Joining the American Talent Initiative
The American Talent Initiative brings together a diverse set of public and private colleges and universities committed to:
- Enhancing institutional efforts to reach out to and enroll low- and moderate-income students.
- Learning from each other about how best to support low- and moderate-income students and ensure their success.
- Sharing what they learn to expand higher education access across the nation’s top-performing colleges and universities.
ATI members are working to advance a collective goal to expand access and success. They also focus on making measurable progress toward their Accelerating Opportunity lower-income student enrollment goal, which they commit to upon joining the initiative. This goal is tied to pre-pandemic enrollment. With these institutional goals as benchmarks, the nation’s 341 colleges and universities with the highest graduation rates can realize their public purpose.
Which colleges and universities are eligible to become ATI members?
A four-year college or university is eligible for ATI membership if it is Title IV eligible, its undergraduate enrollment exceeds 500 students, and its six-year graduation rate consistently meets or exceeds 70 percent.
For more specific details about our eligibility requirements or to submit an inquiry about your institution’s eligibility, complete our contact form here.
My college or university is eligible. How do we become a member?
We encourage a senior team member to complete the contact form if you meet the eligibility criteria listed above. At that point, an ATI staff member will reach out to the designated contact and schedule an intake conversation to discuss your interest in joining the initiative and expectations for participation.
At that point, the president/chancellor of your institution joins a call with an ATI steering committee member to address your questions about participation and review the aspirational goals each member must commit to.
If your president/chancellor would like to move forward with joining ATI, they would receive and sign the ATI Statement of Commitment, which formalizes their institution’s membership in ATI.
At that point, the president/chancellor appoints a senior staff member to serve as the ATI “main point of contact (MPOC).” The MPOC convenes campus stakeholders, champions ATI on campus, and works closely with ATI staff. In the first months of ATI membership, the MPOC completes several core activities that outline their campus commitments to increasing access and opportunity with the support of ATI staff.
Interested in joining our effort to accelerate opportunity for talented students from lower-income backgrounds? Contact a member of the ATI team here for more information.