CVTC must
increase their programs aimed at working adults through non-traditional
means of delivery: online instruction, combinations of online and
face-to-face, interactive TV and Webcasts, as well as flexible
scheduling. *Stronger Together* will help both institutions expand their
capacity to deliver courses and programs in alternative ways. By working
together, each institution's strengths will help ameliorate the other's
weaknesses. Collaboratively, they will meet the educational needs of the
area's changing economy.

**[P031A060072 - Montgomery County Community College,
Pennsylvania]{.underline}**

Montgomery County Community College, founded in 1964 and located in
Southeastern Pennsylvania, is a public community college with 16,522
credit students.

This five-year grant will allow the college to develop a comprehensive
retention plan aimed at addressing four institutional problems and
weaknesses: Problem 1: We are losing potential students due to flawed
enrollment processes. Problem 2: Developmental students, in particular,
are at risk for failure and attrition. Problem 3: Key personnel do not
easily obtain data. Problem 4: The college is losing money due to the
attrition of developmental students.

Activity: *Increasing Student Retention and Success at Montgomery County
Community College* will be accomplished through the implementation of
the following four intensive strategies: 1) Developing a comprehensive
Student Support Network (SSN) and New Student Enrollment Process; 2)
Redesigning the tutoring and advisement services; 3) Implementing
developmental education learning communities and supplemental
instruction; and 4) Purchasing and implementing a data system to track
and monitor the persistence and retention of at-risk students.

Key outcomes of the project: 1) Increase the completion rate of
first-time, degree-seeking students from 10.44 percent in 2001 to 20
percent (the IPEDS peers in 2004) by 2011; 2) Reduce the number of
students who fail to enroll after application and/or placement testing
from 63 percent in fall 2005 to 45 percent by 2011; 3) Improve the
full-time equivalent developmental retention rate by 10 percent by 2011;
and 4) Improve the capacity of the college to collect useful retention
and persistence data on at-risk students.

Project Management and Evaluation: The college is committed to
implementing a sustainable project that will meet student needs.
Approximately 63 percent of the budget is for personnel, 18 percent for
fringe benefits, 14 percent will purchase hardware and software, two
percent for renovation and remodeling of an existing space, one percent
for supplies and two percent for Other costs. Total cost: \$1,539,713
over five years.

**[P031A060075 - North Arkansas College, Arkansas]{.underline}**

North Arkansas College (Northark) is a public, open door, comprehensive
community college that served 2,187 students in fall 2005. Governed by
nine elected Trustees and fully accredited by the Higher Learning
Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
(NCA), the college operates three campuses and offers 16 associate
degree programs, 21 technical certificates, five certificates of
proficiency, adult basic education and GED classes, workforce
development, and noncredit courses. Northark is a leading regional
provider of health education, and almost one third of our graduates
are in allied health.

The only postsecondary institution in a disadvantaged,
rural area, Northark enrolls a growing but increasingly at
risk number of students: older, first generation, and under-prepared for
college. Not surprisingly, few reach their educational goals.
The faculty is committed to their success and eager to learn new tools
and techniques for improving their achievement.

The proposal describes a comprehensive student success
initiative including faculty development, the creation of effective
developmental and gateway instruction, and support structures such as
service learning, learning communities, a summer bridge program,
and information-based comprehensive intake strategies and progress
tracking and referral systems.  Endowment funds are
also requested to help sustain new practices and improvements in
on-going college operations.

**[P031A060141 - McLennan Community College, Texas]{.underline}**

McLennan Community College (MCC), Waco, Texas, was established in 1965
as a

comprehensive, two-year public, associate degree and
certificate-granting college and one of 50 colleges in Texas. McLennan
Community College serves four predominately rural, central Texas
counties as the primary public postsecondary institution. The Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accredits MCC. The fall 2005
headcount is 7,882, of which 80 percent work at least part-time, 51
percent are first-generation, 65 percent are white, 33 percent are at or
below poverty. McLennan Community College has a total of 378 faculty, 49
percent are adjunct, and the faculty to student ratio is 1:22. The
annual operating budget is \$34 million.

*Developing an e-Campus to Improve Access, Retention and Success* is the
single activity proposed, \$1,726,054 of which 70 percent is personnel,
16 percent equipment, 14 percent training, site visits, etc. Expected
Outcomes: 90 percent of faculty will have the skills to effectively
design curriculum and teach through Blackboard Enterprise; 30 percent
more faculty will actually teach online; 5,000 enrollments will be
online; 99 percent of students will have access to all student and
academic support systems; seven degree programs will be available
online; online student attrition will decrease; overall persistence to
graduation will increase.

