Mount Saint Mary College was recently selected to receive $2,959,966 in federal funding over a five-year project period through the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Strengthening Institutions Program.
The first-year federal award is nearly $418,000. The effort will run from October 2026 through the end of September 2031.
The grant funds “Empowering the Mount,” a comprehensive initiative designed to strengthen institutional capacity, advance artificial intelligence in education, and bolster academic outcomes across campus. The project focuses on four primary objectives: driving student success in introductory courses, improving overall institutional retention, integrating artificial intelligence literacy across the curriculum, and securing long-term financial sustainability for the college.
“Securing this Title III funding represents a transformative milestone for our academic community and the future of the college,” said Evan Merkhofer, the Mount’s Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Through the ‘Empowering the Mount’ initiative, we are strengthening our institutional capacity while simultaneously ensuring our students graduate with the technological fluency needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving global workforce.”
A central pillar of the grant addresses the transition into college life, aiming to increase fall-to-fall retention and six-year graduation rates among all students, including low-income and first-time students. To build an early foundation for these students, the Mount will launch a specialized Summer Bridge Program alongside an expanded Student Peer Mentoring Program. The college will also hire professional tutors to reinforce learning in foundational, introductory-level coursework and implement new systems for identifying, tracking, and communicating with at-risk students before they fall behind.
“Student success begins with a strong network of support,” explained Brianne Thompson, Senior Director of the Center for Academic and Career Services. “By combining proactive outreach and early risk-identification systems with hands-on resources like our new Summer Bridge Program, professional tutoring, and peer mentorship, we are building a safety net that catches students early and empowers them to cross the finish line with confidence.”
In alignment with the U.S. Department of Education’s competitive priority to advance artificial intelligence in education, “Empowering the Mount” will also establish a new Center for Teaching and Learning with AI (CTLAI) on campus. The center will lead comprehensive AI training and professional development for both faculty and students, directly supporting the grant’s objective to significantly increase the number of Mount courses that meaningfully integrate artificial intelligence.
“Artificial intelligence is reshaping every discipline, and our goal is to ensure that both our educators and our students are equipped to lead in this new landscape,” said Jen Bready, Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Education and Professor of Mathematics. “The creation of the Center for Teaching and Learning with AI will give our faculty the professional development and collaborative space needed to thoughtfully weave AI literacy into their classrooms. Whether a student is studying mathematics, the humanities, or education, they will learn how to engage with emerging technologies ethically, critically, and creatively.”