Big Bend receives funding for degree completion

MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College is one of nine colleges nationwide to receive funding to help students graduate.

Big Bend is a beneficiary of Connect2Complete (C2C), which was launched by Boston-based Campus Compact with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The two-year, $175,000 grant will be used to develop a cost-effective model, that can be replicated, to improve student success, said Big Bend President Bill Bonaudi.

"While meeting this goal won't offset the drastic cuts in state funding, it will allow the college to be more successful in meeting the needs of the students we serve," said Bonaudi.

"C2C will develop strategies that can be adopted at community colleges across the nation to help students achieve the goal of graduation - so valued by them and their families," said Campus Compact President Maureen F. Curley.

Campus Compact used a competitive process to select Washington, Florida and Ohio to receive the C2C grants. Three community colleges from each state were selected to pilot the program. Edmonds Community College and Green River Community College are the other two Washington colleges to receive C2C funding.

The Big Bend model will address barriers that prevent rural students from completing college. Many rural students are "first-generation" students, meaning no one from their family has attended college, according to Terry Kinzel, administrator for the C2C grant at Big Bend. Edmonds and Green River will develop models addressing completion barriers for urban and suburban students, she said.

Big Bend honors society members held a "signing event" on Oct. 27, asking students to sign a statement pledging to complete their college education. The event was held on behalf of the Community College Completion Corps (C4).

"Making a commitment to completing a degree is good not only for students, but for colleges and the communities they serve," said Halden Keen, President of Big Bend's Rho Zeta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honors society.

The project will define best practices to increase students' persistence toward completing a degree or certificate. Peer advocates will work with faculty to help students set goals, connect to college life, navigate college systems, and link to college services designed to help them complete their program of study.

Campus Compact is a nonprofit coalition of nearly 1,200 college and university presidents, representing more than 6 million students, who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education.