To meet outcomes, MCC will move from a non-uniform, piecemeal distance
education presence without defined goals, policies and procedures to a
uniform web presence and structure that coordinates all of the disparate
pieces under one administrative department emphasizing adherence to
accreditation standards, distance education best practices and MCC's
Institutional Effectiveness Plan. Tools needed: 1) an e-Campus structure
with a center responsible for pedagogical and technical support of
faculty and students; 2) an enterprise based course management system
compatible with Datatel; and 3) a comprehensive
faculty/staff/administrator development program. Project Management at
\$273,759 is just 13.7 percent of the total request.

**[P031A060089 - Cabrini College, Pennsylvania]{.underline}**

Cabrini College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in
Radnor, Pennsylvania, near

Philadelphia. It was founded in 1957 and is accredited by the Middle
States Commission on Higher Education. The college has 33 undergraduate
majors and offers the bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of
science in education, and bachelor of social work degrees. It also
offers three graduate degree programs. The fall 2005 headcount
enrollment was 2,304. Of the undergraduate student body, 69 percent are
female and nine percent minority. In addition, approximately 25 percent
are first-generation college students and 37 percent of full-time
students commute. There are 65 full-time and 172 part-time faculty
members, and the student to faculty ratio is 15:1. Based on a thorough
analysis of strengths, weaknesses and problems, the college is
requesting Title III funding to establish "*Living and Learning
Communities*" that combine elements of learning community and
residential college practices to support student development and build
intentional connections between learning inside and outside of the
classroom.

• A teaching/learning center dedicated to improving the quality of
academic support

services and faculty instructional practices on a college-wide scale;

• Electronic portfolio-based developmental advising and an Academic and
Career

Exploration Program to support the development of life and career goals;
and

• Endowment dedicated to need-based financial aid. Key measures of
success will include increasing graduation rates by 10 percent,
increasing fall-to fall retention by five percent, increasing "sense of
community" satisfaction rates by 20 percent, increasing student
participation in co-curricular activities by 20 percent, decreasing
freshmen with low grade point averages by 10 percent, and increasing
students declaring majors by the end of their freshman year by 10
percent.

[**P031A060058 - Trident Technical College, South
Carolina**]{.underline}

Trident Technical College (TTC) is located in Charleston, South
Carolina, and serves Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. TTC
is a public, two-year, multi-campus institution and is accredited by the
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS). With a fall 2005 enrollment of 11,407, TTC is one of 16
two-year colleges that comprise the South Carolina Technical Education
System. The college's current operating budget is \$43,688,801.

The proposed Title III project consists of one activity: *Increasing
Student Success and*

*Retention through Faculty Development and the Integration of
Interactive Technology into the Core Curriculum*. The requested grant
amount is \$1,785,461 over five years to support three components: 1)
development and implementation of interactive learning objects designed
to address student services concepts that are critical to first-year
retention; 2) development and implementation of interactive learning
objects designed to address critical skills for adjunct and full-time
faculty as well as comprehensive training for Faculty Champions; and 3)
development and implementation of course-specific learning objects
designed to address critical skills or concepts that frequently hinder
student success in targeted core courses.

A sample of key outcomes includes: 1) The average success rate (A, B, or
C grade) in

piloted courses will increase by at least two percent -- five percent
over baseline; 2) Increases in completion rate, transfer rate and
graduation rate among students involved in the project. The following
increases are expected: 13 percent for students enrolled in one to three
pilot courses, four to six percent for students enrolled in four to six
pilot courses, and seven percent for students enrolled in seven or more
pilot courses; and 3) At least 75 faculty members will demonstrate an
ability to effectively incorporate learning objects into instruction.

Learning objects are small electronic units of educational information
that are flexible, reusable, customizable, interoperable, retrievable,
facilitate competency-based learning and increase the value of content
(Instructional Design at ISC, Glossary, 2006).

**[P031A060257 - Owens Community College, Ohio]{.underline}**

Owens Community College, accredited by the North Central Association's
Higher Learning Commission, is supporting the educational needs of
Northwest Ohio students by offering associate degrees, certificates, and
non-credit courses in over 150 academic programs. Fall 2005 curriculum
enrollment was 20,406. Current operating budget for the institution
totals over \$86,000,000.

