Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

INSIDE IOWA STATE
August 31, 2001

12 retention proposals funded

by Linda Charles
New minority students on campus this fall will have a chance to meet, socialize, learn about Iowa State services and attend an ISU football game, thanks in part to a retention grant recently awarded by the Professional and Scientific Council.

This is the eighth year that grants, funded by the Presidents Office, have been awarded to help recruit and retain students. This year the P& S Recruitment Committee awarded $30,000 for 12 of the 20 proposals submitted. Awards ran from $900 to $4,340.

A $1,500 grant will help fund the two-day welcome for new minority students. The program is an interdepartmental effort, and includes $11,300 in co-funding -- both factors the committee considers when awarding the grants.

Funding is one of the critical issues we look at, said Kurt Roberts, committee chair. We try to fund proposals that can carry themselves in the future. The grants are for one year.

The largest grant, $4,340, will be used to develop a 10-minute Web demo to help students become familiar with online courses. Using fun facts about the university and significant milestones in its history, the demo will introduce students to typical components of online learning. The goal is for students to come away with an I can learn online attitude. This program also is interdepartmental and includes $8,040 in additional funding.

A list of the other proposals that were funded may be found online at http://www.iastate.edu/news/today/2001/aug/psgrants.html.