College will launch Academic Services Center to aid engagement and degree completion.

Hilbert College has received a five-year $2.2 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education—the largest grant in the college’s history—aimed at bolstering student engagement and degree completion for all undergraduates.

Hilbert will use the Strengthening Institutions Program grant to establish and staff an Academic Services Center (ASC) that will focus on implementing high-impact student engagement and support practices and strengthening existing programming to improve retention and degree completion.

“Building upon our emphasis on first year initiatives, this transformational grant will give us the critical resources to support our students with professional and program development throughout their time at Hilbert,” said Hilbert College President Dr. Michael S. Brophy. “In keeping with our mission and vision, the college has traditionally enrolled a large number of underserved and first-generation students, and this grant will help us reinforce and expand our efforts to maximize their retention and success.”

Through this grant, Hilbert will be able to provide coordinated academic planning and support for students through all four years of a traditional undergraduate degree.  The launch of the Academic Services Center will build on Hilbert’s recent investments and progress in increasing student participation in Learning Communities and Service Learning, which also will benefit from additional resources through the five-year grant.

Hilbert has a strong educational partnership with Buffalo Public Schools and the Say Yes Buffalo program, in addition to welcoming students in the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and the Liberty Partnership Program (LPP). The college’s commitment to providing access to underrepresented populations and at-risk youth has grown tremendously, and these additional resources will have a significant impact on the success of students in these programs.

“Hilbert is building an environment of prevention and intervention to surround students with individualized services and engagement practices that sends the message you can succeed in college,” said Brophy. “We’re making a commitment to our students with the goal that they will in turn make the commitment to stay in college, graduate, and succeed in their career and life.”

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