One is an overhaul of the university’s office of student
retention, renamed the Office of Undergraduate Student Success, which includes
a reinvigorated focus on promoting academic excellence and advising transfer
students. Using a new software program to identify struggling students, two new
directors and a coordinator of financial advisement are charged with
proactively reaching out to those students to offer targeted services.
FAMU’s efforts to ramp up student engagement also include a renewed spotlight on first-year and second-year experience courses, which teach students about opportunities to study abroad and connect with mentorships and internships.
In addition, the university is revamping its “living and
learning communities,” which offer students the opportunity to live in dorms
with other students of the same major. Those students then have the opportunity
for field trips, group lunches, and additional interaction with their
professors.
Gov. Rick Scott has proposed to spend $400M in performance
funding in 2015-2016, following $200M last year.
“By making strategic investments, our universities can raise
the bar for themselves and ensure that our students have rewarding
opportunities in this state,” said State University System of Florida Chancellor
Marshall Criser III.