Activity One: This five-year activity is a comprehensive retention
program designed

to increase student retention and success during the first 30 earned
credits within a

degree program. Highlights of the five-year project include the
following:

-   Supplemental Instruction \[SI\] tutors to support developmental and
    at-risk students;

-   20 full-time, retention advisors trained at the National Academic
    Advising Institute;

-   20 freshman seminar faculty trained through the First Year
    Experience (FYE) Institute;

-   Training for 42 faculty and advisors in Web-based advising features;

-   Research associate to monitor continuous quality improvement in
    retention; and

-   Ohio Board of Regents open-source Portfolio system for archiving
    evidence of learning outcomes, structuring academic and career
    pathways, and modeling a state-wide system for improving transfer
    accountability.

Endowment funds in the amount of \$200,000 are included in the
strengthening plan.

All funds that are a part of the Endowment Challenge will be
administered in

accordance with all regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. The
college will

comply with the matching request. These funds are shown in the Summary
Budget (ED

524), included in the "Other" line item per instructions. The total
five-year grant request is \$1,750,837, with a total institutional
investment of \$1,509,246.

**[P031A060088 - Moraine Park Technical College,
Wisconsin]{.underline}**

Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) is a two-year accredited public
college in east-central Wisconsin. MPTC offers 118 associate degrees and
technical diplomas, 58 certificates and apprenticeships, and basic
education to 23,078 (unduplicated 2004-2005), generating 3,249 full time
equivalent (FTE) students. The average age of a MPTC student is 37 years
old. Student demographics by gender, race and ethnicity include:
female - 62 percent, male - three percent; American Indian - one
percent; Asian - one percent, Black - five percent, Hispanic - two
percent, Pacific - one percent, and White - 91 percent. MPTC employs 147
full-time and 500 part-time faculty. The full-time faculty to student
ratio is 1:20.

The total grant request is \$1,984,655 over five years for the following
activity: *Improve student retention and strengthen College
effectiveness by integrating advisement, technology, assessment and
placement*. Key Strategies: (1) implement a risk management system; (2)
create an integrated advisement system; (3) institutionalize a
developmental placement system; (4) institutionalize a developmental
studies system; (5) develop an early alert system; and (6) train and
support all staff.

Sample of key measures: a) The college's student retention rate will
increase by 13 percent in identified programs over the five year period;
b) 90 percent of programs for high-risk students will implement
successful retention strategies from pilot project data; c) 85 percent
of pilot students with at-risk factors will be retained to second year
or graduate; d) 30 percent of staff will be involved in the newly
developed and implemented risk management assessment, developmental
placement, developmental studies, mentoring, and/or early alert systems;
e) all admitted program students will receive a student e-mail account;
and f) paper-laden processes in Admissions, Financial Aid and
Registrar's offices will be streamlined via document imaging, therefore
significantly reducing student and staff time and effort.

**[P031A060126 - Purdue University, Indiana]{.underline}**

Purdue University Calumet (PUC) in Hammond, Indiana, is a comprehensive
regional

university and part of the Purdue University System. With almost 9,400
students, PUC serves a geographic region of 500,000 with one of the
lowest attainment of higher education degrees in the United States. PUC
has serious problems which challenge the institution: 1) PUC students
are first-generation students and need career-developing experiences
while in college. Experiential education -- linked to course credit --
is inconsistent and scattered across the institution; and 2) PUC has low
retention and graduation rates, and initiatives to increase retention
during the last five years have had a positive impact on limited groups
of students, but not across the entire institution. In order to
comprehensively transform the institution, PUC is requesting Title III
funding for a single activity to accomplish the following goals:

Goal 1: To improve retention and graduation rates through a
comprehensive experiential education program. This is accomplished by
developing faculty and advisor expertise in experiential education to
create an experiential education curriculum in every program.

Goal 2: To create an infrastructure of information and support for
students, employers, and non-profit organizations on experiential
education. This is intended to create a stronger link between students
and work world experiences.

The budget for this activity includes funding for faculty development
activities, creation of three new positions focused on job development
as well as community-based experiences, and faculty and administrative
release time to create experiential experience infrastructure. PUC
commits to sustaining job development positions and to funding the
communication plan for experiential education.

