BOONE, N.C. — Columbus State University (CSU) in Columbus, Georgia, has awarded $29,186.49 in funding for three Appalachian State University professors to develop and implement a training program for faculty and staff serving as academic mentors and/or coaches to underprepared students attending CSU. The program is designed to improve the faculty and staff’s counseling and intervention skills.

These faculty members are Dr. Hunter Boylan, director of the National Center for Developmental Education (NCDE) at Appalachian and professor of higher education in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies, along with Dr. Patti Levine-Brown and Dr. Stacey Garrett, both of whom are assistant professors in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies. The department is housed in Appalachian’s Reich College of Education.

The training program will be ongoing through August 2018, according to Boylan, with a possible extension of the contract upon satisfactory completion of the initial phase of training.

The grant is administered through Appalachian’s NCDE.

About the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies

The Department of Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University prepares traditional and nontraditional students to assume educational leadership roles in community colleges, universities, public schools, public libraries and related educational settings through active scholarship, reflection, professional discourse and interdisciplinary programs of study based on the integration of theory and practice. The department, housed in App State's Reich College of Education, offers a doctoral program in educational leadership, as well as support courses in educational foundations and research. Learn more at https://les.appstate.edu.

About the National Center for Developmental Education

The National Center for Developmental Education (NCDE), located in Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education, provides research, professional development and technical services for developmental educators. NCDE publishes the Journal of Developmental Education (JDE), the official publication of the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE), and coordinates the Kellogg Institute held at Appalachian each summer. Learn more at https://ncde.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.