Image

UMass Amherst has received a three-year, $2.3 million grant to expand campuswide student success initiatives focused on helping transfer and first-year students navigate their transition to UMass Amherst and connect early academic experiences to career pathways and readiness, the Office of the Provost announced. 

Farshid Hajir, senior vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, is overseeing the multiphase initiative, which launched two years ago with the award of a $1.5 million grant from the same private donor.

“When we look at student success and retention data, we can identify points in the educational journey when students are likely to struggle or face uncertainty. We can make a tremendous difference for our students when we give them timely extra support at these critical moments, such as professional academic advising, peer mentoring, or career counseling,” Hajir said. “Our first grant has allowed us to implement strategic interventions that are already paying off for our students, and we are eager to build on that work.” 

The second phase of the initiative, titled “Career and Academic Success Transitions (CAST),” is a three-year effort bringing together three areas of student success work: supporting transfer students, which includes increasing numbers of students from our community college partners; expanding early college and experiential learning opportunities in the region with a special focus on the Springfield community; and strengthening career pathways and preparation throughout the undergraduate experience. 

Allison Butler, Department of Communication associate chair and senior lecturer who serves as CAST project manager, said, “I’m really excited for this opportunity to work across the university as we implement this initiative. I think our colleagues who are working on these projects have the opportunity to do something pretty incredible for our students.” 

Hajir is especially appreciative of the opportunity to demonstrate the impact of these cross-campus initiatives. “I want to thank not only the campus leaders in academic affairs who are spearheading this effort but also our colleagues in Student Affairs and Campus Life whose collaboration and matching funds in support of the grant activities represent a major contribution toward our strategies for holistic student success,” Hajir said. 

Each project will include assessment of student outcomes, feedback and program progress throughout the three-year grant period. The results will help the university identify areas for improvement, measure the effectiveness of the projects, and inform future investments in student success. 

“The UMass Amherst strategic plan challenges us to be innovative in our efforts to help more students reach their full academic and professional goals. This grant will allow us to make significant progress on implementing evidence-based changes and significant additions to our student supports,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, who co-leads CAST with Hajir. “The investment reflects the life-changing power of a UMass Amherst education on our students, their families, and our broader community.”

“The CAST initiative will bring real-world, concrete opportunities to our students,” Butler said. “Their résumés, their career readiness, and their academic confidence will grow exponentially from this.” 

Hajir adds, “We’re grateful to our donor for this important support. We are all very excited to help current students, all while developing data-driven student success strategies that will impact generations of future students.”