FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180007 - Johnson State College, Vermont

Johnson State College (JSC) is located in the heart of the Green Mountains in northern Vermont and is 

accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. JSC is a liberal arts college serving 

over 1,300 mostly undergraduate, degree-seeking students from Vermont and the surrounding states. JSC 

offers its students countless opportunities to expand and grow. Thirty-one programs in the arts, the 

sciences, education and a range of professions prepare students to advance their careers and serve as 

responsible citizens in their communities. Working alongside faculty experts, students apply their 

knowledge and develop the critical thinking skills highly sought by employers. Learning at JSC takes 

many forms—in the classroom and in the field, through exhibitions and performances, internships, 

scientific research and presentations at professional conferences, and engagement in service projects as 

well as participation in study-abroad and National Student Exchange programs. In these and many other 

ways, the educational experience at Johnson State College transforms lives. 

Project Title: Success in the First Year and Beyond: Transforming Curriculum and Academic Support 

Systems 

Problems: A rural service area with high percentages of first-generation college students, many of whom 

are unprepared for college; low retention and graduation rates compared to peer institutions in the state 

and nation; too many students are not passing gateway courses; an advising system that is limited in scope 

and does not meet the needs or expectations of faculty or students; inadequate institutional research 

support; limited professional development for faculty and staff; and an underfunded endowment. 

Goals: (1) Foster early and ongoing student success through implementation of college-wide initiatives, 

systems, and processes and (2) Strengthen JSC’s financial future. 

Outcomes: Increased retention; increased degree completion for all students including “near completers”; 

increased student satisfaction with advising; decreased fail/withdrawal rates in key gateway courses; and 

an increased endowment fund. 

Implementation Strategies: Strategy 1: Centralize and Improve Advising and Student Success Services; 

Strategy 2: Increase Student Engagement and Experiential Learning; Strategy 3: Establish a Center for 

Teaching Excellence; and Strategy 4: Build JSC’s endowment. 

Funds Requested: $1,816,525. JSC’s Title III project budget is designed to ensure full implementation of 

the project’s comprehensive implementation strategies, to support project management and evaluation 

activities over the five-year grant period, and to position JSC to institutionalize initiatives post-grant.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180009 – Georgia Military University, Georgia

Institutional Profile: Georgia Military College (GMC) serves a diverse student body of just under 14,000 

students across 12 college campuses in geographically diverse regions throughout Georgia, along with an 

online campus that enrolls more than 1,000 online students annually. GMC is accredited by the 

Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award both associate 

and bachelor degrees, GMC offers 24 Associate Degree program concentrations, as well as Bachelor of 

Applied Science degrees in Business Management and Supervision and Management. The College is 

proud to be one of only five Military Junior Colleges in the nation, with selected college students 

becoming U.S. commissioned Army officers in a two-year timeframe through an early commissioning 

program.

Project Goals: Through the proposed Title III project, GMC will implement a dual-pronged approach to 

supporting the success of enrolled students by: 1) Increasing student retention and graduation rates 

through expanded academic support services across all GMC campuses; and 2) Increasing student 

academic support and faculty development opportunities through implementation of an institution-wide 

Teaching and Learning Center. With the primary mission as a two-year college, GMC is an openenrollment institution with admission requirements being a high school diploma or GED. Each new 

cohort includes a high percentage of students needing academic assistance, and GMC is committed to 

supporting the academic success of all students by providing academic services and support along with 

small class sizes.

Activities/Strategies: GMC Title III strategies are driven by the following strong theory: Student 

academic achievement, student satisfaction, retention, and graduation rates at all GMC campuses will be 

positively impacted through the provision of high quality, standardized academic support services. This 

standardization promotes full access across all campuses, fully trained faculty and staff, and fidelity with 

regards to data collection, analysis, and reporting to cultivate ongoing improvements across the 

institution. 

Project Objectives: In alignment with GMC’s strategic plan and institutional initiatives, the following 

three objectives will guide all proposed Title III project strategies:

Objective 1: Increase retention of first-year students from 56% to 65%.

Objective 2: Increase three-year graduation rate from 27% to 34%.

Objective 3: Achieve fiscal sustainability of Title III project strategies through standardization of staff 

training and establishment of a Title III endowment fund.

Over the five-year project period, Title III funding will position GMC to reach the targeted graduation 

rate of 34%; an increase from 27% in the 2012 cohort equivalent to 113 additional graduates. GMC will 

fully institutionalize grant activities by the end of the five-year term. All proposed Title III strategies are 

predicated on adoption of the philosophy and research findings related to student success within the 

context of timely academic interventions, faculty professional development, data-driven decision making, 

and institutional standardization.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180045 – Ocean County College, New Jersey

Project Title: Enhancing Student Success by Bolstering Retention and Student Supports

Profile: Established in 1964, Ocean County College (OCC) is a public two-year community

college sponsored by Ocean County and the State of New Jersey serving the citizens of Ocean

County. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1969, OCC

offers credit and non-credit courses at its main campus in Toms River and at the Southern

Education Center in Manahawkin, NJ. The vision of OCC is to become the boldest, most

creative, most innovative student-centered college in America.

Problems: A comprehensive institutional analysis showed that many OCC are also

underprepared for the academic, social, and behavioral expectations of college, which impacts

their ability to successfully persist and complete a degree. Based on Fall data for the past three

years, 34.3% of degree-seeking students and 30.33% pre-nursing students did not pass prerequisite and 

degree-required math and science courses with a “C” or better on the first attempt. The retention rate for 

these students from Fall semester to Spring semester is an average of 62.7% and 71% respectively, which 

is below OCC’s overall average retention of 71.1% for the past three years.

Objectives: By September 30, 2022, OCC will accomplish these targets: 1) Fall 2020 First Time Full 

Time (FTFT) retention rate will be 79%; 2) Increase by 5% the percentage of overall degree-seeking 

students who pass pre-requisite and degree-required math and science courses with a “C” or better on the

first attempt; 3) Fall 2021 Pre-nursing retention rate will be 76%; 4) Fall 2021 Pre-nursing prerequisite 

success rate will be 51%; 5) 20% of faculty have participated in at least one annual

faculty development activity by December 31, 2022; 6) Two new Health Sciences degree options

will be open for enrollment; and 7) Fall 2021 student enrollment will be at least 9,093.

Activities: 1) Enhance student success and retention through improved academic advising,

expanded academic support services, and an enhanced early alert system; 2) Initiate academic

coaching for pre-nursing students and First Time Full Time (FTFT) students interested in health sciences; 

3) Expand degree offerings in the health sciences field; 4) Improve instruction through structured and

expanded faculty development opportunities on proven academic strategies and other topics

responsive to the needs of the faculty and students; and 5) Strengthen fiscal stability by increasing 

enrollment and retention.

Funds Requested: $2,241,258
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180048 – Albert Magnus College, Connecticut

Project Title: Charting a Course for Success: 360° of Support for Albertus Students 

Institutional Profile: Founded in 1925, Albertus Magnus College (Albertus) is the oldest Catholic 

college in Connecticut. Albertus’ undergraduate and graduate enrollment for fall 2016 is 1,555 

(undergraduate 1220); 977 students are minorities. Sixty-three percent of students are recipients of Title 

IV Need-Based Financial Assistance, and 51% of students are Pell grant recipients. 

Significant Problem: Student grades demonstrate barriers to success, and students are not progressing to 

on-time degree completion. A distressing number of students do not graduate at all. The demands on 

faculty time and the lack of training in their roles as academic advisors to students result in ineffective 

advising. Furthermore, faculty has less time to deliver the high-quality instruction for which they are 

known, and they are unable to mentor students. To keep student costs down, Albertus has had to increase 

the discount rate even as state and federal funds have declined. As a result, Albertus does not have 

available funds to implement student support and success strategies to address the significant weaknesses 

in advising and mentoring which would, in turn, allow the faculty sufficient time and energy to engage in 

in- and out-of-class activities and student mentoring. Title III Goal: Based on the analysis in the 

Comprehensive Development Plan, Albertus has identified one goal as follows: to improve academic 

success and retention for all undergraduate students at Albertus. To achieve Title III Activity: 

Albertus will implement one wraparound activity: intrusive academic advisement and mentoring that is 

both embedded in the curriculum and co-curricular support so that students view advisement and 

mentoring as part of their overall college careers rather than as an additional activity. 

Activities/Strategies to meet need: 

1. Hire and train four (4) new Faculty Mentors/Advisors; 

2. Employ two effective academic advising approaches: (a) intrusive academic advising, and (b) casemanagement advising; 

3. Implement a technology-based early alert system to help identify students at risk; 

4. Hire two new Student Success Navigators (positions based on the concept of “student coaches”); 

5. Develop and implement academic and professional development courses into the curriculum; and 

6. Develop and implement a leadership immersion program for first year at-risk students. 

Measurable Objectives and Performance Indicators: 

1. Increase the number of full-time degree seeking undergraduates enrolled at Albertus from 1,220 to 

1,305 by 2022. 

2. Increase the percentage of full-time students who graduate from Albertus in six years from 53% to 60% 

(traditional undergraduate day students) and 40% to 45% (nontraditional accelerated degree program 

students) by September 30, 2022. 

3. Increase the percentage of full-time, first time students who complete a degree within four years from 

52% to 56% (traditional undergraduate day students) and from 35% to 40% (nontraditional accelerated 

degree program students) by September 30, 2022. 

4. Decrease the percentage of students who are not in good academic standing to 8.36% (traditional 

undergraduate day students) and 5.66% (nontraditional undergraduate accelerated degree program 

students) by September 30, 2022. 

Funds Requested: $1,989,789

P031A180056 – Albright College, Pennsylvania
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

Institutional Profile: Albright College is a selective, private liberal arts college in Reading, PA, with a 

rich history and successful alumni. However, in recent years that have seen a dramatic change in student 

demographics and college-readiness, four-year graduation rates have fallen to an unacceptable 43.3%, 

lagging behind 3/4 of our peer institutions. Our six-year rate is close to last among this group, consistently 

below the 50th percentile for regional colleges of our size. Despite radical changes to Albright’s financial 

aid model and considerable attention to at-risk students, retention is trending down even as our enrollment 

grows. 

Project Title: The proposed project, Increasing Achievement, Progression and Retention to Graduation, 

is designed to achieve systemic change in order to transform Albright’s approach to learning and student 

success in the first year of college. 

Activities/Strategies: The Activity will focus on two mutually reinforcing strategies: integrated student 

support and needed pedagogical changes. First, it will replace a fragmented collection of new student 

programs with a student success pathway that integrates a new student onboarding process, academic 

coaching, and a first-year experience seminar sequence. This foundational pathway is designed to help 

students develop the skills and confidence they need to achieve academically, and intentionally integrate 

their learning with personal and career goals so that they may be better prepared and motivated to 

complete their bachelor’s degree. Attention to pedagogical strategies relevant to today’s learners, 

especially integration of more high-impact practices into our curriculum, is a necessary part of the 

Activity to strengthen student learning. 

A Teaching and Learning Commons will coordinate faculty development around pedagogical innovation 

as we bring high-impact teaching practices to scale. The result will be increased retention rates; associated 

revenue from student persistence will be more than enough to fully institutionalize and sustain the 

Activity. Title III funds are essential to plan and implement this Activity that will strengthen Albright 

College’s educational model and student success.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180061 - Cambridge College, Massachusetts

Institutional Overview: Cambridge College is an open admission, private non-profit institution founded 

with a mission to serve working adults for whom educational opportunities may have been limited or 

denied. The College offers nine baccalaureate programs, small class sizes, and a culture valuing student 

success. Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Cambridge College has 

developed five new career-oriented undergraduate programs over the past three years under the leadership 

of a dynamic and effective President and executive team. 

Student Characteristics: The Cambridge College undergraduate population has the following 

characteristics: 66% are first-generation students; over half are Pell-eligible; 88% are financial needeligible; 31% are single heads of households; 32% are below the poverty level; and 71% are students of 

color. Substantial numbers of students enroll unprepared for college-level study despite aspirations for 

baccalaureate degree completion as a credential to a promising future. 

