campus partner(s)

University of Southern California

Rossier School of Education

state(s)

CA

amount

$250,000

initiative

Special Project

award date

02.2011

project director

Estela Bensimon

University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education

Grant Summary

$250,000 over 24 months to develop and test a model that seeks to monitor, assess, and improve the transfer process of students from public community colleges to private liberal arts colleges. The Center for Urban Education (CUE) at the University of Southern California will work with campus leaders, faculty, and staff at LMU and Whittier to (1) establish and identify gaps in educational outcomes, (2) explore each college's instructional and academic support practices to better understand how they affect student success, and (3) combine the findings from these activities with data analysis to expand knowledge, skills, and practices that are essential for recruiting and retaining transfer students. CUE , LMU, and Whittier will use this process to identify and develop two or three interventions that will lead to an increase in student retention and completion rates.