Fiscal Year 2024 Strategic Innovation Funded Projects

Project Lead: Jessica Clark

Funds Awarded: $96,250

Project Summary: This initiative will form a partnership with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), a recognized organization dedicated to improving student success through the implementation of evidence-based, inclusive teaching practices. The proposal will introduce ACUE's Effective Teaching Practices to 60 faculty who will participate in the yearlong training beginning in January 2024 (Spring ’24-Fall ’24). This program focuses on a curriculum that addresses 25 essential core competencies for effective teaching. ACUE’s modular courses are delivered online, through a research-based learning design that is certified by Quality Matters. In every course module, cohorts of faculty learn about, implement, and reflect on their use of evidence-based teaching practices which have been shown to improve student engagement, retention, completion, and learning. Faculty who satisfy ACUE course requirements earn the only nationally recognized credential in effective college instruction endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE). Substantial data validates that students exhibit higher engagement, enhanced learning outcomes, and increased course completion rates when instructed by faculty holding ACUE credentials. These outcomes are particularly pronounced for historically marginalized student groups.

This investment in faculty training is poised to deliver a substantial return on investment (ROI) in the future. This investment will have a direct impact, benefiting an estimated 1,440 unique students within the first year, and is expected to result in the retention of 43 students in year 1, which will lead to an additional tuition revenue of $432,000 in just one year. Projections indicate that the tuition revenue from increased student retention will continue to grow over the next three years, reaching an estimated $1,170,720. This underscores the long-term sustainability and substantial financial benefits of ongoing investment in faculty development through ACUE.

Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

• ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
• ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
• ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
• ☒ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

• ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• ✓ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
• ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
• ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
• ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
• ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
• ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
• ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

Project Lead: Dr. Margaret Sebastian

Funds Awarded: $8,500

Project Summary: TIn February 2024, Salisbury University hosted the First Annual Eastern Shore First Generation College Celebration, a collaborative effort between multiple educational institutions, including Salisbury University, Wor-Wic Community College, Chesapeake College, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The event's peer-led workshops, facilitated by current college students, offer unique perspectives and relatable guidance to prospective students. Moreover, the event prioritizes admissions and transfer information, recognizing the importance of a seamless transition to higher education. This innovative celebration not only fosters connections and supports first-generation and TRIO-eligible students but also sets a precedent for inter-institutional collaboration in the pursuit of educational equity. Mike Pittman from the Smart Money academy was the keynote speaker at this event. Mr. Pittman is a former TRIO graduate (Upward Bound & Student Support Services) and provided financial literacy training to over 50 students during this seminar. Students were also provided with online modules to complete following the event to provide additional support and training in the area of financial literacy.

Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

• ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
• ☒ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
• ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
• ✓ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

• ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• ☒ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
• ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
• ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
• ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
• ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
• ☒ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
• ☒ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

Project Lead: Vanice Antrum

Funds Awarded: $65,000

Project Summary: The First Gen Sea Gull Scholars (FGSGS) Program centers on an effort to increase recruitment, retention, and graduation of first-generation students at Salisbury University. This will be SU’s first programmatic commitment to supporting ALL first-generation students and will include current first-generation students with a focus on the class of 2027 as a targeted population.

This program will foster collaboration to ensure access, success, and celebration for first-generation college students as they navigate the higher education landscape. The committee has developed a program model based on research, resources, and personal experience. Students will begin using the “milestone checklist” that, once completed, will help introduce and reinforce connections with faculty/staff, campus resources, and community engagement. Another part of the initiative is "First-Gen Fridays" in which seminars that highlight skills and resources that FGSGS can add to their success toolboxes will be held. Lastly the FGSGS will host First-Generation Week in November 2024 which consists of a week full of events centered on celebrating the First-Gen Identity. The First Gen Sub Group will continue to work with our colleagues in Enrollment Management and University Analysis, Reporting, and Assessment to ensure long term data regarding the impact of this program and the population of first-generation students on our campus is recorded and analyzed.

Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

• ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
• ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
• ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
• ✓ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

• ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• ☒ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
• ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
• ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
• ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
• ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
• ☒ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
• ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

Project Lead: Wendy Jin

Funds Awarded: $5,000

Project Summary: Centering on probation students who have returned to good academic standing, this project will investigate how students are able to get off academic probation and whether retention gaps exist with respect to demographic and socioeconomic factors. Based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, Pathways to Progress will advance SU’s knowledge of students on academic probation and generate insights into administrative practices. The results will enrich student development, support academic success, and cultivate a sense of belonging for SU students.

The retention rate of students on probation is significantly lower than the average. This project will deepen SU’s knowledge of probation students and help identify interdisciplinary opportunities between academic services and academic departments to enrich student development.

Projects funds will go towards software acquisition, survey and data tracking tools, and conference resources.

Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

• ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
• ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
• ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
• ☒ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

• ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• ☒ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
• ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
• ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
• ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
• ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
• ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
• ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

Project Lead: Michelle Pryor

Funds Awarded: $11,500

Project Summary: Annual Giving will use Strategic Innovation Funds to leverage as matching gifts for campus Flash Fundraisers. The Flash Fundraisers are 24-hour challenges that encourage all of an organization's supporters and alumni to give back in support of an identified need. This is an initiative Annual Giving has been using to great success and will use Strategic Innovation Funds to increase efforts.

Suggested fundraisers will benefit:

• The Center for Student Achievement (CSA)
• The Office of Diversity & Inclusion
• The Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office (SNCFO)
• Graduate Studies & Research (GSR)

• The Clarke Honors College

The funds requested will be separated into five $2,000 matching gifts and used in Flash Fundraisers to encourage additional gifts to the causes selected. Additional money will be used to market these fundraisers with social media advertisements, texting campaigns, and postcard mailings. When a match is fulfilled, the money is doubled and so is the impact of the funds. These fundraisers will help establish an invested base of donors who can be engaged and solicited in the future resulting in sustainable giving to the programs.

Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

• ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
• ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
• ☒ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
• ✓ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

• ✓ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• ✓ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
• ☒ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
• ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
• ☒ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
• ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
• ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
• ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

Project Lead: Rachael Faust

Funds Awarded: $15,000

Project Summary: To support environmental sustainability and student access and resources, the Strategic Innovation Fund is investing in a secondhand shop for SU community members. The shop, Sammy’s Stash, will be a store where people can donate gently used items made available for free to any SU student or employee, regardless of their financial situation. Common items that are anticipated are gently used clothing, small appliances (toaster, microwave, coffee maker, etc.), kitchenware, room accessories, houseware items, unused school supplies, and more.

Sammy’s Stash would build on the established Give & Go Stations across campus. This initiative, run collaboratively with the Recycling Department and Housing & Residence Life will be a primary source of donations to furnish the store. The secondhand shop would minimize waste produced by the SU community, allowing for items that would generally be discarded to find a new use. It is anticipated that Sammy’s Stash would become a great resource for SU’s international students and faculty who travel to Salisbury with limited belongings and typically have to purchase many new products once they arrive in the area.

Projects funds will go towards remodeling a space on campus to house Sammy’s Stash and make it ready for appointments.

Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

• ☒ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
• ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
• ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
• ☒ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

• ✓ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• ✓ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
• ☒ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
• ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
• ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
• ☒ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
• ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
• ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.