Faculty Characteristics: Cambridge College faculty is diverse and highly qualified, with one-third 

identifying as a racial or ethnic minority and 27% holding a doctorate or terminal degree. As practitionerfaculty in business, education, law and human services, they ground academic rigor within a real-world 

context. The student-faculty ratio is 14:1. 

Project Overview: Cambridge College’s proposed Title III Activity, Pathways to Persistence and 

Success (P2PS), addresses the College’s need to improve student completion rates by transforming the 

student experience and reforming curriculum and instruction. With campus-wide engagement at multiple 

levels, the Activity consists of two interrelated components: 

 Transforming the Student Experience creates a continuum of support through: an enhanced 

enrollment system that streamlines orientation and course selection to ensure a seamless transition 

to college for working adults; comprehensive academic, personal and career assessments leading 

to a robust First-Year Experience (FYE) that connects skill development to learning experiences, 

personal strengths, and career paths; and an early alert system calibrated to deliver timely 

interventions, coordinated by academic coaches through a student services portal to improve 

communication among students, faculty, and staff. 

 Reforming Curriculum and Instruction creates a multi-tiered framework of learning outcomes 

assessments, and instruction to gather meaningful data on how well students are attaining 

identified knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The framework will improve the coherence of 

academic program design and incorporate high-impact practices into the learning experience. 

Supported by a comprehensive professional development program delivered through the Institute 

for Faculty Excellence (IFE), the resulting outcome, assessment and instructional framework will 

better prepare Cambridge College graduates for success in today’s highly competitive and 

knowledge-based economy. 

With a Title III investment of $2,248,736, P2PS will increase students’ commitment to academic goals by 

10% points, increase student planning for life and career goals by 10% points, increase their fall-to-fall 

persistence rate by 14% points, and increase the graduation rate by 8% points. 98% of the Title III budget 

funds project implementation, and 2% funds project management. 
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180063 - University of Arkansas Community College at Hope, Arkansas

Institutional Profile: The University of Arkansas at Hope and Texarkana (UAHT) is a public two-year 

college within the University of Arkansas System and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. 

It was founded at Hope as Red River Vocational-Technical School in 1965 but became Red River 

Technical College in 1991. On March 5, 1996, the citizens of Hempstead County approved a one-quarter 

cent sales tax to support the College, and in July of that year it affiliated with the University of Arkansas 

(UA) System. In 2012, the College opened a campus at Texarkana, and by this past fall 27.2% (416 

students) of enrollment was there. UAHT’s service area contains a larger proportion of black citizens than 

the state as a whole (28% vs. 15.7% for Arkansas), lower household income ($36,850 vs. $41,264), 

higher poverty rates (22.8% vs. 19.1%), and lower educational attainment, especially at the collegiate 

level, where service area rates are below 15%, compared to 20.6% for the state. 

Student Demographics: In Fall 2016, UAHT enrolled 1,531 students, with more than half (52.7%) parttime. Nearly half (47.8%) are minorities, over a third (36.3%) being African-American. Nearly threequarters (71.3%) are underprepared, over two-thirds (67.3%) are first generation in college, and more than 

half (52.9%) receive Pell grants. A 5-year average of only 45.7% of students enrolled in a spring semester 

return for the following fall. Over the past three years, despite an improving trend, only 13.5% of entering 

cohorts have completed an associate degree within three years. In 2013-14, UAHT students failed 55.5% 

of remedial instructional hours, compared to a state aver-age of 45.7% (most recent comparative data 

available). They failed 21.5% of non-remedial instructional hours. According to the Arkansas Department 

of Higher Education, UAHT ranks 21st out of 22 Arkansas two-year colleges in remedial course success. 

The College will address these problems through the proposed Title III project by providing the 

following: 

 Creation of the Engagement Center, where professional advisors will work closely with students 

and where Supplemental Instruction will be provided for courses with low success rates. 

 Faculty professional development for redesign of low-success courses. 

 Creation of a pilot Supplemental Instruction program to provide out-of-class support for students 

in courses with historically high failure rates, thus increasing student success. 

 Implementation of Starfish Retention Solutions to better manage student data in support of student 

success. 

 Purchase and installation of classroom technology to provide access to online resources and 

support use of Blackboard Connect and various pedagogies requiring online activities. Patient 

simulators will give healthcare and health sciences students access to a better understanding of 

human anatomy and physiology. 

By the end of the grant period, UAHT expects to see the following changes: 

 Total enrollment increased to at least 1,850; 

 Fall-to-fall retention of entering students increased to at least 45%; 

 Spring-to-fall persistence increased to at least 55%; and 

 3-year graduation rate for first-time full-time cohorts increased to an average of at least 20%. 

Overall grant request for the 5 years: $2,249,838, which includes $176,000 for endowment.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180064 – Lamar Community College, Colorado

Institutional Profile: Lamar Community College (LCC) is a small, public, two-year college located on 

the plains of southeastern Colorado, with a rural service area of over 7,800 square miles. The College 

enrolls approximately 800 students (headcount), offering Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, 

Associate of General Studies, and Associate of Applied Science degrees, as well as occupational 

certificates in disciplines such as agriculture, skilled trades, nursing and equine science. The College is an 

emerging Hispanic Serving Institution, defined as 15-24 percent Hispanic with the potential to become an 

HSI in the next few years. The most significant challenge facing the institution today is enrollment, which 

has declined considerably over the past decade. 

Project Overview: Based on a thorough analysis of institutional strengths, weaknesses and problems, 

LCC is proposing a single, comprehensive activity with four components to resolve its key problems. 

These components will simultaneously strengthen enrollment, transfer rates, and the success rates of 

underserved student populations: 

 Establish a MAP to Success Center that integrates proactive advising with career goal 

development and co-curricular activities 

 Strengthen the cultural responsiveness of the institution 

 Become Colorado’s premier community college for agricultural technology 

 Strengthen distance learning opportunities 

Project Outcomes: Key measures of success include: a) increase retention of Pell-eligible students by 5 

percent; b) increase retention of Hispanic students by 5 percent; c) increase transfer rates by 5 percent; d) 

increase matriculation of college-bound students in LCC’s dual enrollment program by 5 percent; e) 

increase Hispanic student enrollment by 5 percent; f) increase enrollment in the Agriculture program by 

75 students; g) increase enrollment through distance learning by 60 students. 
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180069 – Thomas College, Inc., Maine

Thomas College is a private business and liberal arts college with a focus on career preparation. With its 

campus in rural central Maine’s 951 square mile Kennebec County, the primary catchment area for the 

867 full-time undergraduate students, Thomas places particular emphasis on meeting the needs of lowincome and/or first-generation students. 60% of Thomas students meet these criteria. Since 2006, Thomas 

enrollment has grown from 625 to 851. Similarly, retention has increased from 54% to 69% in this 10-

year period. However, graduation rates have remained flat, with a high of only 45% for six-year 

graduation. In a poor region of a poor state, this means that too many of these vulnerable students are 

leaving Thomas saddled with student debt and without the benefit of a degree. 

Based on a thorough analysis of institutional strengths, weaknesses and problems, Thomas is proposing a 

three-pronged approach to increase these graduation rates: (1) develop services for currently enrolled 

students, (2) develop analytics for predicting and supporting graduation, and (3) build capacities among 

faculty and staff to support first-generation and/or low-income students. 

Thomas intends to achieve five (5) objectives by September 30, 2022: 

1. 79% of fall entering students with high school GPAs 3.0-3.49 will return for the next academic year. 

2. 85% of students enrolled in Peer-Led Team Learning-supported courses will complete the courses with 

a grade of C or higher. 

3. 50% of fall entering students will graduate with a bachelor’s degree within four years. 

4. At least 5 additional indicators (beyond high school GPA/class rank) that predict graduation will be 

identified and tracked, and systems will be designed and implemented to respond 

5. At least 40% of full-time faculty and 60% of staff will be trained to meet the unique needs of firstgeneration and/or low-income students. 

Long-term Impact: Three related but differentiated strategies, based on the college’s experience in 

student retention programming, data-informed decision practices, and relevant best-practices literature, 

were selected to address the College’s major problems of low retention among specific student 

populations, delayed graduation overall, weak performance in gateway courses, low socioeconomic 

profile of students and catchment area, a faculty and staff not sufficiently prepared to meet the needs of 

vulnerable students, and reliance on a limited data set High School Grade Point Averages (HS GPA) to 

predict student success. The College will also utilize the option to augment its very limited endowment 

with the project. The project proposal focuses on building capacities: in student programming, among 

faculty/staff, and with predictive analytics. These new and greater capacities will advance the College’s 

strategic priority to achieve sustainable undergraduate enrollment of 1,000 students, will addresses the 

College’s most challenging chronic problems, and will ultimately strengthen the College’s long-term 

financial stability. 

Funds Requested: $2,342,448, of which Thomas will match $388,068 to build its endowment.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180070 - Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi

Project Title: Enhancing Student Success through Redesigned Curriculum, Enhanced Support, and 

Improved Academic Advising 

Institutional Profile: Mississippi University for Women (MUW) was founded in 1884 as the nation’s 

first state-supported college for women. MUW has been coeducational since 1982 and is the seventhsmallest of the eight Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, with the lowest tuition in the system. 

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, MUW offers 

over 60 academic programs and serves a diverse student body. 

Students Served: The University’s enrollment (2,956 as of fall 2016) is made up primarily of in-state 

students. There is also a significant population of international students. Female students make up 82 

percent of the student body. A substantial portion of MUW students come from underserved populations 

(34% minority), are financially disadvantaged (48% receive Pell), and/or are academically underprepared, 

with 45% of incoming freshmen requiring some type of intermediate (remedial) coursework. The average 

age of an MUW student is 24. 

Problems: Since the fall semester of 2013, MUW has seen a precipitous decline in the retention of firsttime full-time freshmen from 79% for the 2013 cohort to 59.2% for the 2015 cohort. This decline has 

occurred as the percentage of at-risk students has grown. Inconsistent advising across the institution and 

limited capacity of faculty to aid students with non-cognitive issues further hampers MUW’s ability to 

respond to student needs. The institution’s 6-year graduation rate is one of the lowest of its in-state peers 

and is expected to decline further, given the retention rates of the 2014 and 2015 cohorts. Declining state 

appropriations are also reducing the University’s ability to aid the at-risk student population. 

Project Description: The proposed activity, Enhancing Student Success through Redesigned Curriculum, 

Enhanced Support, and Improved Academic Advising, will be comprised of two components. The first is 

to redesign intermediate education courses while delivering additional support and professional 

development to faculty teaching those courses and provide enhanced support to students in the form of 

peer mentoring and a web-based tutoring program. The second component is the improvement of 

academic advising through a comprehensive professional development program for faculty and staff 

advisors and the implementation of electronic degree audit and data analytics software. With the provided 

training, this new software system will allow for data and student record consolidation related to 

retention, persistence and academic success. 

Project Outcomes: By September 2022, key measures of success will be: (1) Increased retention of firsttime, full-time freshmen; (2) Increased retention of at-risk students enrolled in at least 1 intermediate 

course; (3) Increased passing rate of students in Intermediate Courses; (4) Increased passing rate of 

students in Intermediate Math; (5) Increased 6-year graduation rates; (6) Faculty and staff advisors trained 

on comprehensive advising practices; (7) Faculty and staff advisors proficient in use of electronic degree 

audit and advising system; and (8) Academic Affairs leadership and staff proficient in retrieving, 

analyzing, and incorporating tracked data into their daily practices. 

Funds Requested: $1,564,565
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180074 - Mayville State University, North Dakota

Institutional Profile: Mayville State University (MSU) is a four-year baccalaureate-granting university 

established by North Dakota State Constitution. It is governed by the North Dakota State Board of Higher 

Education under the North Dakota University System. MSU’s fall 2016 student Head Count (HC) is 

1130; with a Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) of 787. The student/faculty ratio is 13 to 1 with an average class 

size of 19. There are 45 full-time and 38 part-time faculty. MSU’s 2016 Budget (State, local and grants) is 

just over $22.5 million. 

