Nearly 100 students have been readmitted to Metro State thanks to recruitment efforts funded by $25,000 grant from the Department of Higher Education (DHE).

In March, Metro State learned that it received the grant from DHE to help re-enroll adults who have attended Metro State but did not complete their degrees. The College launched a recruitment campaign targeting “ready adults” who attended Metro State, but for one reason or another did not graduate. The DHE identified 2,300 students who, since 2002, had earned at least 90 credit hours and had left Metro State. Of these, the College originally targeted 75.

Through various marketing efforts, former students were invited to return and complete their degrees, with support from the Center for Individualized Learning, and possibly through the Individualized Degree Program (IDP).

As of their last report to the DHE on Sept. 1, the IDP programs had readmitted 96 students. Of that 27 are actively enrolled, and others are planning to re-enroll in the spring semester. Additional students have not yet been readmitted but are working with staff to plan their degree completion.

“Our outreach to students is getting a positive reaction, says to Director of the Center for Individualized Learning Elizabeth Parmelee, who wrote the grant proposal. “When we first contacted them, we were getting ‘so glad you called or we got the postcard.’ ”

She says the reasons why these students “stopped out” ranges from finances to child rearing to illness. She says they are finding that they had less to do then they thought. In fact, Parmelee noted that one of her favorite experiences with the program involves a student who graduated within a week of talking to her office. He was out of school for four years because he thought he had more classes to take. After reviewing his information “we found that he only needed to declare his minor. We completed the paperwork and he officially graduated that same semester.”

As they work with current students, the IDP staff is working to continue the funding for the program. According to Parmelee, the current grant ends in December, however, stimulus funds will extend the program through June 2010. She notes that DHE is also applying for new funding, and has written the College into their proposal to not only continue their program, but to mentor another institution.

Additional funding would support the part-time, re-entry coordinator position, currently held by Anders Minter. “Kudos to Anders Minter,” says Parmelee. “He has a way of getting them psyched up to come back.”

It would also help to develop a better Web resource to create one-stop shop for returning students.

To read the original story on the College receiving the DHE grant, go to http://www.mscd.edu/~collcom/artman/publish/dhegrant_twv6030409.shtml.