$2.8M grant funds St. Mary’s University projects to boost graduation rates and a sense of belonging

The grant will fund practices in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and improve the first-year student experience

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded St. Mary’s University more than $2.8 million. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, St. Mary’s will apply the funds to improve the student experience during the first year of study and to implement high-impact practices in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Betsy Smith, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science, will oversee the five-year grant of $2,834,710, which also includes funding to upgrade five classrooms in Reinbolt Hall and create a new computer lab.

“The high-impact practices will include research, internships, study abroad opportunities and experiential learning,” Smith said. “These will give students the real-world skills to apply what they learn in the classroom setting.”

Because student retention after the first year of college sets the stage for the rest of their studies, Smith said St. Mary’s would retool the first-year experience to incorporate mentoring and digital credentialing. Students can use the credentials to demonstrate their achievements in specific skills and add them to their résumés.

For instance, she said that students could earn a digital badge for community engagement that would demonstrate to future employers their skills and experience in that area. Guest speakers selected to reflect the student body at St. Mary’s, especially its Hispanic and first-generation students, will provide lectures and information as students earn credentials.

“We don’t just want our students to graduate,” Smith said. “St. Mary’s wants its students to have a successful post-graduation life. That’s where things like credentialing come in — these badges reinforce the skills that students have that make them competitive and unique in the workforce, and that also reflect the Marianist characteristics of a St. Mary’s education.”

“The high-impact practices will include research, internships, study abroad opportunities and experiential learning. These will give students the real-world skills to apply what they learn in the classroom setting.”

Betsy Smith, Ph.D.

The grant will also help St. Mary’s improve its transfer pathways for students with college credits earned elsewhere, such as in high school or at the Alamo Colleges. Students will be able to apply those credits more seamlessly toward earning their degree at St. Mary’s. This approach especially aims to increase the number of Hispanic students earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the region.

“We are going to create a sense of belongingness for our students that not only helps St. Mary’s retain and graduate them, but also reinforces the importance of serving others.”