$3M grant going to Columbus State to improve graduation rate

Columbus State University has been awarded a federal grant worth $3 million over five years to help improve retention, progression and graduation rates.

The $600,000 per year will come from the Strengthening Institutions Program at the United States Department of Education, CSU announced Monday.

“For years, I have been studying why some students do not graduate,” Lisa Shaw, director of CSU’s Academic Center for Excellence and co-author of the grant proposal, said in the university’s news release. “I identified which students are most at risk for not completing college. This grant allows us to focus on those students and provide support all the way through to graduation.”

CSU explained in the news release, “The grant focuses on increasing college success among transfer students, students who could benefit from learning support and students in danger of probation, exclusion or running out of financial aid. It will also bring the added benefit of providing work opportunities for student mentors who will be hired to help guide their peers through the challenges of college. The program builds upon existing CSU resources, such as counseling, tutoring, the Center for Career Development and the Academic Center for Excellence.”

Shaw added, “We will meet with students in danger of probation to determine why they are struggling. Then we will come up with a personalized plan they can use to improve their academic success and the best use of campus resources, such as counseling, tutoring or guidance on financial aid.”

One of Shaw’s colleagues, Christopher Holloway, provides such services to nearly 100 probation and exclusion students each year in CSU’s College of Letters and Sciences, according to the news release. The grant will allow the Academic Center for Excellence to serve the entire university and to hire two additional advisers, the news release says.

The grant also will support a new service, the Learning Support Success Center, which will be open every day and directed by Melody Shumaker, the grant proposal’s other co-author. The program is expected to serve an estimated 1,000 students over five years, according to the news release.

“It is all about helping students achieve their aspirations,” Shumaker said in the news release. “Our focus is on the individuals.”

This story was originally published October 16, 2017 at 4:24 PM with the headline "$3M grant going to Columbus State to improve graduation rate."