Funding to Support Student Success, Goal Completion at CSM
The College of Southern Maryland has been awarded $450,000 through the U.S. Department of Education's highly competitive Title III Part A Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant. The project length is five years, and the college is expected to receive additional funds for the following four fiscal years. The college will use the funds to enhance success and goal completion of its students taking traditional and online courses. A major portion of the funding will go toward supporting CSM's Student Success and Goal Completion (SSGC) Strategic Plan.
“The grant will provide CSM with the resources we need to help every student complete their goals and realize success,” said CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried. The award will be targeted toward helping first-year students become acclimated to the college experience, with such services as tutoring and peer mentoring. A robust freshman seminar will also be developed. Additionally, funding will help expand the academic and student services support for online students.
CSM is one of 39 colleges and universities nationally that has been awarded funding, and is one of only two institutions within Maryland to be funded. Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Joan Middleton, who has led a number of retention and goal completion activities at the college, will be serving as the college's project director for the grant.
In developing its SSGC plan, CSM focused on the freshman year of college. “Research has again and again shown that this is a critical time in the lives of students,” Gottfried said. “Students entering college, especially those with weak preparation or without the benefit of significant family experience with college, face a series of high-risk moments at which they are most likely to drop out or give up. These moments are concentrated early in the college experience, some even before they reach their first class, where thoughtful intervention can make the difference between success and failure.”
“The College of Southern Maryland is deeply appreciative of the Department of Education for this award,” said Gottfried. “I want to recognize and congratulate the college's team of representatives from Academic Affairs and from Student and Instructional Support Services who have worked to develop and refine this request for funding through the Department of Education's Title III Grant.”
For information about CSM, visit www.csmd.edu. For information about SIP, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iduestitle3a/index.html.