Community Education

Rhodes State College Receives Largest Grant in College History

  • 28 September 2023
Rhodes State College Receives Largest Grant in College History
Rhodes State College is thrilled to announce its remarkable achievement in securing a grant of $2,161,241 from the US Department of Education, under the auspices of the Title III program.  The program, Strengthening Institutions helps eligible institutions of higher education become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions. 
Dr. Cynthia E. Spiers, President, stated “This groundbreaking grant, awarded to Rhodes State College after an intensely competitive selection process, represents a pivotal moment in our College's history and marks the largest grant funded initiative we have ever received.”
Spiers continued, “Rhodes State College is poised to embark on a transformative journey that will positively impact our students and the surrounding community in profound ways.”
The attainment of this grant was no small feat. The Title III grant, notoriously difficult to secure due to its highly competitive nature, underscores the remarkable quality and innovation of Rhodes State College's proposal. After rigorous evaluation and scrutiny by the US Department of Education, the College's project, "Growing a Student Success Ecosystem at Rhodes State College," emerged as a standout initiative that promises to set new standards in student support and success.
The major projects funded by this grant encompass a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience and bolstering support services:
  1. Renovation of Public Services Building: The creation of a One-Stop Student Services Center within the Public Services building will provide a centralized hub for students to access essential resources and support.
  2. Expanded Student Support Staff: The grant will facilitate the hiring of one full-time and one part-time Case Manager, dedicated to connecting students with vital community services and ensuring their continuous enrollment. Additionally, the College will employ a full-time mental health counselor to address the holistic well-being of its student body.
  3. Student Support Redesign: Rhodes State College is committed to redesigning its student support services, fostering an inter-connected wraparound approach that guides students on their journey toward academic success and graduation.
These initiatives are aligned with four major focus areas:
  1. Student Entry: Improving student entry through enhanced communication, assessment, and the redesign of orientation, first-year experience courses, and gateway courses.
  2. Student Experience: Enhancing the student experience through holistic student support services, expanded support for underserved populations, staff professional development, and a nonacademic facilities plan.
  3. Student Progress and Completion: Informing decision-making regarding student progress and completion through an enhanced data plan and pathways embedded in the student experience.
  4. Lost Student Reengagement: Developing and implementing high-impact practices to reengage students who stopped out due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Dr. Brendan Greaney, Vice President of Enrollment Management at Rhodes State College, expressed excitement and gratitude for this monumental grant, emphasizing the institution's commitment to student success and community transformation: "This Title III grant will truly be transformational for the College, our students, and our community. Over the next five years, Rhodes State will use this grant to completely redesign the student experience focused on ensuring students are completely supported from the day they arrive on campus all the way through and beyond graduation."
Rhodes State College remains unwavering in its mission to provide accessible, high-quality education and support services to all its students, and this grant will further enable the institution to achieve this goal.
For more information about the “Growing a Student Success Ecosystem at Rhodes State College”, please contact Dr. Brendan Greaney at greaney.b1@rhodesstate.edu.