Stacey Randall, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Title V Project Director
Waubonsee Community College was recently awarded a five-year grant totaling $2.6 million from the Department of Education to improve student success through enhanced services and offerings. The Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program, also known as Title V, provides grants for institutions to increase retention and completion of Hispanic and high-need students through improved educational offerings, services and initiatives. In order to qualify for the program, at least 25 percent of the student population served by an institution must be Hispanic.
For the second consecutive cycle, Waubonsee is the recipient of a Title V grant from the Department of Education. The grant is for five years, at $525,000 per year, totaling $2.6 million. Waubonsee’s goals for the grant are to increase first and second year retention and completion; improve success rates in online courses through course redesign, increased faculty professional development opportunities, and improved online readiness for students; and to decrease time to degree completion by highlighting options such as dual enrollment, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Advanced Placement(AP) testing, and prior learning assessment.
Waubonsee has partnered with the higher education technology company Civitas, which specializes in predictive analytics modeling. That partnership will allow Waubonsee to use data to better identify trends, themes and patterns in order to mitigate student attrition. The grant will also support the college’s plans to hire four Student Success Coaches who will handle students’ academic, financial and social needs in order to help them persist toward graduation.
“Waubonsee had great success with our first Title V grant, and we’re excited about implementing these new programs that will help our at-risk students succeed,” said Dr. Stacey Randall, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Title V Project Director. “These funds will allow us to implement proven strategies that support students and encourage them to complete their certificate or degree.”
