Title III Goals & Strategic Priorities

The Title III Grant Program at Eastern Oregon University (EOU) is designed to enhance the institution’s ability to serve low-income students and ensure long-term sustainability. Focused on fostering self-sufficiency, this grant provides critical funding to improve and strengthen EOU’s academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability. Running from October 2021 to September 2026, this five-year initiative supports EOU’s mission to expand its capacity to offer high-quality education and comprehensive support to all students, particularly those from underserved communities. Through this program, EOU is committed to enhancing student success and achieving sustainable growth.

BRIDGES Goals

1. Academic Program Goal
   • Goal 1A: Improve student retention and graduation rates for first-time, full-time degree seeking students by redesigning advising; co-remediating in math and writing; providing first  year experience, experiential learning opportunities, and a sense of belonging. 
   • Goal 1B: Improve student retention and graduation rates for first-time, part-time degree seeking students by redesigning advising; co-remediating in math and writing; providing first  year experience, experiential learning opportunities, and a sense of belonging. 
   • Goal 1C: Improve student engagement, as well as fiscal stability of the institution, by  systematically assessing learning supports associated with the Title III program.
2. Institutional Management Goals
   • Goal 2A: Improve students’ career readiness as part of their educational programs through  experiential learning opportunities. 
   • Goal 2B: Strengthen technological infrastructure to support curriculum development, and  students seeking experiential learning opportunities.
3. Fiscal Stability Goals
   • Improve fiscal stability by recapturing student FTE through increased retention of  first-year students to the second year and by ensuring completion of goals and/or graduation.

BRIDGES Strategic Priorities

EOU’s Title III’s strategic priorities to enhance its efforts to retain students and improve fiscal stability includes the following major tasks.

MAJOR TASKS	DESCRIPTION	INITIATIVE LEADER/s
Effective Structures and Processes	Establish effective structures and processes to implement the five – year Title III grant program	Bennie Moses-Mesubed, Project Director & All Team Leaders
Academic Advising Structure	Strengthen advising structure with additional staffing and training for all advising staff to ensure quality, consistency, and adherence to best practices.	Dr. Peter Geissinger, Interim Provost & VP for Academic Affairs & Sam McCumber, Director of Academic Advising
Co-Requisite Math	Implement successful components of Co–requisite writing courses, including assessments, additional staffing, and launch of full co – requisite program.	Dr. Peter Geissinger, Interim Provost & VP for Academic Affairs Dr. Darren Dutto, Dean of STM & Health Sciences
Co-Requisite Writing	Implement successful components of Co–requisite writing including assessments, additional staffing, and launch of full co – requisite program.	Nate Lowe, Dean of CAHSS Dr. Cori Brewster, English/Writing Professor
Experiential Learning	Establish Experiential Learning Program with investment in staffing, faculty engagement, and virtual tools.	Dr. Peter Geissinger, Interim Provost & VP for Academic Affairs Colleen Cascio, Interim VP of Student Affairs
First Year Experience	Bolster existing First Year Seminar into a First Year Experience by expanding staffing, programming, and training for faculty.	Dr. Cori Brewster, First Year Experience Coordinator Nate Lowe, Dean of CAHSS Mollie Rockafellow, Vice President of Student Affairs
Systems & Curriculum Software	Improve student time to graduation by revising course scheduling with the purchase, implementation, and training on catalog and curriculum software and scheduling software.	Emily Sharratt, Registrar
Sense of Belonging	Promote a sense of belonging by providing additional supports to historically marginalized students.	Bennie Moses-Mesubed, AVP of Strategic Equity Initiatives T Gallegos, Retention Coordinator