Michelle Ashcraft, Ph.D.

Experience

• 

  Purdue University

  Sept 2005 - Aug 2006

  Selected and trained 70 Team Supervisors and 420 Team Leaders for Boiler Gold Rush (BGR). Co-facilitated FREEZone diversity training for student staff; created a tiered level of “challenge,” support, and debriefing for each activity, increasing from Team Leader to Team Super to SOC. Designed and implemented an Adaptive Services Plan of Action and a Transportation Plan. Researched, selected, and hired keynote speakers, comedians, and diversity speakers. Aided in program development and setup for Unionfest during the BGR 2006 program. Participated as a student panelist for the Football Orientation and Parent Orientation programs. Programmed 3 orientation programs for transfer students: Winter Welcome, Summer Welcome, and Fall Welcome. Show less

  • Student Orientation Committee (SOC), Orientation Initiatives

    Sept 2005 - Aug 2006

  • Purdue Opportunity Awards (POA) Program Intern

    Sept 2005 - Aug 2006
• 

  University of South Carolina

  Jan 2008 - Dec 2008

  Co-edited Transitions, the textbook for the nationally-recognized first-year seminar University 101, in conjunction with the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. Recruited and trained 200 Peer Leaders and Graduated Leaders to co-instruct UNIV 101. Assisted with convocation for the First-Year Reading Experience for 3900 incoming students. Implemented Gamecock Connection, an online, academic-based, social-networking retention tool. Performed academic skills coaching for students. Developed a coaching model on speed reading and reading comprehension. Developed student success workshops on: 1) stress reduction for first-year students, 2) study abroad for sophomores, 3) application to graduate school for juniors, and 4) transition to life after college for seniors.

  • Graduate Assistant for University 101 Programs

    May 2007 - Dec 2008

  • Academic Centers for Excellence Practicum

    Mar 2008 - May 2008

  • TRiO Opportunity Scholars Program Practicum

    Jan 2008 - Mar 2008
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  Columbia College (SC)

  May 2008 - Jul 2008

  Career Services Intern

  Critiqued resumes and cover letters of students and alumni. Developed a training workshop for supervisors on millennial student employees. Investigated podcasting technologies for enhancing career services for students and alumni. Composed a Salary Negotiation Guide for seniors and young alumni.

• 

  EducationDynamics

  Jun 2008 - Dec 2008

  FYReSpace Intern

  Composed content, including lesson plans, activities, and teaching strategies, for FYReSpace, an instructional component of the online FYRe product suite. FYRE is an online, academic-based, social-networking tool developed to assist in the retention of first-year students.

• 

  University of Kentucky

  Jan 2009 - May 2012

  Assistant Director for New Student & Parent Programs

  Coordinated K Week, a 9-day welcome week program for 5000+ new students, including recruiting and training 500 K Crew and Super Crew (K Week student mentors). Supervised 2 K Crew Coordinators. Initiated the K Team Program, a first-year mentoring program and directed the new Common Reading Experience. Evaluated and revised curriculum for UK101. Utilized and developed web-based technologies to increase outreach to parents and new students.

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  Purdue University

  Jun 2012 - Sept 2022

  The Indiana Commission for Higher Education places ScholarCorps AmeriCorps members at select colleges and universities across Indiana to increase retention of 21st Century Scholars. At Purdue, the ScholarCorps member serves 21st Century Scholars not served by Purdue Promise through programming and resources in alignment with four programmatic areas: 1) academic performance and persistence, 2) student engagement and enrichment, 3) career exploration and preparation, and 4) financial literacy and debt management. Show less Purdue Promise is a four-year scholarship and support program for low-income Indiana residents who are part of the Indiana 21st Century Scholars program. It is designed to minimize barriers to access and success, and provide individualized care and coaching to retain and graduate scholars prepared for navigating life after college. The program has received campus, statewide, and national recognition for graduating students on time and debt-free. Our promise statement: Champion access, affordability, and holistic support to facilitate opportunities for qualifying Indiana scholars to graduate on time, debt-free, and prepared for life after Purdue. Our core values:+ Include: Embrace and celebrate our diverse community.+ Support: Foster caring relationships based on trust and accountability.+ Empower: Cultivate confidence and courage in ourselves and others.Our “Once Purdue Promise, Always Purdue Promise” policy: Once students are deemed eligible for Purdue Promise, sign their initial participation agreement, and commencement attendance, they are eligible to receive support and utilize services even if they are not receiving the Purdue Promise award. Show less

  • Indiana ScholarCorps AmeriCorps Site Supervisor

    Jul 2015 - Sept 2022

  • Director of Purdue Promise

    Jun 2012 - Sept 2022
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  Indiana Commission for Higher Education

  Aug 2021 - now

  I lead the implementation of policies, programs, and partnerships designed to increase Indiana's college-going rates, college completion rates, and retention of college graduates in Indiana. I have the honor of collaborating with the K-12 Outreach, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Postsecondary Transitions and Success, and State Financial Aid teams to assist Hoosier high school students in earning credentials before graduation, filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), taking advantage of direct admissions to Indiana's higher education institutions, and maximizing usage of state financial aid to complete college on time and enter the workforce in Indiana. Key initiatives include: CTE, the Indiana College Core, over $400M in state financial aid (including the 21st Century Scholars program and Frank O'Bannon Grant), and Indiana Pre-Admissions: Your Path to College. Show less All my efforts were geared toward increasing the college-going rate in Indiana, particularly through (a) increased utilization of the 21st Century Scholars award, (b) increased utilization of the Frank O'Bannon Higher Education Award, (c) increased FAFSA filing, and (d) increased early college credit in high schools, including increased completion of the Indiana College Core. I supervised a team that worked across the state in 8 outreach regions as well as in the central office in Indianapolis to support 21st Century Scholar enrollment, 21st Century Scholar Scholar Success Program completion, FAFSA filing, promotion of the Indiana College Core, promotion of the Workforce Ready Grant and Adult Student Grant, the ScholarCorps program through a partnership with Serve Indiana and AmeriCorps, and Indiana's GEAR UP program in partnership with Purdue University. I also co-launched Indiana Pre-Admissions: Your Path to College, a statewide direct admissions model. Show less The internship involved the implementation of a new partnership between the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) and postsecondary institutions to provide early access to information about high school students to aid in their transition to college. The project entailed designing a process by which high school students can indicate interest in higher education institutions, and that information can be shared with institutions for intentional pre-enrollment outreach. This project helped lay the groundwork for the Indiana Pre-Admissions: Your Path to College initiative. Show less

  • Senior Associate Commissioner & Chief Program Officer

    Jul 2023 - now

  • Associate Commissioner for K-12 Strategy

    Sept 2022 - Jul 2023

  • Doctoral Intern

    Aug 2021 - Dec 2022