MANSFIELD—This week, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $2,091,507 in Title III grant dollars to North Central State College for Strengthening Institutions Program North Central State College: FAST (Flexible Access Through Scheduling & Technology).
Flexible Access Through Scheduling & Technology seeks to significantly increase student access and success by a systemic adoption and implementation of advance instructional design, increased online and hybrid instruction, and 8-week terms with related support systems.
The five-year project seeks to build college capacity in student access and success through consistent instructional and technological practices, flexible delivery, and ongoing faculty and staff professional development to ensure that access and success occur for all students, online and face-to-face, including those traditionally underrepresented and first-generation students from diverse populations. The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) has been selected to provide ongoing professional training for faculty and staff in the areas of Effective Online Teaching Practices and Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning. These Title III funds will allow the College to hire additional support personnel for student and staff technological needs and course success counseling to students. The funds will also provide updated technology in order to strengthen needed advising support to help students achieve academic success.
Culturally informed and equity-based mentoring and coaching services to promote academic success and retention of underserved student populations will be addressed by an equity and access coordinator. The College will also receive a $150,000 endowment for scholarships which will be matched by the NCSC Foundation.
Dr. Dorey Diab, President of North Central State College stated, “A major objective of this grant is a continuous and strategic emphasis at the college to expand and support student learning, enrollment, and completion in an environment that is continually changing to enhance the social and economic mobility of our students, and the prosperity of our community.”