# [P031A060122 - Columbia State Community College, Ohio]{.underline}

Columbia State Community College is requesting one million dollars over
a five-year period to increase its capacity to develop foundation
grants, corporate gifts, planned gifts, and other major gifts. The
college will not use Title III funds to raise money, but to increase the
capacity of the development office. By expanding capacity, Columbia
State will be in a position to better serve the citizens of the nine
county region.

Measurable Objectives:

1\. By the end of year three, increase capacity to research, monitor and
maintain a database of 200 private/corporate foundations with high grant
potential.

2\. By the end of year three, increase capacity to provide research and
data analysis supporting the development of 20 proposals per year to
private/corporate foundations.

3\. By the end of year five, increase capacity to research, monitor and
maintain a database of 1,000 corporations and individuals with high
major gifts potential.

4\. By the end of year five, increase capacity to consistently
communicate with 1,000 corporations and individuals. Communications
consists of an annual letter, a newsletter,

a magazine, and an interactive Web site.

5\. By the end of year five, increase capacity to provide research,
analysis, and communications needed to support president and foundation
member visits to 100 priority individuals and corporations per year.

**[P031A060063 - Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences,
Tennessee]{.underline}**

Project Title: Increasing Student Success through a Strong Science and
Math Foundation.

Total Five Year Budget: \$1,835,721. Title III: \$1,024,155. Baptist
College: \$811,566.

Baptist College is proposing to "improve student success through a
strong science and

math foundation" with Title III funds by providing supplemental course
specific instruction for five essential math and science courses
identified as having the highest failure rate. Failure in the targeted
courses is a major cause of academic dismissal, thus decreasing the
number of students eligible to graduate.

Data in a recent National Science Foundation report indicates that
students in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, where Baptist College
draws over 90 percent of its students, perform below the lowest quartile
on measures of science and math achievement in the United States.
Baptist College will address this problem through a Course Specific
Instruction Laboratory that will provide tutors, workshops for students,
faculty release time for curriculum development, mini-grants for faculty
development, and an annual faculty development seminar.

The college is requesting endowment funds to be matched by new monies
raised to help

institutionalize the project and to achieve institutional
self-sufficiency. Baptist College is a private, four-year,
coeducational, urban college offering the Bachelor of Science in Nursing
and the Bachelor of Health Sciences. Baptist College enrolled 866
students in the fall of 2005. Student ages range from 17 to 56. The
total student population is 88.5 percent female and 11.5 percent male.
Ethnicity: White - 68.3 percent; African-American - 29.2 percent;
Asian - two percent; and Hispanic - .5 percent. The college employs 58
full-time and 28 part-time faculty. The overall student to full-time
faculty ratio is 15 to 1. This is Baptist College's first application
for a Title III grant. The college is eligible for Title III funding
based on the percentage of 2003/2004 students receiving Pell Grants: 34
percent and Educational and General expenditures per full-time
equivalent (FTE) student: \$13,196.

# [P031A060175 - Bunker Hill Community College, Massachusetts]{.underline}

Bunker Hill Community College is a public, two-year community college,
one of 15

community colleges in Massachusetts. Bunker Hill Community College
enrolls 8,000 students in more than 65 associate degree or certificate
programs. Primarily from Boston's urban neighborhoods, BHCC students are
mostly female (60 percent), people of color (60 percent), and over 22
years of age (70 percent). Bunker Hill Community College has 118
full-time faculty members and 300 adjunct faculty, with a 19:1 student
to faculty ratio. Proposed Project: *Building the Engaged Campus:
Increasing Student Persistence, Retention, and Achievement;* \$1,887,063
over five years.

The BHCC Engaged Campus addresses the college's core institutional goal
to increase student engagement, persistence, and program completion. The
Engaged Campus rests on three pillars: multi-tiered learning
communities, comprehensive outcomes assessment, and integrated student
services. Bunker Hill Community College will implement three levels of
learning communities, each led by a trained faculty member, to deepen
the level of student engagement. Level 1---Learning Community Seminar
will be a core course for entering first-time, full-time students. Level
2---Affiliated Learning Communities will be designed for students with
common interests, academic goals, or career aspirations. Level
3---Integrated Learning Communities will involve courses clustered
around academic themes.

As the learning communities are designed and implemented, an expanded
outcomes assessment framework will be developed that connects the
communities to a clear vision of the expectations for a BHCC graduate.
Completing the architecture of the Engaged Campus is a unified suite of
student services including an expanded assessment protocol, reformed
orientation, redesigned advising processes, and an automated academic
monitoring system, all fully integrated within the Datatel information
system. By percent, and the graduation rate by five percent\--key
performance measures of Title III.

