Monmouth College

CARES ACT HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - IHES

FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE STABILIZATION AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, NO LESS THAN FIFTY PERCENT OF WHICH WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO STUDENTS.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY IN STEM FOR RURAL LOW-INCOME STUDENTS -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT MONMOUTH COLLEGE, A PRIVATE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE THAT IS A RURAL-SERVING INSTITUTION IN WESTERN ILLINOIS. OVER ITS 6-YEAR DURATION, THIS TRACK 1 PROJECT WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO 15 UNIQUE FULL-TIME STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING BACHELOR?S DEGREES IN BIOCHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, COMPUTER SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, NEUROSCIENCE, AND/OR PHYSICS. FIRST YEAR STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR 4 YEARS AND TRANSFER STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR UP TO 3 YEARS. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PERSISTENCE IN THE STEM DISCIPLINES BY COMBINING SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT WITH OUTREACH TO THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS, DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF A MULTIFACETED MENTORING PROGRAM (WITH FACULTY, PEERS, AND PROFESSION SCIENTISTS AS MENTORS), FOCUSED AND INTENTIONAL COHORT FORMATION, AND EARLY PARTICIPATION IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. AS THE S-STEM SCHOLARS PROGRESS IN THEIR COLLEGE CAREERS, THEY WILL BUILD STEM PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES AS THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH FINDINGS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES AND TO INTERACT WITH COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GROW THROUGH SERVICE, BY SERVING AS MENTORS FOR THE YOUNGER STUDENTS AT MONMOUTH COLLEGE AND BY PARTICIPATING IN OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WITH THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. ALL ASPECTS OF THE ACTIVITIES WILL INCREASE A SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT'S SENSE OF BELONGING IN STEM. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF GROUPS TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM (LOW-INCOME RURAL STUDENTS) AND WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STEM GRADUATES ENTERING THE WORKFORCE, WHICH WILL HELP MEET THE LABOR NEEDS OF THE WESTERN ILLINOIS REGION AND THE UNITED STATES. THROUGH THE EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT'S ACTIVITIES, THE PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE KNOWLEDGE TO THE STEM EDUCATION FIELD BY DETERMINING WHICH OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE IMPORTANT FOR PERSISTENCE IN STEM. THE PROJECT WILL DEMONSTRATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF POSSIBLE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PATHWAYS FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS AND MAY BE USED AS A MODEL BY SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, LOW-INCOME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEEDS. THE SPECIFIC AIMS ARE TO RECRUIT AND TO AWARD 15 SCHOLARSHIPS TO ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED AND HAVE 80% (12) OF THE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS GRADUATE WITH A STEM BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND ENTER THE STEM WORKFORCE OR GRADUATE SCHOOL WITHIN A YEAR OF GRADUATION. RURAL ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS (WHO OFTEN ATTEND COLLEGES LIKE MONMOUTH COLLEGE) FACE MANY CHALLENGES IN ATTENDING AND PERSISTING IN COLLEGE: UNFAMILIARITY WITH APPLYING TO COLLEGE AND PROCURING FINANCIAL AID, UNDERESTIMATING THE COLLEGE WORKLOAD (PARTICULARLY FOR THE STEM DISCIPLINES), AND NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO NAVIGATE THEIR EDUCATION AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE. THESE STUDENTS OFTEN COME FROM UNDER-RESOURCED HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE THEY HAVE LITTLE EXPOSURE TO STEM AND THEREFORE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF A CAREER IN STEM. THIS PROJECT RECOGNIZES THEIR SPECIAL NEEDS AND WILL WORK TO SUPPORT THEM. THIS PROJECT WILL EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS SUPPORTS (PERSONALIZED MENTORING WITH A FOUNDATION IN COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING, SEMINAR SERIES THAT SEEK TO INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO ACADEMIC AND CAREER PATHWAYS, RESEARCH EXPERIENCES THAT INCREASE SELF-EFFICACY AND CONFIDENCE) ON THE PERSISTENCE OF THE SCHOLARS IN THE STEM DISCIPLINES. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA WILL BE GATHERED (ACADEMIC AND CAREER OUTCOMES, QUESTIONNAIRES, SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, ETC.) TO INVESTIGATE WHICH ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTED TO ACADEMIC RETENTION, GRADUATION, AND CAREER PLACEMENT, WITH THE GOAL OF IDENTIFYING ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON A STUDENT'S CAREER TRAJECTORY. IN ORDER TO DISSEMINATE RESULTS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, A WEB PAGE FOR THIS PROJECT WILL BE ADDED TO THE MONMOUTH COLLEGE WEBSITE. THE PROJECT RESULTS WILL ALSO BE DISSEMINATED THROUGH PRESENTATIONS AT DISCIPLINARY SPECIFIC CONFERENCES AS WELL AS THROUGH MANUSCRIPTS IN PEER-REVIEWED STEM AND ACADEMIC JOURNALS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF'S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE, MONMOUTH IL RURAL TEACHER PREPARATION AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES (REDI)

AWARD TO MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY AS A RESULT OF FOA DE-FOA-0000040, NUCLEAR ENERGY UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS - INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAM.

