Delta State has been awarded a more than $2 million grant to fund its Destination Graduation program amid financial difficulties the university is currently facing.
Destination Graduation is a program to help current undergraduate and graduate students overcome barriers to continued enrollment and persist to graduation.
The funds were made available through the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Strengthening Institutions grant which will be allocated to the DSU Student Success Center over the next 5 years, funding 100 percent of Destination Graduation operations.
“I want to thank the staff of the Student Success Center for their hard work and dedication in obtaining this grant, which will directly translate into increased opportunities for our students,” DSU President Dr. Dan Ennis said. “This kind of initiative and commitment to Delta State is the type of thing that assures me we are positioned to make great strides forward in the coming years.”
Activity objectives for Destination Graduation aimed at increasing retention and reducing stop-outs include student support services such as summer bridge, supplemental instruction, tutoring, and increasing access and awareness of financial aid opportunities for DSU.
These interventions are ongoing at DSU, and this funding will strengthen these programs by providing supplemental instructors, interns, and staff entirely devoted to the programs.
Dr. Leslie Griffin asserts that the grant will provide the support necessary for students to experience success and persist along the pathway to graduation — “In reaching this destination, their potential for future career and life successes is greatly enhanced.”
The news of the latest grant comes as Delta State continues to struggle with both enrollment and financial issues. Ennis, while working to implement a plan toward a “sustainable future,” may possibly have to resort to faculty layoffs, salary cuts, and even department cuts to keep the university afloat.
