Southwestern Michigan College dean comes in second at pitch competition
“Five courses have been shown to be a predictor of how successful college students will be,” Reilly said.
Dr. Karen Reilly, Dean of the School of Business and Advanced Technology at Southwestern Michigan College, was awarded second place and $5,000 in a statewide innovative idea pitch competition.
The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) announced the winners of their “Take Flight: Sixty by 30 Pitch Competition” at their 13th annual conference held at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant.
The competition, focused on increasing the number of working-age adults with college degrees or skill certificates from 51.1% to 60% by 2030, received more than 50 interest forms and 30 video applications from across Michigan. The four finalists, including Reilly, presented their pitches live at the conference.
Reilly’s pitch, “The First Five Schedule,” proposes a strategic course enrollment plan for first-term full-time or first-year part-time college students. The initiative emphasizes the importance of passing the first five courses on the first attempt and engaging early in major courses.
“If students take math with student success at the same time, they pass math 85% of the time,” Reilly said. “Five courses have been shown to be a predictor of how successful college students will be. If a student completes the first five courses successfully, they have a 60% chance of graduating.”
Reilly developed the framework, which includes a basic math course, a student success course, an introductory course in the major, a general education course, and a gen ed or intro course in the major, from her own research and experience.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Reilly said.
While the initiative hasn’t been implemented at SMC due to scheduling constraints, Reilly has discussed it with SMC President Dr. Joe Odenwald and Vice President for the Student Experience Dr. Katie Hannah.
The Take Flight: Sixty by 30 Pitch Competition, sponsored by Michigan Virtual, aimed to showcase innovative ideas and best practices related to college completion, affordability, and adult student success.
MCAN executive director Ryan Fewins-Bliss expressed excitement about the Take Flight: Sixty by 30 Pitch Competition’s momentum.
“This was a great medium to showcase the dedication and creativity of our partners across the state in improving college attainment and completion.”
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