Bringing Theory to Practice

Project Strategies

Campus Action Research and Projects

BTtoP provides resources and support to colleges and universities that are exploring how the goals they hold in common with the Project can be realized. More than 300 colleges and universities are connected with the Project. In addition, more than 60 colleges and universities in 24 different states have received grant support provided by BTtoP.

Demonstration and Intensive Sites

Institutions were chosen for our Demonstration and Intensive Site programs through a competitive grant proposal and selection process. These institutions are working to advance the goals of the project and provide multi-year data and replicable models for others in higher education. During BTtoP's 2004-2007 funding period, a small set of campus-based demonstration projects were designed, implemented and sustained. BTtoP is currently supporting an additional round of both demonstration and intensive projects within the 2007-2010 funding period.

Commissioned Research

The BTtoP cost study identifies costs related to resources, personnel and programming employed by colleges and universities as they address the various symptoms of student disengagement. The study compares such costs and related trends over a five-year period among a limited sample of colleges and universities of different categories and sizes. The results provide benchmarks for institutional comparison.

Sponsored Conferences and Workshops

• A National Annual Working Conference is held in conjunction with AAC&U's Annual Meeting. The themed conference provides information, access to resources, awareness, and training for campus teams to initiate or sustain relevant programmatic activities on their campus.
  
  
• Regional conferences take place in areas where BTtoP grantee institutions reside. Bringing together area institutions allows for the sharing of common issues and challenges without the expense of traveling to a national conference. The significant benefits of the regional gathering are the increased likelihood of sustained interactions among those from different campuses, as well as the reliable use of models or insights gained from colleagues.
  
  
• Student conferences occur every two years. Participants are generally those on grantee campuses, but the conferences are open to all college and university students. The Student Conferences are a useful vehicle for BTtoP to gauge the true character of current college and university campus cultures, by preserving the student voice within the Project, allowing students to speak from their perspective on the Project's work as it relates to their mental health and overall well-being, as well as their commitment to civic engagement.
  
  
• Retrieval conferences and specific workshops are designed for our grantee campuses to provide access to colleagues and peers at other grantee institutions, allowing them to discuss the most current and challenging issues faced in implementing their own BTtoP grant-funded projects and research.