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Guiding Questions

Project Compass: Four Approaches to Retaining Underserved Students Presenter: Glenn Gabbard Director, Project Compass New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) University of Massachusetts Boston. Guiding Questions. What is Project Compass? Who is involved?

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Guiding Questions

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  1. Project Compass:Four Approaches to Retaining Underserved Students Presenter: Glenn Gabbard Director, Project CompassNew England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE)University of Massachusetts Boston

  2. Guiding Questions • What is Project Compass? • Who is involved? • What’s the problem that the initiative responds to? • What are the core assumptions? • How does the project work? • Where is the action on campus? • What are the outcomes across the campuses --- so far? • Future considerations/anticipations?

  3. Project Compass. What is it? • Multi-year, multi-institutional regional initiative increase underserved student success in public four-year institutions of higher education. • Designed to focus on: • Public four-year colleges and universities in New England • Institutions serving increasing numbers of students of color, students who are first in family to attend college, students from low-income backgrounds.

  4. Project Compass: Who is Involved? Funder: The Nellie Mae Education Foundation Intermediary: The New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) Funded Institutions: • Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater MA • Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic CT • Lyndon State College, Lyndonville VT • University of Maine Presque Isle, Presque Isle ME

  5. What’s the problem? Persistent achievement gaps for low-income students, students of color, students who are first generation college goers Externally funded models seldom promote large-scale change. Large scale change relies on collaboration. Institutions are strapped for resources necessary for large scale change

  6. What are the core assumptions? • Underserved students are assets to institutional change. • Culture of evidence and inquiry is important. • Ongoing collaboration across—and outside—the campus. • Scaling up from “islands of excellence.” • Field-based research is important. • Learning from peer institutions is critical.

  7. How does the project work? • Resources: • Five years of funding – planning year plus four implementation years • Structures and strategies: • Community of practice • Logic model • Learning community meetings (2 per year) • Technical assistance from consultant or “coach” from NERCHE • Self-assessment reports (2-3 per year) • External evaluation process

  8. Where is the action on campus? • Deepening Knowledge of Target Populations – Student Involvement • Fiscal Context for Student Success • Faculty Work • Program Opportunities: Learning Communities, Specialized Centers • Strategic Use of Data • New Models for Advising • Moving Beyond the Campus: Civic Engagement • Developmental Curriculum

  9. Bridgewater State University… • Focusing on increasing success of students of color, low-income students, first generation college students through… • Modified support to high risk gateway/gatekeeper courses • Documenting co-curricular engagement through Portfolios of Excellence • Enhancing advising capacity • Refining and expanding data collection • Faculty development, including supports for culturally responsive pedagogy

  10. Eastern Connecticut State University… • Focusing on increasing success of students of color, low-income students, first generation college students through… • Establishing locally generated data systems for predictive models • Creating Student Success center focusing on advising • Building specialized academic support centers in Math and Writing • Faculty support for advising and curricular change

  11. University of Maine at Presque Isle… • Focusing on increasing success of students of color, low-income students, first generation college students through… • Creating Native American Student Success center with wrap-around supports • Strengthening engaged partnerships with Native American communities • Refocusing the curriculum through learning communities • Supporting faculty commitment to diversity through mini-grants

  12. Lyndon State College… • Focusing on increasing success of low-income/first generation college students through… • Creating Center for Rural Students focusing on community engaged research to practice • Building P-16 partnerships for regional economic development • Refocusing the curriculum through first year learning communities • Enhancing advising through Advising Resource Center • Supporting cultural change through intensive faculty development initiatives

  13. What are the outcomes across the campuses – so far? • New processes and forms of leadership and working across boundaries • Strengthening and expanding concepts of data • New forms of student support • Faculty development • Institutional citizenship

  14. Future Considerations/Anticipations • How to build and sustain cross-campus ownership of retention of all students? • How to forge Birth through Adult systems and structures so that reciprocal change can occur across systems of learning? • System-level changes in policy that remove barriers for institutions to support underserved students.

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