UW’s Multidisciplinary Student Success Institutional Transformation Taskforce

In this ongoing series, we explore the University of Wyoming’s transformation journey, highlighting the challenges, strategies, and their vision for future innovation in student success. This second installment delves deeper into their experiences under the Intermediaries for Scale (IFS) initiative, emphasizing their successes in fostering institutional change. In this conversation, we hear from a broader group of stakeholders from the multidisciplinary Student Success Institutional Transformation Taskforce (SSITT):

• Anne Alexander, Vice Provost, Strategic Planning and Initiatives for Academic Affairs
• Aaron Courtney, Associate Vice President, Budget & Institutional Planning; Director, Student Financial Services
• Nycole Courtney, Dean, Student Success and Graduation; Associate Vice President, Student Affairs
• Angela Davis, Program Coordinator, Student Success and Graduation
• Sue Koller, Manager, Institutional Analysis
• Hailey Sanderson, Assistant to the AVP, Student Success and Graduation
• Steve Scott, Institutional Computer Reporting Analyst
• Alec Wallen, Graduate Student Employee, Student Success and Graduation

What programs or initiatives has UW implemented as part of its participation in the IFS initiative, and how have these initiatives impacted student success?

The SSITT has significantly enhanced cross-departmental collaboration at the University of Wyoming. This initiative has effectively dismantled silos, paving the way for a holistic approach to student success. Sue noted, “It has expanded who is talking about retention. It’s made us more mindful and really start thinking about what small things can we even do to make a difference in a student’s life and wanting to stay at UW.” The emphasis on collaboration ensures a consistent approach to student success. Nycole added, “Because of SSITT, I think everyone’s thinking a little bit deeper, more meaningful around how we manage some of the work around retention.” This collaborative approach has led to a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by students and a more effective strategy for addressing these challenges. Angela, a University of Wyoming alum, appreciated the integration and elevation of the student perspective in these discussions, calling it, “amazing and really informative for the group.”

Additional initiatives have emerged from the SSITT’s comprehensive and evolving approach to student success and retention. Hailey and Nycole highlighted a program that offers extra support for students on academic probation, giving them the option to engage with an academic ‘life coach’ for personalized guidance. Nycole emphasized the significance of this self-selected support, stating, “The life coaching is really about how are we going to realistically ensure you achieve your goals within your individual circumstances.” Additionally, the Cowboy Coach peer mentoring program was expanded to connect all first-year students with a peer mentor. Data-driven insights have led the university to mandate meetings between first-year students and their Cowboy Coach at least once per semester.

Can you share any success stories or examples of how students have benefited from UW’s participation in the IFS project?

Aaron highlighted the creation of a micro-grant opportunity, a proactive, data-driven initiative aimed at helping students nearing degree completion. These funds helped students overcome lingering financial barriers and cross the finish line of their academic journey. Nycole shared the success of the callback campaign, a student-led initiative that reached out to students who had not yet registered for classes. The initiative not only helped students overcome barriers to registration but also made students feel seen and cared for by the university. “Students [said], I didn’t think the university actually cared. When we called them, it actually made a difference in whether or not they registered.” Nycole also spoke about their ‘Saddle Up’ orientation program, which was in its infancy when the IFS engagement begun but has since grown into a comprehensive program that teaches students “real-time time management, study skills, resiliency, and grit.” Nycole noted that the success of the program is evident in the fact that “students from the first year of ‘Saddle Up’ are now returning as what we call our ‘Poke Packs.’ They’re the mentors that help [new students] get through the program.” These initiatives have directly helped students overcome barriers to success and created a culture of care and support.

How do you see the IFS initiative helping to shape strategic development going forward, and what are your goals for the future?

The SSITT team sees IFS participation as a catalyst for strategic development, providing tools and resources that have been instrumental in shaping their approach to student success. Anne championed the use of the Institutional Transformation Assessment (ITA) tool, stating, “[The ITA] and all the sensemaking after that we did together—which evolved into SSITT—I think we can continue to use that as kind of a temperature check to see how we’re evolving.” She envisions its regular use for ongoing assessment. Nycole shared, “One of the outcomes was that we actually built a strategic plan for student success from this APLU IFS process. But it’s also advised and has input from our SSITT team.” The team also emphasized the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in realizing their strategic goals.

Can you speak to any unexpected successes or surprises from UW’s IFS involvement?