SCOTS POW -- PRIORITIZING OUR WELLBEING - MONMOUTH COLLEGE (MC) IS A SMALL PRIVATE LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOL IN RURAL MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS, WITH 716 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023. THIS PROJECT—SCOTS POW – PRIORITIZING OUR WELLBEING—NAMED AFTER THE COLLEGIATE MASCOT THE FIGHTING SCOTS, IS BASED ON SAMHSA’S SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCE CENTER’S MODEL AND AN INTEGRATED HEALTH WELLNESS MODEL. SCOTS POW WILL ADDRESS THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH WELLNESS OF MC’S STUDENTS. PHYSICAL WELLNESS IS A PROTECTIVE FACTOR FOR MENTAL HEALTH (MH) AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUD). RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT COLLEGE ATHLETES AND FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE MORE AT RISK OF MH AND SUD. MANY MC STUDENTS (68%) ARE ATHLETES; 32% ARE FIRST GENERATION. CURRENTLY, MC DOES NOT HAVE A COLLEGE COUNSELOR; INSTEAD, THE COLLEGE USES TIMELYCARE TELEHEALTH SERVICES FOR STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT HAS FOUR GOALS AND FIVE OBJECTIVES: GOALS: (1) BETTER MEET STUDENT BEHAVIORAL WELL-BEING NEEDS, CREATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROGRAMMING CENTERED ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. (2) IMPROVE AWARENESS AND TRAINING TO RECOGNIZE AND HELP AT-RISK STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES AND SUICIDAL IDEATIONS. (3) BUILD STRONGER, MORE ROBUST SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED STUDENTS, INCLUDING LGBTQ+, FIRST GENERATION, ATHLETES, AND FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE. (4) IMPROVE STUDENT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING TO INCREASE STUDENT RETENTION AND GRADUATION. OBJECTIVES: (1) THE PROJECT DIRECTOR (PD) AND MH PEER EDUCATORS, WITH SUPPORT FROM A NEW MC MH TASK FORCE, WILL TRAIN A MINIMUM OF 50% OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF ANNUALLY ON MH, SUD, SUICIDE, AND INTEGRATED WELLNESS. (2) THE NEW PD AND COUNSELING INTERN WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED MH AND SUD INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT TO 30% OF THE STUDENT POPULATION ANNUALLY. (3) MC WILL REACH 100% OF ENROLLED STUDENTS AND 100% OF FACULTY AND STAFF ANNUALLY VIA MH AND SUD INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS AND SOCIAL MEDIA. (4) A MINIMUM OF 33% OF STUDENTS WILL VOLUNTARILY BE SCREENED ANNUALLY FOR MH AND SUD ISSUES, INCLUDING SUICIDAL IDEATION. (5) HALF (50%) OF STUDENTS REACHING OUT FOR COUNSELING SERVICES WILL INDICATE IT WAS DUE TO SCREENING OR A REFERRAL FROM ANOTHER STUDENT, FACULTY, OR STAFF. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS GRANT, MC WILL APPOINT AN INTEGRATED WELLNESS COORDINATOR TO INTEGRATE PHYSICAL WELLBEING INTO THIS PROJECT. MC WILL FOCUS OUTREACH, ASSESSMENT, AND TRAINING EFFORTS ON THE LARGE FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE AND ATHLETE POPULATIONS. MC WILL PAY FACULTY STIPENDS TO OFFER MORE CLASSES FOCUSED ON WELLBEING; FOR EXAMPLE, MC CURRENTLY HAS CLASSES IN WALKING, ROCK-CLIMBING, AND PERSONAL FINANCE. MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING TOOL ON CAMPUS. MC WILL PROVIDE TRAINING AND INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS FOR FACULTY AND STAFF ON HOW TO HELP STUDENTS IN DISTRESS, AND HOTLINES WILL BE PROMOTED WIDELY. MC WILL CONTINUE TO USE A PEER EDUCATOR MODEL TO IMPLEMENT PEER LISTENING SESSIONS AND OUTREACH. MC WILL HIRE A CONSULTANT TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO HELP RESIDENT ASSISTANTS, ORIENTATION LEADERS, AND FIRST-YEAR MENTORS UNDERSTAND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND HOW TO BEST SUPPORT STUDENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. MC WILL ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR HEAD RESIDENTS, HOUSE MANAGERS, RESIDENT ASSISTANTS, ORIENTATION LEADERS, AND FIRST-YEAR MENTORS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE AS PEER EDUCATORS ON CAMPUS. ALL STUDENTS, CURRENTLY 716, WILL BE REACHED VIA PROGRAMMING FROM THIS PROJECT.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE TRIO SSS

