NIU works to up its enrollment

DeKALB | An Elgin Community College graduate chose to complete his degree at NIU after being selected to receive a scholarship through a new undergraduate pathway program.

Nick Casas, junior political science and community leadership and civic engagement double major, finalized his decision to transfer to NIU once he was accepted as part of the Elgin Community College Research Fellows Program.

The program is aimed to increase NIU enrollment, which is down 5.5 percent, by offering scholarships and academic opportunities for Elgin Community College graduates transferring to NIU.

Casas said the program’s scholarship helped tremendously in providing financial assistance for tuition.

“I have made dozens of connections with students, faculty [and] administrators at [NIU]… because of the [program],” Casas said. “Opening that door to me was the single greatest thing that’s ever happened in my academic career.”

Following the initial funding by the NIU grants committee, the program pilot launched in spring 2016.

Casas, the program’s first member, demonstrated great success, and with the support of the program’s partners, Kristin Huffine, assistant professor at Center for Latino and Latin American Studies at NIU, and Antonio Ramirez, Elgin Community College’s faculty member, the community college’s foundation committed $20,000 in scholarships to the program.

Scholarships for $1,000 will be dispersed to 10 students transferring to NIU a year for the first two years at Elgin Community College.

The program will also pair students with peer mentors and participating faculty at NIU, as well as develop critical skills for their future professions through the hands-on research opportunities offered.

“What I see is a fantastic opportunity for [Elgin Community College] students to gain hands-on research experience early on in their collegiate careers,” said Sean Jensen, Elgin Community College director of Transfer Services. “Whereas often in your freshman [and] sophomore years, you’re not able to get that hands-on experience.”

Renique Kersh, associate vice provost for Engaged Learning at NIU, emphasizes the importance of connecting students to faculty and peers within their institution.

“If we can connect students in ways that make them feel like they belong and that this institution is an institution that welcomes them in our doors, then that leads to a student staying,” Kersh said. “We want students to stay, but more importantly, we want students to matriculate; we want them to graduate from NIU, and we want them to do so having gained certain skills so that they can be successful in their careers.”

With adequate funding Kersh said she believes the program has the potential to increase enrollment overtime, and since the program does not target any particular major, Kersh said she believes it will attract a larger number of students as early as this spring.