Project Success

A student’s Project Success Entourage consists of a peer mentor, who is an upper-class Project Success student, an Academic Advisor/Coach/Instructor, a Community Support Specialist, two Programming and Support Coordinators, and the Program Director all of who are there to provide support, guidance, and problem-solving for the students from day one through graduation. Below is a brief description of how each role supports the student:

• Peer Mentor: An upper-class Project Success student who meets with the students throughout their first year to be a sounding board, friend, and guide throughout their transition from high school to college.  
• Academic Advisor who is their primary support person on campus.  If students have any question and do not know where to start, they can go to their Academic Advisor who will help them figure it out. 
• UC110 Instructor:  Each Project Success student takes an “How to College” class that help them connect to other Project Success students and learn success skills.  The instructor of this class is their primary support in their first semester because they are with them each week and can serve as a referral or support system each week.
• Social Ambassador:  Finding a sense of belonging in college is ESSENTIAL for success.  Some students find this easier than others so we have a team of Social Ambassadors who attend all events and support students’ social adjustment to ISU.
• Triage and Support Coordinator: Many of our students who struggle do so due to non-academic concerns such as financial constraints, illness, illness/death of a family member, or mental health, among others. The Triage Support Coordinator works to help students navigate these outside barriers through targeted outreach, coordinating transition course instruction to meet student needs, and leading triage and follow-up initiatives with campus and community partners. 
• Programming and Support Coordinators: These people focus on the social and belonging needs of students by creating programming to support connections between students and with faculty and staff.      In addition, they participate as part of the triage team. 
• The director coordinates the team and serves as the primary advocate for the student.

All Project Success students take a UC 110 class for Project Success.  The purpose of this class is to help students build relationships with their peers and instructors while they learn academic and life skills that will serve them all four years at ISU and beyond. 

• Students are placed in their UC 110 course based on their major so they can start getting to know students with similar academic interests with themselves. 
• The course is taught by their academic advisor, or an advisor who specializes in their major so they have a direct link each week to a specialist in their major. 
• The course focuses on the social, academic, and general differences between high school and college and teaches students how to navigate those differences. 
• NOTE:  Students in Project Success may opt to be in ISUCCEED, LEAD, or IGNITE as a living learning community and will take those sections of UC 110 instead of the Project Success section.  (Students have to sign up for these programs and should notify their advisor at registration that they are in one of these programs). 

One of the primary functions of Project Success is to proactively reach out to students when we know they are struggling.  We understand how difficult it is for students to ask for help and sometimes to even trust someone in an authority role, so we do not wait for students to come to us, we seek them out.  Below are a few ways in which we proactively reach out to students: 

• The first two weeks of classes, we aggressively reach out to students who miss their UC 110.  The first two weeks are essential for students to start the semester strong.  When students miss in the first two weeks it’s typically a larger issue such as homesickness, imposter syndrome, or they have no idea where to go.  We quickly reach out to address these issues. 
• Books and Materials.  We do a lot at the beginning of each semester to make sure students have everything they need.  If they have completely exhausted their financial aid and loans and still do not have all of their books/materials we find ways to help them acquire the required materials. 
• Weekly UC 110 check-ins – each week in their UC 110 students will do a check-in with their instructor.  If they are not in attendance, or their instructor thinks they need additional assistance or support, we reach out to check on the student.  Sometimes that is just a one time meeting, sometimes we connect them with resources, and sometimes we require mentoring or additional follow-up just to help them get and stay on track. 
• Interim(mid-term) Grades.  Their academic advisor will reach out to them about their grades at interim.  We also reach out to anyone who is struggling at mid-terms in any one class or all classes.  The first semester is such a huge adjustment and often students under estimate how challenging it will be and over-estimate their ability to cope.      We reach out and help them develop a plan to get back on track, connect them with learning coaches, tutors, etc. 

Academic success is only one part of the college success puzzle.  Students can study anywhere, it’s their sense of how they fit in here and if they feel like they belong here that really makes or breaks their education.  We put a lot of focus into creating a sense of pride and belonging in Project Success. Some ways we do this are below: 

• Monthly Programming
  • Family Day
  • Spookeyfest
  • Doggos and Dragons
  • Luxioiurous Luau
  • The Ball of the Season
  • Board Game Nights
  • Scholarship Essay Writing Workshops
  • Arts & Craft Nights
  • Project Success Karaoke
  • Self-Care and De-Stress events
  • And many more
• Awards Ceremonies
  • Persistence in Excellence Ceremonies (Sept/Jan)
  • From Promise to Excellence: A Senior Recognition Ceremony (April/Dec) 
• Service Learning Trips
  • Ireland
  • Ghana

Project Success also offers a variety of scholarships to help students financially while at State. 

The types of scholarships we offer are below:

• Study Abroad/Research Scholarships: this allows students who traditionally would not otherwise have an opportunity to study abroad to take advantage of this life-changing experience by assisting in funding their trip. 
• Internship Scholarships:  This is to support students who need additional assistance while working at an internship. 
• Bridge the Gap Scholarships: Each semester we have students who, for some reason or other, cannot pay off their bill to register for the next semester. We offer small scholarships to assist them so that they can continue their education.

Project Success welcomes the involvement of Alumni! Whether it is by donating to one of our scholarships or giving of time, our students interact with Alumni in a variety of ways. We have hosted luncheons, speaking events, networking opportunities, or just meeting with a few students to tell teir story. Our philosophy is that students need to see people who are like themselves who have made it across that stage. We welcome anyone who wants to tell their story, successes and failures, to our students because that connection and the relationships they build are what will keep them moving forward toward graduation. 

Project Success is about building relationships with a network of people that offer support and guidance.