Problems: MSU’s comprehensive review of the institution’s strengths, weaknesses, and significant 

problems, identified three critical challenges: 1) Inadequate and outdated knowledge, skills, and abilities 

necessary for meeting the needs of a more diverse and underprepared student population and 2) 

Decreased capacity for data collection, analysis and decision-making necessary for accountability to its 

stakeholders which include accreditation agencies, governing and legislative bodies, 3) Decreased 

knowledge, skills, and abilities to respond to changing academic challenges and student advising needs, 

all leading to decreasing and flat retention and graduation rates. 

MSU proposes three interrelated developmental activities to overcome these challenges: 

Activity 1: Establish a system of faculty support for improving pedagogical practices for teaching 

students that are underprepared and with diverse needs. 

Expected Outcomes: 1) Increased numbers of students passing developmental courses and decreased 

numbers of academically at-risk students based on academic probation & suspension rates by using an 

Active Learning Classroom (ALC) model for developmental and essential studies courses, 2) Improved 

skills, knowledge and competencies of faculty, 3) Increased student retention and graduation rates. 

Activity 2: Centralize data collection, management and reporting to become an integral and systematic 

function of the institution across divisions and departments for systematic planning. Expected Outcomes: 

1) Increased data based decision-making based on the Baldrige Framework, 2) Increased numbers and 

types of standardized data collection, analyses & reporting for decision-making and accountability 

purposes, 3) Increased the level of campus awareness & understanding of relationship of campus 

initiatives to broader NDUS mission & current/potential students. 

Activity 3: Establish a cohesive advising and student success model that coincides with academics, 

student life, and student supports. 

Expected Outcomes: 1) Improved skills, knowledge and competencies of advising faculty, 2) Decreased 

advisee case-load for faculty advisors, 3) Increased student retention and graduation rates. 

Funds requested: $2,249,009.00
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180081 – Cape Fear Community College, North Carolina

Institutional Profile: Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is one of the largest community colleges in 

North Carolina, with a curriculum enrollment of over 11,625 for the 2015-2016 academic year. Since 

2013-2014, a three-year average of 4,087 CFCC students (approximately 35% of the institution’s 

curriculum enrollment), have been assigned academic warning or probation status due to unsatisfactory 

academic progress. The majority of these students receives minimal focused academic advising and 

support services. Consequently, too few new students reach an academic momentum point in their first 

year of enrollment and persist to a second year of enrollment. Of newly enrolling students in the fall 2014 

cohort who attempted at least 12 credit hours, only 71.7% successfully completed at least 12 credit hours; 

the North Carolina Community College System goal is 75%. Additionally, only 44% of fall 2015 newly 

enrolling degree-seeking students re-enrolled for the fall 2016 semester. 

Project Overview: CFCC has designed a comprehensive Title III project called Institutional Measures 

for Persistence, Achievement, and Completion (IMPACT) to alleviate the following significant 

institutional problems: 1) inadequate academic support and interventions for students on academic 

warning and academic probation; 2) inadequate resources for the tracking and targeted support of 

students’ academic progress; and 3) lack of formalized retention systems to mitigate enrollment declines 

and significant student progression challenges. 

Project Goals: A total of $1,901,950 is requested over five years to: 1) provide targeted interventions to 

support at-risk student populations in order to improve these populations’ degree completion rates; 2) 

enhance CFCC’s academic advising services in order to improve first-year student persistence rates; and 

3) mitigate revenue loss from decreased curriculum enrollment by increasing students’ persistence and 

progression.

Project Objectives: The project’s institutional objectives will be accomplished through 1) required 

coaching services for academic warning and probation students; 2) participation in structured activities 

that integrate financial literacy into the first-year experiences of Pell-eligible first-time-college students; 

3) required degree planning for newly enrolled degree-seeking students within their first semester of 

enrollment; and 4) the implementation of Starfish Retention Solutions, a college-wide data management 

system that will track student progress and educational goal/milestone attainment.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180099 – Central Virginia Community College, Virginia

Project Title: Increasing Student Success through an Integrated Program of Planning and Advising 

Institutional Profile: Central Virginia Community College (CVCC), one of 23 community colleges in 

the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and serves the city 

of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell (Pop. 

252,634). Significantly, CVCC is the only public institution of higher education located in this 

service area. The college serves an ever-increasing number of first year students who are academically 

underprepared for college work, particularly in college-level math. Many students are from low-income 

families (poverty rate for Lynchburg is 24% vs. 11% for Virginia) and are eligible for financial aid which 

is not getting to them. CVCC students often indicate barriers to their educational progress, which include 

family, financial and work obligations.

In 2015, CVCC and the VCCS launched a comprehensive 6- year strategic plan, Complete 2021. The 

primary goal of the plan is to triple the credentials students earn in academic and workforce areas. CVCC 

adopted the Completion by Design’s Loss/Momentum Framework funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates 

Foundation. The Loss/Momentum Framework (LMF) helps colleges identify where students stumble or 

become sidetracked, and, thus, where there are opportunities to prevent students from dropping out and 

improve pathway toward program completion. 

The LMF phases are defined as: Connection- From the point of interest to an application, Entry- From the 

point of enrollment to completion of the first college-level course, Progress- From entry into the program 

of study to 75% of requirements completion, and Completion- To completion of a program of study to a 

credential with labor market value. This model and research drive the proposed integrated academic and 

student support services that will increase student success and completion at CVCC. 

Project Goals: 

 Increase the number of new students who make it through the application process, appropriately 

placed and ready to learn.

 Accelerate the rate at which new students choose and successfully enter a program.

 Increase the rate at which students complete program requirements.

Project Outcomes:

 Making college more affordable and accessible to underrepresented populations (URP) students

 Providing integrated academic support services

 Integration of Guided Pathways with technology tools to support students in their educational 

journey

CVCC, along with 22 other institutions in Virginia’s Community College System (VCCS), will 

implement a new multi-million-dollar technology solution to support the areas that are essential for 

students’ successful persistence through and completion of high quality, high-value credentials. This 

application supports a plan to effectively implement the technology solution, while improving 

onboarding, tutoring, and student success interventions, to increase persistence, retention, and completion, 

especially for underrepresented populations that include minority, low-income, and first generation 

students. 
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180106 - Quinsigamond Community College, Massachusetts

Project Overview: Increase Student Persistence and Completion by Improving Student Information 

Systems and Management Structures is a College-wide endeavor at Quinsigamond Community College 

(QCC). QCC’s goal and activities reflect the College’s revised strategic plan Pathway to a New 

Prosperity: Achieving the Vision as well as Title III’s core priorities. 

Institutional Profile: Founded in 1963, QCC is a mid-size urban institution located in the historically 

industrial and immigrant-rich “gateway” city of Worcester, Massachusetts (MA). With an estimated 78% 

of its graduates staying within the region, QCC plays a key role in supporting economic development in 

its service area. For the past 50 years, QCC has worked to align its programs and services with the needs 

of a large, industrial community. With Title III funds, QCC will improve its role as an effective partner in 

Central MA economic growth. 

Student Demographics: QCC students are not completing degrees at levels that provide opportunities for 

optimum participation in our economy. The College has the third lowest graduation rate among the 

State’s 15 community colleges, 5 out of 10 students are retained to the second year and only 2 out of 10 

graduate. The proposed strategies enhance the College’s capacity to provide its overwhelming majority of 

low-income, at-risk students with high quality academic programming and comprehensive, personalized 

student services while strengthening the institutional management practices for greater efficiency and 

fiscal stability. 

Project Activities/Interventions: QCC recognizes that in order to help students complete, we must 

develop a number of interventions at key junctures and proposes to: 

 Create a comprehensive orientation and first-year experience program. 

 Improve and expand all components of IT infrastructure to support optimum student services 

through technology interventions

 Institute systems change to create a cohesive and user-friendly delivery system of student 

services.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180111 - Neumann University, Pennsylvania

Institutional Profile: Neumann University (NU) is a private, Catholic, four-year institution. Founded in 

1965, the University offers 29 baccalaureate, 6 masters and 3 doctoral programs. In 2016, Neumann 

enrolled more than 3,000 students: 67% women, 32% age 19-21, 58% first-generation, 52% Caucasian, 

20% African American, and 27% other. With 100 full-time faculty, many of whom are scholars and 

master teachers, the student-faculty ratio of 14:1 allows professors to provide individual attention which 

supports the mission and values of the University.

Significant Problem: A fragmented academic support services model in combination with a writing 

skills deficiency work to compromise student progression, causing a decline in retention and graduation. 

To ameliorate this problem, Neumann University will significantly strengthen student transitioning issues, 

scaffold writing skill development across the curriculum, create a writing suite, construct a HUB to house 

academic support services, extend academic coaching, and restructure academic advising.

Project Description: The proposed Activity, Building a Culture of Engagement, Retention and

Completion, focuses on increasing student retention, persistence, and graduation through the

implementation of the project components. As a foundation for the Activity, the NU HUB will house 

academic advisors, career counselors and success coaches offering a menu of robust and strategic 

services. Additionally, a new "Total Intake" advising model, extension of the First Year Experience 

program, and tiered academic coaching will provide much needed support to students as they transition 

into the college experience. To further assist students as they matriculate, and to meet the need for an 

increase in writing proficiency levels, included in the NU HUB will be a newly designed Writing Suite 

staffed by a Writing Coordinator and four professional writing tutors. Faculty will work with the 

Coordinator of the Writing Suite and an Instructional Designer to implement writing intensive courses 

across the curriculum and offer additional tutoring to students struggling with writing skills.

Project Outcomes: Key measures of success will include increasing first to second year retention by 

10%, increasing four-year graduation rate by 5%, increasing student satisfaction with academic support 

services from 5.07 to 5.58 (SSI), and increasing writing proficiency at the accomplished/mastered levels 

by the senior year from 53% to 65% (AAC&U Values Rubrics).

Allocation of Budget: The grant request of $2,119,354 over five years, reflects a significant emphasis on 

personnel, faculty and staff development, the development of the NU HUB and a strong commitment to 

improving writing skills. In support of the Activity, the budget is as follows: 51% in Personnel and Fringe 

Benefits, 3% in Travel, 3% in Equipment, <1% in Supplies, 27% in Contractual, 5% in Construction, and 

11% in Other (Stipends and Endowment).

The University will match $150,000 in endowment funds, managed by Morgan Stanley Institutional. 

Grant funds will leverage an additional in-cash and in-kind University contribution of $1,240,219 to the 

project. By dedicating institutional and Title III resources to this initiative, the University expects to 

significantly increase its self-sufficiency and its capacity to educate students as 21st century learners and 

leaders.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180117 – NorthWest Arkansas Community College, Arkansas

Institutional Profile: NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) is a public, open-door, 

comprehensive community college serving more than 7,600 students annually at its main campus and six 

sites throughout its service area of Benton and Washington Counties, Arkansas. The college offers 

Associate degrees and certificates in a wide range of general and technical studies as well as adult basic 

education, GED, English as a Second Language (ESL), workforce development, and continuing 

education. Only 25 years old, NWACC is now the largest of 22 two-year colleges in the state. Nine 

elected business and community leaders serve as Trustees, and the college maintains full accreditation by 

the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) through its Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). 

Student Demographics: Serving a growing population of 382,566, NWACC is challenged as well to 

serve students of increasing diversity: female, minority, older, first-generation, and employed. 

Washington County is one of the fastest growing counties in our service area. It has the fastest growing 

population of Hispanics and produces the highest number of high school graduates within its district. 

Sadly, it also has the highest number residents living below poverty level in Northwest Arkansas but 

presents the most promising enrollment opportunity for the college. Not surprisingly, too few reach their 

goals: with inadequate facilities, programming and accessibility for Washington County residents.

Project Goal: NWACC does not have the resources to increase higher education accessibility in the area. 

We, therefore, propose expansion of academic programming into Washington County, a redesign of 

developmental and ENGC curriculum, improved lab and classroom spaces and technology, and Academic 

Support Services (tutoring, mentoring, and coaching) through a Title III project entitled Expanding 

Opportunities for Underserved Learners.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180120 - Montana State University (MSU) at Billings, Montana

Project Title: MSU Billings Just-in-time Delivery of Student Academic Support 

Institutional Profile: Montana State University Billings (MSUB) is a four-year, open enrollment, public 

institution of higher education which was founded in 1927. MSUB incorporates a four year University 

and a two-year community college, serving a combined 4,366 students in the 2016-2017 academic year. 

