FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tracie Stone
Ph: 603-493-2647
E-mail: traciestone@comcast.net

GRANITE STATE COLLEGE RECEIVES DAVIS EDUCATION GRANT
Funds will enable ongoing teaching and learning assessment

CONCORD- Granite State College has been awarded a $147,125 grant by the Davis Education Foundation of Falmouth, Maine.  The gift will support Granite State College’s ongoing effort to evaluate what students are learning at Granite State College and what they can do as a result of that knowledge.
The grant will fund an innovative project entitled   “Outcomes Assessment and Instructional Development for Faculty Across Degree Programs” and will be dispersed over two years.

The study is designed to assess student competencies in the required courses of “Critical Thinking,”  “The Writing Process” and “Contemporary College Mathematics.” 

Information gathered as a result of this project will aid the College in refining existing assessment instruments and developing new ones, measuring learning outcomes in designated major courses and providing faculty with a series of assessment and instructional development opportunities.

“This study will enable us to build on three decades of assessment efforts and work toward furthering our development of learning assessment that is multidimensional, integrated in all degree programs and on going,” said Karol LaCroix, president of Granite State College.  “We greatly appreciate the continued support of the Davis Education Foundation in our efforts to provide for our students an education that will allow them to reach their career goals.”
The Davis Education Foundation was established by Stanton Davis, former chairman of Shaw’s Supermarket, Inc., and his wife, Elisabeth, and is committed to supporting undergraduate baccalaureate programs throughout the six New England states. 

Granite State College received its first grant from the Davis Education Foundation in 2006-2008.  This $120,000 gift was used to expand the institution’s efforts in measuring student learning outcomes.  Thirty-seven faculty members and 535 students participated in the study.   

Faculty leadership in the College’s assessment efforts has been essential to the success of the projects and has been provided by Claude Caswell, Patricia Halpin, Mike Mangan, Gail Poitrast, Fran Rancourt, Mike Russell, and Jim Trotzer.

Granite State College is one of four University System of New Hampshire institutions and a leader in online education.  It offers associate and bachelor degrees, post-baccalaureate programs for teacher education and transfer opportunities.
With five academic centers and four additional learning sites located throughout New Hampshire, Granite State College is committed to delivering affordable and convenient access to higher education via innovative programming. 

Learn more about Granite State College by visiting www.granite.edu.