# TITLE III PART A, STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM

**FISCAL YEAR 2007** **GRANTEE ABSTRACTS**

# 

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# P031A070143 -- Carroll College, Montana

Founded in 1909 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, Carroll College
(Carroll) is a four-year baccalaureate college. Carroll, a diocesan
liberal arts college, is committed to the openness and inclusion of all
faiths and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and
Universities (NWCCU).

One activity is proposed: (\$1,849,847 over five years) entitled
*Enabling Assessment and*

*Planning for Student Success.* Thirty-two percent of the budget is for
salaries and benefits, 2.8 percent for travel, 11.3 percent for
professional development and 48.7 percent for development of
institutional computing technology.

Expected outcomes: 85 to 90 percent more faculty/administration/staff
will access and use academic data to analyze student progress, program
effectiveness; 10.2 percent more students will persist to graduation;
student satisfaction will rise to gap levels of less than 1.0 on 9
percent of 11 satisfaction measures; 99 percent of students will use
academic data to plan college and life careers; and Carroll will meet or
exceed NWCCU Assessment Policy and the applicable academic standards. To
meet outcomes, the College will move from a reactive culture of ad-hoc
decisions based on incomplete and potentially inaccurate information to
a proactive culture emphasizing assessment and reliable, high quality
data.

Tools needed: (1) a comprehensive integrated computing system; (2) an
Office of Institutional Effectiveness; (3) a comprehensive
faculty/administrator/staff development program.

Project Management and Evaluation: \$194,217 five years or 9.7 percent.
Endowment

Challenge: \$150,000 -- to continue development opportunities for
faculty and staff.

# P031A070090 -- Concordia College, New York

Concordia College (CC), a liberal arts college located in Bronxville,
New York, proposes to create an Accelerated Nursing Program (ANP) that,
when fully developed, will annually enroll 64 new students and generate
revenue over expenses of \$700,000, while addressing the service area's
acute shortage of nurses. The ANP will lead a college-wide reform by
demonstrating innovative strategies designed to boost student full-time
equivalent (FTE) enrollment from 652 to 972 by fall 2011. These
innovations include: career-oriented programs, outreach to adults and
nontraditional clientele, and adoption of online course delivery to help
overcome the limitations of CC's physical plant and residential model.
Concordia College will hire and retain after the grant these new
full-time positions: a Director of Nursing, three Nursing faculty
members, and an Educational Technology Specialist. The Educational
Technology Specialist will help faculty integrate technology into
courses, first in the ANP, and then across the curriculum, nearly
tripling the percentage of faculty teaching Web-enabled and online
courses by the end of the grant.

**[P031A070049 --Lake Michigan College, Michigan]{.underline}**

Proposed project: "Improving Student Success, Retention and Graduation
through Transformation of the Science program" will have a lasting
impact on the College, community and students entering a science-based
economy. Results of the five-year project include: nine renovated
science labs, 22 science course redesigns, five percent increase in
student success in science classes, eight percent increase in college
retention rate of students taking science, and a five percent increase
in three-year graduation rate of science majors. In addition, project
staff will develop and implement a developmental science program and a
scientific research methods course to address the varying skill levels
of our students.

Lake Michigan College (LMC), established in 1946, is a public
comprehensive, two-year community college providing liberal arts/science
and technical education.

The Higher Education Learning Commission, North Central Association
(NCA) of Colleges and Schools accredit LMC. The College serves a student
population in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana from both urban
and rural constituencies with a population of nearly 177,000. The
district includes Berrien County and Covert Township in Van Buren
County, and the South Haven School District. Ninety-four percent of the
students live in district.

**[P031A070068 -- Peninsula College, Washington]{.underline}**

Peninsula College (PC) is a public two-year accredited community college
located in Washington. Peninsula College is a member of the Washington
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and is accredited by
the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The
college serves Clallam and Jefferson counties, both of which are located
on the North Olympic Peninsula -- a remote region in the northwest
corner of the state. Peninsula College provides educational
opportunities in academic transfer, professional/technical, basic skills
and continuing education.

Peninsula College proposes to address four major problems: diminishing
student success; very slow integration of technology to aid in removing
barriers to success; outdated, insufficient management information
systems and technology that thwart institutional planning and effective
management systems and low retention rates and declining enrollments
exacerbated by declining state support and outdated business practices.

