“Access to Success” is our institutional commitment to provide broad access for students interested in attending UWM while also improving our support of student learning, retention, performance and degree completion. Starting with the 2005 freshman cohort, we have tracked key retention strategies, some already in place and some newly instituted, to improve student success in the first year. These efforts are paying off as we see one-year retention rise along with decreasing gaps in success between freshmen of color and white freshmen. But “Access to Success” is more than a series of initiatives – it is a philosophy embraced in the design and delivery of courses and curriculum; academic and career advising; and the climate created for students in classrooms and co-curricular activities. Actions taken to improve student learning, retention and performance also extend to all schools and colleges and administrative departments as well as to students at all grade levels.

Provost Cheng invites proposals for one-year projects to enhance student learning, success and retention. In keeping with our Access to Success initiatives, project goals should include improved student retention and degree completion, decreased gaps in retention between students of color and majority students, and/or decreasing gaps in retention between freshmen with developmental course needs and those placing at the college level.

The Provost anticipates sponsoring 4-16 projects with budgets ranging between $20,000 and $80,000. Projects will be funded on a one-time basis in 2008-09 but there will be an opportunity to apply next year for funding renewals. Renewals will be determined by the project’s success in achieving overall Access to Success goals as well as specific goals identified in the project request.

The Provost invites proposals across any area that will demonstrably impact student success, retention and degree completion. Proposals that build student engagement with faculty, other students and the institution through projects in the following areas are especially welcome.