Contact: csmhp@eiu.edu

As you may know, Eastern Illinois University is privileged to have been awarded a Title III Institutional Planning Grant. The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education is the granting agency under the “Strengthening Institutions Program.” The Strengthening Institutions Program helps eligible institutions of higher education expand their capacity to serve disadvantaged students by providing funds to improve and strengthen academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability. Institutional development funds can be used for planning, faculty development, and establishing endowment funds. Administrative management and the development and improvement of academic programs are also supported. Other supported initiatives include joint use of instructional facilities, construction and maintenance, and student services.

An Institutional Development Planning Committee was created in order to guide preparation of a Title III Institutional Development Plan and ultimately, an Institutional Development grant application. The Planning Committee met regularly throughout the current semester and has developed a draft Institutional Plan framework. In April, that plan—which is included below--was shared with the University community at large.

Draft Plan Description
EIU’s Title III planning process included reviewing existing planning documents (e.g. NCA Self-study Report; EIU Strategic Plan, CUPB SWOT Statement, President’s Goals, etc.) and developing a strategic ranking of existing planning initiatives in relation to Title III priorities. From that strategic analysis, the Planning Committee developed an outline of a draft plan. The plan would provide for a Comprehensive Student Success Center to serve all students and especially at-risk students. The CSSC would build on and expand the existing Student Academic Success Center and coordinate other existing student support services and/or provide new services. Existing services that could be part of the CSSC include: Academic Advising Center; Career Counseling Service; Health Service; Counseling Service; Housing and dining (nutrition); Writing Center; Gateway and TRIO programs; Center for Academic Technology and Support; Health Education Resource Center; and Judicial Affairs.

New services that may be developed as part of a CSSC include: New prevention and/or intervention services; NESSE participation; a Mini-mentoring program (faculty, staff, emeriti); part-time employment opportunity center; Service Learning Center; Financial advising service; peer advising center (organized new or existing RSOs or other groups of students); Identification and dynamic tracking of students at risk throughout their undergraduate academic experience (not just upon admission); development of course sections for at risk students (having some of the characteristics of honors sections); daycare services; multicultural center and related services.

As presently envisioned, the CSSC would function in both real and virtual space. It would be located in existing facilities and would utilize state-of-the-art software to create communities of interest and to provide “one-stop” availability to a wide range of student support services. Consideration of a CSSC is timely with respect to the University’s implementation of the Banner system and can be linked to the University’s Master Plan for future facilities to provide expanded physical facilities.

The information collected at the open forums in April will be considered as a second draft of the plan is developed over the summer. Then, in September or October, the second draft will be made available to the University committee for further review and comment. A final Institutional Development Plan will be completed during the 2005 fall semester. Subsequently, a Title III Institutional Development grant application will be submitted based on the Institutional Plan. It is likely that not all elements of the Institutional Plan will be included in the grant proposal, and other funding sources will be needed.