Appalachian supports students with learning differences through grant-funded College STAR project

Posted May 18, 2018 at 4:08 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — As part of Appalachian State University’s participation in the grant-funded College STAR (Supporting Transition Access and Retention) project, Dr. Michael Mayfield, Jamie Inlow and Lillian Nave have been awarded $8,089.24 in grant funding from East Carolina University (ECU) to support Appalachian students with learning differences.

Mayfield is a professor in Appalachian’s Department of Geography and Planning and former vice provost for undergraduate education; Inlow is director of the university’s As-U-R student support program in the Student Learning Center; and Nave is a senior lecturer in Appalachian’s general education program.

The awarded grant is part of the College STAR project, which, according to Mayfield, has received $1.8 million in funding from the Oak Foundation and the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to support students with learning differences.

Mayfield said the project has two components: “The first focuses on faculty development around Universal Design for Learning — an educational framework for developing curriculum that can be customized to fit a student’s individual, specific needs — and the second component is a direct student support program. The second program focuses on students with executive function challenges.”

Currently, 93 students at Appalachian are involved in the program.

Ellen Bunn ’17, a graduate student in Appalachian’s special education program from Apex, is assisting with the project.

About College STAR

College STAR (Supporting Transition, Access and Retention) is a project of the University of North Carolina system designed to support students with learning differences and faculty members interested in teaching methods that can facilitate student success. The program is being implemented at East Carolina University, Appalachian State University and Fayetteville State University. The College STAR program is funded by the Oak Foundation of Geneva, Switzerland, and the N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. Learn more at https://www.collegestar.org

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.