In October 2007, Union County College received a 2.8 million dollar, five-year federal Title-V grant to address issues related to student persistence and retention at UCC.

The basic components of the grant are:

Learning Communities:
This activity uses a holistic approach to address the persistence and academic needs of students during and after their first year. It includes the development of linked or paired courses with Union County College's First Year Seminar, UCC 101, as the foundation course linked through team teaching with developmental mathematics, developmental English, and English Composition for ESL.

Student Development Program:
This activity includes enhancing student development through intrusive counseling, on-line counseling, a student orientation program, the implementation of degree audit, and the administration of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement which helps to measure "aspects of the student experience that are linked to student success." In addition, the project provides for an enhanced tutoring program for students in Learning Communities, on-line tutoring, and the implementation of supplemental instruction for students in high risk courses.

Professional Development Program:
Professional development for faculty and staff focused on student persistence may contribute to the success of tutoring, advising, and instruction by providing new knowledge and skills regarding student learning strategies that positively affect retention. Professional development will be conducted through a coherent series of workshops, seminars, speakers, and on-line presentations focused on retention. In addition, the project provides stipends for adjunct faculty to attend professional development workshops, a call for faculty projects that positively impact retention, training for tutors and peer mentors, publication of Retention Strategy Handbooks (best practices) in math, English, and ESL, and a project publication of two monographs of best practices in student persistence.

Endowment Challenge:
The Union County College Foundation will match $125,000 of federal dollars over the five year period to create an endowment to provide long term fiscal stability and plan for institutionalizing aspects of the grant project.