The IFS initiative has brought about unexpected successes, particularly in fostering collaboration and enhancing data literacy. Sue highlighted the AIR Data Literacy Institute service: “I think that we’ve known for a while that we probably needed some help with data literacy in general. But I’m not sure we would have reached out to get that opportunity without having this as a catalyst.” Nycole celebrated the sense of community within the SSITT team, adding, “I think what was exciting for me to see is that people are interested in coming. They look forward to having a conversation. And it is a nice way to learn more about what’s going on in our spaces, particularly when it comes to retention.” She valued the depth of discussions the initiative sparked. Sue felt the initiative was a platform for addressing concerns, leading to meaningful discussions and solutions. Hailey emphasized the efficiency gained by having all stakeholders discuss issues together: “When they’re all in the same room, and they can talk about it in real-time, it happens a lot faster,” eliminating the need for extended meetings and projects.

Finally, do you have any advice or insights you would like to share with other universities seeking to improve student success and drive institutional transformation?

Their primary advice for universities is to adopt a collaborative, solutions-focused approach. Anne emphasized the value of a community-oriented approach, stating, “I think this so far is the one that has been most successful because of the community aspect. We have everybody in the room, and everybody comes to solve problems.” She stressed the importance of student participation in these dialogues. Nycole urged institutions to remain open-minded, stating, “I think we sometimes get into this space where we think we know all the answers. As an institution, we think we’ve got this. We’re going to solve all the problems.” Highlighting the value of different perspectives and teamwork, she stated, “I do think having interdisciplinary ideas and cross-functional components from your colleagues only helps you be better.” She encourages embracing pivotal opportunities for change, such as the IFS initiative and Powered by Publics, and concludes, “Learning from a national partner and national peers has been incredibly helpful.”

As we conclude the second installment of our series, many thanks to the University of Wyoming’s SSITT for their unwavering commitment to student success. Their cross-functional collaboration and integration of the student voice should certainly serve as a beacon for other institutions navigating their own transformation journey. Stay tuned as we further explore the IFS network's impact and delve into its subprojects. We invite you to share your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below or via social media. Let's continue the conversation on student success and institutional transformation!

Overview

Lack of access to a proper education is one of the root causes of income inequity in the United States. Education is a key driver of social mobility and holds the potential for closing income and wealth disparities.

According to a blog post by the Federal Reserve on Economic Data, college graduates received weekly wages 80 percent higher than high school graduates. Currently, many students need help with affordability, causing a large amount of stress in achieving an education. High school students who pursue a college education may be willing to take on debt, but many need a full understanding of the implications of their debt or how much they really need to borrow. Furthermore, in a recent survey done by the Pew Charitable Trust, certain underrepresented demographics have a higher experience of default.

Implications for Students

According to an article in CNBC written in 2018, “More than 30% of student loan borrowers are in default, are late, or have stopped making payments six years after graduation.” They continue to face ongoing financial crises without means of discharging their debt. The debt also has an enormous impact on the United States economy. There is a new record high for student debt, surpassing $1.68 trillion for the first time, according to (the Federal Reserve as of the end of the third quarter in 2021). Student loan debt has increased nearly 130 percent in the last decade, when it was at $600 billion (Federal Reserve), surpassing the total credit card debt. (Federal Reserve third quarter 2021)

Importance of Financial Literacy

The lack of financial wellness education contributes to this debt by not allowing the consumer to understand the immense financial obligation that they are taking on. A study done in 2019 by the ACT Center for Equity in Learning found that a dismal 70% of people had no idea of the various student repayment options available to them, and an even higher number of students weren’t aware that the government subsidizes the money and pays the interest on the loans while the student is in school.

Best Practices for Universities According to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, FINRA, students who have had financial literacy classes make better financial decisions. FINRA found that students with higher financial literacy were less likely to have late fees and default on loans.  In 2022, “Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse conducted a survey and, based on these results, concluded that the best strategies for financial wellness for students included six areas.   Financial aid officers should work with students each semester to build their knowledge, Student Financial Services Counselors must reach out to the students, the financial aid offices should be close and convenient to all students, reinforce spending and borrowing habits, and institutions should offer credit for classes. The Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC)Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) set forth best practices for institutions of higher education which will have the overall goal of educating students as to their financial loans, the impact of their investments, and what their borrowing obligations are. FLEC set forth five categories to provide financial wellness to students in higher education, which include providing concise, customized information to inform student borrowing, effective engagement with students in financial literacy, using data to target various student populations, clear communication regarding the importance of repayment of student loans, and communicating the importance of graduating and the impact that has on repayment.

