With its main campus in Anchorage and four community campuses, UAA is the only public, state institution of higher education in its service area of 85,000 square miles. The 10,845 undergraduate student population at UAA (at the time of grant writing) is diverse (37% minority), and has 37.4% that are low income (per 34 CFR 607.7(e); UAA IR). 

As an open enrollment Alaskan institution, UAA and its students students face a number of problems: historically excluded students with academic challenges, work and family responsibilities, and financial  barriers; funding problems due to Alaska’s weak economy; COVID impacts; and a gap between  operational realities and our mission to serve our students. UAA developed a proposal that addresses the problems outlined above, rooted in UAA planning processes and strategies. 

The SAGE Success Grant is a five year Title III Strengthening Institutions (SIP) grant that aims to centralize 100% academic tutoring in the Learning Commons; establish Learning Commons success programs Learning Assistants, Academic Coaching, and peer advisors; and support retention and persistence of freshman-level students.

The project is based on building infrastructure that leverages the fiscal and student success impact of peer-to-peer programming, centralizing tutoring services, and supporting students enrolled in high-DFW gateway courses. These strategies reflect the institution’s strategic priorities, address chronic problems, and strengthen fiscal stability in the long term. 

Year 2 just completed a strong external evaluation and made significant progress toward objectives. We look forward to updating you on Year 3!