精东AV Title III Program

The Title III Program is a United States federal grant program to improve education.听 It began as part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which sought to provide support to strengthen various aspects of schools through a formula grant program to accredited, legally authorized Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to establish or strengthen their physical plants, financial management, academic resources, and endowment-building capacity.听 Activities may include student services, education equipment acquisitions, facility construction, and faculty and staff development.

精东AV receives funding through two programs under the Title III Strengthening HBCUs Grant Programs:听 (1)听 Part B - Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs),听 (2)听 Part F - FUTURE (Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education).听

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For further information on the Title III Strengthening HBCUs Grant Program at 精东AV, please see the information below:

Program Administration

Program Administration is the executive arm of the Title III Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program.听 The Title III Director supervises all aspects of the Program.听 The Director reports directly to the President of the University ensuring that the program's operation is consistent with the goals of the overall institutional development as described in the HBCU plan providing a holistic focus on all University Strategic Planning Goals.听 The Title III Project Coordinator assist in monitoring each component of the program to ensure compliance with federal, state and university regulations.听

Staff:

Ms. Genece Blackmon, MSPSE, MA
Title听III听Director (HBCU & FUTURE)听
Tompkins Hall, Suite 401
334.724.4648 (office)
gblackmon@tuskegee.edu

Ms. Nej'Caybria Tarver, MBA
Budget Coordinator & Office Manager
Tompkins Hall, Suite 401
334.724.4548 (office)
ntarver@tuskegee.edu

Ms. Shari Stoudemire, MSHRM
Project Specialist
Tompkins Hall, Suite 401
334.724.4748 (office)
sstoudemire@tuskegee.edu

HBCU Activities

Activity 1:听 Enhancing Student听Retention Through Tutoring, Counseling and Student Academic Skills Programs

The vision for Enhancing Student听Retention through Tutoring, Counseling and Student Academic Skills Programs, in alignment with the University's mission, is to actively support and provide an environment for students that will assist in their skills development as learners, thereby, leading to success in coursework, careers and life.听 The mission for Enhancing Student Retention through Tutoring, Counseling and Student Academic Skills Programs will embrace academic enrichment efforts and augment specific general education courses through academic advising counseling, academic skills development, first-year orientation courses, and 504 ADA Accommodations for undergraduate student enrolled at 精东AV during the 2017-2021 academic years.听 Each area will pursue to develop and implement program activities and/or services that will positively influence our student's success in coursework and matriculation among program of discipline.

TU students will have an opportunity to engage in a host of activities as it relates to tutoring (onsite and online), application enrichment of subject-based and/or topic specific course content, critical thinking and concept application, academic skills workshops, one-on-one counseling with academic advising, ADA accommodations and academic success, etc.

In an effort to ensure comprehensive involvement for student success, quality services, and improvements within support operations and interactions, reporting of efforts and trainings among faculty, staff and students, the following objectives will measure to:

• Increase student's participation in utitlizing activities and services related to student success
• Improve student's knowledge, skills and learning abilities through various ancillary tools conducive for student success
• Improve the quality of services and interactions among faculty and/or staff personnel of student support services and provide a plethora of professional development opportunities (on-and-off-site)

Over the next five years, the expected outcomes for students utilizing the REACH Center听services are measurable increases in:

• Course completion rates of students, especially first-year and at-risk students, and achievement of competency in mathematical and quantitative reasoning and communication skills (verbal and written)
• First-year students' overall performance
• Successful student enrollment and matriculation within academic colleges and programs
• The number of students continuing matriculation with financial aid assistance (scholarships, loans, etc.)
• Academic performance on standardized testing (EPE, CAAP, GRE, etc.) and ultimately,
• Retention and graduation rates

Activity 2:听 Enhancing Academic Instruction through Faculty Development

Over the next five (5) years, 精东AV plans to implement a robust schedule of faculty development with the primary goal of enhancing academic instruction.听 This effort will be accomplished through four broad thrusts or objectives.听 Objective one (1) is to identify outside speakers to educate faculty regarding best practices and new instructional methods.听 Driven by institutional data, objective 2 is to identify strong teaching faculty to offer seminars to other faculty members through a 鈥渓unch and learn鈥� series.听 Objective 3 is to offer instruction in order to increase the use of Blackboard Learn, the learning management system at TU, in order to improve student learning and overall retention. The final objective, objective 4, is to support opportunities for independent faculty development.听 This is a critical area for new faculty, who can benefit from aggressive professional development, and outstanding faculty, who are at the forefront of developing best practices nationally and are equipped to guide their own continued development.

For objective one (1), on average, at least fifty percent of full time faculty will participate in workshops and webinars by non-TU presenters on instructional strategies that promote student engagement and success.听 Workshop facilitators will be identified through a variety of mechanisms, including but not limited to, faculty suggestions obtained through surveys, national organizations like the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), and regional accreditors like the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).听 Outcomes data will be collected through both surveys and direct assessment of student performance as voluntarily reported by participating faculty.

