Fiscal Year 2024 Strategic Innovation Funded Projects

• Project Lead: Dr. Jessica Clark
• Funds Awarded: $96,250
• Funds Spent: (Aug. 2024): $96,250
• Project Summary: This initiative formed a partnership with the Association of College andUniversity Educators (ACUE), a recognized organization dedicated to improving student success through the implementation of evidence-based, inclusive teaching practices. This initiative provided an opportunity for 60 faculty to participate in ACUE's Effective Teaching Practices. This yearlong training began in January 2024 with the first cohort, with a second cohort beginning in fall 2024. The program focuses on a curriculum that addresses 25 essential core competencies for effective teaching. ACUE’s modular courses are delivered online, through a research-based learning design that is certified by Quality Matters. In every course module, cohorts of faculty learn about, implement, and reflect on their use of evidence-based teaching practices which have been shown to improve student engagement, retention, completion, and learning. Faculty who satisfy ACUE course requirements earn the only nationally recognized credential in effective college instruction endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE). Substantial data validates that students exhibit higher engagement, enhanced learning outcomes, and increased course completion rates when instructed by faculty holding ACUE credentials. These outcomes are particularly pronounced for historically marginalized student groups.
  
  This investment in faculty training is poised to deliver a substantial return on investment (ROI) in the future. This investment will have a direct impact, benefiting an estimated 1,440 unique students within the first year, and is expected to result in the retention of 43 students in year 1, which will lead to an additional tuition revenue of $432,000 in just one year. Projections indicate that the tuition revenue from increased student retention will continue to grow over the next three years, reaching an estimated $1,170,720. This underscores the long-term sustainability and substantial financial benefits of ongoing investment in faculty development through ACUE.
  
  28 Faculty began in the first cohort of the ACUE ETP Course during spring 2024 completing modules 1-13 and will complete modules 14-25 this fall 2024. A second cohort of 17 faculty are registered begin the ETP course (modules 1-13) in fall 2024, with completion scheduled for May 2025. 
  
  
• Outcomes: Because of SU’s commitment to faculty and student success the Carnegie Foundation awarded a challenge grant providing funding to support 120 faculty and staff to participate in a Fostering a Climate of Belonging (FCB) microcredential course also offered by ACUE. As of August 2024, 50 faculty and staff participated in the first two cohorts of FCB with 80% completing and receiving the FCB microcredential. Information on how to enroll to be a part of the two fall 2024 cohorts can be found here.
  
  Website: ACUE Partnership Portal - Salisbury University

• Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

  • ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
  • ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
  • ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
  • ☒ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

  • ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• Salisbury Seven goals met:
  • ✓ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
  • ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
  • ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
  • ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
  • ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
  • ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
  • ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

• Project Lead: Margaret Sebastian
• Funds Awarded: $5,000
• Funds Spent (Aug. 2024): $8,500
  
• Project Summary:  In November 2023, SU hosted the First Annual Eastern Shore First Generation College Celebration, a collaborative effort between multiple educational institutions, including SU, Wor-Wic Community College, Chesapeake College, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  The event's peer-led workshops, facilitated by current college students, offered unique perspectives and relatable guidance to prospective students. Moreover, the event prioritized admissions and transfer information, recognizing the importance of a seamless transition to higher education for local high school and community college students. This innovative celebration not only fostered connections and supported first-generation and TRIO-eligible students but also set a precedent for inter-institutional collaboration in the pursuit of educational equity.
  
  In February, 2024, SU hosted a TRIO Day Celebration. TRIO Day is a national celebration held annually on the last Saturday in February to recognize the impact of federally funded TRIO Programs, which support college students who are low-income, first-generation, and individuals with disabilities. This year’s focus was on improving the financial literacy competence of SU students.  Mike Pittman from the Smart Money academy was the keynote speaker at this event.  Mr. Pittman is a former TRIO graduate (Upward Bound & Student Support Services) and provided financial literacy training to 55 students, including 35 TRIO students. During this seminar topics included defining what a “rich life” means to students beyond finances, exploring how money scripts affect money behaviors, what money scripts are and the origin of them, and defining the money moments that create money behaviors. Students were also provided with online modules to complete following the event to provide additional support and training in the area of financial literacy. Thirty attendees completed the one-hour module.

• Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

  • ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
  • ☒ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
  • ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
  • ✓ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

  • ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• Salisbury Seven goals met:
  • ☒ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
  • ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
  • ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
  • ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
  • ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
  • ☒ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
  • ☒ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

• Project Lead: Sheree Satchell and Seth Endicott
• Funds Awarded: $65,000
• Funds Spent (Aug. 2024): $30, 890.50
• Project Summary: The First Gen Sea Gull Scholars (FGSGS) Program centers on an effort to increase recruitment, retention, and graduation of first-generation students at Salisbury University. This was SU’s first programmatic commitment to supporting ALL first-generation students. The program included current first-generation students with a focus on the class of 2027 as a targeted population.
  
  The program fostered collaboration to ensure access, success, and celebration for first-generation college students as they navigate the higher education landscape. The First Gen Sea Gull Scholars program was based on research, resources, and personal experience. As a part of the program, students:
  
  
  • Utilized a “milestone checklist” to introduce and reinforce connections with faculty/staff, campus resources, and community engagement,
  • Participated in "First-Gen Fridays" which included seminars that highlight skills and resources that FGSGS could add to their success toolboxes, and
  • Celebrated their First-Generation identity during the First-Generation Week which consisted of a week full of events centered on celebrating the First Gen Identity.

• Outcomes: Fall 2023 is the first year with systematic data collection on first generation status beyond only students completing the FAFSA. Preliminary retention rates (As of August 2024) for the fall 2023 cohort of first generation students is 73% vs. 78% for the overall retention rate.
  
  Website: First Gen Sea Gull Scholars

Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

• ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
• ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
• ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
• ✓ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

• ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• Salisbury Seven goals met:
  • ☒ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
  • ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
  • ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
  • ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
  • ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
  • ☒ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
  • ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

• Project Lead: Wendy Jin
• Funds Awarded: $5,000
• Funds Spent (Aug. 2024): $1,275
• Project Summary: Centering on probation students who have returned to good academic standing, this project investigates how students are able to get off academic probation and whether retention gaps exist with respect to demographic and socioeconomic factors. Based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, Pathways to Progress advances SU’s knowledge of students on academic probation and generates insights into administrative practices. The results will enrich student development, support academic success, and cultivate a sense of belonging for SU students.
  
  The retention rate of students on probation is significantly lower than the institutional average. This project will deepen SU’s knowledge of probation students and help identify interdisciplinary opportunities between academic services and academic departments to enrich student development.
  
  In spring 2024, a group of 454 students who were identified as being on academic probation were surveyed and invited to participate in a one-on-one interview. Of those surveyed, 9%, 42 students, completed the survey and 17 have completed an interview. Additional data will be collected in fall 2024. Following the completion of survey collection and interviews, data will be analyzed and a report will be presented at the end of AY 2024-25.
  
  Projects funds were utilized for survey and data tracking tools, student survey and interview incentives, and conference resources.

• Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

  • ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
  • ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
  • ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
  • ☒ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

  • ☒ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• Salisbury Seven goals met:
  • ☒ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
  • ✓ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
  • ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
  • ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
  • ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
  • ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
  • ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

• Project Lead: Michelle Pryor
• Funds Awarded: $11,500
• Funds Spent (Aug. 2024): $0
• Project Summary: Annual Giving will use Strategic Innovation Funds to leverage as matching gifts for campus Flash Fundraisers. The Flash Fundraisers are 24-hour challenges that encourage all of an organization's supporters and alumni to give back in support of an identified need. This is an initiative Annual Giving has been using to great success and will use Strategic Innovation Funds to increase efforts.