Examples of Financial Literacy Initiatives

APLU members have demonstrated an understanding of the necessity of financial wellness education and have worked collaboratively to solve this issue. For example, Mississippi State University requires “Maroon U,” a course comprising six modules that provide resources for financial wellness, and “Maroon Money Mentors,” peer mentors trained in financial health. Additionally, the University of Texas San Antonio Financial Aid and Scholarship Office teamed up with the Academic Inquiry Scholarship Program to conduct budget presentations for first-year students. This provides good financial well-being and learning along with a site created for financial wellness resources and information, allowing students and staff to request coaching sessions and one on one located on their website. These are just a couple of examples of APLU members who are working to ensure a better financial future for their students.

On May 15, APLU hosted the second virtual Data Literacy Institute (DLI) convening. This event was co-sponsored by APLU and the Association for Institutional Research, with generous support from Ascendium Education Group. At this event, teams from four institutions in the second cohort shared the results of their capstone projects, in which they used data to explore solutions to a critical student success problem on campus. Presenters included the University of Maine, Bowling Green State University, Illinois State University, and Miami University of Ohio.

During the second half of the convening, five teams from the first cohort – Kent State University, Montclair State University, Oakland University, Wright State University, and the University of Minnesota Duluth shared how they are developing a data literacy program on their campuses to continue the work they started in the DLI.

Click here to view the video of the convening:

Bowling Green State University Slides: Bowling Green State University — Data Literacy Institute 2023 Convening Presentation | Powered by Publics Learning Exchange (crowdstack.io)

University of Maine Slides: University of Maine — Data Literacy Institute 2023 Convening Presentation | Powered by Publics Learning Exchange (crowdstack.io)

Miami University of Ohio Slides: Miami University (Ohio) — Data Literacy Institute 2023 Convening Presentation | Powered by Publics Learning Exchange (crowdstack.io)

Oakland University Slides : Oakland University — Data Literacy Institute 2023 Convening Presentation | Powered by Publics Learning Exchange (crowdstack.io)

University of Minnesota Duluth Slides: University of Minnesota Duluth — Data Literacy Institute 2023 Convening Presentation | Powered by Publics Learning Exchange (crowdstack.io)

Wright State University Slides: Wright State University — Data Literacy Institute 2023 Convening Presentation | Powered by Publics Learning Exchange (crowdstack.io)

This brief highlights Summer Bridge programs at four Western Land-Grant institutions, including a comparison of program characteristics, content, target populations, and success factors. Summer Bridge programs show promise for increasing students’ academic preparation and social adjustment to college life through a mix of academic support, peer mentoring, and social activities.  It is important to help students acclimate to campus life and promote a sense of belonging and comfort among peers and faculty – particularly for students whose families lack college exposure.

Institutions in the Western Land Grant cluster held a symposium in Fall 2019 on teaching and learning, to prioritize areas for future inquiry and action. One of the prioritized areas was general education reform, including incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the general education curriculum. Over the course of 2020, the Western Land-grant cluster explored the current state of general education, identified opportunities for improvement, and shared examples that illustrate progress.

DEI competencies are important skills to help students navigate increasingly diverse campuses and society. As one member stated, DEI courses “…provide opportunities to expand self-awareness, examine perspectives, and engage in dialogue in order to analyze personal and social responsibility, domestic or global systems, and contemporary contexts.”

Some institutions are revisiting their historically white Euro-American pedagogy to increase the representation of other cultures’ histories. Some are also examining their own role in systemic racism and identifying ways to incorporate anti-racism into their campuses or coursework. Many students are looking to their institutions to take the lead in anti-racism education.

Despite challenges imposed by conservative legislatures in a growing number of states, institutions and systems are finding ways to push forward with providing curricula that promote representation and inclusiveness, to help prepare students for a diverse workforce and global society.

Approaches

Institutions in the cluster shared various models for how they have incorporated DEI into the general education curriculum, including two broad categories: 1) Making DEI an additional requirement, or 2) “Writing [DEI] in” across the curriculum. Several institutions require diversity-designated courses that appear in various disciplines. 

Institutional examples

Below are specific examples of how individual institutions have incorporated DEI into general education requirements.

