The U.S. Department of Education gave millions to two Indiana colleges in a new program, but Ball State did not apply.
Indiana State and Purdue received $1.6 million and $2.3 million from the DOE’s new $75 million “First in the World” four-year grant program. More than 500 universities and colleges applied, excluding Ball State. Twenty-four universities and colleges in 17 states received monies from the fund.
However, the university did look at the infant program, said Bob Morris, associate provost for research for the university.
“The decision was to wait until it comes back around this time,” Morris said. “So people would be freed up a little bit more and would fit a little better with the STEM efforts around campus.”
Due to the scope of the FITW, just one person couldn’t complete it, Morris said.
“When you have these kinds of grants that come along it takes quite a number of people to line up at the same time [to make it happen],” he said. “We just didn’t think the pitch was right at the time [and] we get requests for proposals multiple times a day.”
This DOE program is aimed at helping those institutions that have pledged to address college access and completion, increasing community college transfer rates, increasing STEM enrollment and completion or reducing time to graduation, the DOE said in a press release.
These pledges include developing project-based majors, allowing for individual pacing and immersive online programs. The grant must be used to fulfill the recipient’s pledge.
In the university’s Strategic Plan 2012-2017, the baseline goal for expanding the university’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics is to offer 33 degrees in those fields.
Even though this is the first year of the program, the DOE is seeking an expansion of FITW next year to move the $75 million total up to $100 million, according to the DOE’s website.
“It’s not unusual for agencies like that to pilot out a small amount first and start getting educated about how to change the guidelines and it fits a little bit better glove wise, that’s probably what’s going to happen to us,” Morris said.
Purdue’s $2.3 million will be used over four years to address its pledge to study the effect of active-learning strategies on retention, graduation and success rates. Active-learning strategies focus on thinking, talking or doing – being actively engaged in class – rather than listening to a lecture.
Ball State was pleased with Purdue and Indiana State’s award, said Morris.
“What that does is it shows funders the strengths in the Midwest and Indiana,” Morris said.
Morris added he expects positive results when it comes application time.
“Most likely when it reels around this time, we should be better positioned as a university to throw in a proposal,” he said. “There was enough mojo last time around here that it shouldn’t be too hard to get people to look at it.”
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