Southwest Tennessee Community College Receives THEC Funding for Saluqi Success Pathway Program

For more information, contact:
Robert Jackson
Communications Project Coordinator
901-333-4116
rjackson@southwest.tn.edu

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has awarded nearly $800,000 in Tennessee Promise Forward grants to Southwest Tennessee Community College and four other community colleges in Tennessee to develop and expand innovative student success and retention programs. The grants are designed to boost the number of Tennessee Promise students earning a post-secondary credential through enhanced academic advising and robust community engagement and programming.

THEC awarded Southwest $140,000 for Saluqi Success Pathway, a model program launched this fall that provides students with hands-on mentors to keep them on track. Across our state’s community colleges, great work is being done to ensure that the students who begin college with the Tennessee Promise go on to earn a credential, said Mike Krause, Executive Director of THEC. Tennessee Promise Forward grants provide community colleges with the opportunity to expand successful programs and develop innovative student supports. From parent engagement pilots to service learning, THEC is excited to see the impact that this year’s Tennessee Promise Forward grants have on student success.

We are pleased and proud to be chosen to receive THEC funding for Saluqi Success Pathway, Southwest Tennessee Community College President Tracy Hall said. Although we awarded 20 percent more credentials overall this past May, our goal is to help even more Tennessee Promise students earn a credential, whether it’s a degree or certificate.

Southwest Executive Director of Retention and Student Success Dr. Jacqueline S. Taylor says Saluqi Success Pathway or SSP is grounded in best-practice research that identifies consistent engagement as the key to student success. We developed SSP with one goal in mind: To offer intentional support that helps students smoothly transition from high school to college and steadily progress towards the completion of a Saluqi education, Taylor said. With SSP, Southwest students benefit from enhanced communication with their advisors through texting and early academic intervention alerts, specially designated spaces where they can engage with one another and study, a series of success workshops and access to success coaches who mentor them throughout their matriculation and help them chart a path to the commencement stage.

Businesses and community leaders may also support SSP. Contact Dr. Taylor at jstaylor@southwest.tn.edu or 901-333-4265 for more information.