The institution offers 17 certificate programs, 30 Associate programs, 28 Bachelor’s and 14 Master’s 

degree programs in colleges of Education, Business, Allied Health and Arts and Sciences. 

MSUB’s 53% first year retention rate is significantly lower than other institutions within Montana as well 

as among identified peer institutions. The average first year retention rate for Montana institutions is 69% 

and for peers is 64%. These significant gaps can be attributed to MSUB’s open enrollment status and the 

level of college preparedness of our students. Eighty nine percent of MSUB’s 2015 freshman cohort fell 

into at least one identified at-risk category: at-risk students were retained at a rate of 51.4%, while the 

remaining 11% of students returned at a rate of 64.4%. 

Project Overview: Montana State University at Billings’ Title III project targets the goal of improving 

first year student success and retention, with an emphasis on General Education courses. The project has 

been designed to integrate three components: 1) systems for identifying and referring students to services, 

2) academic support services, and 3) instructional support. It is expected that the improvement and 

integration of instruction and services will promote student engagement, learning, and academic success, 

leading to improved first year retention rates. 

This Title III Project will enable MSUB to hire personnel for the expansion of effective programs and to 

create others based upon national best practices. A Retention Coordinator will be hired to manage the 

Early Alert System, build and oversee Bridge programming, and to establish Peer Mentoring Centers on 

both campuses. A Supplemental Instruction Program pilot will expand to provide student led study skills 

support in active, group settings directly attached to high DFWI General Education courses. A Writing 

Center will be established and a Reading Specialist will be hired to provide support for the academic 

skills of reading and writing for first year students and pedagogical support for the faculty who teach 

those courses. 

Project Goals: There are six goals guiding the activities in this proposal. These goals are to: 1) Reduce 

high DFWI rates in General Education courses; 2) Increase the first year retention rate of students who 

participate in academic support service offerings; 3) Increase the number of at risk students served by 

peer mentoring; 4) Successfully remediate 50% of students who are not reading at a college level; 5) 

Support high DFWI General Education courses with writing pedagogy and tutoring services for faculty 

and students; and 6) Engage MSUB faculty through the use of the Early Alert System in order to identify 

and support students in need of academic support in a timely and efficient manner. 

Project Outcomes: The conclusion of the project will place MSUB on a footing to grow enrollment and 

improve the institution’s financial stability by improving services, supporting quality instruction, and 

promoting student success. 
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180121 – Weber State University, Utah

Project Title: Wildcat Scholars: A Program Scaffolding Students to Enhance, Inspire, and Invest in 

Themselves 

Project Overview: The goal of the proposed Wildcat Scholars program is to address institutional failures 

in meeting the needs of our most vulnerable students by scaffolding them to enhance, inspire, and invest 

in themselves. These vulnerable students have been identified as those placed in developmental 

mathematics and developmental English (Dev-Dev). A disproportionately higher percentage of lowincome (59%) students are identified as Dev-Dev than those who enroll (41%) at the university. 

Similarly, about two-thirds of all ethnic minority freshmen entering into Weber State are Dev-Dev, 

representing one-third of all Dev-Dev students. Dev-Dev students arrive at the institution responsive to 

the institution’s invitation to dream of completing a college education. However, they are greeted with a 

program of study that includes up to 2- (English) or 3- (math) levels of non-credit bearing classes before 

taking college-level classes in these subjects. 

The program re-envisions how the institution treats Dev-Dev students. The long-term goal is to improve 

students’ first-semester GPA, first-year retention, and graduation rates, all of which are failed institutional 

mission fulfillment indicators. Institutional data identifies Dev-Dev students as a group of students who 

disproportionately do not meet the indicators. Instead of placement in remedial courses, Dev-Dev students 

recruited as Wildcat Scholars will experience a program that emphasizes their engagement and sense of 

belonging in order to support them in becoming deep learners, resilient students, and future-oriented 

people. 

Project Objectives: The program has three principal components: 

1) We will develop a core curriculum that scaffolds Dev-Dev students to adopt and exercise the 

cognitive, non-cognitive and future orientation abilities required for academic success. 

Wildcat Scholars will enroll in three core college credit-bearing required courses that provide 

opportunities for them to experience and reflect on activities central to their success as 

students, learners, and individuals. These and other courses will also embed supports in math 

and English as part of the curriculum to address specific skills that continue to be a struggle 

for them. Also, math and required general education classes will be paired to support a 

coherent curriculum that enhances their learning. As part of the curriculum, faculty and staff 

will be trained in inclusive pedagogy and serve as cultural agents to aid Wildcat Scholars in 

managing the often competing demands of home and school cultures;

2) The program will engage scholars in high impact co-curricular activities (tutoring and 

apprenticing) that support their engagement, sense of belonging, and career prospects. Such 

activities will be supported and supervised by the Wildcat Scholar High Impact Practices 

Coordinator (HIPS-C) and faculty in departments and colleges in which students are 

majoring;

3) The final component is to increase the use of student services and set-up scholars with a 

tutor/mentor (coach). The Wildcat Scholar Services Coordinator (WSS-C) will serve as a 

conduit for students seeking university services and resources, and will also train and manage 

student coaches who, as program alumni, can model (coach) Wildcat Scholars’ success. The 

WSS-C will also manage the Wildcat Student Office that will offer a place and space 

designed uniquely for the Wildcat Scholars’ use.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180123 - Pima County Community College, Arizona

Institutional Profile: Pima Community College (PCC), an accredited institution of higher education, is 

one of the nation’s largest multi-campus community colleges, serving more than 47,500 students 

annually. With competitive tuition, PCC attracts a diverse student body of all ages, ethnicities and 

economic levels. Most students come from Pima County (pop. 1,004,516, American Community Survey, 

2014), the eighth poorest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the nation, and home to approximately 

15 percent of Arizona’s residents. 

The mission of Pima Community College is to be an open-admissions institution providing affordable, 

comprehensive, educational opportunities supporting student success and meeting the diverse needs of 

our students and the community. We accomplish our mission by providing in-demand programs that build 

the skills and knowledge of students, enabling them to be successful in high-demand careers offered by 

community employers. 

Student Demographics: Since 2013, the enrollment at our Downtown Campus (DC) has dropped by 

more than 2,400 students. This decline in student enrollment is particularly problematic to our institution 

as we rely heavily on tuition and fees to help support the provision of quality educational services. In Fall 

2016, tuition and fees comprised 33 percent of all institutional revenues. 

Problem: Our recently developed Educational Master Plan indicates that the Applied Technology and 

Mechatronics programs at PCC-DC have the potential to become a Center of Excellence for Pima 

Community College. What is hindering this development is the fact that our spaces for instruction are 

outdated and inadequate to support the development of these programs. Modernizing our existing space to 

allow for collaborative learning spaces, combined with creating a new, up-to-date Mechatronics Learning 

Studio with CAD design support are essential to strengthening our institution, attracting more students 

and supporting students to persist and complete. 

Project Objectives: Our proposed Title III program enables the institution to: 1) develop a new degree 

program in a high-demand field known as Mechatronics with one or more articulation agreements at a 

four-year institution; 2) develop innovative teaching and learning environments including eight 

hybridized courses and learning assistance embedded in Mechatronics laboratory courses, 3) develop and 

implement individualized college and career pathways for students with case management; 4) strengthen 

enrollment through improved student retention supported by intensive and intrusive student services and 

learning assistance embedded in developmental and gateway courses; and 5) redesign classroom and 

laboratory space used by the Mechatronics program, as well as space and programming provided by the 

writing center, allowing for greater collaborative learning, and improved outcomes. 

Project Outcomes: Taken together, these improvements will allow us to grow our enrollment from 51 to 

180 students in the Associate of Applied Science program, and improve our student persistence rate from 

46 percent to 65 percent annually. Employers in our community have indicated that the Mechatronics 

field is growing by more than 10 percent annually, and that there is a high demand for students with an 

Associate’s degree in Mechatronics.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180125 – Peninsula College, Washington

Project Overview: The Guided Pathways model provides an evidence-based framework to strengthen 

institutional effectiveness and student success with the ultimate goal of closing the equity gap in 

completion outcomes. Peninsula College (PC) has begun the process of achieving the full implementation 

of all elements of the Guided pathways model at scale within five years. While some aspects of the 

Guided pathways model have received financial support, core aspects of the Guided Pathways model lack 

resources for development, including FYE, intrusive advising, and career services. PC’s Guided Pathways 

assessment has revealed disparities in academic achievement and completions among diverse populations. 

The proposed Pathways to Achieving Completion an Equity (PACE) Project will catalyze an institutional 

shift toward evidence-based strategies for engaging students on clearly defined academic pathways while 

building an institutional culture of academic equity and excellence. 

Project Activities: The three core activities of the PACE project are: 10 Improving student engagement 

and support; 2) Building a culture of equity; and 3) Achieving excellence in teaching and learning. 

Activity 1 will accomplish a mandatory First Year Experience (FYE) for first-year students embedded in 

core pathway courses and the creation of a Career Pathways Center. Activity 2 will offer single point of 

contact intrusive advising services to all underserved students along with a peer mentoring program. 

Activity 3 will establish a Center for Teaching and Learning that will improve academic excellence by 

increasing professional development learning and dissemination of evidence-based practices, centralizing 

planning for the college-wide implementation of evidence-based practices in teaching and learning, and 

instituting a peer faculty evaluation program. 
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180126 – New England College, New Hampshire

Project Overview: New England College’s (NEC) proposed Title III Activity Campus-Wide 

Collaboration for Student Success will address the need to improve the structure and support for first-year 

students, the philosophy and practice of teaching, and the breadth and continuity of student services 

throughout the college experience in order to increase student success. 

Project Activities/Strategies: The Activity comprises three interconnected components: 

 A Cohesive First-year Experience will transform the currently disjointed onboarding process and 

first-year experience. Faculty and staff will work collaboratively to create a Purpose-Driven 

Orientation, to include completion of the College Student Inventory and software-supported 

assessment of students’ academic abilities. First-year students will work with Student Success 

Coaches to design and implement a Student Success Plan, and will receive support from an Early 

Alert system to promote academic achievement. 

 Active learning strategies will replace passive pedagogy and underutilization of Blackboard 

Learning Management System. Teaching faculty will redesign essential courses, starting with the 

core classes in the Integrated First Year Experience. The foci of the redesign is to ensure 1) that 

active learning strategies are embedded in each course, 2) that each course includes intentional 

use in technology to enhance pedagogy and the use of Blackboard to leverage data for predictive 

analytics, and 3) that the courses link to graduate school or career preparation. 

 The Center for Student Success will create a system to connect the presently fragmented student 

support. Newly developed early warning systems and graduation mapping, expanded tutoring 

services, purposeful success coaching, and early and purposeful career and life planning will be 

organized around the essential anchor of the Center: the digitally supported Student Success Plan. 

These plans will begin in the Integrated First Year Experience and will be revisited by students 

and Student Success Coaches each year to culminate in a co-curricular transcript and ties to 

employment or graduate study. 

Project Outcomes: Upon completion and institutionalization of the Activity, New England College will 

increase the four-year graduation rate. In doing so, the College will substantially increase financial 

stability. 

Institutional Overview: Founded in 1946 to serve the needs of veterans following the end of the Second 

World War, New England College is a private, nonprofit four-year college located in Henniker, New 

Hampshire. NEC offers 37 undergraduate programs to 915 students on campus. The institutional mission 

is to challenge students to transform themselves and their world through a creative and supportive leaning 

community. 

Student Characteristics: Students at NEC have a wide range of learning styles. Increasingly diverse in 

terms of ethnic origin and socioeconomic status, the vast majority of students come from the Northeast. 

About one third of the entering students are first-generation college students, and 57% are Pell-eligible. 

Of all first year students, 39% has an Expected Family Contribution of less than $1,000. 

Faculty Characteristics: NEC has a faculty-student ratio of 1 to 12, and the average class size is 14. 

