Knox Receives Federal Grant

Knox College has been awarded a federal grant of $1.3-million to establish an institutional research program.

17th District Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) announced the grant on Wednesday, June 20, in Washington, DC. The grant is from the Strengthening Institutions Program of the U.S. Department of Education.

"Thanks to Representative Hare's efforts, the Strengthening Institutions Program grant will help Knox develop an even stronger educational experience for students in this fast changing world," said Knox College President Roger Taylor.

"Record applications suggest that Knox is communicating well with prospective students, and strong first-to-second-year retention rates suggest that we are meeting their expectations," said Lawrence B. Breitborde, Dean of Knox College and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "We implemented a new curriculum in 2002, and now we want to gather empirical evidence on what is working well in the curriculum, and what we might need to change."

"Knox has more than 1,300 students, who can choose from over 700 courses in more than 40 academic programs. And Knox students have a lot of flexibility and initiative in designing their educational programs to meet the College's requirements. All those combinations and flexibility make assessment a daunting task," Breitborde said.

"The Office of Institutional Research will help Knox evaluate how students are navigating the new curriculum. What sounds like a simple question ? such as how many students are doing the bare minimum, and how many are going beyond the basic requirements ? takes highly specialized skills that we will be able to develop in the new Office of Institutional Research," Breitborde said.

According to the Department of Education, Knox will receive $278,938 during the first year of the grant. The federal funding of $1,253,000 over five years represents 63 percent of the estimated total of $1,997,000 to establish the office. Knox will contribute $744,000, or 37 percent of the five-year total.

The grant will allow Knox to implement a regular program of assessment for all academic departments and core elements of the academic program to determine quality and effectiveness. In addition, the College will undertake ongoing strategic analysis of its key markets and current institutional operations, with resulting improvements in educational quality and institutional planning.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 45 states and 44 nations. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Knox College President Roger Taylor meets with Congressman Phil Hare in the Washington, DC, headquarters of the Peace Corps on June 20.