May 5, 2011

Student Success Collaborative to benefit MSIs

The Walmart Foundation awarded a $3 million grant for the Walmart AIHEC HACU NAFEO Student Success Collaborative to three partnering organizations to increase college success rates at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs); the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities was among the organizations.

Bottom Row (L-R): Lisa Silverstein, Sylvia Hurtado, Nadine Bill, Rosalind V. Alderman 2nd Row (L-R):  Titi Ufomata, Deborah LeClaire, Liz Bahe, Kandy Mink-Salas 3rd Row (L-R):  Deborah HisHorseIsThunder, Emily Calderon Galdeano, Joan LaFrance, Boyce Williams Top Row (L-R): Sue Stamper, René A. González, Carlos Rodriguez

The Collaborative, as a pilot project, will do the following: identify successful intervention strategies for supporting student success; disseminate and support implementation of these strategies; build a community of practice among participating MSIs around student success; and assist participating institutions to increase the number of students completing their academic programs.  These activities will strengthen the MSI contribution to the 2020 national goal of 60 percent of Americans with a college degree. 

The following eight mentor institutions with effective graduation and retention strategies and practices were selected: Institute for American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM; Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN; Wylie College, Wylie, TX; Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY; J.F. Drake Technical College, Huntsville, AL; California State University-Fullerton, Fullerton, CA; St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX; and Community College of Denver, Denver, CO. 

MSIs as protégé or mentee institutions will be matched with mentor institutions. The results will be shared at a national conference to disseminate lessons learned and best practices.  A final report will be released.

Click here for additional information.