With Title III support, PC will employ one major activity - ***Improve
Student Success by Resolving Academic, Management and Fiscal Restraints
through the Application of Technology*** focused on four core components
to success: (a) Institutional Infrastructure; (b) Professional
Development for Faculty and Staff; (c) Student Success Strategies; and
(d) Integrated Information Management System linked to a statewide
re-hosting project. These four components are delineated across eleven
objectives that ultimately support outcomes that will better prepare the
College for growth and self-sufficiency.

[P031A070232 -- Mid-South Community College, Arkansas]{.underline}

Mid-South Community College (MSCC), a public two-year college in West
Memphis, Arizona, and the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), a public
four-year institution in Conway, Arizona, propose a cooperative project
to increase student success and retention, especially for low-income,
under prepared African American students at both institutions, and to
provide access on the MSCC campus to two high-demand UCA baccalaureate
degree programs for place-bound students in the state's Mississippi
River Delta region. A combination of face-to-face, hybrid, and online
courses will maximize faculty resources. Seamless transfer between the
two institutions, allowing students to begin as MSCC students and then
transfer into UCA programs without leaving home, will increase MSCC's
transfer rates, currently among the lowest in the state, and improve
UCA's ability to attract and retain African American students to
graduation.

Amount requested: \$2,498,818 over five years. MSCC will serve as the
fiscal agent.

## P031A070254 -- Texas Wesleyan University, Texas

Texas Wesleyan University (TWU), founded in 1890 by the Methodist
Episcopal Church and located in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private,
four-year institution with an increasingly diverse student population.
Drawing 70 percent of its students from Tarrant County where 18.2
percent of residents are African American, 33.5 percent are Hispanic,
34.3 percent of families are low-income and minority bachelor's degree
completion is only 13.4 percent, TWU serves a highly at-risk student
population. Our students (both new freshman and transfer) come to us
severely under prepared for college, and, consequently, our retention
and graduation rates are far below the national averages for similar
institutions.

**Institutional Problems**: (1) Weak student retention/graduation; (2)
Ineffective teaching strategies; (3) Weak technology infrastructure for
providing access to student information; and (4) Unstable and inadequate
resources insufficient for supporting new initiatives to strengthen
institution. To combat these severe problems, TWU proposes a single
activity ***A Model for Effective Learning: Strengthening Academic
Programs and Institutional Management*** using the Learning Community
Model as an overarching strategy and inclusive of instructional
technology resources and a transformed advising process.

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#### [P031A07262 -- Spokane Falls Community College, Washington]{.underline}

**[ACT]{.underline}**

Established in 1967, Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) is a public,
comprehensive, two-year college. It is one of three instructional units
comprising Washington State Community College District 17, the state's
largest community college district both geographically and in the number
of students served, with a six-county, 12,302 square mile region along
the Washington-Idaho border. Spokane Falls Community College is
accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
(NWCCU) and offers 118 associate degrees and 63 professional
certificates in 158 programs of study.

**Activity:** *Improving Student Success through Comprehensive
Institutional Assessment, Enhanced Advising, Student Services and
Instructional Revisions.* The proposal's single activity is to improve
student success through enhanced instruction in developmental and
transfer gateway courses, improved advising and first-year experiences,
online delivery of student services and ubiquitous implementation of a
continuous improvement model. These strategies should improve retention
and progression; positively impacting the institution's fiscal stability
as state-reimbursable full-time equivalent and tuition revenue grows.

**Focus of Objectives:** (1) Develop, pilot and institutionalize a
comprehensive institutional assessment process integrated with
accreditation standards; (2) Increase student success in developmental
and gateway courses in Math, English and Science; (3) Increase
fall-to-fall retention for full-time, degree-seeking students; (4)
Increase program completion rates; and (5) Improve advising and
counseling services.

[**P031A070269 - Guam Community College, Mangilao, Guam**]{.underline}

Located in the western Pacific, Guam Community College (GCC) was founded
in 1977. This public, two-year institution served 1,493 students in fall
2005 semester and has an operating educational and general expenditure
of \$8,103,183.00 for postsecondary in fiscal year 2005-2006.

# Activity 1 - \$2,000,000 over five years. Increase efficiency of institutional decision making and delivery of educational services through the integration of a Web accessible information system.

