Davenport University’s unwavering commitment to providing its students with affordable and quality education has never been more evident than with its ELEVATE campaign.

This campaign will enable the university to raise the bar in higher education and help students become the leaders our communities need to ELEVATE and thrive. The campaign goal is to raise $35 million, and the university is very close to hitting that target.

The ELEVATE campaign focuses on five key areas: Urban Education, bilingual degree programs, mental health and the first-generation student success initiative.

One area that has seen a tremendous amount of success is the university’s first-generation initiative. This program offers custom programming and activities to support students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree, ensuring they return to Davenport every year until graduation.

This innovative program includes a first-year success course, academic coaching, study skills and time management training, workshops, speakers and peer mentoring. The program is not only working, it is changing the lives of these first-generation students, who comprise fifty-two percent of Davenport’s student body. During the 23-24 academic year, program participants retained at a rate of 90%, while those who did not participate retained at 55%.

Continued enhancements, like the addition of the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, which recognizes high-achieving first-generation students, continues to propel this program forward.

Recently, 130 of these first-generation students were inducted into the new honor society, making it the largest inaugural induction of students into an honor society in Davenport’s history.

Jodi Hicks, director of first-year experience at Davenport, said she is incredibly proud of these students and is thrilled that the university was able to celebrate their commitment to academic excellence and their success in this way.

Another ELEVATE success is in the area of mental health. 

Davenport knew there was a great need for additional mental health professionals, so it added two new degree programs to train highly qualified practitioners to fill these in-demand roles. In 2023, the university introduced the Master of Arts in mental health counseling and the Master of Science in nursing, with a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner concentration, and both programs exceeded enrollment expectations.

And, coming this fall, a new accelerated program will allow students to earn both a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Service Case Management and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling in just five years. This accelerated pathway will enable students to advance their careers in mental health counseling, allowing them to begin their professional work one year earlier than traditional programs.

The ELEVATE campaign continues and will wrap up later this year. To support this initiative, visit davenport.edu/give-gift or contact advancement@davenport.edu.