Fresh fashions fill Career Closet
To view the Office of The Provost’s web page is to see a varied and wide scope of responsibilities, generally aimed at improved student experience and professional development among faculty. With nearly 20 offices, centers, and initiatives under its blue-and-white umbrella, the Office of the Provost works with a significant portion of the campus community every semester.
Several now-complete presidential priority projects bear the distinct fingerprint of then-Provost Dr. Kimberly Kostelis and the Academic Affairs team, and here we share just a few that made headlines over the last year.
From Early Alert to Success Matters
Formerly known as the Early Alert system, Academic Affairs rebranded and launched what is now called Success Matters to identify students who are struggling and connect them with support services. Through the Slate platform, faculty and staff can submit concerns, prompting Student Affairs to reach out, address personal or academic challenges, and link students to the appropriate campus resources. Faculty and staff can also track each submission’s progress and see which services the student has accessed. Eight faculty members are piloting the related Slate for Student Success Faculty Leaders Program.
Dual Enrollment and Concurrent Enrollment boom
During academic year 2024-2025, the number of public schools that offer dual or concurrent courses increased from 15 districts the previous year to 28 districts, with an estimated concurrent enrollment of more than 1,600 students.
Central’s Dual Enrollment and Concurrent Enrollment programs offer Connecticut high school students the opportunity to earn college credit from Central in partnership with local high schools and teachers.
Grant growth
In late October, the Office of the Provost received word that it is one of 20 regional public universities selected for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Student-Centered Course Scheduling initiative, which aims to help regional public universities remove one of the most persistent barriers to student success: the course schedule.
Funded by a $2.4 million grant from Ascendium Education Group, each institution will receive course scheduling insights, data coaching, and support to make course scheduling a new launchpad for student success. Campuses will receive technical assistance to identify bottlenecks, reduce scheduling conflicts, and align course offerings with student demand.
Grant programs for faculty are funded and expanding, as well.
In the past year, the NextGen Grant Competition received 17 proposals and funded nine projects totaling $125,000. The program supports faculty and staff in developing initiatives that strengthen connections with students, industry partners, and the broader community. Since its launch in 2022–23, NextGen has provided more than $870,000 in funding to 42 programs.
The Clusters of Excellence Grant program launched this fall, with proposals due in December. This grant opportunity calls for proposals that address societal challenges by leveraging faculty expertise and offering students hands-on experiences. The goal is to create “clusters” of diverse and multi-disciplinary teams to conduct innovative research and educational projects to bring about positive changes across disciplines, departments, and schools.
Expanding access to the Central experience
Central announced several early engagement initiatives for the 2025–2026 year. Central U introduces learners of all ages to the university — from pre-kindergarten through high school, as well as community members not yet matriculated.
University College will bring together academic programs designed to spark curiosity and exploration, including General Studies, International Studies, Honors, and Climate Change.
For the younger set, the Central Childcare Lab School is expanding to include a preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. This development will provide Early Childhood Education students with invaluable field experience, learning directly from the children in their care. The center opened in 2022 in Carroll Hall and offers free child care to enrolled Central students.
- Staff reports