To enhance the College's technology and information systems through the
acquisition of a centralized enterprise solution that will improve
institutional management and academic quality. The five measurable
objectives are: (1) By September 30, 2007, increase by 80 percent the
accuracy and efficiency of data resources and information by integrating
the student and financial data into a single system; (2) By September
30, 2008, increase by 40 percent access through the web of centralized
data for faculty, staff and administrators; (3) By September 30, 2009,
increase to 90 percent access through the Web of centralized data for
students, faculty, staff and administrators; (4) By September 30, 2010,
increase by 90 percent user satisfaction (decision-makers --
administrators and department heads) with access to and application of
appropriate data resources and information; and (5) By September 30,
2011, increase by 90 percent user satisfaction (students, faculty,
Business & Finance Office and Registrar's Office) with access to and
application of appropriate data resources and information.
**Approximately \$2 million** of the five-year budget is for software
license, maintenance, and hardware. **Project Management and Evaluation
--** GCC will fund \$3.3 million of the cost to build the Centralized
Enterprise System (CES).

# P031A070035 - Saint Francis University, Pennsylvania

# Located in rural central Pennsylvania, Saint Francis University (SFU) is a comprehensive private, non-profit, four-year liberal arts institution founded by Franciscan Friars in 1847. The University strives to bring higher education to its students based on values of Saint Francis---simplicity, respect for human dignity, concern for the poor, and a humble attitude toward learning. Saint Francis University is the oldest Franciscan University in the nation. 

**Activity 1: Improve University Operations - \$1,585,000 requested over
five years.**

Improve student support services, reengineer institutional operations,
improve the accessibility of academic/institutional data, and increase
the effectiveness of the business, admissions, and advancement
departments by implementing a state-of-the-art Administrative
Information System Enterprise Solution (AISES). The overall goal is to
maximize service and the flow of information at Saint Francis University
by providing integrated information-based support services in all
departments to assist students, faculty and administrative staff.

## P031A070054 - Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois 

Founded in 1837, Knox College is a four-year, independent, private,
residential liberal arts college, offering study leading to the Bachelor
of Science degree in 38 major fields. Knox is well known for the quality
of its educational programs. It was the first college in Illinois
awarded a Phi Beta Kappa charter, in 1919, and is ranked in the top 50
colleges nationally for the number of its graduates who have earned
doctoral degrees.

**Title III Activity:** "Integrating Academic Program Assessment and
Institutional Research into Strategic and Operational Decision-Making"
\$1,481,599 over five years, including \$296,320 in endowment funds, to
be matched 1:1 by the College.

To improve academic programs, institutional management, and fiscal
stability by implementing and institutionalizing a comprehensive program
of institutional research and academic program assessment. Despite its
outstanding record of academic excellence, a legacy of management and
fiscal instability has left Knox College in a financially fragile
position, imposing severe operational constraints and placing a high
priority on informed academic and strategic decision-making. By
providing professional staff and other resources, Knox will implement a
flexible, robust program where all academic departments and core
elements of the academic program will regularly be assessed to determine
quality and effectiveness, with resulting recommendations for
improvement feeding into academic planning. In addition, by providing a
state-of-the-art program of institutional research, the College will
undertake ongoing strategic analysis of its key external markets and
current institutional operations. A new Office of Institutional Research
will provide staff support for strategic planning activities. With
academic and administrative improvements resulting from these
activities, Knox will achieve key advances in retention and persistence
to graduation. The project will change Knox's institutional culture to
create an institutional environment where assessment and research are
embedded into ongoing institutional decision-making, with resulting
improvements in educational quality, effectiveness of institutional
management and greater financial stability.

# P031A070095 - Lake Washington Technical College, Washington

Lake Washington Technical College (LWTC) serves 4,351 students (3,564
from communities located east of Seattle) from Lake Washington to the
Cascade foothills, an area of more than 300 square miles with a total
population of more than 550,000. With 62 full-time and 237 part-time
faculties, LWTC is the third largest provider of technology training in
the state. LWTC provides advancement opportunities for many
disadvantaged students.

**Activity One:** **Strengthen Student and Learning Support
Infrastructure -** Striving to overcome the lowest substantial progress
rate toward degrees of the state's five technical colleges, LWTC will
pilot critical interventions to increase student persistence and goal
completion.

