COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) - Mississippi University for Women has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to focus on retention and graduation rates.

The grant will be implemented during a five-year period.

It was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III program to implement processes that will improve retention and graduation rates and streamline the student advising process.

Among the programs the grant will cover include redesigning intermediate education courses, professional development for intermediate education instructors, release time for faculty-led enhancement and improvements, establishing a peer mentoring program and implementing a web-based tutoring program.

Dr. David Brooking, director of MUW’s Student Success Center and Title III Project, says that streamlining the advising process will also be a major component covered under the grant.

Goals include expanding targeted counseling services and outreach to faculty, implementing comprehensive training and support program for faculty advisers, establishing fellows program for continued professional development and implementing an electronic degree audit and data analytics system title Degree Works.

MUW President Nora Miller says the grant will help fulfill the school’s mission of empowering students as the school works toward increasing completion rates.