There are 38 full-time and 120 part-time faculty; of the full-time faculty, 76.3% have terminal degrees in 

their disciplines. The faculty is student-centered, as reflected in National Student Survey of Engagement 

(NSSE) data that indicates a high score in student-faculty engagement.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180127 - Bristol Community College, Massachusetts

Institutional Profile: Bristol Community College (BCC) is a public two-year, comprehensive 

community college enrolling over 8,000 students in four campus locations as well as online. BCC’s first 

and largest campus is situated in Fall River, Massachusetts with three other campuses located in New 

Bedford, Attleboro and Taunton. Bristol Community College is fully accredited by the Commission on 

Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. The BCC 

community celebrates the diverse life experiences, achievements, contributions of all members of the 

community and responds to the evolving educational needs of the region. 

Student Demographics: The student population is diverse: 61% female, 25% people of color; 50% first 

generation, 26% over 25 years old. A significant number are underprepared and enroll in developmental 

mathematics and English. 

Faculty Demographics: There are 125 full-time faculty and 576 adjunct faculty with over a third of BCC 

courses taught by full-time faculty. About a third of the faculty bring a decade or more experience into the 

classroom, stability that is complemented by newcomers with less than five years of experience at the 

College. Over two-thirds of the faculty are women, over half have tenure, over 20% have a doctoral 

degree and about 16% are persons of color. 

Project Overview: The Title III Activity, Pathways to the Future (PTTF) addresses the needs of General 

Studies students through strong academic guided pathways, providing learning centered and student 

supported environments and wraparound support services through inescapable academic assistance 

combined with virtual and technology aids. 

Project Activities/Strategies: The Activity contains three components: 

 Engaged Pathways will increase student achievement and progress to degree and decrease 

credit accumulation through the development of Meta-Majors, two-semester academic paths, 

which promote exploration of disciplinary areas, leading to a choice of major. These MetaMajors are coupled with a redesigned, customized First-Year Experience and gateway courses 

infused with High Impact Practices. 

 Learning Commons, both physical and virtual, creates a one-stop model for academic support 

that increases students’ use of services and ultimately their graduation rates. A continuum of 

services is centralized preventing the runaround students experience in seeking support. 

 Inescapable Support provides wraparound assistance through accelerated onramps to complete 

developmental education, proactive coaching and case management and an integrated early alert 

system, all bolstered by robust technological applications to increase efficiency and effectiveness 

in assisting students. 

Project Outcomes: With a Title III investment of $2,248,379, PTTF will increase student achievement 

by 15%, and increase Fall-to-Fall retention of first-year students by 10% with a final outcome of a 5% 

increase in graduation rates for General Studies students.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180130 – South Seattle College, Washington

Institutional Background: South Seattle College (SCC) is a comprehensive public community college in 

the Seattle Colleges District. A Minority Serving Institution (MSI) with Asian American Native 

American Pacific Islander Serving Institution designation (AANAPISI), SSC enrolls approximately 

15,000 students annually and employs more than 300 faculty members. SSC offers 16 professionaltechnical programs, three Bachelor of Applied Science degrees (BAS), nearly 20 apprenticeship 

programs, academic transfer programs, dual credit programs for high school students, basic skills, and 

English as a Second Language classes. SSC’s student population is extremely diverse, including large 

numbers of non-traditional, first-generation, and immigrant students. 

Project Title: GPSS: Guided Pathways for Student Success 

Project Goals: 1. Increase completion and retention rates and decrease time to completion by designing 

and implementing a Guided Pathways structure that is supported with data tools, integrated systems, and 

robust communities of practice composed of faculty, staff, and expert coaches. 2. Identify and address 

problems such as equity gaps by building a “culture of evidence” supported with data tools, integrated 

systems, and professional development that foster a whole college practice of continuous improvement. 

Project Activity: The GPSS project consists of a single activity that will accomplish the institutional 

goals through five major tasks: 1. Establish effective structures and processes to successfully implement 

the five-year Title III grant. 2. Create and adopt Guided Pathways structure of programs and 

corresponding course maps, schedules, gatekeeper course options and resources. 3. Redesign Student 

Services to a proactive advising model so that students receive timely resources and supports at critical

junctures, e.g., onboarding, gateway courses, course registration, and others. 4. Adopt responsive and 

integrated technology tools and systems to promote increased faculty and staff collaboration toward 

student success. 5. Implement faculty and staff development and incentivize adoption of “culture of 

evidence” practices that integrate use of technology tools and successful academic and noncognitive skills 

development. 

Project Impact: The GPSS Project will deliver key results to strengthen the institution. In the short term, 

students will be informed and choose a pathway during their first two quarters; students will be directed 

to default schedules, including math and English in the first year; faculty will use data tools to identify 

and understand obstacles to equity and student success; and faculty and staff will collaborate to design 

support plans for students. In the medium term, students will complete gateway courses early in their time 

at SSC, making clear progress toward completion; and faculty will work in communities of practice to 

address obstacles to equity and student success. In the long term, the project will increase SSC student 

retention and completion rates, decrease average time to degree or certificate, and increase equity 

in student achievement and success. 

Funds Requested: $2,099,160
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180133 - Ulster County Community College, New York

Institutional Profile: Ulster County Community College (Ulster), Stone Ridge, NY, is located in a rural 

setting in the geographic center of Ulster County, NY. Ulster is a public two-year institution serving 

nearly 2200 matriculated students in 60 degree and certificate programs. 

Problem: In response to comprehensive strategic planning, input from major constituencies, the Office of 

Institutional Research and rigorous analysis by faculty and staff, the following critical issues in student 

preparedness and success were identified: 

1. Developmental students academically unprepared for college level work 

2. Students undecided about a career and or educational goal 

3. At-risk and probationary students 

4. Disjointed and inconsistent academic advising, exacerbated by the lack of institutional student 

information access, management and progress assessment. 

Project Activities: These gaps in student preparedness have resulted in an unacceptable, declining 

retention rate. To address these weaknesses, Ulster will implement a two-pronged Activity, fully 

supported by professional development: 

Focus Area One: Increasing access to student services. Addressing the current void in defined academic 

advising and related faculty development as it relates to student success; oversee initiatives directly 

related to the needs of the undecided student and at-risk student; focus on initiatives dealing with the 

identification and mitigation of the needs of the developmental student; develop, implement and expand 

student services to include access from non-campus based access points 

Focus Area Two: Information Management. Information technology support for data gathering, analysis, 

student information tracking and service accessibility requires action on an institutional level. Connecting 

departments with student information, processes and goals/outcomes will strengthen the support structure 

within which students; faculty and staff interact and engage. 

Academic advisement is a common thread within each Focus Area and is addressed as a foundational 

issue within the College. Ulster will develop a Master Advisor training opportunity for faculty members 

which will equip faculty with a comprehensive approach to advising, from the business of attending 

college to the impact of pursuit of program and satisfactory academic progress on financial aid, to the 

focus on student resources and success. 

Project Outcome: This project will systematically change the way Ulster interacts with our most 

vulnerable students to strengthen student engagement and increase success, as measured by an increase in 

course completion and retention rates.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180136 - Goodwin College, Connecticut

Institutional Profile: Private, nonprofit Goodwin College is a career-focused, open enrollment college 

that serves 3,700 students from three states, primarily central Connecticut residents. The average student 

age is 30, and over half the student population is Pell-eligible, minority, women, and first-generationcollege students. Although Goodwin offers baccalaureate degrees, the majority of awards are associate 

degrees in the health and natural sciences, education and social service, business, manufacturing, and 

general education. 

Problem: At-risk students comprise about two-thirds of each incoming cohort of first-time college 

students. Fifty percent of these students withdraw before graduation. Students fail to follow their plan of 

study. Academic problems are not identified soon enough to correct a student’s path with our early alert 

system. Also, our students enter Goodwin with career aspirations that do not fit their abilities; they waste 

limited financial aid re-taking prerequisite courses to selective programs for which they may not qualify 

or be competitive. Annually, 17% of students cannot persist because of financial holds that prevent them 

from registering for classes. These holds that last for several consecutive years result from the students’ 

poor financial management and financial illiteracy. Further, no Goodwin student has access to real-time 

data on their path to degree completion and current information on course work or grades is hard to 

access.

Project Overview: The proposed SIP project, Strengthening Technology and Advising

to Retain Students (STARS), creates a synergetic relationship among academic advising, career services, 

financial literacy, and access to real-time student data to address the CDP problems.

Project Goals: The goals of STARS are to increase retention and graduation rates for associate-degree 

seekers of all—both first-time, full-time (16%) and other (84%)—students by 5% in five years. These 

objectives will help achieve program goals.

Project Objectives:

1. 100% of all new students, including those with less than six transfer credits, will be screened 

with academic, financial, and other assessments at or soon after enrollment to identify those at risk.

2. At-risk students will be served by STARS to improve retention and graduation rates by 

implementing a holistic program with academic advising at its core. The program includes casemanagement by a team comprising an academic advisor, financial aid counselor, financial literacy 

educator, and career specialist. All new at-risk students will be served. Two grant-hired advisors will 

allow Health Sciences to attain a best-practice student to advisor ratio of 250:1.

3. At-risk students will have an early career assessment and a consultation with a career advisor 

(grant hire), to consider academic programs for which they are well-suited.

4. The First Year Experience course will be redesigned to include 15 hours of financial literacy 

education; supplementary, informal workshops will address financial literacy topics; and peer mentors 

will be trained to help individual students.

5. New software will allow timely degree audits, accelerate early alerts, improve identification of 

at-risk students, and provide a single portal with a one password allowing students, faculty, and staff easy 

access all necessary information.

6. Full-time and adjunct faculty and staff will be trained to use the new advising model and 

software.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180139 – Wayne State University, North Carolina

Project Title: Coaching, Advising, and Planning for Success (CAPS) 

Institutional Profile: Wayne Community College (WCC) is a learning-centered, public, two-year college 

with an open-door admissions policy. Located in Goldsboro, North Carolina, the college offers 36 degree, 

16 diploma, and 67 certificate programs to almost 4,000 curriculum students annually. The College also 

provides over 100 continuing education courses to 7,000+ students annually. WCC employs 140 full-time 

curriculum instructors; 119 part-time instructors; 170 full-time staff members; and 54 part-time staff 

members. 

Student Demographics: The average curriculum student at Wayne Community College is white, female 

and 29 years old. Sixty-two percent of WCC students are employed (25% full-time and 37% part-time) 

and in class 13-16 hours per week. WCC’s curriculum student enrollment for 2014-2015 was 4,619 

students. The fall-to-fall retention rate of new, first-time entering students for 2014-15 was 53%. Of the 

students retained: 30% were female; 23% were male; 33% were Caucasian; 9% were African-American; 

8% were Hispanic; and 3% were combined multiracial, Asian, and American Indian. 

Project Overview: This Title III SIP, “Coaching, Advising, and Planning for Success (CAPS)”, 

addresses what college constituents have identified as a major barrier to student success – advising. 

Through extensive review of the literature, visits to other community college campuses, and institutional 

data mining, college administrators, faculty, and key staff members are dedicated to improving college

completion for all students through a comprehensive coordination of advising/coaching, teaching, and 

faculty professional development. 

Project Goals: Goals of the project are to: (1) improve overall student success through “whole student 

development” including academic, non-academic, and personal factors; (2) improve student retention and 

graduation rates for all students by strengthening advisor/student relationships; and (3) improve 

assessment of student learning and institutional effectiveness through the development and 

implementation of a data collection and analysis system. 

Project Objectives: Objectives of the project are to: increase the use of academic tutoring by 10%; 

increase fall-to-fall retention rates by 10%; and increase graduation rates by 10% by September 2022. 

Basing what has shown not to work well at WCC, in combination with literature reviews and best 

practices, the College will hire an Admissions Specialist who can offer students a positive front-door 

experience; Achievement Coaches who can provide students with more than just registration assistance; a 

Disabilities Services Facilitator who can help to provide students with reasonable accommodations; an 

Instructional Designer who can help faculty learn new ways to reach students in their classes; and a 

Research Specialist who can navigate through the data to find out what’s working and what’s not.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180141 - Briar Cliff University, Iowa

Project Title: Synergizing the Briar Cliff University (BCU) Mission to Improve Student Success 

Institutional Background: Briar Cliff University is a private, not-for-profit university in northwest Iowa, 

and borders the states of southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska. The primary student catchment 

area spans 33 counties that cover a territory of 18,773 square miles. This region is generally considered as 

the most rural area in Iowa, with the urban anchor being the City of Sioux City. Briar Cliff University 

enjoys a unique niche within higher education by teaching students in the Catholic Franciscan philosophy 

of learning. This means the university is committed to a holistic approach toward the development of each 

individual student; and Briar Cliff University is steadfast in infusing all programs of studies with a 

responsibility towards community and servient leadership. The university enrolls an average of 1200 

students annually. 

