Each year, the American Federation of Teachers rewards locals with the AFT Higher Education First Principles Action Grants.  These grants, named for AFT’s First Principle program, are intended to encourage and support locals to create activities that improve educational quality on campus.  This year, AFT decided that the grants would be awarded to three locals interested in bringing together academic faculty and staff, particularly advisement staff, to boost student retention and persistence at their institutions. 

The first grant, awarded to Rhode Island College, is for a pilot program that will unite the staff union and the faculty union to increase student retention and lower the drop-out rate.  In this program, faculty and staff will be trained to mentor, advise, and aid students, especially at-risk students. 

The second grant was given to Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Federation of Teachers.  With the funding provided by the grant, a two-day workshop will be conducted—bringing the community college’s faculty, staff and administration together to develop a comprehensive plan that will lead to an increase of the student retention rate by 20 percent.

The third and final grant awarded by AFT this year was for the University Professionals of Illinois to determine the retention and graduation rates of undergraduate students at Chicago State University, to identify academic and social factors influencing these rates, and to explore university policies and procedures that may contribute to the negative impact of these factors on retention and graduation.

As a condition of the grant, the three locals will be required to report back to the higher education department their activities and progress that have made on student retention and persistence. [Molly Kinsella]

July 19, 2005