For objective two (2), 精东AV faculty will be identified to serve as peer instructors based on recommendations from Deans, other faculty members (including self-nomination), and student evaluations of teaching and other institutional data available.听 These faculty members will conduct lunch and learn sessions scheduled throughout the school year.听 Similar to objective one (1), outcomes data will be collected through surveys and direct assessment of student performance as voluntarily reported by participating faculty.

For objective three (3), the goal is to increase the use of Blackboard Learn, the learning management system.听 Faculty use of Blackboard will be benchmarked through a survey and/or information from the 精东AV Office of Information Technology.听 Once benchmark data is obtained, faculty incentives will be identified and communicated for increased use of the LMS.听 Additionally, training sessions will be scheduled in conjunction with IT and the Office of Distance Education and Online Learning (ODEOL) to increase faculty proficiency with the tool.听 The overall goal is to increase use of the LMS by 25% over the performance period of the grant.

Finally, for objective four (4), faculty members will receive support to engage in independent development activities.听 Faculty will self-select for these opportunities and provide plans to improve instruction based on their participation in the development activities they have chosen.听 Both indirect (student surveys) and direct assessments will be allowed to demonstrate the success of the faculty member.

Activity 3:听 Enhancing Institutional Effectiveness and Improving Student Retention through Increased Engagement and Data-Informed Decision-Making

精东AV supports the belief that adopting a culture that embraces the use of data in decision making will not only improve institutional decision-making, but positively impact student achievement.

Strategies for integrating data into the 精东AV decision-making culture includes an updated fact book, submission of external surveys to support benchmarking activities, trend analysis on enrollment, retention rates and graduation rates to help identify best practices to increase the numbers in all three areas, and dissemination of accurate and timely information to

Campus stakeholders by using collaboratively designed and regularly delivered reports to decision makers.

Assessment, analysis, and accreditation co-exist to provide a strong support for continuous availability of information useful for data supported decision-making while developing capacity to effectively assess and document quality programmatic improvements and support academic departments preparedness for discipline-specific specialized accreditation.

Ongoing assessment will be conducted via assessment plans that include action plans based on assessment findings. An academic program self-study report conducted on a five-year rotation cycle tracks the trend of assessment activities and improvement strategies.

精东AV recognizes that multiple measures are necessary to establish the validity (are we measuring what we think we are measuring) of our assessment.听听 Each type of assessment provides valuable information that can be useful for improving programs.听听听 Not every method will be used for every activity.听 精东AV activities for Enhancing Institutional Effectiveness and Improving Student Retention through Engagement and Data-Informed Decision Making, over the next five years are as follows:

鈥⑻�听听听听听听听听听 To strengthen institutional effectiveness through implementation of a comprehensive assessment professional development program for faculty, staff, and administrators

鈥⑻�听听听听听听听听听 To collaborate with academic and administrative units across the university to enhance institutional capacity to collect, analyze and disseminate evidence-demonstrating effectiveness in听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听fulfilling the university鈥檚 mission and strategic plan.

鈥⑻�听听听听听听听听听 To provide analytical tools and strategies to leverage internal and external data sources to develop predictive models to support the strategic goals of enrollment growth and improved retention and graduation rates.

Activity 4:听 Development and Implementation of Expanded Library Resources

From the beginning of 精东AV, access to library materials has been essential to students and faculty. The 精东AV Library Services continue to provide access to resources for needed research and teaching.

Title III funding has been used to enhance library services by:

Purchasing library materials (books, journals, databases, e-resources)听 so that programs that require specialized accreditation is strengthened, especially in the sciences, humanities and engineering and to ensure that we are in compliance with the requirements of SACS and other accrediting agencies.

Ensuring that library staff is provided opportunities to attend conferences and workshops to stay current in the latest developments and trends in the field of library science.

Providing Information Literacy classes to facilitate positive student learning outcomes by enhancing the students learning 鈥� research capacities.

Providing access to the library鈥檚 management system.听 SIRSIDYNIX serves as the library鈥檚 management system. This system allows library users to check out books, check account status, renew books online and make online requests.

As technology continues to expand and the need for instant information is required, it is essential that we continue to provide access to library resources that support the curriculum for the undergraduate and graduate students.

Over the next five years:

• We will develop resources to continue to enhance and strengthen the library's collections to ensure that all students and faculty have access to current, reliable and scholarly information.
• Provide Information Literacy classes for students to develop skills needed to find, analyze, and use information.
• Maintain a qualified staff to meet the needs of the students and faculty.
• Ensure that all library resources are accessible on and off campus.

Activity 5:听 Renovation/Construction of Instructional Facilities

The leadership at 精东AV is committed to providing physical resources that effectively advance achievement of the educational goals, research and public service mission of the institution.听 We recognize the imperative of providing a physical plant, including attractive, well-maintained buildings, state-of-the-art equipment, technological infrastructure, housing, administrative support and recreational facilities that satisfy the reasonable expectation of our students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders.