FUNDS WILL BE USED TO DEFRAY EXPENSES INCURRED BY THE MONMOUTH COLLEGE, INCLUDING LOST REVENUE, REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES ALREADY INCURRED, TECHNOLOGY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A TRANSITION TO DISTANCE E

RUI: A WIDE-AREA ARRAY OF DETECTORS TO MEASURE THE ENERGY SPECTRUM OF LIGHTNING-GENERATED X-RAYS AND THE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS THAT SUPPORT THEM

THE ANCIENT OLYMPICS AND DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT OLYMPIA: A HANDS-ON HISTORY [THE ANCIENT OLYMPICS AND DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT OLYMPIA: A HANDS-ON HISTORY WILL IMMERSE TEACHERS IN MANY ASPECTS OF THE ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE LOCAL LIFE GOING ON AROUND THOSE GAMES THROUGH SCHOLARLY HISTORICAL RESEARCH VIA ORIGINAL LITERARY SOURCES, VISUALS OF MATERIAL REMAINS REVEALED THROUGH ARCHAEOLOGY, AND SECONDARY ANALYSIS FROM CONTEMPORARY SCHOLARS. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THOUGH, THIS INSTITUTE WILL HELP PARTICIPANTS TO UNDERSTAND THE GAMES AND ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN LIFE IN HANDS-ON FASHION, TEACHING PARTICIPANTS HOW TO DO THE OLYMPIC EVENTS IN THE ANCIENT STYLE, TO CARRY OUT THE WORK OF ARTISANS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE OF THE TIME, AND MORE BROADLY TO EXPERIENCE THE MATERIALITY OF ANCIENT LIFE. THE PROPOSED INSTITUTE WILL BE RESIDENTIAL SO THAT PARTICIPANTS CAN ENGAGE IN THE PHYSICAL COMPONENT OF THE INSTITUTE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ITS IMPACT, AND SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MONMOUTH COLLEGE?S EXCELLENT FACILITIES FOR THIS PURPOSE.]

THE ANCIENT OLYMPICS AND DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT OLYMPIA: A HANDS-ON HISTORY [THE ANCIENT OLYMPICS AND DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT OLYMPIA: A HANDS-ON HISTORY WILL IMMERSE TEACHERS IN MANY ASPECTS OF THE ANCIENT OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE LOCAL LIFE GOING ON AROUND THOSE GAMES THROUGH SCHOLARLY HISTORICAL RESEARCH VIA ORIGINAL LITERARY SOURCES, VISUALS OF MATERIAL REMAINS REVEALED THROUGH ARCHAEOLOGY, AND SECONDARY ANALYSIS FROM CONTEMPORARY SCHOLARS. JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, THOUGH, THIS INSTITUTE WILL HELP PARTICIPANTS TO UNDERSTAND THE GAMES AND ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN LIFE IN HANDS-ON FASHION, TEACHING PARTICIPANTS HOW TO DO THE OLYMPIC EVENTS IN THE ANCIENT STYLE, TO CARRY OUT THE WORK OF ARTISANS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE OF THE TIME, AND MORE BROADLY TO EXPERIENCE THE MATERIALITY OF ANCIENT LIFE. THE PROPOSED INSTITUTE WILL BE RESIDENTIAL SO THAT PARTICIPANTS CAN ENGAGE IN THE PHYSICAL COMPONENT OF THE INSTITUTE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ITS IMPACT, AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MONMOUTH COLLEGE?S EXCELLENT FACILITIES FOR THIS PURPOSE.]

RESITUATING THE HUMANITIES IN PLACE-BASED LEARNING [A SET OF PEDAGOGICAL INTERVENTIONS TO EXPLORE THE ETHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL IMPACTS OF "PLACE" AND "DISPLACEMENT" IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS.]

TIROS MC: TRAINING IN RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN STEM-MONMOUTH COLLEGE

THE PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT A CAMPUS GARDEN AT MONMOUTH COLLEGE. THE GOALS ARE TO ENHANCE STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIO

FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE STABILIZATION AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, NO LESS THAN THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF WHICH WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE STUDENT AID.