Retention

Fayetteville State University to Receive $1 Million Grant to Improve Student Success

• By Kate Lucariello
• 04/01/24

Fayetteville State University (FSU) in North Carolina will receive a $1 million grant from the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) to increase student enrollment, retention, and graduation.

NISS is an organization launched by the University System of Georgia in 2021 to help colleges and universities across the design, implement, and scale student support systems. The NISS diagnostic process identified four ways for FSU to identify and address barriers hindering student success, especially for first- and second-year students:

• Establish programs and processes that connect curriculum and career pathways;
• Identify courses with "high non-pass rates," assess course/program effectiveness, and establish student supports where needed;
• Assess student communication and use chatbots to get timely, accurate, and personal information to students; and
• Create standard advisory systems across campus to support students consistently.

FSU will use the NISS grant to establish three positions to assist students from college enrollment to completion. It will also fund paid internships and supplemental instructors in core courses. Alumni will also be invited to discuss how they have used their degrees.

For more information, read FSU's full press release.