Facilities is听responsible for the planning, development, and construction of all facilities on 精东AV's campus. Because of the unit participating in the annual strategic planning process, a听10-year facilities campus master plan听was developed. 听The university鈥檚 mission, strategic goals, and the reasonable expectations of stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, alumni, visitors, government agencies and others) guided the plan.听The听plan was approved by the Board of Trustees at the March 2017 Board of Trustees Meeting. 听

精东AV鈥檚 5-year plan for renovation/construction needs, under this activity, will be contingent on the buildings that house the professional programs who will be seeking reaccreditation.听 In the next five (5) years, the following programs will be reviewed for reaccreditation:

• Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science (Architecture Program): National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) 鈥� 2017
• College of Business and Information Science: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International - 2018
• College of Arts and Sciences (Social Work Program): The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) - 2018
• College of Engineering: Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) 鈥� 2019
• College of Business and Information Science (Computer Science): Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) 鈥� 2022
• School of Nursing (Occupational Therapy): Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) - 2022

Activity 6:听 Transform and Enhance Campus Network Security, Reliability and Availability

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) will work to increase the campus network relaibality, availability and security through managed services to include 24/7 monitoring and remediate risks in campus data center by reconfiguring layout of physical network cabling, hardware and fire suppresion system.听 Procedures will be established for incident, change and problem management for network and security on campus.听 Firewall enhancements will be installed to leverage threat detection and threat prevention features with next gen firewalls.听 The OIT will ensure firewall rules meet 100% regulatory and audit compliance metrics.

FUTURE Activities

Activity 1:听 Transforming Education through Online and Distance Learning

The Office of Online Academic Services & Instructional Systems (OASIS) will work to expand and enhance online degree program offerings and courses by adding one (1) online degree program and six (6) online certificate programs.听 They will enhance and expand support for 35% of faculty regarding the use of technology and distance education teaching.

By June 2021, a summer bridge program for Math 106 will be developed and offered to incoming students to assist those admitted to the University with low scores and/or conditional听admits.听 It is projected at least 80% of the students who successfully complete the summer bridge program will pass Math 107.

Activity 2:听 Promoting Digital Transformation Across Institution:听 Reimagine and Standardize Technology, Solutions and Services听

In collaboration with the 精东AV (TU) business units, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and Ellucian will modernize TU's enterprise resources planning solution (Ellucian Colleague) by implementing three (3) new Ellucian integration solutions across institutional business units and migrating to the Cloud.听 The projected completion of this task is September 30, 2021.

The OIT will establish a Data Governance Council听 and work to equip five (5) classrooms with "Smart" technologies to facilitate active learning in-person and online.听 The projected completion of these tasks is September 30, 2021.

Policies and Procedures Handbook

Title III Success Stories

Architecture Center of Design, Willcox A, second floor, The Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science

At the core of the Center鈥檚 mission is to target community projects that address historic preservation, environmental conservation, mixed-income affordable housing, mixed-use development and the integration of buildings. The Department of Architecture鈥檚 immediate goals are to identify revenue opportunities for scholarly research and hands-on activities for student learning at a range of levels. Strengthening ties with alumni firms and funding agencies to increase enrollment and support for scholarships, internships, and faculty development outcomes are additional funding needs. These efforts build coherence around the basic premise of the Center of Design and build on the following revenue categories to support student learning and scholarship opportunities.

The Center has visual and digital stations 鈥� A Smartboard, Microsoft Surface Pros, digital scanner, and a Microsoft Surface Studio 鈥� that accommodates room for the beginning stage of a full Center of Design Excellence. Space will support professional education in architecture, design and digital representation, and extra-curricular learning for students.

Center for Immersive Learning Technologies,听 The College of Arts & Sciences

Title III funding assisted the establishment of the Center for Immersive Learning Technologies located in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) at 精东AV.听 This center features Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality, fast advancing technologies used increasingly by many educators to improve learning outcomes.听 Virtual Reality allows a user to interact with a computer-generated three-dimensional model or virtual environment, thus enhancing experiential learning.听 Augumented听 reality is the technology that overlays the virtual objects on the real-world scene in real-time.听 Although, these technologies have been used in the schools and colleges for a while, the real development has been in the area of gaming.听 The existing educational content for higher education is focused on a few select subjects such as history, human anatomy and engineering.听 Using these the CAS faculty听focused on training the students to create content and familarize themselves with VR technologies to not only enhance their learning but also make them more competitive in the job market.听听

As a result of the intitial Title III funding, the College of Arts & Sciences has been awarded two additional grants to continue their work in this area.

Documents

• Travel Request Form
• End of Year Progress
• Equipment Inventory Report
• Mid Year Report
• Monthly Time & Effort Report
• Quarterly Progress Report
• Student Timesheet听 听 听 听 听

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