• The Center for Student Achievement (CSA)
  • Fundraising Start Date: Sept 17, 2024
  • Fundraising Goal: $4,000 ($2,000 Raised + $2,000 matched)
  • Cause: Study tools for peer leaders – Kahoot and Quizlet subscriptions for Supplemental Instructors and tutors
  • Giving Page: https://giving.salisbury.edu/campaigns/csa-flash-fundraiser

• The Office of Diversity & Inclusion
  • Fundraising Start Date: Oct. 25-27, 2024
  • Fundraising Goal: $15,000 ($13,000 Raised + $2,000 matched)
  • Cause: Sending 12 students and 2 advisors to the African American Student Leadership Experience (conference fees, travel and lodging costs)
  • Giving Page: https://giving.salisbury.edu/campaigns/odi-flash-fundraiser
    
    
• The Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office (SNCFO)
  • Fundraising Start Date: Nov. 12, 2024
  • Fundraising Goal: $6,000 ($3,000 Raised + $3,000 matched)
  • Cause: Application fees and stipends
  • Giving Page: https://giving.salisbury.edu/campaigns/sncfo-flash-fundraiser
    
    
• Graduate Studies & Research (GSR)
  • Fundraising Start Date: Sept 12, 2024
  • Fundraising Goal: $4,000 ($2,000 Raised + $2,000 matched)
  • Cause: Summer research grants
  • Giving Page: https://giving.salisbury.edu/campaigns/gsr-flash-fundraiser
    
    
• The Clarke Honors College
  • Fundraising Start Date: Oct. 8, 2024Fundraising Goal: $5,500 ($3,500 raised + $2,000 matched)
  • Cause: Funds for the publication of the fall and spring editions of The Saunterer student-run newsletter
  • Giving Page: https://giving.salisbury.edu/campaigns/honors-flash-fundraiser

• Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

  • ✓ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
  • ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
  • ☒ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
  • ✓ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

  • ✓ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• Salisbury Seven goals met:
  • ✓ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
  • ☒ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
  • ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
  • ☒ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
  • ✓ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
  • ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
  • ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.

• Project Lead: Rachael Faust
• Funds Awarded: $15,000
• Funds Spent: $7,735
• Project Summary: To support environmental sustainability and student access and resources, the Strategic Innovation Fund is investing in a secondhand shop for SU community members. The shop, Sammy’s Stash, opened in August 2024 and allows for campus students and employees to  donate and shop for gently used items. Common items include gently used clothing, small appliances (toaster, microwave, coffee maker, etc.), kitchenware, room accessories, houseware items, unused school supplies, and more.
  
  Sammy’s Stash builds on the established Give & Go Stations across campus. This initiative, run collaboratively with the Recycling Department and Housing & Residence Life is a primary source of donations to furnish the store. The secondhand shop minimizes waste produced by the SU community, allowing for items that would generally be discarded to find a new use. Sammy’s Stash is a great resource for SU’s international students and faculty who travel to Salisbury with limited belongings and typically have to purchase many new products once they arrive in the area.
  
  Project funds were spent on marketing, and to remodel a space on campus to house Sammy’s Stash and provide storage for donated items.
• Outcomes: During April-August move Out, Give & Go donations total 9,200 lbs. Since January, 10,400 lbs of donations have been collected.
  
  Website: Sammy Stash

• Salisbury University Strategic Plan goals met:

  • ☒ Enrich Academic Successes and Student Development
  • ✓ Inspire a Campus Culture of Inclusive Excellence, Support and Collaboration
  • ✓ Support Access, Affordability and Academic Excellence
  • ☒ Deepen Engagement with Our Community

  • ✓ Enhance Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability

• Salisbury Seven goals met:
  • ✓ We will invest in the people who deliver on the promises we make to our students.
  • ☒ We will consistently deliver a rigorous, student-focused academic program taught by world-class educators on a world-class campus.
  • ✓ We will have a continual commitment to inclusion, diversity, opportunity and equity, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
  • ✓ We will strategically grow to serve the needs of the Eastern Shore, the state of Maryland and the nation while holding fast to our identity as a student-focused institution that doesn’t just say it cares about its people; it shows it with every decision.
  • ☒ We will be known for our innovative, high-impact practices and our belief that we are educating the whole person for a lifetime of civic leadership and community service.
  • ✓ We will raise the resources needed to support SU’s programs, its students and its culture.
  • ✓ We will strengthen our institutional identity and reputation.