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NIACC receives $2.2 million grant from US Department of Education

Dorms under construction at NIACC
Dorms under construction at NIACC

MASON CITY – The U.S. Department of Education has announced the Fiscal Year 2014 new awards for the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP).

North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) was awarded a total of $2,245,576 for five years starting October 1, 2014 and ending September 30, 2019. The College will receive $448,253 the first year, which begins October 1st.

“We are very excited to receive this grant,” said NIACC Vice President for Student Services Terri Ewers. “This funding will directly benefit our students and faculty. Our goal is to improve student success and completion through course redesign, learning analytics, improved technology and faculty development.”

The funding is targeted to specific areas and cannot be used to improve or expand facilities on campus.

NIACC
NIACC

NIACC has received Title III funding twice in the past. Each time the grant is awarded new goals must be identified and achieved. Institutions must sit out of the grant application process for at least one year before applying again.

SIP provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education to improve their academic programs, institutional management and fiscal stability to increase their self-sufficiency and strengthen their capability to make a substantial contribution to higher education resources.

Funding is targeted to institutions that enroll a large proportion of financially disadvantaged students and have low per-student expenditures.

“This is such good news for our students,” said NIACC President Dr. Steve Schulz. “This funding allows us an opportunity to increase our efforts in student retention and completion, which is a top priority for everyone at the College.”

A description of the grant purpose for NIACC:
• Redesign developmental education courses to a competency-based instructional model
• Enhance student support through computer-based instruction
• Increase the number of courses delivered online, hybrid, and accelerated formats
• Increase the number of courses that integrate learning communities
• Increase opportunities for faculty development
• Implement a strong student engagement program for part-time students
• Increase the level of use of technology tools
• Deploy a student response system within classrooms
• Enhance tools for lecture capture
• Install additional classroom technology

A few specifics:
• Increase to 452 courses to incorporate alternate delivery methods
• Apply Quality Matters standards to all NIACC courses within the 5 years
• Incorporate data driven decision making in all aspects of campus through an Institutional Researcher
• Administer needs assessment to part-time and develop an action plan to assist with the community and working adults
• Purchase 125 student classroom response systems for interactive classrooms
• Upgrade 24 classrooms with learning technology.
• Redesign curriculum for accelerated developmental math and reading.

To be eligible for a grant under SIP, an institution must: award bachelor’s degrees or be a junior or community college; provide an education program legally authorized by the State in which it is located; and be accredited or be making reasonable progress towards accreditation.

Additionally, all institutions interested in applying for or receiving SIP funds must apply for and receive a designation of eligibility under Titles III and V of the HEA. This first application allows the Department to determine whether an applicant meets the specific statutory and regulatory eligibility requirements for funding under Title III or Title V of the HEA.

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