Kentucky Campus Compact wins Innovation Challenge

January 27, 2020

For Immediate Release

Contact: Tori Vogelgesang

(859) 572-7634

Kentucky Campus Compact Wins NKU Innovation Challenge

Norse Skolars: From Summer Melt to Student Success to be implemented soon

Highland Heights, KY. – January 27, 2020 – Northern Kentucky University, as part of its Success By Design strategic framework implementation, held an Innovation Challenge. Units within the university were asked to submit proposals to promote Success By Design’s strategic pillars of Access, Completion, and Career and Community Engagement.

Kentucky Campus Compact along with NKU Undergraduate Admissions and the University Connect and Persist Office submitted: Norse Skolars: From Summer Melt to Student Success. Summer melt is the phenomenon where students pay a confirmation fee, enroll in classes, but never come to campus. The initiative sought funding to create a peer mentorship program to freeze summer melt. The program made it to the top 15 out of 133 proposals. After presenting it to a shark-tank style panel of judges, it was announced in Janauary that the program was fully funded. Not only that but with the support of the campus and community, the proposal won the fan vote, receiving an additional investment from the university.

Recruiter Kyle Dorriere, who designed the project, on winning the challenge, said, “We are extremely excited to receive this award from NKU’s Innovation Challenge!  Students are our primary focus and drive, and the Norse Skolars program will be a new way to accomplish our mission. Partnering with the Office of Admissions and University Connect and Persist (UCAP) means we can give a holistic approach to helping new NKU students from summer through their first year of college.  We would like to thank NKU and our campus partners for their commitment to freezing summer melt and putting students first.”

KyCC looks forward to implementing this project in the coming year. Reach out to Director of Academic Engagement, Tori Vogelgesang at Tori.Vogelgsang {at} kycompact(.)org, or Recruiter Kyle Dorriere at Recruiter {at} kycompact(.)org to learn more.

##KYCC##

About Kentucky Campus Compact: Kentucky Campus Compact (KyCC) is a statewide coalition of Kentucky college and university presidents and their institutions, both public and private, committed to college access, college success, and community impact. KyCC was created in 2005 and opened its doors for operation in January 2006. KyCC is a chapter of the national Campus Compact organization, which boasts over 1,000 members since its founding in 1985. KyCC is housed on the campus of Northern Kentucky University. NKU is the fiscal agent for KyCC and hosting all organizational operations. Visit www.kycompact.org