HEPC focuses on improving retention with grant competition and statewide forum 

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) recently hosted a grant competition and statewide forum to increase institutional and statewide focus on the importance of college student retention.

The HEPC has awarded two West Virginia higher education institutions a total of $30,000 to expand campus-wide efforts that will enhance retention and graduation rates of their students. Dr. Brian Noland, HEPC chancellor, announced that Bluefield State College and Concord University will each receive $15,000 through the commission's grant awards. The winning grant applications, which are detailed below, were chosen from proposals submitted by the majority of the 11 public state colleges and universities in West Virginia.

"The retention grant competition and statewide forum provided our colleges and universities with the resources and knowledge to better prepare and connect with their students by utilizing innovative and interactive retention models to enhance the overall student experience," said Noland.

The grants were awarded to the following colleges and universities to implement sustainable programs to retain students:

The grant funding will support Bluefield State College in assisting students experiencing academic difficulty by placing them in a course aimed at developing strategies to overcome identified weaknesses. A mentor program will also be established. Mentors will serve as motivators to incoming freshmen by focusing on the social and academic responsibilities in their new role as college students. To ensure the sustainability of this retention effort and others, Bluefield State's proposal includes increased collaboration among faculty, staff and students.

The grant funding will support Concord University in establishing an Academic Success Center that will help to refine its students' first-year experience. Moreover, the center will work with students to identify potential barriers to effective learning. To address these barriers, the center will develop a comprehensive program that includes both face-to-face and online tutoring.

In addition to the grant competition, the commission recently held a statewide forum in Charleston focused on student retention. This forum featured presentations by Freeman Hrabowski, president at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Teresa Farnum, president of Teresa Farnum and Associates. These initiatives are part of a broad focus by the commission to improve student success and opportunities for all West Virginians to receive a college degree.

For more information, visit the HEPC website at www.wvhepc.org and click on "Charting the Future "“ A Master Plan."

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