**Activity Two: Strengthen Institutional Effectiveness and
Accountability through a Comprehensive, Campus-wide System of Planning
and Assessment -** A strengthened Office of Institutional Research will
oversee development of college-wide assessment strategies. Systems to
integrate institutional data and to improve collection of outcomes and
other information will be linked to accreditation standards and state
accountability goals.

**Project Management and Evaluation:** Management, evaluation,
assessment and research are included in this proposal, with provisions
in the budget for an external evaluator.

[**P031A070135** -- **Foothill De Anza Community College,
California**]{.underline}

Foothill De Anza Community College (De Anza) is one of the largest
community colleges in California. In this proposal strategies are
outlined to increase the access, retention, persistence, and success of
developmental students so that they can reach and continue in
college-level instruction.

**Title III Activities -- Language Arts Success Center & Math Resource
Centers (Centers)*, with Embedded Student and Academic Support Services
***

De Anza will develop the Centers blending instructional and student
support strategies; implementing and institutionalizing a comprehensive
program for retention and transition of high-risk students into
college-level courses. The two activities focus on the creation and
development of a Language Arts Success Center and a Math Resource Center
where students will receive diagnosis and remediation of skill
deficiencies. The Centers will also provide faculty training to bolster
and coordinate the various retention and transition efforts. The student
support component focuses on the development and implementation of
specialized services. Methods will be developed to track, assess, and
evaluate all efforts in order to select and institutionalize the
strategies that prove effective in enabling success for high-risk
students.

**Project Management and Evaluation:** Strong management, evaluation,
assessment, outcomes and research components are included in this
proposal.

##### [P031A070168 -- Ulster County Community College, New York]{.underline}

Based on an analysis of the College's weaknesses, significant problems,
and the goals and objectives identified in its planning processes,
Ulster County Community College (UCCC) has identified a single activity,
"***Strengthening Academic Programs, Institutional Management and Fiscal
Stability"*** comprised of two major components, to be addressed with
Title III funds:

[Component 1 - RETENTION AND PERSISTENCE OF ULSTER STUDENTS]{.underline}

Levels of academic persistence and student success at the College are
unacceptably low, as measured by academic performance, completion of
coursework, withdrawals within term, persistence between terms, academic
progress and probation rates, degree completion and graduation rates.
Additionally, the role of academic advisement must be clearly defined,
and appropriate interventions put into place to execute the mission of
the academic advisement system.

[Component 2 - INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT]{.underline}

Although some progress in drafting outcome statements for courses and
programs has been made, the College has not developed a unifying
institutional framework. This is an overriding factor in the
institution's inability to correct significant problems, as there is no
system for assessing its own effectiveness. A detrimental manifestation
of this void is that student achievement and persistence is compromised,
as there are no clearly documented, measurable expectations at the
course, program and discipline levels, jeopardizing the future stability
of the College.

##### [P031A070261 - Rocky Mountain College, Montana]{.underline}

**Increasing Graduation Rates: Better Data, Better Performance, Better
Persistence**

Based on an analysis of the College's weaknesses and significant
problems,

combined with the goals and objectives identified in the annual
strategic planning process, Rocky Mountain College has set four major
goals to be accomplished with Title III funds:

**Academic Programs:**

1\. Increase the retention rate of students from the sophomore to junior
and junior to senior years.

2\. Increase the persistence of students through to graduation.

**Institutional Management:**

3\. Obtain and implement a current generation enterprise resource
planning (ERP) system (management information system) that will improve
fiscal stability, academic success, and student support services.

**Fiscal Stability:**

4\. Create an endowment fund for retention services that will ensure
institutionalization of the project strategies.