Student Demographics: Briar Cliff University is facing new groups of academically at-risk students. 

The first-time freshmen student needing to enroll in at least one developmental course has grown 

substantially in recent years (219.5%). The overall rate of minority student growth over the past ten 

academic years was nearly 106%. And the Hispanic student population grew at a rate of 144%.

Project Goal: To develop the university’s capacity to explore, adapt, and implement innovative solutions 

to the variety of challenges the university faces regarding student learning, retention, and degree 

completion.

Project Activities/Strategies: 

Component 1: Strengthening academic support systems to improve retention and degree completion. 

Component 2: Strengthening the shared heightened capacity of academic administrators and faculty to 

learn and demonstrate best practices in academic management, strategic thinking, innovation, and 

managing change that will boost academic achievement among all students. 

Component 3: Strengthening approaches to data management processes, the curation of data, and program 

evaluation capacity to benchmark student learning outcomes and the university’s financial vitality. 

Component 4: Optimizing digital technology to support learning, business operations and improved 

communications across campus. 

Project Outcomes: This Title III project will develop a culture of Appreciative Inquiry by integrating the 

use of data to inform the decision-making processes across the university. This culture change is 

necessary to achieving successful academic transformation efforts that lead to (1) increasing student 

retention through graduation rates for targeted at-risk student groups, (2) increasing student achievement 

by developing an academic coaching program, (3) developing academic administrators and faculty 

leaders as strategic decision makers, and (4) improving technology infrastructure to support institutional 

data management and communications with students. 

Funds Requested: $2,245,428 over five years; first year funding request $449,923 
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180142 - Illinois College, Illinois

Institutional Profile: Illinois College (IC), located in West-Central Illinois, was established on the

frontier in 1829. With a strong academic reputation and a dedicated faculty, the student-faculty ratio is 

12:1, ensuring focused individual attention to each learner. The majority of students are recent high 

school graduates from small towns or rural areas within 150 miles of campus. Nearly half (44.8%) are the 

first in their families to attend college. More than a third (38.6%) are from low-income households. The 

diversification of the student body over the past decade has accelerated from 8.1% minority students to 

30.6% today. The combination of differential levels of preparation, economic challenge faced by many 

families, and ethnic and geographical diversity leads to challenges with success, persistence, and degree 

attainment.

Project Title: The SURGE Initiative (Success, Retention, Graduation) at Illinois College

Problems: For every ten students who enter Illinois College only seven remain for the third year and only 

six graduate in four years, a problem that is only intensifying annually. The needs of Illinois College’s 

student body have changed more quickly than the College’s ability to meet those needs, leading to a 

cascading downward trend in persistence and graduation.

Project Overview: This Title III project will: (1) Unify student support services within the HUB 

(Holistic Undergraduate Base), co-locating all academic support services including coaching, tutoring, 

career services, counseling, diversity and inclusion services, etc. The HUB will feature state-of-the-art 

pedagogical technology and study spaces to attract and encourage students to build help seeking 

behaviors. (2) Hire and institutionalize the salaries for seven SURGE staff (including three academic 

coaches) who will implement new programming specifically to increase student persistence and 

graduation rates. (3) Implement customized data systems and coordinate with existing systems to improve 

faculty/staff ability to identify at-risk students, monitor academic progress, and proactively intervene to 

assist in their retention. (4) Provide professional development for faculty/staff in instructing and 

responding to students from diverse backgrounds, and training for faculty/staff/tutors in using new 

instructional equipment and retention software. (5) Increase endowed scholarship funding for at-risk 

students.

Project Goals: (1): Increase first-to-third semester student retention by 8 percentage points by enhancing 

academic advising and improving early alert system effectiveness. (2): Increase student persistence to 

graduation by 5 percentage points through faculty/staff professional development, increased scholarship 

support, and intensified academic support services.

Project Outcomes: The percentage of first-year students with grades of D/W/F will decrease from 11.7% 

to 6%; the fall-to-fall first-year student retention will increase from 77.8% to 85.8%; the percentage of 

students who receive midterm warnings (i.e., carrying two grades of C- or lower) will decrease from 

14.2% to 9.2%; the percentage of students utilizing tutoring will increase from 14% to 29%; student 

persistence to junior year will increase from 70.6% to 75.6%; and the four-year graduation rate will 

increase from 65.1% to 70.1%.

Funds Requested: $2,127,069
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180148 - North Seattle College, Washington

Program Title: North Seattle College Title III Project 

Institutional Profile: North Seattle College (NSC) is one of three distinct urban colleges comprising the 

Seattle College District and is separately accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and 

Universities (reaffirmed in 2016). Established in 1970, NSC provides learning opportunities for a diverse 

group of over 16,000 students annually. While NSC serves a region—the northern part of Seattle—that 

tends to be more affluent than many regions of the country, that affluence comes with a much higher 

cost of living, a significant burden on NSC students. Last year Seattle rents grew faster than in any 

other region of the country, and the average cost to purchase a home moved closer to $700,000. The 

plight of students who are homeless and hungry weighs heavily on the college community, which is 

struggling to respond in the midst of one of the most challenging budget periods in the college’s history. 

Student Demographics: Of community colleges in Washington State, NSC has the highest number of 

part-time students and the highest median age among students. Both of these factors combine to create 

obstacles to completion. Part-time students naturally take longer to complete courses of study, and older 

students often face competing demands, such as family and work. NSC’s low rates of persistence and 

completion reflect these factors. While poor performance towards completion negatively impacts the lives 

of individual students, it also seriously jeopardizes the fiscal stability of the college by resulting in low 

enrollments and poor performance in the State’s performance-based funding system. Low enrollments 

have led to a reduction in NSC’s state allocation and reduced revenue from tuition. The resulting budget 

cuts and impending staff layoffs mean fewer supports and services for students. 

Project Overview: NSC has designed its Title III Project to broadly address the overall problem of low 

persistence and completion to transform the academic, institutional and fiscal life of the college. The 

project will include four components: 1) Adoption of a Guided Pathways Framework to help students 

select and progress in a program of study, ultimately completing a degree and/or transferring to a four 

year institution in less time. This new framework will transform the way that instruction and student 

services work with students. 2) A Supplemental Instruction Pilot Project to boost success in a 

gateway class to all STEM majors. Currently 41% of students earn less than a 2.0 in Pre-Calculus I and 

are thus unable to progress in STEM pathways that lead to well-paying careers in the high tech Seattle 

area, 3) Increased access to campus resources and services through a new mobile app and relocation of 

the Student Open Computer Lab and IT Help Desk, and 4) Increased involvement of the total campus 

community in Strategic Enrollment Management. 

Project Outcomes: The outcomes for all four components through 2022 will be: 1) Improved overall 

persistence rates for first year entering students, 2) Increased number of students completing a degree 

and/or transferring a 4-year institution, and 3) Increased number of students achieving their education and 

career goals.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180187 –Buffalo State College, New York

Institutional Profile: Buffalo State College is a four-year comprehensive institution with an 

undergraduate enrollment of 9116 students, nearly half of whom are minority. Founded in 1871 as a 

school for teacher education, it has grown in size and scope to now offer 177 undergraduate programs. 

Buffalo State is an Anchor Institution and a Carnegie Community Engaged College situated in the heart 

of the city’s museum and art district, offering unique cultural opportunities. The College operates12 

Centers for specialized studies and offers robust undergraduate research programs.

Significant Problem: Three out of ten Buffalo State students leave after their first year and only one in 

four graduate after four years.

Project Overview: The proposed Activity, Insight to Impact: Increasing Student Achievement, Retention, 

and Degree Attainment is the result of an extended period of institutional reflection and self-examination 

by the campus community and administration. Through formal and informal evaluation processes, it 

became clear that without restructuring the ways in which student and academic support services are 

provided to and accessed by Buffalo State students, opportunities for their improved success will be 

limited. 

Project Activities/Strategies: The project consists of two core components, strengthening student 

services and strengthening academic services, that when synchronized, will facilitate the ongoing 

transformation of Buffalo State College as a “student ready” campus. Strengthening student services will 

leverage predictive analytics to derive insight from data collected during onboarding of new students to 

establish affinity groups/cohorts, inform holistic coaching strategies, and automate the detection of early 

alert triggers to activate proactive intervention. Strengthening academic services will build on 

strengthened student services outcomes to inform major-specific intrusive academic advising strategies, 

discipline-specific targeted tutoring, and the development of digital supplemental instructional modules 

to enhance student achievement in high-enrollment, high-challenge gateway courses. Responding directly 

to the Quality of Project Design requirements, the Activity is supported by strong theory, including a 

logic model grounded in constructivist learning theory. The citation referenced in the activity is 

Christianson, R.G., & Fisher, K.M. (1999). Comparison of student learning about diffusion and osmosis 

in constructivist and traditional classrooms. International Journal

of Science Education, 21, 687-698.

Project Impact: The project has identified three goals and their metrics: 

 Goal 1 – Develop comprehensive student support services which improve student engagement: 

100% participation in peer matched cohorts in first year; increase first-year Fall-to-Spring 

retention from 88.5% to 95%; improve composite NSSE Campus Environment score from 34.8 to 

40. 

 Goal 2 – Develop academic support services which lead to improved student achievement: 

increase gateway course success rates from 69% to 77%; improve first-year Fall-to-Fall retention 

from 68% to 77%. 

 Goal 3 – Deploy coordinated support services to improve student success: improve sophomore to 

junior perseverance from 77% to 85%; increase 4-year graduation rate from 29.7% to 35%.

Funds Requested: The five-year budget required to achieve project goals is $2,191,316. The budget will 

fund professional staff needed to implement the project activities. It will also fund external evaluation, 

and partially fund required software systems along with specific ancillary expenses outlined in the budget 

details.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180191 – Whatcom Community College, Washington

Project Title: Guiding Faculty, Guiding Students – Transforming the Entry and Progression

Experience for Lasting Change

Institutional Profile: Whatcom Community College (WCC), the northernmost community college in 

Washington State, is located in Bellingham, where the Washington Pacific coastline meets the Canadian 

border. From its beginning 50 years ago, WCC has been recognized as an innovative college. Whatcom 

became known as the “the college without walls” as resourceful educators found classroom space at an 

assortment of buildings throughout Whatcom County. Since this colorful beginning, the college has 

grown into a highly respected, vibrant center of postsecondary education for its 5,110 credit-seeking 

students (fall, 2016). The college offers academic transfer, developmental education, and professionaltechnical degrees and certificates.

Project Overview: Academic, institutional management, and fiscal problems identified in the college’s 

Strengthening Institutions Program proposal are well-documented, critically analyzed, and lead to 

strategies designed to transform the educational experience for students. The College will bring together 

Instruction and Student Services in a partnership to put a laser focus on improving student retention, 

progression, and graduation through implementing a strong theory-based Guided Pathways Model. The 

current fragmented and ineffective approach to faculty development coupled with confusing service to 

students at entry and little guidance in choosing and progressing along a pathway creates a “perfect 

storm” — resulting in severe lost opportunities for students and lost revenue for the College from the 

revolving door. The integrated Activity Guiding Faculty, Guiding Students – Transforming the Entry and

Progression Experience for Lasting Change is comprised of three components, all of which are critical to 

improving the success of underprepared, underachieving, and underserved students. Goals for overcoming 

problems are delineated along with measureable objectives to assess their attainment. 

Activities/Strategies: Activity Components include:

 Component 1: Creation of a Teaching and Learning Center designed to guide, immerse, and 

support faculty from day one in high-impact, evidence-based strategies to transform the 

classroom experience.

 Component 2: Creation of a Student Welcome Center designed to transform the student entry 

and progression experience and guide students along a pathway to success.

 Component 3: Provide faculty and staff training in Guided Pathways implementation.

