Oklahoma Regents provide CU with grant for student retention
- by Collegian Staff

Cameron University will receive nearly $100,000 from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to assist efforts to keep students in college and earn their degrees, State Regents announced on Thursday.

The Oklahoma higher education system reported record enrollments this fall, which is great news for the state. But coupled with that growth is the task of making sure those students remain in college and complete their degrees.

To help increase retention and graduation rates, State Regents awarded ten “Brain Gain” improvement grants totaling nearly $750,000. Cameron’s $98,500 grant is second only to the $105,134 awarded to Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell.

Access to higher education and student success are Cameron’s highest priorities,” said Dr. Larry Kruse, CU’s Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and author of the grant proposal. “Frequently, our students are the first in their families to attempt a college education.

This population historically includes students who are unprepared academically and require remediation in English, math, science or reading. These are characteristics that sometimes prevent students from reaching their full potential and goal of earning a college degree,” Kruse said.

Cameron will use the State Regents grant to develop a longitudinal assessment of selected student groups, enabling it to identify at-risk students as early as possible. The university will also create an “early alert system” to provide personalized intervention for students experiencing academic difficulties. Finally, it will establish direct and online training modules for academic advisers.

Kruse said these three steps would allow Cameron to establish a comprehensive student success model that will help the university meet its retention and graduation goals.

Before awarding the ten grants, proposals from 21 higher education institutions totaling approximately $1.7 million were reviewed.

 “We appreciate all of the efforts our institutions are putting forth to improve their retention and graduation rates, and we look forward to helping them meet their goals and objectives,” said Dr. Paul G. Risser, chancellor of the state’s higher education system.

Two out-of-state experts with backgrounds in research and planning reviewed the proposals and rated them according to criteria developed by State Regents.

Other institutions that will receive Brain Gain improvement grants are Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, $98,500; East Central University in Ada, $89,566; Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, $75,000; Oklahoma City Community College, $70,000; Connors State College in Warner, $68,500;

Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, $64,000; Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, $58,000; and Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, $22,200.