## P031A070108 -- Southwestern Illinois College, Illinois 

+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| STUDENT PROFILE                                |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Headcount Enrollment                           | 14,479              |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Full-time/Part-time                            | 37%/63%             |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| FTE Students                                   | 7,939               |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Minority                                       | 24%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Average Age                                    | 28                  |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Female                                         | 57%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Work at Least Part-Time                        | 67%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Caring for Dependents                          | 60%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Commuter                                       | 100%                |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Low Income                                     | 62%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Under Prepared Freshmen                        | 80%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| First-Generation Freshmen                      | 79%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| ####### FACUTLY PROFILE                        |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Faculty to Student Ratio                       | 1:19                |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Full-time/Part-time                            | 137/672             |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Teaching +15 hrs.                              | 88%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| FT Minority                                    | 4%                  |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Female/Male                                    | 52%/48%             |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Master's Degree or Higher                      | 94%                 |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| SWIC Institutional Research, 2005              |                     |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+

Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) is Illinois' largest and most
comprehensive, open door community college south of Chicago.
Southwestern Illinois College operates three campuses (Granite City,
Belleville, and Red Bud) and serves students from eight counties and
East St. Louis (98 percent African-American, 32 percent at or below
poverty). Governed by a seven-member board of trustees, SWIC is closely
regulated by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and responsible
to the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). The College offers
seven transfer-degree curricula (Associate in Arts, Associate in
Science, Associate in Engineering Sciences, Associate in General Studies
and three Associates in Fine Arts), 57 programs that lead to the
Associate of Applied Sciences degree, and 95 career certificate
programs. [Activity]{.underline}: (1) *Learning by Design*: curriculum
and faculty development; learning communities for underrepresented,
at-risk students; and (2) Developing a *Student Administration System*
(technology infrastructure) for greater access to student and
institutional information.

[Project Outcomes]{.underline}: (1) Reduce attrition by six percentage
points; (2) Increase developmental and gateway course success by six
percentage points; and (3) increase three year completion rates by five
percentage points.

**Mission:** *To uphold the dignity and worth of all people believing
that learning is a life-long process which enhances the quality of life
and to support individual growth through educational excellence and
active partnerships with students and the community.*

**M**

[**P031A070132 - Orange Coast College,** **Costa Mesa,
California**]{.underline}

Orange Coast College (OCC), located in the Greater Los Angeles Area, is
a full-service two-year public community college which offers more than
200 degree and certificate programs that: (1) lead to Associate in Arts
Degrees; (2) transfer to other institutions of higher education; (3)
award occupational Certificates of Completion and Certificates of
Achievement; and (4) provide continuous workforce improvement. The
College also delivers quality instruction in basic skills and English as
a Second Language.

Strong management and evaluation plans underscore this focused
institutional strengthening project. Consultative third party expertise
provides external formative and summative evaluation by an independent
consultant.

**Activity One:** **Student Success Center** - Budget Request:
\$1,453,403 over five-years.

**Activity Two: Automated Early Alert and Attendance Accounting system
-** \$537,223 requested over five years.

**[P031A070214 - Central Baptist College, Arkansas]{.underline}**

Central Baptist College (CBC) is a four-year, private college located in
the heart of Arkansas. Central Baptist College serves an economically
challenged state, offering 11 traditional Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor
of Science degrees, four Associate of Arts degrees, and a Professional
Adult College Education degree completion program Accredited by the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, CBC is governed by a
20-member board of trustees.

Central Baptist College needs to offer new, marketable baccalaureate
programs to boost enrollment and increase institutional
self-sufficiency. **Institutional Problems:** (1) Insufficient,
inadequate academic offerings result in low retention and inadequate
graduation rates; (2) Inadequate academic infrastructure and resources
prevent development and expansion of curricular offerings in science;
and (3) Inadequate resources prevent development of a new science
program, which would create more tuition revenue. **Proposed Solution:**
Increase enrollment and fiscal stability through development and
institutionalization of two new Bachelor of Science programs: the
Bachelor Science degree in Biology and the Bachelor of Science in
Biochemistry, supported by an updated Biology lab, new Organic Chemistry
Lab, new Research Lab, and Science Resource Center.

**Activity Title:** Expanding Opportunities for Students Through New
Bachelor Degree Programs. **Total Request:** \$1,903,114 over five
years.

# P031A070034 - Lee University, Tennessee 

Lee University (Lee) is a private, four-year university enrolling 3,930
students in primarily bachelor's level, liberal arts degree programs.