**[P031A060180 - Cleveland State University, Ohio]{.underline}**

Cleveland State University (CSU)is an urban public university located on
the shores of Lake Erie. A Model for Engaged Student Learning:
*Strengthening Academic Programs and Institutional Initiatives
Management* will have three initiatives, and requests \$1,996,479 over
five years. A developmental advising model, including financial planning
for educational expenses, will be designed for incorporation into
learning centers. Strengthening faculty development will be conducted
through training sessions held during the academic year and through a
three-week intensive summer seminar.

Endowment: The Office of Advancement has pledged to match an endowment
request

of \$310,000, or 15.5 percent of the total funds requested.

Fall 2005 Cleveland State University Profile: Four-year public; Founded
1964. Assumed holdings of Fenn College, a failing private college.
Merged Cleveland-Marshall College of Law with CSU in 1969 Primary
Service Population. Primarily blighted urban core around metro Cleveland
and Akron, including Northeast Ohio counties of Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain,
Summit and Medina.

Significance: Only public institution serving 600,000 Cleveland area
residents with open

door access to a university experience, culminating in four-year
degrees.

Colleges and Centers: Eight academic colleges; a graduate college; 44
academic departments; three research institutes; 25 Centers of
Excellence.

Degrees: Bachelor's degrees in 70 major fields; master's degrees in 46
areas; two advanced degrees in law; three post-master's educational
specialist degrees; six doctoral degrees; 50 certificate programs in the
Fall 2005 .

# [P031A060194 - Southwestern Oregon Community College, Oregon]{.underline}

Southwestern Oregon Community College (SOCC) is a public, two-year,
rural community

college. The college serves the residents of Coos, Curry and western
Douglas Counties with programs in professional and technical education,
transfer, continuing education and adult basic education.

Southwestern Oregon Community College Student Body and Faculty
Characteristics \-- Unduplicated Headcount (Fall 2005): 4,057 Student
Full Time Equivalent (FTE)

790 Faculty (Fall 2005): 66 full-time; 153 part-time

Faculty-to-Student Ratio (Fall 2005): 1:18.5

Student Gender: 60 percent female, 40 percent male

Average Age of Full-Time Students: 23.3 percent

Full-Time Students Receiving Financial Aid: 68 percent.

Degree/Certificate Seeking Students that are First-Generation College:
four percent

Ethnicity of Full Time Students: 79 percent White, five percent American
Indian, two percent Asian, two percent Black, five percent Hispanic, one
percent Pacific Islander, six percent Unknown.

More than 90 percent of entering students need remediation in writing,
reading, or math. Southwestern Oregon Community College has high
attrition in developmental and gateway courses, poor first-term to
second-term and fall to-fall retention, lacks a consistent faculty
development process, has struggled to meet accreditation requirements
for comprehensive institutional assessment and continuous improvement,
and lacks comprehensive online student services to support explosive
growth in distance learning.

A single activity with four integrated components -- *Improving Student
Success through Faculty Development, Instructional Innovation, Enhanced
Student Services and Comprehensive Institutional Assessment*
(\$1,908,746 over five years) focuses on ameliorating the weaknesses and
major problems identified in the CDP and strengthening SOCC:

1\) Improve Teaching and Learning Through Comprehensive Faculty
Development;

2\) Improve Student Retention, Including Focus on Developmental &
Gateway Courses;

3\) Expand Access to Student Services and Instructional Support Through
Technology; and

4\) Improve Institutional Research, Assessment and Accountability.

Project Management and Evaluation (\$84,776 over five years) supports a
0.50 FTE administrative assistant and five evaluations by an external
evaluator. A 0.30 FTE project director is funded by institutional
resources. (\$1,993,522 Total Title III funding request).

# [P031A060131 - Nassau Community College, New York]{.underline}

*Using Technology to Strengthen and Improve Management Information
Systems and Academic Programs at Nassau Community College*

Nassau Community College (NCC), Garden City, New York, is a
comprehensive, public, two-year community college offering liberal arts
transfer and technical programs. As of fall 2005, there were 15,838
full-time equivalent (FTE) students or 20,979 headcount. Fifty-three
percent (53 percent) of the students were female, 19 percent
African-Americans, 12 percent Hispanic, and 50 percent Caucasian. In
fall 2005, there were 538 full-time and 850 adjunct faculty. The faculty
to student ratio is 1:18.

