Title III: Strengthening Institutions Program

Highline College Title III

In October 2021, Highline College was awarded a 5 year, $2.2 million Title III Part A Strengthening Institutions (SIP) grant by the Department of Education. The grant supports the overall programs and projects of Highline College with specific focus on closing equity gaps in courses and program completions. The goals and strategies of Title III align with Highline’s Strategic Plan for Equitable Student Success.

Title III Contacts:

Jennifer Johnston
Title III Director
(206) 592-3505
jjohnston@highline.edu

Juli Hammond
Administrator
jhammond@highline.edu

Location:
Building 12, Room 121

Title III SIP Strategies
Strategy 1: Implement course specific supports to increase pass rates, retention, and graduation.
Embed high impact practices in gateway courses (tutor-mentors, in-class advising, equity & inclusion practices) Implement course-specific Academic Excellence workshops (AEWs) topics and study groups Join e-Tutoring consortium to provide additional online tutoring Infuse work-based learning and employability-related opportunities in pathways
Strategy 2: Increase Campus Data Capacity to support decision-making in closing equity gaps
Enhance data infrastructure (increase capacity to analyze data for equity impacts to support timely, actionable decision-making Create dashboards to support a culture of data-informed decision-making to help close opportunity and equity gaps
Strategy 3: Redesign the onboarding process to give students a strong start
Hire new entry advisors to provide pre-enrollment advising Provide undecided student support - Explore Highline New Student Orientation - College 101
Strategy 4: Transform advising to increase student momentum and completion in chosen pathway
Implement 4-Phase Advising Model Implement NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) onboarding and advising recommendations to improve student advising
Strategy 5: Implement Comprehensive Professional Development to close equity gaps
Train LTC facilitators in Equity and Inclusion Provide training in data literacy (training in the use of data to address equity gaps)

Title III SIP Objectives
Objective 1: Increase pass rates in sections implementing equity and inclusion practices in 6 degree-required core courses: ENGL& 101, MATH 111, MATH& 146, BIOL& 160, CHEM& 121, PSYC& 100
Increased by 10 percentage points all students and by 20 percentage points for Black and Hispanic students.
Objective 2: Increase pass rates in sections implementing equity and inclusion practices in 5 gateway courses: ACCTG 121, BUS& 101, CSCI 100, HOST100, HSER 101
Increased by 10 percentage points for all students and by 20 percentage points for Black and Hispanic students
Objective 3: The percent of black students completing 30 credits in their first year will increase to 38%, and the percent of Hispanic students completing 30 credits in their first year will increase to 41%.
Objective 4: Retention rates will increase to 51% for all first-time, non-Running Start students.
Objective 5: Full time, first time 6-year graduation rates will increase to 36%.
Objective 6: Newly enrolled students will meet with an entry advisor will increase to 80%.
Objective 7: The number of faculty and staff attending Title III professional development (E&I and data literacy) to close the equity gap will increase to 210.
Objective 8: The number of faculty who have adopted culturally responsive practices (content and pedagogy) will increase to 170.

To support the development work for these strategies, Title III is funding:

Entry Advisors
Equity Strategies Faculty Lead
Faculty stipends to create a Work-based Learning Community
Providing embedded tutor-mentors in targeted gateway courses
Joining the e-Tutor consortium
Faculty development stipends to participate in Communities of Practice for Culturally Responsive Teaching and 4 Connections trainings
Digital Literacy pilot course to address digital equity gaps
Development of a plan to improve service for Highline’s Latinx communities
Professional development for staff to address Title III objectives
Umoja training for service to Black scholars
- Digital Literacy pilot course to address digital equity gaps
- Development of a plan to improve service for Highline’s Latinx communities
- Professional development for staff to address Title III objectives
- Umoja training for service to Black scholars
- Course Level Interventions

Title III will occasionally have funds available for proposals that address the objectives listed above. Priority will be given to proposals addressing Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Feel free to discuss proposals with Title III Director Jennifer Johnston or Faculty Equity Lead Dr. Erich T. Elwin.

Funding Request Form

Title III Annual Progress Report Year One (10/1/21-9/20/22)

Title III is advised by a Steering Committee bringing perspectives connected to the strategies:

Gabrielle Bachmeier, Dean, Organizational Development and Extended Learning
Emily Coates, Director of Institutional Research
Erich T. Elwin, Ph.D, Equity Strategies Faculty Lead
Juli Hammond ,Title III Administrator
Maribel Jimenez Ed.D, Dean for Academic Transfer Pathways and Partnerships
Jennifer Johnston Title III Strengthening Institutions Project Director
Jamilyn Penn, Ed.D., Interim Vice President of Student Services
Emily Lardner Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs
Kareen Maloney, Interim Director for Entry Advising
Lyall Rudenskjold, Academic Success Center Director
Bob Scribner, Learning and Teaching Center Program Manager
Elizabeth Word, Interim Associate Dean for Guided Pathways
Krystal Welch, Director of Cohort Learning Communities
Jesse Knappenberger, Dean for Advising and Enrollment Services

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.