**[Proposed Project:]{.underline} *Improving Student Learning Through
Teaching and Technology***

> **\$1,840,100 over five Years**

To improve student learning, Lee will implement a plan to strengthen the
learning environment through critical thinking and technology. The
University will establish a Center for Teaching Excellence that will
expand the faculty development program to infuse the curriculum with
critical thinking skills and actively engage students. Moving from the
general education core through the major curriculum, four faculty
cohorts will participate in intensive summer seminars to revise
curriculum and instruction, piloting enhanced courses and assisting
other faculty through workshops and mentoring. Essential to improved
teaching and learning is the expansion of the technological
infrastructure to support the learning environment, providing faculty
the tools to increase student engagement through interactive instruction
in and out of the classroom. Enhanced classroom technology, auxiliary
applications and an electronic student portfolio system will help
faculty to engage students in innovative ways. To further improve
student services and administrative effectiveness, the University will
replace the core Management Information System with a comprehensive
system from Datatel. Modules will be installed and reporting
advancements will maximize the capacity of the new system. Improved
teaching, increased student engagement in learning and improved student
services will result in an eight percent increase in the graduation
rate, one of the key performance measures for the Title III program.

[**P031A070101 - Mayville State University**, **North
Dakota**]{.underline}

Mayville State University (MSU), a four-year baccalaureate granting
residential university established by North Dakota State Constitution
and governed by the North Dakota Board of Education, is mandated to
provide statewide access to teacher education and training, business
administration and computer information systems programs. Fall 2005
students (912 headcount /677 full-time equivalent) are predominately
Caucasian; 77 percent are less than 24 years of age; and 63 percent of
students are from an "isolated" five-county area projected to have a 35
percent decrease in secondary school students by 2015. Entering freshman
have lower ACT scores and lower GPAs than the national average;
fall-to-fall retention is 58 percent; and four-year graduation rate is
22 percent. The student/faculty ratio is 15:1. There are 74 total
faculties, 37 full-time. Budget: \$13 million.

Mayville State University proposes one activity (\$1,999,868) to expand
its fledgling, but rapidly growing online program offerings to provide
the full general education core leading to Associate in Arts degree AA
and Bachelor of Science degree as well as four full degree programs by
2011. Faculty will receive professional development training in
effective distance education teaching and learning, in online course
management, effective assessment of student learning, and support for
outcomes based-curriculum development. To support online students and
improve retention and success for all students, MSU will strengthen and
migrate existing on-campus student services to web based formats,
modifying/expanding or developing new programs to reflect best practices
for efficiency and efficacy.

Project Management costs of \$271,674 account for 13.5 percent of the
total request.

Expected outcomes: (1) increase headcount to 1,500; (2) increase student
retention by 10 percent; (3) increase distance education degree programs
from two to six; (4) increase the number of individual students enrolled
in online programs from 264 to 664; (5) increase six-year graduation
rates from 35 percent to 45 percent; and (6) improved skills, knowledge
and competency of faculty and staff.

###### **P031A070091 - Three Rivers Community College, Connecticut**

Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) reveals in its \$1.5 million grant
proposal a comprehensive plan for improving student success as measured
by retention, completion, and transfer over a five-year period by
investing in the most powerful catalyst for reform \-- its faculty and
staff. Believing that a good college can become a better college by
engaging its faculty and staff in new processes of inquiry based
strategies; the plan concentrates on professional development training.
*Strengthening Learning Initiatives for Student Success,* the single
activity of the proposal, has four objectives:

-   Providing coordinated and focused opportunity for faculty and staff
    development;

-   Implementing alternate course delivery methods and interventions to
    accommodate the changing student population after faculty and staff
    have been trained in these methods;

-   Streamlining student support services; and

-   Improving institutional effectiveness through increased
    faculty/staff knowledge of and participation in research and
    assessment.

Three Rivers Community College is a public, two-year institution in
Southeastern Connecticut serving a population of 3,600 students annually
with a budget of approximately 24 million dollars. A recent shift from
an industrial to a service based economy has dramatically altered the
profile of the student body. The changing needs have challenged both
new, inexperienced faculty and older faculty who are mired in
traditional methodologies. Adding to the complexity is the fact that the
college has been trying to merge its two campuses for the past 14 years.
Now the College is poised to move into a single campus in fall 2008.
This is an opportune time to re-energize faculty and staff as they meet
the challenges of increased enrollments and continued diversification
among its student body. The management and evaluation plan of the
proposal ensures that the College meets its key goals of increasing
student success, improving institutional effectiveness, and enhancing
fiscal stability with the ultimate intent of contributing to the
strength of the national higher education system.

12/6/2007