Press Release:
South Seattle Community College has been awarded a five-year, $1.99 million Strengthening Institutions Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The Title III-Part A grant will enable the college to continue and expand efforts to improve student progression to graduation/completion. The grant focuses particularly on strategies to achieve the critical 45-credit momentum benchmark, which has proven to be a strong indicator of eventual graduation.

Funds will be utilized to address four major components:

Transform and strengthen vital student support services to assist underserved, first-generation, multi-ethnic students to successfully bridge into college and to maintain critical momentum and progression through their educational goals.
Improve delivery methods in developmental English/writing and math to improve student progression to college-level courses.
Strengthen transition services moving from noncredit education to credit developmental or college-level coursework.
Professional development for faculty and staff to improve educational and cultural skills in working with large populations of first-generation, immigrant, and ethnically diverse students.

“The Title III resources will strengthen critical pathways to success,” said South Seattle Community College President Gary Oertli. “And ultimately, the best practices generated from this grant will provide models to support retention, transfer, and graduation rates.”

Since September 2009, the college has generated more than $4.5 million in grants. This includes a five-year, $1.5 million renewal of the federal TRiO-Student Support Services (SSS) grant that supports a comprehensive array of intensive academic services to low-income, first-generation, or disabled college students.