To fulfill the promise of student success we must eliminate persistent equity gaps at our colleges and universities. Our communities and our country will thrive only if all people have a fair and equal chance to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed.Today that means helping many more Americans complete college degrees and credentials of value.
The Moon Shot for Equity is a collaborative project led by education firm EAB, that aims to close equity gaps within regional clusters of two- and four-year colleges and universities by 2030. Schools that join the project commit to working together, and with EAB, to help more underrepresented students of color and other historically underserved populations graduate from college. The project was first launched in 2020 with NKU joining in 2021.
Members of the Moon Shot for Equity project are separated into regions. NKU is a member of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. Each region must commit to deploying 15 research-based best practices and policies proven to substantially boost equity and are at the same time mutually beneficial for their student populations’ needs. Many of the Moon Shot for Equity’s practices align with NKU’s Success by Design framework.
The first Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Moon Shot for Equity regional meeting was held April 5, 2022. Attendees from NKU, Gateway CTC, Cincinnati State and Miami University gathered to hear from expert guest speakers, including a keynote address from Dr. Tim Renick, Executive Director of the National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State University.
Emergency & Retention Awards | |
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Leah Stewart (Co-Lead) | AVP of Enrollment and Financial Assistance |
Peg Adams (Co-Lead) | Director of University Connect and Persist |
Priscilla Ayala | Unit Director, Center for Student Inclusiveness |
Jessica Brooks | Associate Director, Student Account Services |
Scott Foley | Associate Dean, Associate Professor |
Suk-hee Kim | Associate Professor, School of Social Work |
Dekuwmini (Dee) Mornah | Assistant Professor, Management |
Hanson Nguyen | Undergraduate Student |
Judy Voelker | Associate Professor, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy |
Neisha Wiley | Assistant Professor, Social Work Undergraduate Studies |
Cathleen Wolff | Director of Advising, College of Health and Human Services |
Ken Wolterman | Senior Budget Analyst |
Holds Reform | |
Ryan Padgett (Lead) | AVP for Enrollment and Student Success |
Allen Cole | Office of the University Registrar |
Mary Dawn | Business Systems Analyst |
Christian Gamm | Assistant Dean, College of Health & Human Services |
Rebecca Hamm | Assistant Dean Undergraduate Students, Lecturer |
Hannah Miller | Undergraduate Student |
LaNighta Reid | Associate Director, University Connect & Persist |
Leah Stewart | AVP of Enrollment and Financial Assistance |
Gannon Tagher | AVP of Advising & First Year Experience, Associate Professor |
Transfer Pathways | |
Jason Vest (Co-Lead) | Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs |
Amy Danzo (Co-Lead) | Director of Adult Learner and Transfer Center |
Megan Downey | Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership |
Christian Gamm | Assistant Dean, College of Health and Human Services |
Kelsey Haskins | Associate Director of Processing, Compliance & Technology |
Kristin Hornsby | Associate Director for School-Based Scholars and Articulation Agreements |
Kim McCoy | Assistant Director for Transfer Services |
Frank Robinson | Director, First Year Student Success Hub |
Leah Stewart | AVP of Enrollment and Financial Assistance |
Joel Vanhoose | Advisor, First Year Student Success Hub |
Diane Williams | Director, Learning PLUS |
The Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Moon Shot Region includes Northern Kentucky University, Gateway Community and Technical College, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, and Miami University. NKU and our partners will work together to leverage our collective wisdom and efforts to change the opportunity landscape of the region, with added support and resources from our local and national partners.
Our region is the second consortium to join the Moon Shot initiative. EAB launched the national effort in October 2020 in cooperation with an inaugural consortium of colleges and universities in Southeastern Wisconsin. A third region has also been announced in Southeastern Pennsylvania; several other geographic regions are in preliminary discussions.
In January 2022, we had the opportunity to engage with representatives from Moon Shot's Southeastern Wisconsin region and learn from their experiences as the inaugural cohort.
The two initiatives are complementary. Work currently underway through Success by Design will feed directly into our Moon Shot efforts, and Success by Design will benefit from the outside expertise and resources provided by EAB.
Moon Shot for Equity will enable us to work together with regional partners to develop coordinated efforts and utilize resources in ways that could not happen independently. Together, Moon Shot and Success by Design will help us achieve peer-leading student success outcomes, as we fulfill our role of regional stewardship.
In the short term, success will be determined by the initial projects selected by the regional team.
Long term, we will measure our success by increasing the number of individuals pursuing academic degrees, improving retention and graduation rates, and ultimately, by growing the number of credentialed residents in our regional workforce across all demographics.
NKU is committed to this partnership for five years, but the reality is that this should be a perpetual and ongoing initiative to help improve our ability to aid underserved student populations.
At this time, the Moon Shot initiative is still in its discovery and assessment phase. EAB, along with each partner institution, is diligently working to assess key areas of practice and organization, and to set priorities based on urgency and readiness. Campus leaders will soon form working groups to begin tackling the region’s first set of selected projects.
In the meantime, we would encourage you to review EAB’s 15 Best Practices to Erase Equity Gaps and consider ways in which you might support these efforts in your current role. As we grow this initiative, we pledge to provide continued opportunities for involvement for all members of the NKU community.
The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region is the second consortium selected by education firm EAB to join the Moon Shot initiative.