July 3, 2012 — Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education has announced that Project Graduate has won a major national award from Noel-Levitz for developing one of the “most successful, state-of-the-art retention programs in use today.”
The program is Kentucky’s collaborative effort with public universities to recruit, retain and graduate former students with 80 or more credit hours but no bachelor’s degree. It offers a smooth transition and high-touch student services and incentives for busy, working adults who want to complete their degree.
“Each year these awards recognize the most successful, state-of-the-art retention programs in use today,” said Tim Culver, vice president of Noel-Levitz. “This year’s honorees have made great strides in student retention, and we are pleased to recognize them for these efforts. The winners demonstrated measurable institutional outcomes, originality and creativity, as well as excellent use of resources and adaptability for use at other institutions.”
Project Graduate was launched by campuses in the spring term of 2008. As of spring 2011, 605 former students had earned their bachelor’s degrees through the program, and another 651 adults were enrolled in fall 2011.
“Project Graduate is a widely respected returning adult learner initiative that is improving the quality of lives of our former students and their families, increasing the quality of Kentucky’s workforce, and helping raise educational attainment levels across the Commonwealth,” said Bob King, CPE president.
The Retention Excellence Awards Program was established by Noel-Levitz in 1989 to honor outstanding achievements in student retention by colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. Winners are selected by leading campus-based retention practitioners.
Winners will be recognized at this year’s National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing and Retention, July 24-26, in Chicago.
