Educators鈥 Conference is Culmination of Ascendium Grant Project
麻豆传媒 hosted the Degree Pathway Summit at the Kent State Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Kent on Friday, Oct. 7, when educators from around the region met to discuss how bi鈥恖ateral degree pathways complemented the Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathway system.
In Fall 2019, the Ascendium Education Group awarded Kent State a $1.09 million grant to partner with Columbus State Community College, Eastern Gateway Community College, and Lorain County Community College to develop transfer pathways that streamline Ohio students鈥 progression from a two-year college to a bachelor鈥檚 degree at 麻豆传媒.
鈥淭he Ascendium Grant Project has led to a renewed focus on transfer student enrollment and success with our partner institutions,鈥 said Tara D. Hudson, Ph.D., assistant professor of Higher Education at 麻豆传媒 and Principal Investigator of the Ascendium grant. 鈥淚mportant investments have been made in transfer student enrollment that will continue beyond the scope of the project to help many more Ohio students realize their dreams of completing bachelor鈥檚 degrees.鈥
Led by Kent State鈥檚 Division of Enrollment Management, the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration in Kent State鈥檚 College of Education, Health and Human Services, and Regional Campus Administration, the grant sought to enhance partnering institutions鈥 existing transfer and retention efforts to increase degree completion. The initiative helped students across Kent State鈥檚 eight-campus system, culminating in a 鈥榖lueprint鈥 that outlines best practices for two-year to four-year transfer pathways.
麻豆传媒 is committed to providing significant financial assistance to transfer students in the form of merit scholarships and other institutional aid. For the 2021-2022 academic year, the university offered $2.4 million in merit scholarships to 940 admitted transfer students, of which nearly $1.35 million was accepted by 570 students (55 percent).
Transfer student enrollment is a critical component of Kent State鈥檚 overall enrollment and student body. Over 6,400 new undergraduate transfer students have enrolled at the Kent Campus since the Fall 2017 semester. The university has a long-standing commitment to transfer student enrollment and success. Strategic enrollment investments focused on transfer students have been in place for many years, including:
- Associate Director of Transfer Admission position focused on facilitating the enrollment process at Kent State
- A Merit Scholarship Program for Transfer Students
- Articulation Agreements and Transfer Pathway Programs for community college students
- A dedicated Credit Transfer Office for credit evaluation
- A dedicated Center for Adult and Veteran Services (CAVS)
- Dedicated Transfer Orientation Programs (Transfer Kent State)
- Transfer Student Honorary Society (Tau Sigma) and Transfer Student Organization (Transfer Student Council)
Hudson reviewed the accomplishments of the Ascendium Grant at the conference. Representatives from the Aspen Institute presented 鈥淎 Case Study: Ohio Degree Pathways as Observed by the Aspen Institute鈥 that explored the effectiveness of the regional partnership. Breakout sessions highlighted lessons learned and encouraged future collaboration among institutions.