Alcorn StAte UniverSity

Accelerated Academic Success Program Grant Overview

Where Knowledge and Character Matter

ALCORN

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Alcorn AASP Initiatives & Programs

A BRAVE HISTORYAlcorn is the oldest public historically black land-grant institution in the United States and the second-oldest state supported institution of higher learning in Mississippi. Alcorn University was founded in 1871 to educate the descendants of formerly enslaved Africans. It was named in honor of the sitting governor of Mississippi, James L. Alcorn.

Today, Alcorn is a premier comprehensive land-grant university that develops diverse students into globally competitive leaders, and applies scientific research through collab-orative partnerships that benefit the surrounding communities, state, nation and world.

FOUR-FOR-FORTY INITIATIVES Alcorn State University’s Four-for-Forty initiative was developed to enhance the academ-ic outcomes of student-athletes while providing a holistic learning experience that will prepare them for the next forty years of their lives.

The construction of this initiative is grounded by the critical issues identified in the University’s current improvement plan; coupled with data received from coaches and student-athlete surveys.

The expected outcomes of the initiative are to increase team Academic Progress Rates (APR), increase Graduation Success Rates (GSR), increase Federal Graduation Rates, to be on par with or above the national average, and to increase team and department grade point averages plus credit hours earned.

• DegreeCompletionE-mentorshipprogramdevelopedtoassiststudent-athletes who have exhausted eligibility with completing degree requirements.

• TheOAAEstaffingcomponentoftheprogrammingisintendedtoincrease the number of full-time staffing available to assist the coach and student-athlete population.

• Inpartnershipwiththeinstitution’spre-professionalprogram,the DepartmentofAthleticshascreatedapre-professionalprogram(TrackI and II) that will allow student-athletes the opportunity to participate in programming that will essentially advance their matriculation toward graduation and provide them with specific programming throughout the academic year to identify and/or advance their professional career.

• CreativeLearningSpaceandMobileClassroominitiativewillallow student-athletes to access online courses and receive remote tutoring while travelingtoandfromcompetition.TheCreativeLearningSpacewillbean area for student-athletes that is conducive to being innovative and creative.

• FirstYearProgramforStudent-Athletes—Theprogrammingusedinthis initiative will afford the institution the opportunity to address the lost retention points and eligibility points for student-athletes leaving the institution at the end of their first semester and/or first year of full-time enrollment.

Four-for-Forty supports two pre-professional academic tracks: those with GPAs 3.0 and higher and those who have not reached that marker. Both tracks encourage students to structure their courses and goals to graduate within 3.5 years. Accelerating graduation dates makes it more likely that those who pursue professional sports careers will earn degrees before leaving college.

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TRACK IIn partnershipwith the institution’s pre-professional program, theDepartment of Athletics has created a pre-professional program that will allow student-athletes with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, the opportunity to participate in programming that will essentially advance their matriculation toward graduation and provide them with specific programming throughout the academic year to advance their professional career.

To support Track I athletes’ success, Alcorn will: • Recruitmoreacademicallytalentedstudents •Encouragestudentstoincreaseclassenrollmentfromthecurrentaverageof 30 hours per year to 33 hours a year to accelerate graduation by a semester •Payforupto15hoursofsummerschool •ProvideadditionalsupportthroughtheOfficeofPre-Professionaland HonorsCurriculumPrograms

TRACK IIThis program will be geared toward incoming and continuing student-athletes that may not have selected a career path and have below a 3.0 GPA. The programming is this track will help student-athletes to identify a career path and goals. This track will also be required by all at-risk student-athletes the summer prior to full-time enrollment.

To support Track II athletes’ success, Alcorn will: •Requireacademicallyat-riskathletestoenrollinTrackIIthesummerbefore full-time enrollment •Payforupto15hoursofsummerschool •Encouragestudentstoincreaseclassenrollmentfromthecurrentaverageof 30 hours per year to 33 hours a year to accelerate graduation by a semester •Requirenumerousavenuesofprofessionalgoalsetting,includingcareer- development seminars and pairing with a career mentor