Harris-Stowe State University News August 30, 3013 Harris-Stowe Selected to Participate in the Missouri Completion Academy Harris-Stowe State University will join nine other state colleges and universities at the Missouri Completion Academy (MCA) September 10-11, 2013, in St. Louis. The goal of the MCA is to increase degree completion and improve the effectiveness of remediation in higher education. It is organized by the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) and supported in part by funding from Complete College America (CCA). Established in 2009, CCA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to working with states to significantly increase the number of Americans with quality career certificates or college degrees and to close attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented populations. In May of 2013, state schools were invited to contend for a spot in the academy through an application process that required institutions to submit a self-assessment of current remediation strategies and overall degree-completion goals and challenges, in addition to demonstrating their commitment and ability to use data to devise effective strategies for improvement and measure of successes. In June HSSU was notified that its application was selected as one of the institutions to participate in the academy along with East Central College; Jefferson College; Linn State Technical College; Metropolitan Community College; Moberly Area Community College; Northwest Missouri State University; Southeast Missouri State University; and St. Louis Community College. The MCA, comprised of teams of college/university presidents, vice presidents and directors, will develop concrete action plans to implement at their institutions. HSSU’s team will be represented by Interim President Constance Gully; Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Dwyane Smith; Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michelle McClure; Dean of the Anheuser-Busch School of Business Dr. Fara Zakery; Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management LaShanda Boone; Vice President for Strategic Planning and IT Services James Fogt; Anne Grice, director of the Center for Retention and Student Success; and Meaghan Effan, coordinator of Institutional Research. During the two-day intensive sessions, HSSU will work with experts from CCA to design effective strategies by focusing on data pertaining to remediation, gateway course success, retention, course completion, time to degree and other metrics to find the best leverage points to improve completion rates. After the academy concludes, participants will be given opportunities in subsequent months to discuss progress. Degree attainment along with costs associated with going to college are among the most visible issues in higher education today. By competing for and participating in CCA programs, HSSU demonstrates campus leaders are involved in developing solutions to this national problem. For more information about the MDHE visit http://www.dhe.mo.gov/. For more information about CCA visit http://completecollege.org/. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org><mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/><http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/><http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.