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Adrian College Educational Success Project

Adrian College (MI)

The Adrian College Educational Success program provides first-generation students with faculty mentors who were themselves first-generation college students. The program also offers workshops on such topics as time management, managing impulsivity, and understanding financial aid. The first-to-second-year retention rate for the first group of ACES students was 85 percent, which is significantly higher than the 2008-2009 overall first-to-second-year retention rate of 74 percent. Support comes from the CIC/Walmart College Success Awards program.

GEMS -- Generating Excellence in Math and Science

Agnes Scott College (GA)

The GEMS Summer Scholars Program at Agnes Scott College encourages women to pursue math or science degrees. The competitive program is open to up to 14 incoming first-year women. GEMS includes a first-year seminar and creative problem-solving mathematics course in the summer before the freshman year. The summer program also incorporates leadership activities led by upper-class GEMS Resident Assistants on academic skills.

First Year Insight Program

Albertus Magnus College (CT)

Through the First Year Insight Program, first-year students at Albertus Magnus College take a seminar designed to promote academic success. All students also enroll in two writing-intensive humanities seminars that stress collaborative learning and develop the core knowledge and skills needed to excel academically.

Accelerated Degree Programs for Working Adults

Albright College (PA)

The Degree Start and Degree Completion programs at Albright College are accelerated degree programs for working adults and provide a convenient route to earning or completing a degree. Degree Start allows students to earn the general studies portion of their bachelor's degree in as little as two years, while working full time. After two years, students can transfer to Albright's Accelerated Degree Completion Program (DCP) or a traditional Albright daytime degree program.

Community College Partnerships

Albright College (PA)

Albright College has partnerships, transfer agreements, and scholarship provisions with numerous community colleges to ensure that associate degrees transfer fully. The college has hosted a Community College Partner Conference, bringing faculty, administrators, and executives from nine community colleges to campus to further enhance transfer partnerships.

Promoting Student Success, Access, and Completion

Albright College (PA)

Albright College support for low-income, minority, and first-generation students ranges from recruitment of minority high school students to programs which prepare students for the leap into college academic and social life. Other programs include a four-day orientation program for first-year students, freshman seminar and first-year and second-year programs in the residence halls to address typical student challenges.

Retention Task Force and Student Alert System

Albright College (PA)

The Retention Task Force initiatives at Albright College include comprehensive orientation programs, a first-year student seminar, and "House Call," in which faculty and staff visit students in their residence halls two weeks after classes start to identify student concerns - all focused on helping students prepare for college academic and social life.

First-Generation Connections

Alma College (MI)

Alma College's Success Awards program plans to launch the First-Generation Connections program, which builds on previous efforts to provide first-generation students with academic and social support. The program will include a mentoring program that matches first-generation students with faculty members and peers for frequent informal interactions. Participating students will serve as peer mentors for the next group of incoming first-generation students. Alma College will also assist participating students with career development and choosing majors.

Freshman Foundations

Alvernia University (PA)

The Freshman Foundations program at Alvernia University offers admission to first-time, full-time freshmen who do not meet general test and grade requirements but demonstrate promise for academic success. Participation begins in the summer and continues throughout the year with individual student/advisor weekly meetings. Students who earn below a 2.0 GPA during the first semester must complete a Freshman Foundations Probation Seminar in the second semester. An adviser monitors student progress in individual meetings and supports academic recovery.

Instructional Services

Alverno College (WI)

Instructional Services at Alverno College provides academic resources to help students achieve their educational goals. Classes in mathematics, algebra, reading/writing, English as a second language, and computer skills provide a foundation for success in the curriculum. Support services and accommodations for students with disabilities are also available.

Retention of First-time Students

Alverno College (WI)

Toward a goal of increasing its overall retention rate, Alverno College seeks to increase retention of first-time, full-time students. The initiative includes a more defined early alert system, a one-credit time management class, and directed conversations with at-risk populations. The new initiative is set to launch in fall 2010.

Increased Financial Aid for Pell Grant-eligible Students

American University (DC)

American University has committed substantial new resources to meet the full demonstrated need of all students who are eligible for Pell grants, making AU more affordable for low-income families. In 2009, the university committed $3 million in new funds and, as a result, saw a 43 percent increase in Pell-eligible freshmen accepting admission offers. The university continued this strategy in 2010 and saw an additional increase of six percent over 2009.

Strategies for College Success

Asbury College (KY)

The Strategies for College Success program at Asbury College provides academic strategies and assistance for incoming students with low grades and standardized test scores. Assistance is provided throughout a student's college career. The school offers tutoring, help with writing, a study skills workshop, cultural programs, and assistance for students with learning disabilities. Academic and personal counseling are also offered.

College Readiness/Retention Programs

Associated Colleges of Illinois (IL)

The Associated Colleges of Illinois, an association of 23 small, private campuses, operates the College Readiness Program, which helps underserved students complete high school and map the road to college. The association also offers the College Success Network, providing underserved students with the academic and financial support they need to succeed in college.

Persistence Program for Students with Disabilities

Austin College (TX)

Austin College offers an initiative to help students with medical, learning, and psychological disabilities persist in their pursuit of an education. Students are self-identified prior to matriculation and contacted during the summer by an appropriate professional staff member. A plan is developed to ensure continuity of care and greater success during the student's first semester on campus.

Freshman Success Seminar

Averett University (VA)

The Freshman Success Seminar at Averett University assists freshman and transfer students who have earned less than 18 hours of college credit. Two classes are mandatory in the first year: a discussion class with faculty and an upperclass student, and a class to improve reading skills. The program allows the associate dean of student success to help students in need to develop a personal academic plan.

Access, Retention, and Success Programs

Avila University (MO)

Avila University helps students succeed academically and stay on track to graduation through first-year seminars; trained study skills tutors; undergraduate research opportunities; and interdisciplinary studies courses for juniors and seniors that blend two disciplines, often include a study abroad component and a service component. In addition, Avila, in partnership with the local Rotary, offers a full scholarship to two incoming first-generation, low-income students who plan to pursue nursing careers.

Student Success

Azusa Pacific University (CA)

The Student Success program at Azusa Pacific University offers counseling, mentoring, workshops, remedial programs, tutoring, and cultural programs. While targeted toward at-risk students, all students can participate. The university uses a predictive model to determine those students most at risk of leaving the institution, and then targets resources to assist those students with academic, emotional, or social needs to help ensure that they persist and succeed at the institution.