The 2011-2012 academic year began with the Ferris community focusing its attention squarely on the retention, success, and matriculation of the students who grace our classrooms, residence halls, library, and other learning, living, and meeting spaces throughout the University and community.
The opening day of the new academic year was designated a Retention Summit, an event hosted by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
and Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. As a community of scholars and educators
who strive, per our Vision Statement, to create a “stimulating, student-centered academic
environment that fosters life-long engagement, leadership, citizenship, and continuing
intellectual development,” the Retention Summit provided the Ferris community an opportunity to increase and strengthen its knowledge
and skills to achieve this vision. The Retention Summit also afforded the Ferris community the opportunity to develop new approaches for
closing the gap in graduation rates and other measures of student success at the University.
The Focus on Student Success Grants Program, which was launched in August 2010, remains a timely and important opportunity for faculty and staff to conceive of and pursue innovative projects that have the potential to improve retention and graduation rates at the University.
As in the previous academic year, a pool of $35,000 was established by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning to support the Focus on Student Success Grants Program. All current Ferris State University faculty and staff are invited to submit proposals; faculty engagement in any proposal is strongly encouraged.
