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Educators’ Conference is Culmination of Ascendium Grant Project

������ hosted the Degree Pathway Summit at the ������ Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Kent on Friday, Oct. 7, when educators from around the region met to discuss how bi‐lateral degree pathways complemented the Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathway system.

In Fall 2019, the Ascendium Education Group awarded ������ 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’ progression from a two-year college to a bachelor’s degree at ������.

“The Ascendium Grant Project has led to a renewed focus on transfer student enrollment and success with our partner institutions,” said Tara D. Hudson, Ph.D., assistant professor of Higher Education at ������ and Principal Investigator of the Ascendium grant. “Important 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’s degrees.”

Led by ������’s Division of Enrollment Management, the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration in ������’s College of Education, Health and Human Services, and Regional Campus Administration, the grant sought to enhance partnering institutions’ existing transfer and retention efforts to increase degree completion. The initiative helped students across ������’s eight-campus system, culminating in a ‘blueprint’ that outlines best practices for two-year to four-year transfer pathways.

������ 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 ������’s 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 ������
• 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 ������)
• 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 “A Case Study: Ohio Degree Pathways as Observed by the Aspen Institute” that explored the effectiveness of the regional partnership. Breakout sessions highlighted lessons learned and encouraged future collaboration among institutions.