Stanislaus State has received $678,000 from the College Futures Foundation to support the University’s efforts to align and promote Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathways with Modesto Junior College, San Joaquin Delta College and Merced College.
This grant comes on the heels of a $186,000 grant from the College Futures Foundation last October. That initial grant helped fund Stan State’s Warriors on the Way (WOW) program, designed to align better with the needs of students at the University’s three largest feeder community colleges.
This new grant, which will provide $337,000 immediately and $341,000 in July 2020, will support current WOW efforts to increase the number of ADT students and bolster transfer retention and graduation rates.
“I am delighted to see this gift to our Foundation in the form of a grant for increasing degree attainment in the Central Valley,” said Gitanjali Kaul, vice president for strategic planning, enrollment management and innovation. “With this gift, Stan State and these three community colleges have a chance to dream big, co-create and jointly sponsor more meaningful opportunities for our transfer students.”
The grant will be used to reimagine joint advising and mentoring of transfer students. It will open doors for joint faculty development to improve curricular alignment between Stan State and the community colleges. Co-sponsored WOW registration events and informational sessions will be launched, and a new peer mentoring program is planned for prospective transfer students to supplement existing transfer and advising staff. The funds provided by College Futures also will support the hiring of additional counselors and advisors.
The College Futures Foundation funds organizations that share their commitment to advance the following outcomes: successful transitions for students; and, efforts that lead to aligned and improved institutional policies for transfer students.