HLC Quality Initiative: SVSU Student Success Plan

In 2019, SVSU began a three-year process as part of the Higher Learning Commission Student Success Academy.  SVSU joined this program because, as a regional, public university, student success is central to our mission as a university.  As stated in one of our strategic goals “SVSU delivers high-quality academic programs that lead to student success, improved retention and enrollment stability.”   The team that put together this report included faculty and administrators from Academic Affairs, Students Affairs, and Administration and Business Affairs.  With guidance from the Higher Learning Commission, our goal was to conduct inventories of the ways in which SVSU is supporting student success, identify gaps, and make recommendations regarding how to fill these gaps.  This was not seen as a linear process as every attempt was made to make recommendations and implement policy and programmatic changes throughout the process, rather than waiting until this final report was made.  Furthermore, the team made every effort to make this an inclusive process that involved input from all members of the university community. 

A total of four inventories were conducted over a period of two years from 2019 until 2021.  The inventories, which examined university data, programs, infrastructure and policy and engagement, were collected using a wide-range of methodologies including drawing from current institutional data, quantitative surveys, focus groups, participant observation, university-wide forums, and regular meetings with stake-holders through existing committees including, but not limited to, the Strategic Enrollment Management Steering Committee, the Retention and Completion Council, and the Provost’s Executive Council.  Importantly, these committees included representatives from units across campus that have a direct impact on student success, including academic deans, financial aid and services, academic advising, tutoring centers, student life, faculty, and our teaching and learning center.  Additional information was collected formally via surveys and focus groups and through other committees. 

The inventories highlighted many powerful ways in which SVSU is contributing to student success.  In particular, as a teaching focused institution, student learning was a clear priority at our university.  Interestingly, this was evident in all employment categories that were inventoried including faculty, staff, and students.  Our overall retention and graduation rates have been increasing over the past five years and, while there rates differ across ethnicity, these differences disappear when we control for the academic preparation of different groups.  SVSU also has a robust support network for students including academic tutoring services, advising, and mental health services.  Recent expansion of services such as our Multicultural Student Center and College Transitions, our first year seminar, demonstrate SVSU’s commitment to student success. 

At the same time, the team identified several gaps that may be hindering SVSU’s ability to fully serve our students.  In terms of data, we have leaned heavily on quantitative data with little reliance on qualitative information related to the student experience, which can be particularly problematic when trying to assess things like personal satisfaction.  Data collection is often fragmented and assessment is not uniform across programs and units, making evaluation of effectiveness challenging.  Student awareness and utilization of support services could have been higher, although it was difficult to evaluate this in the context of the pandemic.  At the same time, it was clear that we lacked comprehensive student success programs, such as a required first year seminar, which is common at many universities as well as specialized student success programs for marginalized populations.  Finally, the implementation of changes was also hindered by a lack of centralized support for student success, which hindered program development and coordination as well as assessment.  At the university level, the process for implementing larger changes to policies and procedures was also not always clear. 

From these gaps, the team developed four recommendations that are listed below.  While SVSU is clearly an institution that is dedicated to student success, we believe that the implementation of these recommendations will help us increase efficiency, meet the needs of diverse students, and assist with university-level changes that meet our goals of student success. 

1. Publicize the six dimensions of student success and encourage their use: This should take place at the department/unit level (academic and support) to evaluate and guide programming. We recommend that those dimensions be incorporated into the university’s new Strategic Plan. 
2. Task the Student Success Advisory Committee with continuously reviewing university policies and procedures: This will ensure that they align with and support the overarching goals of student success and equity. 
3. Broaden Student Success Programming: Expand and diversify student success programs, with a special focus on supporting marginalized populations, to ensure comprehensive and inclusive support for a wider range of students. 
4. Continue efforts to centralize Student Success services: In order to streamline support services, enhance efficiency, and improve coordination of student success initiatives it is important that efforts in different units operate in collaboration with each other. 

Past Members of the SVSU Student Success Academy Team: Deborah Huntley, Sidney Childs, Sue Crane, Josh Ode, Poonam Kumar, Brian Thomas, Dawn Hinton, Jenna Briggs, Nick Wagner, Erik Trump