Montclair State University will redesign and strengthen its network of support services to give students a more efficient path to a degree, thanks to a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education.<\/p>\n
The five-year, $2,227,640 award will be used to fund the University-wide initiative \u201cAdvising 2025: Creating a Coordinated Care Network for Student Success.\u201d The funding is provided through the Department of Education\u2019s Title III Part A Programs \u2013 Strengthening Institutions, which helps eligible institutions expand their ability to serve low-income students by providing funds to strengthen academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability.<\/p>\n
Advising 2025\u2019s three activity areas \u2013 creating student success centers, strengthening Montclair State\u2019s new student seminar and providing professional development \u2013 will allow the University to develop a coordinated care network that enhances communication among faculty, academic advisors, career counselors, mentoring and tutors to transform its student support system. The overarching goal will be increasing the number of students who persist to complete a bachelor\u2019s degree at Montclair State University.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe success of our students is the unifying mission of Montclair State University,\u201d says Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Willard Gingerich. \u201cThis grant will allow Montclair State to further motivate student intellectual development and catch at-risk students before they fail, enabling us fully to live up to the hallmark \u2018small college\u2019 feel that has made this large University the institution of choice for generations of New Jersey families.\u201d<\/p>\n
The funding will allow the University to make a sweeping impact. Student Success Centers will be created and housed in each of Montclair State University\u2019s undergraduate colleges and schools, enhancing the institution\u2019s advising model and providing highly personalized and proactive attention to students across the University.<\/p>\n
Montclair State\u2019s new student seminar will also be revamped and will include new peer mentoring and financial literacy programming designed to both ease the transition to college and deliver critical financial skills for the rest of a student\u2019s life. These initiatives will be supported by comprehensive professional development programming for faculty and staff, new staff positions and technological upgrades that provide the necessary tools to facilitate the plan.<\/p>\n
Montclair State has already invested in the redesigned coordinated care network through the launch of Navigate, an online student success platform designed to help faculty and support areas engage with students more efficiently, for the fall 2019 semester. The platform\u2019s predictive analytics will strengthen the University\u2019s ability to provide targeted interventions for students and more effectively focus resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis funding will allow the University to continue to advance the student success agenda outlined in its new strategic plan,\u201d says Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of University College David S. Hood. \u201cThrough this grant award, we will build upon recent academic innovations at Montclair State University, such as the creation of University College<\/a>. This funding is becoming increasingly critical to institutions as they work to ensure more students obtain degrees in the most efficient, timely manner possible, so we are fortunate to have received this award so we can help heed the State of New Jersey\u2019s calls to action outlined in its strategic plan for higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n