STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University is one of just 19 U.S. institutions selected to participate in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Student Success Equity Intensive Cohort.
The program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is designed to close equity gaps for Black, Latinx, indigenous and low-income students.
Participants for the second national cohort were selected through a competitive application process. Tarleton is one of eight Texas universities chosen for the program. Seven of those schools are in The Texas A&M University System.
“We are extremely grateful to the Gates Foundation and AASCU for this opportunity,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “The success of every student has been our core mission for 123 years, and we are relentlessly passionate about it.
“Participation in this program will help us make the dream of a transformative university education a reality for even more Tarleton Texans.”
The two-year cohort experience provides customized support so that institutions can make data-informed decisions grounded in students’ realities. Campus leaders learn practices to ensure that race and income are no longer predictors of success.
The SSEI approach involves peer-to-peer learning across institutions via in-person and virtual Student Success Academies. Participants have access to online modules and webinars, and they hear from subject matter experts in data analytics, equity, student success, advising, institutional transformation, and strategic and systems planning.
“For more than 50 years, AASCU has partnered with member institutions to deliver on America’s promise of access, affordability and educational opportunity,” said AASCU President Mildred Garcia. “The SSEI cohort articulates an equity imperative to help everyone see their role in ensuring success for Black, Latinx, indigenous and low-income students.”
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.