By implementing a Title III supported Guided Pathways Model, this proposal will dramatically 

change the way the College serves students. With their power harnessed under one umbrella, 

Instruction and Student Services will work cohesively to embrace evidence-based teaching and 

entry and progression practices to improve student learning and student outcomes.

Funds Requested: $2,250,000
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180206 - Greensboro College, North Carolina

Project Title: GCPRIDE (Greensboro College’s Planned Retention, Improvement, and Degrees 

Earned) 

Institutional Profile: Greensboro College (GC) is a private liberal arts institution in its 178th year. 

Assessments by faculty, admissions officers, academic support staff, administrators and multiple 

committees have demonstrated that in the past generation, the demographic and academic readiness 

profiles of the College’s students have shifted in a statistically significant manner. These shifts require the 

College to be more responsive to the emergent learning outcomes and social needs of all students. 

Through a process of strategic planning that continues to involve every campus constituency, the College 

realigned its vision and mission and developed a strategic plan to address strengths and weaknesses in 

order to improve student outcomes, especially rates of undergraduate persistence, retention, and 

graduation. 

Student Demographics: The College serves approximately 1,000 students including traditional 

undergraduates, adult undergraduates, middle college, online undergraduates, and graduate students. 

Approximately 750 traditional undergraduate students are the object of the core mission of the College 

and experience the lowest persistence and graduation rates. Of the traditional undergraduates in spring 

semester 2017, 52% are male and 48% are female, 50% report being first generation college students, 

45% report belonging to a minority group, and 60% are eligible for need-based financial assistance from 

both the U.S. Pell grant program and the North Carolina need-based program. The College enrolls 

students from 25 states and 13 foreign countries, but the majority of students (59%) are from North 

Carolina. Our admissions data suggest that students and their families perceive Greensboro College to be 

a destination institution because they are assured that the College will provide a quality liberal arts 

education in a climate of acceptance of diversity, overall encouragement, and effective personalized 

academic support. Numerous research analyses over the past five years (U.S. Census Bureau, Pew 

Research, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and U.S. Social Security Administration) indicate that the most 

significant variable impacting lifetime earnings is the level of education attainment. The differential in 

lifetime earnings by a high school graduate is often cited as 50% of less compared to a person holding a 

bachelor degree. GC is committed to all of our students to benefit for a lifetime by earning their bachelor 

degree. For our low income, first generation, minority students, the goal will benefit not only the student, 

but also potentially their families. 

Project Overview: Based on recommendations from a Degree Completion Task Force (DCTF) in 2016-

17, Greensboro College is proposing to implement several activities to address high attrition rates in the 

first three semesters of a student’s enrollment. The proposal that follows outlines the work of the DCTF, 

their recommendations, and plans for addressing the weaknesses of the College identified in their report 

that will help increase credit accumulation, persistence, retention, satisfactory academic progress, and 

graduation rates.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180235 – Illinois Eastern Community Colleges – Olney Central College

Institutional Profile: Illinois Eastern Community College–Olney Central College (OCC) is one of four 

two-year, public community colleges comprising the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. OCC is 

located in Olney, Illinois (pop. 9,115), a town situated in rural southeastern Illinois within a few hours of 

St. Louis, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Louisville, Kentucky. OCC’s service area includes all or 

parts of twelve counties: Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Hamilton, Jasper, Lawrence, 

Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White counties. OCC service area residents are highly disadvantaged; 

most possess low levels of educational attainment –only 15.8% of adults have a Bachelor’s degree—and 

support themselves and their families with little income—33.7% of families with children are low income 

and the area’s per capita income is only $23,028. 

OCC’s mission to “deliver exceptional education and services to improve the lives of our students and to 

strengthen our communities,” is critical to the region’s residents. In Fall 2016, OCC served 1,427 

students, offering Associate in Arts, Science, and Applied Science Degrees and Certificates in 42 transfer 

and occupational programs. 

Student Demographics: Thirty-eight percent of OCC students are female (62% male). Most enroll parttime (58%). Four percent are minority. The average student is 27 years old. The majority of OCC students 

are first generation students (56%). Almost all (81%) are low income. 

To address recent declining enrollment and continued reductions in state funding due to the Illinois state 

budget crisis, OCC is looking to leverage opportunities for increasing enrollment potential while offering 

disadvantaged area residents academic programs that can connect them with well-paying, secure career 

prospects. A key opportunity lies in program development for our new West Richland Center (WRC)—a 

former high school building acquired to support institutional growth. At the same time, institutional

analysis has revealed gaps and weaknesses in OCC’s advising system that hinder the College from 

providing the support needed to assist OCC’s high-need student population. 

Project Overview: To address the institution’s identified problems and weaknesses, OCC proposes a 

project entitled Creating Pathways to Opportunity that is composed of two initiatives: 

 Initiative 1: Develop High-Demand, High-Quality Programming. Through this initiative, OCC 

will redesign its Information Systems Technology (IST) program, adding a state-of-the-art IST 

Lab at the WRC to ensure industry-standard instruction. OCC will expand upon its one-year 

Welding certificate to create a new two-year Associate of Applied Science Welding degree. To 

increase capacity and ensure industry-standard instruction, OCC will create a second Welding 

Lab at the WRC and update its existing Welding Lab on the main campus. OCC will also 

develop a new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) program, creating a UAS Lab at the WRC to 

support the program. 

 Initiative 2: Strengthening Advising Services. Through this initiative, OCC will redesign its 

academic, transfer, and career advising services and resources; revise its first-year experience 

course to infuse advising services; and redesign its early alert system. OCC student services staff 

and faculty will complete professional development on best practices to support the development 

and institutionalization of the new advising system. 

Funds Requested: $449,993
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180238 – Florida State College at Jacksonville, Florida

Student Demographics: In 2015-16, Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) served an 

unduplicated headcount of 50,334 students. The average age of students enrolled in Florida State College 

at Jacksonville is 27-years-old, and 57 percent of students are female and 43 percent are male. The FSCJ 

student body closely mirrors the diversity of Northeast Florida. Forty percent of enrollees are minority 

students: Twenty-six percent (26%) are African-American, nine percent (9%) are Hispanic and five 

percent (5%) are other minority. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of full-time, first-year undergraduate 

students receive student financial aid; 62% of this aid is in the form of Pell grants, the largest need-based 

grant program for low-income students (NCES IPEDS, 2014-2015). The majority of students pursue 

associate degrees or other career-training credentials. Research released by MDC Network in 2016 found 

that Jacksonville has one of the south’s lowest rates of economic mobility, making this Title III 

project a much-needed initiative to help young people in the city’s poorest households to move up the 

economic ladder as adults. 

Project Overview: FSCJ is an institution that embraces positive change and is committed to 

implementing high impact educational practices that support student success. As the community’s 

college, FSCJ’s vision for student outcomes over the next 5-10 years is to close achievement gaps and 

improve success rates, particularly for low-income and underrepresented populations. The College is in 

the process of implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning system that will improve data 

efficiency and transparency. An academic redesign initiated in Fall 2016 included the creation of 

discipline-based, Academic Schools (i.e. School of Science Technology Engineering Math). This 

approach allows natural alignment of academic and career advising. FSCJ also recently used data to 

inform the implementation of a college-wide redesign of student services. This large scale effort 

involved: analyzing student outcomes data (retention, graduation, transfer, job placement) and results 

from Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and Survey of Entering Student 

Engagement ( SENSE); researching and collecting best practices; and redesigning the student services 

staffing structure and identifying professional competencies outlined by National Association of Student 

Personnel Administrators (NASPA)/ American College Personnel Association (ACPA) to ensure staff are 

better trained, developed and evaluated. As a result, over the last two years, FSCJ has increased the 

proportion of student-facing advising staff in its Student Services Division. This Title III Strengthening 

Institutions proposal, known as Bringing Resources Into Developing Goal-driven Educational 

Success (B.R.I.D.G.E.S.), will continue to align strategic efforts at FSCJ between academic affairs and 

student services to maximize capacity to help low income and historically underrepresented students 

thrive and succeed. 

Project Goals: The goals of B.R.I.D.G.E.S. include: 1) Increasing the effectiveness of the student 

advising experience by implementing a comprehensive model integrating academics, wrap around support 

services, orientation, and supportive technologies; 2) Improving rates of student retention and completion 

through implementation of targeted support programs, faculty training, academic courses, guided 

curricular pathways and instructional models using high impact equity practices that help to close the 

achievement gap; and 3) Intensifying institutional data tracking and strategic enrollment management 

efforts, which support equity, retention and completion outcomes of low-income and historically 

underrepresented students. 

Project Activities/Strategies: Capacity-building activities include a Smart Start One Stop center; 

systems to seamlessly link students to financial resources; engaging faculty in advising and orientation; 

Faculty Resource Centers; FSCJ Promise; supplemental instruction; academic pathways; capstone 

experiences; integrative learning portfolios; discipline-focused student life skills courses; implementation 

of course scheduling software and data strengthening efforts like predictive analytics. Project 

implementation will be guided by a dedicated B.R.I.D.G.E.S. to Educational Success Team made up of 

key faculty members, staff and administrators.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180254 – York College, Nebraska

Activity Title: IMPACT YC: Innovative Methods and Pathways Across the Curriculum for

Transformation at York College

Institutional Overview: Founded in 1890, York College (YC) is a small, residential, independent 

Christian college located in York, Nebraska near the geographic center of the United States. YC offers 

twenty-five majors across eleven academic departments and two master's degree programs, as well as 

online opportunities for degree-seeking students.

Student Characteristics: The YC student body is comprised of students from nineteen states.

Extremely diverse, 33% of the College's students can be classified as minority, a rate more than eight 

times that of the local population. 75% have at least one parent who did not pursue a college education. 

54% receive Pell grant assistance, and 97.42% are dependent on at least one form of financial aid.

Project Overview: York College, York, Nebraska, in the heart of the Great Plains, proposes a single Title 

III Activity: IMPACT YC: A Framework for Integrated Academic Support. The Activity addresses the 

College's goals to improve coordination of academic student and faculty supports to promote retention; 

improve the academic culture to promote persistence; and improve information resources to bolster 

graduation rates so that students can achieve their personal and career-related goals. 

The Activity is the result of a synergistic project designed by multiple stakeholders after careful analysis 

of the College's strengths and weaknesses, and consists of two Key Components:

• A Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) will support students through academic services 

employing Supplemental Instruction for courses with high fail rates; Academic Success Coaching for 

conditionally-admitted and first-generation students; a Writing Center; high-touch redesigned 

developmental courses for conditionally-admitted students; and newly-developed pathways for faculty 

tutoring referrals. For faculty, TLC will facilitate pedagogical improvements through professional 

development to support improved communication with at-risk student populations, and IMPACT Class, a 

faculty stipend program that will infuse YC's curriculum with 40 exciting and engaging course 

assignments to improve the academic culture and student learning.

• The Information Commons (TIC) will improve availability of high quality print and digital academic 

resources, ease of access to resources, and support for information and classroom technology resources 

through just-in-time IT assistance for both students and faculty.

The College's Levitt Library will be transformed to become the Levitt Academic Resource

Center (The LARC) so that these critical programs can come together under one roof to promote efficient 

and synergistic use of the services provided therein.

Funds Request: $2,250,000
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180255 – Wor-Wic Community College, Maryland

Project Title: Wor-Wic Community College Student Success and Institutional Effectiveness Initiative

Institutional Profile: Wor-Wic Community College, located on Maryland’s largely rural Lower Eastern 

Shore, serves more than 10,000 students annually in its credit and non-credit programs. About 4,300 of 

the college’s students are enrolled in credit courses. The college’s credit student body faces a variety of 

challenges, and consists of about 78 percent of students who are academically underprepared for collegelevel courses, 34 percent first-generation college students, 47 percent financial need-based Pell grant 

recipients, and 58 percent who are employed more than 20 hours per week, thus juggling work, academics 

and other responsibilities. 

