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Adelphi University Awarded $2.9M to Launch Adelphi Ascend-a Bold Initiative to Improve Advising and Boost Graduation Rates and AI Literacy

The U.S. Department of Education grant will strengthen student advising to boost persistence and close the achievement gap between Pell and non-Pell students

Garden City, NY (10/07/2026) — For many first-generation college students, navigating the first year of higher education is the most critical hurdle to earning a degree. To ensure every student has an equal opportunity to thrive, Adelphi University has been awarded a nearly $3 million Title III federal grant to launch Adelphi Ascend: Strengthening Advising, Persistence and AI Workforce Development. This five-year initiative will transform the University's student advising system, launch an innovative AI-readiness certificate and actively work to eliminate the historical achievement gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell students.

Title III grants support eligible institutions of higher education in expanding their capacity to serve low-income students by strengthening their academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability. To qualify, an institution must have at least 50 percent of its degree students receiving need-based assistance or a substantial number of enrolled students receiving Pell Grants, in addition to low educational and general expenditures. Adelphi University has demonstrated a deep commitment to the enrollment and upward mobility of low-income and first-generation students, evidenced through its undergraduate population-33 percent of undergrad students are Pell recipients, and of the undergraduate students who provided their parents' highest degree, 45 percent identified as first-generation college students.

Adelphi Ascend will largely support low-income students and help them become more successful in college and in their future careers. "Adelphi University is well known for the social mobility of its graduates," said Andrea Ward, PhD, vice provost for research and libraries, who led the development of this grant. "Through this program, Adelphi University will continue to show its commitment to working with students to not only succeed in the classroom but also once they graduate."

The program focuses on three areas:

  • Transforming the advising system for first-year students, providing a more holistic experience that incorporates faculty and staff training on how to effectively support and engage with today's students, helping them to transition more easily to college, move into their desired major and continue through graduation.
  • Reworking and augmenting Adelphi's First-Year Seminar program, an existing requirement for nearly all first-year students that serves as a yearlong orientation program. Students will undergo evaluations to develop skills and learn the critical academic, behavioral and financial competencies necessary for postsecondary persistence and self-sufficiency. Mentorship is built into the plan; upper-class students will serve as mentors to first-year students, and alumni will be invited to speak to students about internships and career opportunities during a Career Day at Adelphi's Manhattan Center.
  • AI-ready workforce development, helping to build AI literacy and develop AI skills necessary for students' academic disciplines and careers. AI training will also be provided to faculty from both a teaching and a research perspective, teaching them the value that AI brings to an educational experience. As part of this effort, a new AI Cross-Disciplinary Certificate program will also be developed by Adelphi's Innovation Center.

Through these strategic efforts, Adelphi aims to elevate first-year persistence, accelerate on-time graduation, expand long-term degree completion and advance educational equity by eliminating the historical achievement gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell students.

Adelphi Ascend is a collaborative effort led by Louise Geddes, PhD, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and co-led by Salvatore Petrilli '05, EdD, senior associate dean for academic operations and general education, Lee Stemkoski, PhD, professor of computer science and mathematics and director of the Innovation Center, and Debra Kyriacou, executive director of the Office of Academic Services and Retention. It is expected that the program will result in higher retention rates for first-year students and improvements in the four-year graduation rate, in addition to decreasing the gaps between students receiving Pell awards and those not receiving Pell awards.

"This grant offers us the opportunity to enact a holistic advising practice to suit each student's journey at Adelphi," said Interim Dean Geddes. "It can help students, many of whom might be the first in their family to attend college, in finding their feet at the institution. Our goal is to support all students as they learn how to find their passion, hone their skills and develop their future careers."

About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university with a personalized approach to higher learning

Adelphi University, New York, is a highly awarded, nationally ranked, powerfully connected doctoral research university dedicated to transforming students' lives through small classes with world-class faculty, hands-on learning, and innovative ways to support academic and career success. U.S. News & World Report named Adelphi a 2026 Best National University, Best College for Veterans, and Top Performer in Social Mobility. In addition, Forbes has ranked Adelphi the top private university on Long Island for three past three years.

Adelphi serves more than 7,300 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York-just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities-and at dynamic learning hubs in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, as well as online.

More than 125,000 alumni Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, engaged citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities and the world.

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Adelphi University has been awarded a nearly $3 million Title III federal grant to launch Adelphi Ascend: Strengthening Advising, Persistence and AI Workforce Development.

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