Status
In Progress
Start Term
Summer 2023
End Term
Spring 2026
Project Leads
Director of Student Experience
Core Team

Vice President of Student Affairs, Director of Student Experience, Success Navigators

Ad Hoc team

Vice President of Finance, Grant Coordinator, Enrollment, Advising, Financial Aid, Social Work, Counseling, Academic Specialists, Computer Help Center staff, Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Student Success, Director of Enrollment Management, Director of Financial Aid and Records

Pillars of Success
Student Success
Strategic Plans
Annual Work Plan
Project Purpose

As part of the Title III grant, Success Navigator positions were identified as a way to address a gap in onboarding processes, which was especially impacting BIPOC students. Success Navigators will assist students with the transition to college through new student onboarding, registration assistance and wrap-around services. These supports will work to increase enrollment, improve full-time degree seeking fall to fall retention and completion rates, and decrease onboarding process disparities between BIPOC and white students.

Deliverables
  • Hire and onboard the Director of Student Experience
  • Hire and onboard Success Navigators to conduct student outreach and support
  • Identify spaces across the four campuses to house physical Student Success Centers (SSC)
  • Create a Student Retention Taskforce
  • Create an academic calendar of events, including new and current student workshops hosted by the SSC
  • Identify resources and referrals for student support services
  • Develop Spartan Connect Form implementation and outreach process
  • Develop a weekly automatic new student query sent to SSC staff 60 days prior to the start of the semester
  • Review and revise new student entry and enrollment process
  • Incorporate Success Navigators into the Early Alert process
  • Conduct drop in and appointment navigation support with targeted outreach to students in their first two semesters
  • Strategize with faculty and professional advisors on ways to support the registration process
  • Update the Spartan Connect Form and build it into the College's Customer Relationship Management System
  • Use data from the Spartan Connect Form to tailor workshops to meet student needs and enhance the student onboarding experience
Project Scope
In Scope
  • Spartan Connect Form
  • Campus support resources that assist students in completion of first year of college
  • Collaboration between departments to meet students where they are at and offer wrap-around support services
  • Tailoring workshops to meet student needs (identified using Spartan Connect form data)
  • Onboarding experience following guided learning pathway framework
Out of Scope
  • Student population and demographics
  • Barriers affecting students outside of college
  • M State is an open enrollment institution
  • Requiring students to attend new student engagement events and workshops
Effectiveness Measures
Goal
  • To provide wrap around support to students
Key Performance Indicators/Metrics
  • Number of full-time degree seeking students
  • Fall-to-fall persistence with first-time full-time degree seeking students
  • Fall-to-fall persistence with first-time part-time degree seeking students
  • Fall-to-fall racial disparity between white and BIPOC populations (Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Hispanic of any race)
  • First-time full-time degree seeking students graduating within three years
Metric Review Schedule
  • Annually
Reporting of Results
  • Shared with stakeholders, leadership and Title III grant reporting (quarterly updates)
Constraints
  • Stigma with asking for/accepting help
  • Many students face unforeseen circumstances throughout their time at M State, which negatively impacts our persistence and retention of students
Financial Impact

If the college increases enrollment, fall-to-fall retention and students graduating within three years, this will be a net positive financial gain for the institution.

Summary of Results
  • Day 1 Ready Program - This program was developed to enhance new student onboarding experiences and increase college readiness with hands-on cross-departmental experiences (e.g. IT, Financial Aid, advising)
  • Spartan Connect Form - The form was updated summer 2023 (e.g. renamed, questions revised) and students received information in their acceptance packet to visit the Prep for Success website, an online new student checklist, which includes the task of completing the Spartan Connect Form.