Problem: Retention and graduation rates, particularly for Wor-Wic’s developmental education, low 

income and minority students, are lower than those of comparison institutions. The college’s credit 

enrollment (FTE) has declined by 28 percent over the past five years. However, insufficient government 

funding severely restricts the development and implementation of new initiatives to address student 

success and enrollment challenges. Wor-Wic’s proposed Student Success and Institutional Effectiveness 

Initiative seeks to improve institutional outcomes and increase enrollment through the restructuring of its 

advising process, the integration of technology into instruction and student support services, and the 

development and improvement of online programs and support services. 

Project Goals: Title III goals and outcomes are as follows: 

 Goal 1: Facilitate student retention and goal completion through the use of a holistic 

advising model that takes into account educational history, career goals and potential 

barriers, and the infusion of technology across programs and service departments to 

provide quality instruction and enable tracking and analysis of student outcomes. 

By September 2022, the college will: 

• increase the fall-to-fall retention rate for developmental education students to 55% 

• increase the fall-to-fall retention rate for Pell grant recipients to 50% 

• increase the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall-to-fall retention rate 

for part-time students to 49% 

• increase the IPEDS Federal fall-to-fall retention rate to 60% for full-time students 

• increase the percent of students requiring developmental coursework who complete their 

developmental courses within four years to 45% 

• increase the graduation-transfer rate after four years to 51% 

• increase the IPEDS Federal graduation rate to 19% 

• increase the graduation-transfer rate after four years for non-white students to 40% 

 Goal 2: Wor-Wic Community College will increase enrollment and retention in high quality 

distance education courses. 

By September 2022, the college will: 

• increase enrollment in online credit courses to 3,200 

• increase credit student unduplicated headcount to 5,016 

Project Outcomes: A restructured advising model, more accessible student support services, technologyenriched courses, and expanded online course offerings will result in more engaging instruction and 

improved efficiencies in institutional management. The resulting growth in retention and enrollment will 

lead to greater fiscal stability, ensuring the sustainability of program initiatives.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180256 – Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma

Institutional Profile: Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) is a public, four-year 

university located in Weatherford, Oklahoma. 

Project Overview: SWOSU serves large numbers of students from underfunded Oklahoma public 

schools that are underprepared for postsecondary success. To assist these students to persevere with their 

college education, SWOSU is requesting funding for Increasing Student Success. SWOSU proposes to 

improve retention through individualized academic coaching, the implementation of freshman seminars, 

comprehensive retention software and Student Information System (SIS) improvements and other 

strategies designed to engage students with each other and with the college. The Title III project will 

establish a new position, the Advisement Specialist, to establish new advising and retention strategies that 

will be strengthened by the use of new software modules that alert advisors and faculty to student needs in 

a timely manner. SWOSU further proposes to purchase and install a wide range of software aimed at 

helping students plan for success, access academic assistance, and communicate with coaches and 

advisors. Software purchases will also update and complete the SIS allowing administrators and faculty to 

monitor student success, intervene in a timely manner and make data-driven decisions about retention 

efforts. 

Funds requested: $2,178,948 
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180258 – Piedmont Community College, North Carolina

Institutional/Student Profile: Piedmont Community College (PCC) is a public two-year college serving 

two counties in northcentral North Carolina. Classes are offered on the Person County campus in 

Roxboro and the Caswell County in Yanceyville, as well as through distance education courses. Programs 

in academics, nursing, human services, and career and technical fields serve over 1,764 students, of which 

over 55% are enrolled full-time. Females comprise 33% of the student population, and 38.5% percent is 

African-American. 

Project Title: Use of Three-Pronged Approach to Improve the Success and Retention rates of At-Risk 

Students 

Problems: PCC has experienced an unacceptably high percentage of entering students succeeding at rates 

below ACT-COMPASS benchmark for college readiness; a high percentage entering students placed into 

developmental English and Math courses; unacceptably low fall-to-fall retention and three-year 

graduation rates; no centralized advising system and not enough counselors to advise students; and 

underprepared faculty who can develop effective pedagogical strategies to improve student retention and 

success. 

Project Activities/Strategies: Strategy one: Establish a Transitional Center to achieve increased student 

success in developmental English and Math courses; Strategy two: Increase student retention and success 

through a comprehensive First-Year Experience Program; Strategy three: Strengthening the teaching of 

writing in first-year general education courses by training faculty using proven academic strategies to 

improve the assigning, assessing, and tracking of student growth in writing; and Strategy four: Establish a 

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning that is designed to support the exploration and 

implementation of evidence-based instructional practices in various courses that promote deep learning, 

self-efficacy, rapport with instructor, sense of community, degree commitment and academic satisfaction. 

Project Goals: (1) Enhance student success and engagement through increased excellence in educational 

programs and comprehensive academic support services; and (2) Provide proven academic strategies and 

on-going professional development opportunities responsive to the needs of the faculty. 

Project Outcomes: (1) increase the success, retention, persistence, and completion rates of at-risk and 

highly at-risk students by 20% and 50%, respectively; (2) Increase by 20% the passing rate of students in 

developmental courses form 41.6% to 49.6%; (3) Improve the academic advising process for at-risk 

students; (4) increase professional development opportunities for faculty and staff; (5) Increase the 

number of students transitioning from non-credit to credit bearing courses and programs in curriculum; 

and (6) Improve data tracking and outcome analysis related to retention, persistence, and academic 

success in order to make timely managerial decisions based on concrete and easily accessible data. 

Funds Requested: $2,127,398
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180259 – Quincy University, Illinois

Institutional Profile: Quincy University (QU) is a Catholic, Franciscan and liberal arts University 

in Quincy, Illinois. Quincy University serves 1,161 undergraduate students, of whom approximately 

45% percent are low-income. The university employs 52 full-time and 94 part-time faculty. Over 70 

percent of full-time faculty holds a Ph.D. or other terminal degree. 

Key problems/Weaknesses: As a private institution, Quincy University is largely dependent on 

tuition revenue to sustain its operations and develop new programs and services to address the needs 

of our students. Unfortunately, from 2012 to 2016, our total undergraduate enrollment has flat lined 

and even decreased by 3% -- limiting our ability to respond to the critical needs made apparent 

through our institutional analysis process including: 1) STEM programs are underdeveloped, 2) 

inability to respond to demand for undergraduate research for STEM students, and 3) math sequence 

is not addressing needs of underprepared students. 

Project Overview: QU proposes a Title III activity entitled Expanding Student Access to STEM 

through which the University will develop and expand academic offerings in high demand, high 

paying STEM fields and increase student access to those fields through a new accelerated math 

pathway for academically underprepared students. To connect our student population with growing 

local opportunities in STEM and Business industries and tap into the potential of an emerging STEM 

student base, QU recognizes the urgent need to invest in our STEM programs. 

QU proposes to create access and remove barriers for low-income students to high demand, high 

paying jobs through the creation of new STEM degree programs. In the process, we will strengthen 

the institution through additional enrollment revenues. QU will respond to industry and workforce 

demands by 1) developing new technology rich degree programs in Cybersecurity and Business 

Analytics supported by new industry specific technology, 2) enhancing the hands on learning 

environment and providing more robust coursework for Computer Science students, 3) offering 

Undergraduate Research opportunities for pre-medical science students to strengthen the pipeline for 

employment of medical professionals in a medically underserved area (rural IL and MO) and 

increase student persistence and success in STEM, and 4) improving success of academically 

underprepared students, allowing them to pursue majors that lead to high demand jobs in STEM 

fields, by redesigning the remedial math education program, incorporating active learning strategies 

into the classroom, and offering one-on-one math coaching. 

Project Outcomes: The proposed Title III project will help QU meet the following objectives: 1) 

Increase institutional enrollment by 10% up from baseline 1,161 UG students (FA2016) to 1,278 

(FA2020) (increase of 117 students), 2) Increase institutional four-year graduation rate from baseline 

35% to 42%, 3) Increase number of STEM degree programs available by 2 over baseline 5, and 

expand computer science program by 5 courses, 4) Increase the success of academically 

underprepared math students in college algebra by at least 20 percentage points over baseline of 

43%, 5) Increase number of biology and chemistry faculty participating in undergraduate research 

from zero to five, and 6) Increase institutional endowment by at least $500,000 over baseline of 

$15.6 Million (Feb, 2017). 

Funds Requested: $2,248,478
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180261 – Massachusetts Bay Community College, Massachusetts

Project Title: Re-Imagining the Path to Student Success: Advancing the Whole Student at the 

Community College 

Institutional Profile: Massachusetts Bay Community College (MassBay), a comprehensive, open access 

community college, offering associate degree and certificate programs, aims to be a model for studentcentered institutions. The College’s student body is increasingly diverse in regards to gender, race, 

ethnicity, income, and sexual orientation, and many students have had life experiences that can adversely 

impact learning (military service, physical or emotional trauma, homelessness). 

Project Goal: The goal of the proposed “Re-imagine” project is to holistically address student needs 

from enrollment to successful college completion by transforming instructional practices in the 

classroom, systems of advising and student services, and even our physical spaces.

Project Overview: With Title III Strengthening Institutions Program support, our College will provide 

extensive professional development seminars, workshops, and coaching to faculty, staff, and 

administrators in order to empower them with the knowledge, disposition, and skills to effectively and 

compassionately support the “whole” student. Upon entrance to our college, students will be organized 

into new “First Year Seminar” courses and simplified “MassBay Academies” pathways, in which they 

will receive continuous guidance. Recognizing that more than 50% of incoming students test into 

remedial courses that hinder their progress, we will redesign our developmental course delivery to 

accelerate students to college level coursework.

Project Objectives: In order to ensure that the project team meets or exceeds our goals, comprehensive 

formative and summative evaluations will be conducted throughout the life of the project by an internal 

Evaluation Team and an external evaluator. The project’s success will be measured by achieving the 

following objectives: 1) Improving retention rates from 59% to 67%; 2) Increasing the percentage of 

developmental students who advance to college levels within two semesters by 10%; and 3) Increasing 

three-year graduation and transfer rates from 41% to 50%. The college will fully institutionalize 

successful Re-imagine initiatives at the end of the grant, improving our ability to provide students with 

academic, social, and emotional supports they deserve.

Project Activities/Strategies: Our interventions will also include emergent inquiry, training, and practice 

in trauma and resiliency. Based on the work of researchers behind the ACE’s study, Trauma and Learning 

Policy Institute, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Safe and Supportive Schools initiative, a 

Center for Trauma and Learning in Post-Secondary Education will be established to build evidence, 

awareness, and best practices for working with unique community college learners. Its 21st century brainbased methodologies will help to improve teaching and institutional policies and processes at MassBay 

and develop an intentionality of student centeredness across our campuses.

Project Outcomes: Outcomes that will result for students through the activities of the project are:

 Improved college readiness and academic performance;

 Increased retention, graduation, and transfer to baccalaureate programs; and

 Increased satisfaction in their overall experience at MassBay.
FY2018 Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) 84.031A Abstracts

P031A180275 – University of North Georgia, Georgia

Institutional Profile: University of North Georgia (UNG) is a 4-year public institution founded in 

1873. UNG enrolls 18,219 students annually in 57 curriculum areas. Students are 57% female, 79% are 

below age 25, and 24% are of minority heritage. The faculty is composed of 697 full-time and 310 parttime members, with a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:21. Despite robust academic programs, a caring faculty, 

and a strong commitment to the academic excellence, student achievement is compromised by significant 

attrition and low graduation rates. 

Proposed Project: Success Oriented Academic Reform (SOAR) To increase student retention and 

graduation, UNG will design, pilot and implement a transformative Activity entitled SOAR that will 

significantly increase student achievement. By helping students “soar” to completion, the project will 

develop student self-efficacy for improved retention, progression and completion. This vision will be 

achieved by completely transforming integrated support and advanced advising services. These initiatives 

will consist of a re-designed orientation and mentoring services, new academic advising maps, new 

advising protocols, a re-engineered first year experience program, and a new early alert and interventions 

initiative. 

Project Outcomes: As a result of the Activity, by September 30, 2022: 1) Student engagement will 

increase from 74% to 84% on NSSE composite data; 2) First-to-second year retention will increase from 

71% to 83%; 3) Changes in major fields of study will decrease from 55% to 45%; 4) Second-to-third year 

retention will increase from 51% to 66%; and 5) the 4-year graduation rate will increase from 18% to 

23%.

Funds Requested: $2,125,251 over 5 years.