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Caldwell Community College Selected for Statewide Student Retention Program

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is one of 10 partner community colleges in North Carolina to be chosen for a student retention program that focuses on proactive student counseling and coaching.

The lead college in the effort, Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, was awarded a $9.2 million First in the World grant by the U.S. Department of Education. CCC&TI’s portion of the grant includes $653,741 for the 4-year pilot program.

“We are very excited,” said Margaret Hampson, CCC&TI Vice President of Curriculum and Adult Education, who had been working on the grant application. “It will provide some funding for success coaches that we’d like to implement on both campuses, as well as software that will assist in the advising process.”

The funding will enable CCC&TI to pilot a program that mirrors Central Carolina’s College Success Center initiative, launched in 2012. The effort includes a team of success coaches who collaborate with faculty and staff to provide individualized academic and personal support for students who need it most. Success coaches collaborate with faculty and staff using an innovative early alert/advising system utilizing Aviso Coaching, LLC software.

The North Carolina grant is part of nearly $60 million in First in the World Grants to 17 colleges, universities and organizations, announced by the U.S. Department of Education on Sept. 21. The First in the World program is designed to support the development, replication and dissemination of innovative solutions and evidence for what works in addressing persistent and widespread challenges in postsecondary education for students who are at risk for not persisting in and completing college.

This First in the World grant, titled Carolina Works, will help spread the proactive success coach model to nine North Carolina community colleges to improve student outcomes statewide. In addition to CCC&TI, the other partner colleges are: Carteret Community College, Cleveland Community College, College of the Albemarle, Isothermal Community College, Randolph Community College, Pamlico Community College, Roanoke Chowan Community College and Southwestern Community College.

CCC&TI will begin implementation of the Carolina Works program in 2016.