Title III: Strengthening Institutions Project

Project Title: Soar to Success

The Title III – Part A Strengthening Institutions (SIP) grant is made possible by the U.S. Department of Education. The Title III – Part A program “helps institutions of higher education to become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions.”

Project-Wide Strategies

Through a comprehensive review of its academic programs, institutional management, and fiscal stability, East Central College has identified three overarching strategies for this project:

1. Enhance advising processes and functions
2. Provide training and resource to promote effective advising and instruction, and
3. Improve academic support.

Goals & Strategies for Achievement

East Central College has identified goals in the areas of academic programs (AP), institutional management (IM), and fiscal stability (FS), as well as specific strategies to achieve each goal.

1. Increase course success and retention rates for underserved low-income students.
   • Join the Achieving the Dream Network
   • Implement professional development for technology
   • Implement Supplemental Instruction (SI) program
   • Implement embedded tutoring programming in development math and English courses
   • Establish a holistic student support and advising model, including a focus on collaboration between Success Coaches and Academic Advisors.
   • Establish the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) program.
   • Hire additional staff to support a full range of student success needs, including academic preparation and advising, early alerts, retention, and course success.
   • Enhance online course design and train faculty on high impact practices for improving learning outcomes.
   • Ensure adequate technology and training to expand HyFlex offerings from the pilot program.
   • Train Academic Advisors and Success Coaches in advising best practices with assistance from Achieving the Dream.

2. Improve infrastructure to support student success.
   • Establish robust laptop and hotspot internet access program for underserved low-income students.

3. Improve fiscal stability.
   • Meet retention targets through the proposed strategies and solutions so that retention may effectively serve as a boost to enrollment.

Compliance

The Title III program at East Central College is committed to strict compliance with the legislation, regulations, and guidance as listed by the Department of Education.

• Legislation
  • Title III, Part A, Sec. 311-315 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended
  • 20 U.S.C. 1057-1059b
• Regulations
  • Title 34 Part 607 (Code of Federal Regulations / CFR)
  • Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

Leadership

Dr. Robyn Walter
Vice President, Academic Affairs & Title III Project Director
636-584-6601 | robyn.walter@eastcentral.edu

Carson R. Mowery
Title III Program Coordinator
636-584-6921 | carson.mowery@eastcentral.edu

Collaborative Monitoring

Though the office of Title III Programs is housed in Academic Affairs, the work of the Soar to Success project is owned by the institution. The institution has developed a Title III Steering Committee to monitor project implementation. This committee is comprised of employees from every division of the College and operates under a tri-chair model. The steering committee also consists of four subcommittees corresponding with the four primary initiatives included in the project. Those subcommittees operate under a co-chair model and include faculty, staff, and administration.

Title III Steering Committee Roster

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Title III Quarterly Newsletter

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