This one-activity, two-component project requests \$1,997,664 over five
years to use technology to strengthen NCC's Management Information
Systems (MIS) (\$1,275,000) and to increase online course development
(\$250,000). The project will also build an endowment to fiscally
strengthen the institution. Several critical issues face NCC: 1) an
antiquated MIS unable to meet the sophisticated demands of information
integration; 2) insufficient online course offerings to meet student
demand; and 3) the need for a diverse stream of income.

Based on an analysis of NCC's weaknesses, problems and the goals
established by the college's Strategic Planning Process, funding is
requested from Title III to address three major goals:

1\) Institutional Management: Provide resources for training of faculty,
staff and administrators to use the new MIS. Improved college business
and student services will strengthen fiscal stability, academic success,
and student support services;

2\) Academic Programs: Significantly expand NCC's online course
offerings by training faculty in online course design and
implementation, with a special focus on information literacy. The
resulting 31 new online courses will enable NCC to offer more diverse
course options and better meet student needs; and

3\) Fiscal Stability: Create an endowment fund (\$400,000) within the
NCC Foundation for technology, faculty development and other needs. The
endowment request will be matched over five years to further
institutionalize services funded by Title III.

[**P031A060147 - Eastern Illinois University, Illinois**]{.underline}

Eastern Illinois University is a public comprehensive institution whose
educational mission is to offer liberal arts-based baccalaureate degree
programs and selected master's-level programs.

Figures available for the fall 2005 semester at Eastern reveal the
following representative facts: Total headcount was 12,129 students, who
represented 10,753 full-time equivalent (FTE). The student population
was 58 percent female and 42 percent male. Minority students represented
10.5 percent of total enrollment, and international students represented
1.1 percent. About 19 percent of Eastern students were twenty-five or
older; and approximately 10 percent enrolled only in off-campus courses.

In the fall semester of 2004, there were 633 full-time and 97 part-time
faculty at Eastern. Consequently, the student to faculty ratio was 16:1.
The faculty was 56 percent male; 44 percent female, and nine percent
minorities.

Proposed Project :

Each academic year, approximately 700 -- 900 Eastern students reach
Academic Warning status, and more than 50 percent of these students
ultimately leave the university without a degree. Because minority
students are disproportionately affected, the university loses diversity
of its student body. The university proposes to address these problems
by: (1) constructing space for a comprehensive Student Success Center;
(2) requiring all at-risk students to take a motivational/empowerment
course at the center; and (3) creating an endowment that will assure
permanent financial stability of the Center.

**[P031A060155 - Berkshire Community College,
Massachusetts]{.underline}**

Berkshire Community College (BCC), in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was
founded in 1960 as the state's first community college. Berkshire
County, where the college's main campus is located, has 131,868
residents in its 931 square miles, many of them the "working poor" and
26 percent living below 200 percent of poverty level. The college serves
over 2,000 students a semester, 72 percent of whom are first-generation,
87 percent underprepared, and 79 percent receiving need-based financial
aid.

Activity: *Strengthening Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century*
-\$1,932,500 over five years. Through this activity, BCC will strengthen
its developmental education program; link developmental education to
general education college courses; provide faculty and staff
professional development on new teaching, academic support, and student
tracking and advising strategies, incorporate technology into the
curriculum; and develop a Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
along with a reading/writing laboratory. As a result, student success at
BCC will increase where 80 percent of developmental students will
successfully complete developmental courses, and 20 percent will
complete a degree or certificate with 3.5 years; overall retention will
reach 54 percent; and graduation within 3.5 years will increase to 35
percent. At least 80 percent of faculty will use new teaching and
retention strategies, and at least 75 percent of advisors will use the
student information system (DataTel) to track student progress and
outcomes. Improved retention and increased enrollment will enhance
fiscal stability.

**[P031A060166 - The University of Massachusetts Boston,
Massachusetts]{.underline}**

The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB): The only public university
in Boston, UMB enrolls nearly 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students
in 78 bachelors, 61 masters and certificate, and 13 doctoral programs.
With its strong urban ties, the student body reflects UMB's commitment
to access and diversity, enrolling significant numbers of minorities (34
percent), first-generation college students (56 percent),
non-traditional aged students (55 percent) and financial aid recipients
(86 percent). Nearly three quarters of the undergraduates enter as
transfer students (68 percent). Of the 813 faculty, 445 are full-time
and 368 part-time. The student-to-faculty ratio is 15:1.

