Transformative grants recognize the value of Illinois College
The funds provide support for IC students, faculty and staff in five key areas: academic coaching, co-location of services, technology, professional development and scholarships. IC will receive funds over the next five years.
Funding will support new staff positions to coach students, special resources to aid first-year students and the renovation of Lincoln Hall to create a new technology rich learning HUB on campus. The centralized space will house the Center for Academic Excellence; the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; the Center for Career Readiness and Experiential Learning; the Chesley Health and Wellness Center; the Templeton Counseling Center; and the Writing Center. Plans for the HUB reflect current research in higher education and those practices shown to best serve students. The updated facility is expected to open prior to the start of the fall semester in August 2019.
Dr. Andrew Jones, associate provost and dean of student success, is leading the team that will implement the grant. He says the initiative will have a major impact on the entire learning community.
This grant will support faculty and staff as they help students navigate each step of their journey at Illinois College. Students will feel the impact of the changes as soon as they return to campus in the fall. This initiative will enhance students’ learning experience and provide important resources to help us prepare students to Graduate READY to become leaders in their professions and communities.
The College was also recently awarded a $646,028 Access to Early Research Opportunities in STEM (AERO-STEM) grant by the National Science Foundation.
This grant will provide support for 16 academically-talented, low-income students earning degrees in biology, chemistry, biochemistry and physics starting in the fall. Incoming students across two cohorts will be selected for the program and provided with annual scholarships based on the cost of attendance, typical sources of financial aid and each student’s remaining financial needs.
Illinois College President Barbara A. Farley said she is grateful to the National Science Foundation for recognizing the strength of IC’s innovative STEM programs with the competitive grant.
“This grant speaks to the dedication of the faculty and staff at Illinois College to provide all deserving students with an education that is modern, dynamic and connected to growing opportunities in all 21st-century professions, including those in STEM,” she said.
Grant funds will also advance Illinois College’s efforts toward the recruitment, retention, graduation and career success of these high-achieving students as they prepare for professional success in STEM fields. The grant will provide mentorship programs, student-faculty research opportunities, summer programs, career assistance and access to outside research projects.
Melissa Lamb Pantier ’84 leads the College’s efforts to acquire grant funding as the director of grants and governmental relations. She emphasizes that the areas at IC that are supported by grants are wide-ranging.
According to Pantier, past grants have provided students with hands-on learning opportunities, study abroad and global experiences and have equipped our archives and science labs with cutting-edge equipment and technology that would not be accessible otherwise. She said that the grants not only open doors for students, they also indicate the value of Illinois College.
In the 14 years since establishing its Office of Grants and Governmental Relations, Illinois College has been awarded more than $13 million in federal grants — over $3 million of that total was awarded in fiscal year 2019.
