NCICU has been fortunate to receive a number of grants over the years that have provided programming that benefited students. Current grant-funded initiatives include:
Transfer Pathways Grant – NCICU has just completed four years of a $400,000 CIC grant from the Teagle Foundation for a project to develop private college pathways in North Carolina which can be used as a model in other states. Fourteen NCICU institutions are paired with 14 two-year colleges, to develop pathways in in Psychology and Sociology. (More)
Digital Learning Initiative – In 2018, NCICU and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) entered into an agreement “to develop and implement a comprehensive professional development strategy and solution for teachers and for students in educator preparation programs for the use of technology and digital resources as teaching tools for K-12 students.” This agreement has been extended a number of times, allowing the NCICU DLI Work Group to continue to meet regularly to collaborate on aspects of the professional development strategy with digital learning partners, DPI, Friday Institute, and The University of North Carolina. Learn more about the Digital Learning Initiative.
SAS – The NCICU/SAS® Software Grant is an annually renewable software offering provided by SAS® as an in-kind gift to all North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities to help maximize cost-savings at the institution level. The grant includes software and publications, as well as allotted training hours that replenish once a year. The initiative continues to grow in the number of institutions receiving the software and the amount of software licensed.
The John M. Belk Endowment donated $50,000 to NCICU to provide additional staff support for NCICU’s work to help NCICU campuses address challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
iBELONG Mentoring Program – NCICU’s iBELONG Mentoring Program is designed to increase persistence, retention and/or graduation rates of at-risk students on campus through mentoring, coaching, and forums in which students can explore various career opportunities. NCICU received a $27,500 from the Council of Independent Colleges, which was matched, in large part by the VF Foundation, for a total of $55,000. Following the success of the first year of the program, NCICU sought additional funding to expand the program.
Faculty-Student STEM Mentoring Program – NCICU received funding to implement a three-year program that will seek to improve student retention and graduation rates among first generation college students, women, and students of color majoring in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). Twelve of North Carolina’s private, nonprofit colleges and universities will be invited to participate in the program, including the five historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). A total of $280,750 has been provided by the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, the Council of Independent Colleges, and the Albemarle Foundation. (more)
Science of Reading – The Goodnight Educational Foundation has awarded NCICU $1 million over two years to support the implementation of the Science of Reading initiative into the curriculum for teacher education students. (more)
SLDS Implementation Grant – The State Office of Budget Management approved $750,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for NCICU to implement the State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). NCICU has been a partner in the SLDS since 2009, when the NCICU Board endorsed the system. NCICU has since participated in a multi-year federal grant to develop the state’s SLDS. The goal of the project is to have better longitudinal education and workforce data available, including for policy makers, as they make decisions about the needs and funding for education from pre-K into the workforce. In February, Governor Roy Cooper signed an Executive Order creating a Governance Board for the system, on which NCICU President Hope Williams will serve.