Proposed Project: *Increasing Retention through Improved Articulation,
Transfer and*

*Enrollment Systems*. \$ 1,998,762 over five years.

UMB will take a bilateral approach, coordinated through a Transfer
Center, to improve transfer student retention. The first component will
focus on curriculum and program articulation through the development of
a comprehensive and systematic process involving faculty-to-faculty work
groups for the preparation and approval of articulation agreements with
the university's five top feeder two-year institutions. The second will
use portal technology and a new online advising system to substantially
increase student access to information and services. By 2011, the
project seeks to increase enrollment through improved recruitment,
retention, and graduation of transfer students, improving the transfer
retention rate by 10 points and the transfer degree completion

rate by five points over the 2003 baseline. Concurrently the project
expects to improve institutional effectiveness by strengthening the
organizational and technological infrastructure, increasing virtual
transfer student services from six to 30, transfer engagement by 15
points and transfer satisfaction by 20 points. Only when transfer
student success improves will UMB truly fulfill its mission to meet the
academic and economic needs of the state\'s urban areas and diverse
populations.

**[P031A060203 - College of the Siskiyous, California]{.underline}**

The College of the Siskiyous (COS) is an open door, comprehensive
two-year public institution located in far northern California.
Established in 1957, COS is the only postsecondary education program
located within Siskiyou County's 6,287 square miles, a rugged,
mountainous area the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. The
main campus of COS is located in Weed, California, and a satellite
campus is located 30 miles north in Yreka. Two residence halls are
located on the Weed campus that can house approximately 136 students.

The College of the Siskiyous offers two-year associate degrees in a
variety of concentration areas, certificates in 15 vocational fields,
and general education and lower-division courses required for transfer
to four-year postsecondary programs. The College of the Siskiyous is
recognized for its excellent programs in humanities and arts, sciences,
technology, and vocational education.

Student enrollment at COS was 3,443 for Spring 2005 and 3,226 for the
fall 2005 semester. The college is largely comprised of non-traditional
students, including economically disadvantaged, re-entry students and
senior citizens. In fall 2005, 85 percent of students enrolled at COS
were either low-income or first-generation college students. The
majority of students attend college on a part-time basis, combining
child rearing and employment with classes. The 25 to 45-year-old
category is the college's largest age group, and 26 percent of students
are over the age of 50. Slightly more women than men are enrolled at
COS; 58 percent of all students were female in fall 2005. White,
non-Hispanic comprise approximately 75 percent of COS student enrollment
with the remaining population being largely Hispanic, African-American
and American Indian.

The College of the Siskiyous maintains a faculty to student ratio of
25:1 and the average class size is 28 students. The college employs 45
full-time faculty and 198 part-time faculty members.

Activity: *Strengthening Student Services and Academic Support to
Improve Retention*.

The College of the Siskiyous will increase student retention through the
use of a comprehensive online student services portal that will provide
expanded orientation, increased accessibility to advisors, an online
educational plan, an early warning module and an overall cohesive
support system for students.

**[P031A060238 - Ellsworth Community College, Iowa]{.underline}**

The Increasing Completion Rates by Engaging Academics in Technological
Education

(ICREATE) activity will address identified weaknesses and significant
problems of Ellsworth Community College (ECC), the applicant, and
Marshalltown Community College (MCC), the cooperating institution.
Ellsworth Community College and Marshalltown Community College are
public, two-year colleges that offer liberal arts and technical
programs. The fall 2005 total headcount enrollment at the 14-day census
was 1,000 for ECC and 1,610 for MCC. For the 2005-2006 Academic Year,
ECC had 37 faculty members utilized 65 adjunct faculty and MCC had 45
faculty members and utilized 115 adjunct faculty members. The student to
faculty ratio was 10:1 for ECC and 9:1 for MCC.

Identified academic program issues included over reliance on a few
teaching methods and under-engagement of students. Institutional
management issues included slow implementation of technology and low
communication. Financial stability issues included low course enrollment
growth and growing course non-completion rates. These issues will be
addressed by increasing student and faculty engagement through
implementation and continuous improvement of processes related to
effectively and efficiently applying educational technology. Educational
technology implemented as part of the activity will include a common
Learning Management System, student and faculty centered Web portals,
podcasting, and other technology. The activity will also include
extensive training of faculty and staff as well as an inclusive
communication plan related to the activity.

09/05/2007