Putting Grants to Work

October 2021

Grants play a critical role in our effort to support innovations and improve sustainability and resiliency at the college. The Title III grant-funded EAGLE and TALON projects led to the current iteration of NPC’s Connected Learning environment, and the CARES/HEERF grant helped us mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic. Here is an update on some of the grant-funded projects we have been working on. Those projects, led by cross-functional teams, are collaborative efforts to support teaching and learning (Open Textbook Pilot, HyFlex pilot, Tech Hubs, LinkedIn Learning), accessibility and inclusion (ALLY, SIP-C, META), and scheduling and enrollment management (Ad Astra, DualEnroll).

Open Textbook Pilot (funded by State Open Textbook Consortium)

The overarching goal for this funding opportunity is to achieve the highest level of savings for students through sustainable, expanded use of open textbooks. The intention is for each member college of the consortium to share, develop, and implement OER materials in response to needs which may be identified over the course of the grant. Several Arts & Sciences and CTE faculty are already committed to this project. We are waiting for the consortium to finalize the budget allocation before officially rolling out the project. Contact Shannon Motter, Director of Library Services or LaTonya Motley, Instructional Technology and Curriculum Support (ITCS) Department Chair, if you have any questions.

HyFlex Pilot (partially funded by Perkins Grant)

Besides the two Business pilot courses that are ready to go, we are planning on adding several Arts and Sciences courses to the Spring 2022 pilot. Our instructional designer and pilot faculty will be attending EDUCAUSE-certified HyFlex Learning Lab in November to learn and share best practices with HyFlex experts and colleagues from other institutions. ITCS, TAS, Student/Enrollment Services, Marketing and Institutional Effectiveness will provide the necessary support. Contact LaTonya Motley if you have any questions.

Tech Hubs (partially funded by CARES/HEERF and Perkins Grant)

Over the summer, some changes were made to the NPC Tech Hubs. The Tech Hubs are no longer part of the Business Studies department and have become part of the Instructional Innovations Division and Library Services Department. This move was made to help align the purpose of the Tech Hubs with the goals of Instructional Innovation. Being part of Library Services will provide the opportunity for the Tech Hubs to continue to grow and meet the needs of our students and community members. Contact Shannon Motter, Director of Library Services, or Damian McGregor, Tech Hub Manager, if you have any questions. For more information visit: https://www.npc.edu/tech-hub

LinkedIn Learning (first year funded by CARES/HEERF)

Recommended by Learning Technologies Committee, the project is to implement LinkedIn Learning to improve just-in-time training for students, faculty, and staff. We have recently completed the requisition process and hope to roll it out in October. A pre-launch meeting is scheduled for October 5th to discuss the implementation plan. Contact Shannon Motter if you have any questions.

SIP-C (partnering with NAU TIPSID Grant SIP-C Project)

COVID had a significant impact on the number of students with disabilities attending NPC last year. Applying the principles of inclusion and self-determination, the SIP-C project will build upon successful transition practices and promote quality, inclusive postsecondary services and supports within colleges and universities in Arizona, resulting in improved employment and independent living outcomes for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Contact Sandy Manor, Office of Accessibility and Inclusion (OAI) Coordinator if you have any questions.

ALLY (first year funded by CARES/HEERF)

As many classes were moved online due to the pandemic, the ALLY Accessibility Tool will help to reduce barriers and increase student access to digital course content. The Ally tool enables students to download digital content in various formats from within a course in Moodle. The Ally pilot is facilitated by the Learning Technologies Committee, OAI, and the ITCS Department. Training will be provided for all instructors who participate in the pilot program. Contact LaTonya Motley or Sandy Manor if you have any questions. For more information about Ally, visit https://help.blackboard.com/Ally/Ally_for_LMS/Student/Alternative_Formats

META Telecounseling (partially funded by CARES/HEERF)

Nationally, and here at NPC, trends show that an increased number of students are struggling with anxiety and depression in their lives. META provides services for our students struggling with these emotional issues. All NPC students are eligible for online counseling sessions on the META app. The college is covering the costs for a limited number of counseling sessions for currently enrolled students. Contact Sandy Manor if you have any questions. For more information visit https://www.npc.edu/meta-student-teletherapy

Ad Astra Scheduling Software (funded by CARES/HEERF and FIPSE-IREPO)

Academic scheduling software can help predict course needs based on historical data, build a schedule that is aligned with student demand, and optimize space based on scheduling preferences. The requisition of Ad Astra scheduling software has been completed, and the historical data analysis process is almost finished. Based on the results of the Strategic Scheduling Check-Up, NPC and Ad Astra will prioritize needs which will determine the project plan for software implementation. The connection and the data will be in the Ad Astra system later this fall. Training will be provided for Deans and student support staff in early Spring of 2022. We hope to get ready by then to use the system to fine tune the course schedule for Fall 2022 and begin planning for Spring 2023. Contact Scott Estes, Chief Information Officer or Dr. Wei Ma, Dean of Instructional Innovation, if you have any questions.

DualEnroll (funded by FIPSE-IREPO)

DualEnroll helps streamline and automate the enrollment of high school students in college courses, and potentially frees up the time of our Early College advisors so they can focus more on recruitment and advising. The requisition of DualEnroll enrollment software has been completed. April Horne, Interim Director of Early College Programs is working with the vendor on developing the implementation plan. Contact April if you have any questions.

ECOADA (funded by FIPSE-IREPO)

ECOADA is a 2-year project to (1) develop the capacity to expand postsecondary opportunities to rural students enrolled in our Early College Dual and Concurrent Enrollment program through comprehensive automation of course scheduling and ancillary services such as recruitment, enrollment, registration, and student onboarding, (2) create innovative programming that provides high school seniors with the option to navigate the transition to postsecondary enrollment and degree completion through established NPC program pathways, and (3) improve faculty and student readiness for success with proven technology-enhanced active learning and online, synchronous and asynchronous methods. President Hazelbaker has designated a task force to help implement the project. The team has been working on the coordination and adjustment of budget, activities, and timelines. Contact Wei Ma (Interim Project Director) if you have any questions.

Wei Ma, PhD
Dean of Instructional Innovation