The United States Department of Education has awarded Southwestern University a five-year, $2.8 million grant under the federal government’s Title III, Part A: Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP). The grant will fund Southwestern’s proposal, “Title III SIP: The Pirate Project to Increase Retention, Graduation, and Workforce Readiness in Texas.”

“This generous award will benefit our students by combining academics and career readiness,” Southwestern University President Laura Skandera Trombley said. “It reflects the collaborative work of our dedicated staff, and it exemplifies the spirit of Southwestern’s Paideia philosophy.”

The Pirate Project was guided by the key pillars of Southwestern’s 2026–2031 Tactical Plan: attracting students, helping them succeed, and preparing them for meaningful lives and careers in an increasingly competitive environment.

“These federal grant funds will have far-reaching implications across Southwestern’s campus, from enhancing student success and support systems to modernizing classrooms and instructional spaces,” Southwestern University Executive Vice President for Advancement, Athletics, and Career Services Marie Muhvic said. “The culmination of three years of work, this grant will aid the University in achieving our goals set out in the Tactical Plan, including developing the capacities necessary to fully realize the Pirate Plan.”

At the center of the Tactical Plan is the Pirate Plan, a four-year framework that connects academic excellence, career preparation, student engagement, and high-impact experiences into a cohesive student journey. The integration of curricular and co-curricular programs is central to SU’s distinctive Paideia philosophy, which emphasizes intentional, interconnected learning, leading to graduation and employment.

Funding from the SIP grant will primarily support four foundational goals:

• Build a data-informed retention infrastructure to increase retention and graduation rates and stabilize enrollment revenue.
• Reduce D/F/withdraw (DFW) rates and increase student progression into pre-professional majors.
• Modernize classrooms into technology-enabled learning environments.
• Enhance support and offerings so all degree-seeking students can access paid, credit-bearing, work-based learning with coaching, advising, wraparound support, and expanded internship opportunities aligned with in-demand regional industries.

Southwestern will be transitioning from a limited-use pilot of EAB’s Navigate360 software to a full institutional subscription. Navigate360 enables Success Coaches and Academic Advisors to proactively engage at-risk students, track progress toward degree completion, and facilitate timely interventions for students encountering academic challenges and other issues that could affect academic success and retention.

Grant funding will also support implementing Tableau, software that provides a central data hub and visualizes student engagement at Pirate Plan waypoints. Tableau will aggregate data from Navigate360 and SU’s student information system, enabling the University to monitor progress toward objectives and make timely adjustments.

SIP funds allow for Southwestern to support 11 tutors per academic year in the Professor John Score II Learning Commons. These tutors will be embedded in high DFW courses where students struggle and provide additional tutoring hours within the Learning Commons.

Over the first two years of the grant, 15 classrooms across Southwestern’s campus will receive nearly $20,000 each in modernization enhancements. Upgrades will include AV hardware, systems, and components such as projectors, mounts, and screens, as well as audio systems and wiring. SU classroom modernization is expected to improve retention, course completion, and graduation rates.

As part of receiving the SIP funding, Southwestern will hire a full-time Title III coordinator who will be responsible for overseeing alignment with funding and institutional priorities, ensuring that grant funds are used for vital project activities and expenses. The Title III coordinator will also be tasked with engaging in targeted relationship-building among employers to expand the number of internship opportunities for SU students, particularly in fields that meet state workforce needs.

Finally, to implement the Title III Pirate Project and the Pirate Plan effectively, grant funding has been secured to provide faculty with professional development related to strengthening career readiness advising. This training will provide faculty with effective methods to encourage student engagement in Pirate Plan progress markers and to leverage Navigate360 to track student advising activities.

The total value of Southwestern’s grant over its five-year lifespan is $2,803,377, with $844,167 being awarded for the first year of the program this fall. Future grant funding will be awarded and announced annually by the federal government.

“I want to credit the amazing team from the Office of Academic Affairs, Advancement, Center for Career and Professional Development, Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, and the Budget Office who worked on this grant proposal,” Muhvic said. “This was a real team win in support of our students.”