2019–2025 Impact Overview
Overview of the Grant
From October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2025, Alpena Community College implemented a U.S. Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant award of $2,250,000, titled “Center for Health Sciences, Innovation and Student Success.” The purpose of the grant was to strengthen ACC’s instructional quality, expand accessible student services, and increase fiscal stability to better serve low-income, rural, first-generation, and historically underserved students across Northeast Michigan.
The project focused on three core pillars:
- I. Expand Nursing &AlliedHealth Program capacity.
- II. Strengthenstudent services to improve outcomes for low-income students.
III. Advance the ACC Foundation to strengthen ACC’s fiscal stability.
Pillar I: Expanding Nursing & Health Program Capacity
Major Milestones
- Doubled nursing program enrollment capacity and sustained growth.
- Integrated high-fidelity simulation and Anatomage virtual dissection technology throughout the curriculum.
- Established a Simulation Lab Manager role and trained 10 faculty as Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators.
- Integrated virtual reality (VR) simulation tools into instruction.
- Expanded distance learning from 16 to 45 regional K–12 partner sites.
- Strengthened the ADN-to-BSN pathway through a partnership with Saginaw Valley State University.
Simulation-based learning is permanently embedded in required coursework, ensuring that nursing students graduate with experiential clinical preparation aligned with workforce standards. Distance learning expansion reduced geographic barriers for rural students and strengthened regional enrollment pipelines.
Pillar II: Strengthening Student Services & Student Outcomes
Major Milestones
- Established free on-campus mental health counseling services.
- Served 130 unduplicated students through the Student Counseling Center.
- Removed session caps to improve accessibility.
- Modernized student services and counseling spaces.
- Participated in the Healthy Minds Study and the University of Michigan MHICC initiative.
- Integrated wellness-centered programming into campus culture.
Mental health counseling and wellness programming are institutionalized components of ACC’s student support model. Evidence-based evaluation informed continuous improvement and strengthened persistence and graduation outcomes.
Pillar III: Advancing Fiscal Stability Through the ACC Foundation
Major Milestones
- Implemented alumni relationship management systems.
- Improved data quality and engagement practices.
- Hosted consistent alumni engagement events.
- Exceeded endowment growth goal.
The ACC Foundation endowment more than doubled during the grant period, strengthening long-term fiscal sustainability, scholarship support, and institutional resilience.
Institutional Outcomes (2019–2025)
- Fall enrollment increased through the grant period.
- Distance learning partnerships expanded to 45 regional sites.
- Graduation rate increased to 52%.
- Nursing program capacity doubled and sustained.
- Mental health supports institutionalized.
- Endowment grew.
All major SIP initiatives have been embedded into permanent operations, including simulation-based nursing instruction, mental health counseling, alumni engagement processes, and distance learning infrastructure. These efforts position Alpena Community College for sustained instructional excellence, student success, and fiscal stability.
In the Media:ACC earns $2.25M federal grant– October 2019
Talk of the Town – Grant Award Announcement – October 2019
College to purchase high-tech anatomy table – February 2020
Talk of the Town – Anatomage Table – March 2020
Nursing program purchases advanced patient simulators – August 2020
ACC brings advanced training technology to medical students - January 2021
For more information about the SIP Grant at ACC or any of the programs, please contact:
SIP Grant Director
Kristen Wisniewski
989.358.7451
wisniewk@alpenacc.edu