At the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), we’ve always believed in the power of collaboration to drive transformative change in higher education. We’re excited to share some groundbreaking updates that will accelerate our efforts to help more students succeed. From a $2.9 million philanthropic investment to welcoming seven new institutions into our alliance, we’re poised to make an even more significant impact.
$2.9 Million Investment to Fuel Student Success Initiatives
We’ve received a philanthropic investment of $2.9 million to support the next phase of our mission and, since 2021, have expanded our alliance to include seven new member institutions, bringing our total to 17 universities.
Over the past decade, our member universities have worked together to find, test, and scale innovative practices that directly improve student success. These collaborations have allowed our alliance to serve tens of thousands of students across the country. With the recent addition of seven like-minded institutions and this new round of philanthropic support, we’re excited to broaden our reach and explore even more ambitious ideas for the future.
This generous investment comes from several key philanthropic organizations that share our commitment to student success, including ECMC Foundation, Frederick A. Deluca Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, Axim Collaborative, Lumina Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Their support enables us to further our mission, and we are deeply grateful for their partnership.
Our newest member institutions represent some of the most innovative public universities in the country. After a thorough review process, we’re proud to officially welcome these institutions to the UIA:
- University at Buffalo
- The University of New Mexico
- The University of Utah
- University of Colorado Denver
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- University of Illinois Chicago
Together, the 17 universities in the alliance serve nearly 630,000 undergraduates, including about 185,000 Pell-grant recipients—nearly 8% of all Pell recipients in four-year public institutions across the country.
We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, doubling our original goal of awarding 68,000 undergraduate degrees—a target we set at the White House College Opportunity Day of Action in 2014. Since then, we’ve increased the number of graduates across our campuses by 27%, and we’ve seen a remarkable 89% increase in graduates of color and a 41% increase in low-income graduates.
The Future of Higher Education Collaboration
Our work continues to focus on initiatives that have a real impact, including academic recovery projects aimed at reducing high DFW rates, the use of predictive analytics to enhance college advising, AI chatbots to prevent summer melt, and college completion grants that remove financial barriers to graduation.
The growth of our alliance is proof that when universities come together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of students. As Michael Crow, our founding chair and president of Arizona State University, put it, “With the addition of these seven innovative institutions, we are reinforcing our commitment to create scalable solutions that improve student outcomes nationwide.”
We are hosting our National Summit from October 23 to 25. At this event, we will gather student success teams from institutions across the country to share, learn, and explore new ways to transform higher education. We’re looking forward to the fresh ideas, collaborations, and solutions that will emerge from these conversations.
As we look ahead, we remain dedicated to our mission of ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. This new wave of support empowers us to continue building on our progress, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for the University Innovation Alliance.
Read the press release here.