As part of the realignment of funds from diversity initiatives, the Chancellor has agreed to invest in student success pilot projects and provide faculty/staff opportunities to explore innovative initiatives that support increases in retention and graduation rates. The Student Success Grants aim to fund initiatives that present clearly defined and measurable outcomes that are aligned with increasing retention and graduation rates. Proposals must demonstrate how the pilot project will contribute to improving student success metrics for all students or specific sub-populations of students and outline a comprehensive plan with specific strategies, milestones, and deliverables that will lead to positive and lasting outcomes.
To strengthen proposals, applicants are required to utilize relevant data to support the need for their projects, demonstrating a clear understanding of current student challenges for the student population targeted by the project. Additionally, a connection to existing literature is essential, providing a theoretical or empirical foundation that underscores the significance and potential impact of the proposed initiative. This combination of data and scholarly resources will help ensure that projects are not only well-informed but also grounded in proven strategies for success.
Eligibility Proposals are sought from collaborative teams of faculty and/or staff who are dedicated to supporting the retention and graduation of our students. Projects should demonstrate impact on one or more subsets of students. Teams are encouraged to engage diverse perspectives to ensure that the initiative addresses the needs of students.
We invite proposals that focus on various strategies for impacting retention and graduation rates, including, but not limited to:
Programs that promote student development and engagement for targeted groups of students,
Experiential learning opportunities that equip students with practical, real-world skills
Enhancements to curricula that support academic achievement, and
Academic support services that enhance tutoring, mentoring, and/or advising to help students navigate academic challenges.
Ultimately, successful projects will show a clear commitment to advancing student success through thoughtful, measurable actions that create lasting impact through assisting students in staying in school and graduating in four years.
The review committee will have representation from the following:
Academic College Faculty/Staff who work directly with student success initiatives
Office of Undergraduate Education
Center for Teaching and Learning
Student Affairs
Enrollment Management
Congrats to the FY25 Cohort
Project Name
Team
Undo “Stuck in the Shallow End”: Charlotte’s Interdisciplinary and Cross Campus CS/Computing Education Initiative for Women, Latino, and African American Students
P.I.: Xiaoxia Newton
Capacity Building for AI-Powered Student Support Communities in Core Course Sequences