Student Success

Two students sitting on a bench outside of Karl Miller Center. They are facing each other and having a conversation

Access, Complete, Connect, Engage (ACCE) Grant

Project Status: Planning

PSU was awarded $7,823,199 to fund the Access, Connect, Complete, Engage (ACCE) program in partnership with Clackamas Community College (CCC) and Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) to serve 2,000 transfer students. This approach includes clear transfer pathways, integrated coaching, direct financial aid, and data-driven evaluation. ACCE aims to tackle systemic barriers to academic success for underserved transfer students, reducing disparities in post-secondary outcomes across PSU and partnering community colleges. The program has officially finished its first term serving students at MHCC and CCC!

Accomplished

  • Hired Three New ACCE Coaches: Given our growing student population and demands for additional coaching support, we have hired three new ACCE coaches, Anthony, Brenna, and Sabrina! They are being onboarded and will begin to offer coaching support this Winter term.
  • Cohorts 1-4: Our program is fulfilling its mission to serve historically underserved students, as demonstrated by the addition of our fourth cohort into our program. We currently have 700 students amongst cohorts 1-4 who are receiving coaching support, including a significant majority of first-generation college students and a strong representation of BIPOC individuals. These demographics confirm our commitment to reaching diverse learners who benefit most from our support.
  • Appointments: Coaches have conducted a total of 270+ coaching sessions this Winter to support students work towards their transfer to a four-year university and earn their Bachelor’s degrees.
  • Financial Support: $48,250 has been administered to ACCE students in the form of gift cards for financial support during Winter term.
  • PSU Transfer Students: Twelve ACCE students have officially transferred to PSU.
  • MHCC and CCC Campus Engagement: ACCE coaches spent over 230 hours at MHCC and CCC over Winter term.
  • Reaching Unengaged ACCE Students: Coaches completed an extensive communication campaign, including calling, texting, and emailing, to students who have not yet engaged with our services.

In Progress

  • PCC Cohort: We are thrilled to welcome our first round of 160+ PCC students into the ACCE program this Winter term!
  • Additional Recruitment Launched: Our coaches will execute another recruitment round for additional PCC students to join the ACCE program over the Summer.
  • Sustainability Planning: We've already started building sustainability into the ACCE program by strategically integrating our coaches into existing and new touchpoints. Coaches are not only providing crucial one-on-one coaching to MHCC/CCC students, but they're also actively participating in the following sustainability initiatives:
    • Planning transfer workshops
    • Hosting drop-in transfer advising sessions
    • Engaging with students during orientation
    • Conducting valuable classroom visits
  • This approach lays the groundwork for long-term impact and continued student success, well beyond the grant's conclusion in 2028

Project Health

  • We are well into the second year of the ACCE grant cycle, and with the addition of future PCC cohorts, we are on track to accomplish our overall mission and vision. 

Project Team

Sponsor: The Department of Education 
Project Leads: Andrea Garrity and Randi Harris
Program Director: Delaney Ybarra
ACCE Project Committee: Andrea Garrity, Brittany Montana, Delaney Ybarra, Emanuel Magana, Matthew Carlson, MHCC+CCC partners, Perla Pinedo, Randi Harris, Regina Arellano, Robert Findtner, Shoshana Zeisman-Pereyo
Collaborators: Mount Hood Community College and Clackamas Community College