Initiative Advances Student Success at Bowie State

Bowie State Joins Six Select Higher Ed Institutions in Pilot Project

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – Bowie State University joins a select group of six universities in a pilot project to develop and implement innovative strategies to improve student learning and success, especially among first-generation students and those from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

Launched by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the new Center for Student Success will establish a peer learning community among the member institutions and a framework to implement academic transformation processes. In a 15-month pilot program, AASCU will work with the six members to refine and validate the center’s offerings before eventually scaling these services to its nearly 420 member institutions.

“The opportunity to participate in AASCU’s Center for Student Success pilot will help Bowie State to enhance our already strong programs to support student learning and academic success,” said Bowie State Provost DeBrenna Agbenyiga. “We look forward to working with the AASCU team and other institutional members in the pilot program to develop best practices that will continue to distinguish Bowie State as a university committed to implementing effective student success models across the curriculum.”

Bowie State was invited to participate in the pilot program as one of six regional comprehensive and research institutions that educate large numbers of first-generation, low-income and minority students. AASCU specifically selected campuses with diverse populations that are often left out of national and transformational student success initiatives. The goal of the pilot project is to test and validate strategies and processes that the new Center for Student Success will use to assist member campuses with institutional transformation and student success efforts.

“We can harness the power of our collective knowledge to more effectively address the needs of our diverse student bodies—which is why AASCU, with the support of the [Bill and Melinda] Gates Foundation, has committed to launching our Center for Student Success,” said AASCU President Mildred Garcia in a statement.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, criminal justice, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.