• One institution has two general education categories related to diversity: (1) Cultural Diversity and (2) Global Perspectives, each requiring 3 credits. Cultural Diversity “focuses on the social, personal, and interpersonal effects of variety and differences among cultures.” Global Perspectives “focuses on analysis of worldwide issues illustrating the interdependence of the world and its people.”
• Another institution added a new DEI general education category as of 2020. Courses in this category “engage students in the study of cultural identities, explore the interactions among these identities, and reflect upon patterns of interaction related to the larger contexts in which they take place.” In addition, diversity student learning outcomes in other general education categories ensure that course content meets DEI objectives in at least five courses in the required common curriculum. This institution hired an equity educator into their Teaching and Learning Institute to support faculty development in inclusive pedagogy. A diverse group of faculty and staff develop course templates using common learning outcomes.
• An institution requires one American Diversity course and one international course, “…to prepare students to understand, communicate and collaborate with those from diverse communities.” The American Diversity courses “…seek to increase awareness of contemporary and historical issues surrounding the social and cultural diversity in the U.S.” The institution’s diversity definition includes not only race and ethnicity but also ability, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
• At another institution, each program is required to include DEI as a cross-curricular skill. The undergraduate cross-curricular skill requirements are reflected in student learning outcomes for the program and must be assessed as outlined in policy.
• Students at California State Universities are now required to take one of four ethnic studies classes: African American, Latina/o, Native American, or Asian American. Governor Gavin Newsom passed this state bill in 2021.

In addition to general education coursework, institutions are incorporating DEI into individual courses more informally. At one campus, faculty incorporate discussions about race into courses including History, American Studies, Dance, Music and Theatre. Another institution is exploring the feasibility of incorporating assignments related to Black Lives Matter (BLM) into its coursework.

State example

A state governing board recently provided guidelines for general education at its university systems, which were previously set at the university level. The individual institutions maintain flexibility in designating individual courses but now follow this state-level framework, which includes objectives around civics and democracy and requires content such as United States social history, international diversity, and cultures. This new framework shifts the role of institutions to emphasize the preparation of engaged citizens and readiness for improved level of discourse. Individual institutions may interpret the new components as DEI, although it is not stated in those terms by the governing board. Each university appointed a faculty-led committee to develop and adapt courses and curricula to fit within the new framework, for approval by the board. This shift constituted a major overhaul that took two years for the first university to test and implement.

Ongoing efforts

Two institutions shared that they are currently working to expand DEI offerings.

• One institution has held discussions with students and faculty for the past five years. Currently the Director of the Core Board and the University and Inclusion Officer are determining how to expand DEI offerings in each program beyond the single required designated course.
• At another institution, a Faculty Senate task force is currently exploring the feasibility of adding a DEI requirement into the general education curriculum. This institution is currently searching for a newly created Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position.

Extracurricular DEI initiatives

In addition to diversity requirements in coursework as cited above, institutions have ongoing initiatives related to DEI. One institution recently launched a Race, Bias, and Equity Initiative. As a part of that initiative, students are engaging in a cross-campus common readings focused on issues of race.

Challenges

Several challenges prevent institutions from moving forward with these approaches:

• One challenge to creating new requirements is ensuring sufficient seats and teaching support to accommodate every student.
• There are also barriers to changing requirements at the institution level within a system, as institutions must ensure transferability across campuses.
• Members also want to ensure that DEI content is not simply added symbolically but delivers substantive knowledge and skill to students. Some have encountered resistance to making DEI content-specific and find it is added too broadly.
• Members also pointed out that faculty will need inclusive pedagogy training in many cases to develop the skills to lead difficult conversations, as many faculty are experts in their disciplines but not necessarily in cultural curriculum: “We can't change the curriculum without changing the faculty.”

One potential solution offered is to have faculty lead this work rather than a diversity committee dictating changes to faculty; rather, faculty can take the lead in suggesting what DEI content would look like in their discipline, for example, how DEI is relevant to engineering or architecture. It is also important to present this change not as adding on to existing faculty responsibilities, but as highlighting DEI concepts in existing materials.

Western Land Grant Cluster Members

• Colorado State University
• Langston University
• Montana State University
• New Mexico State University
• North Dakota State University
• Oklahoma State University
• South Dakota State University
• University of Arizona
• University of Idaho
• University of Nevada-Reno
• Utah State University
• University of Wyoming

A colleague recently shared an insightful article by Patrick Methvin, Director of Postsecondary Success at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, discussing key lessons learned regarding institutional transformation in higher education. These lessons emphasize the importance of a unifying framework for change, centering on race and income, aligned multi-level leadership, and a learning mindset. These themes align with our internal discussions about the crucial elements necessary for transformative change in higher education.

In our work with the Intermediaries for Scale (IFS) initiative and in Powered by Publics, we aim to help institutions create cross-functional collaborations that change culture, structures, and shared ownership of equitable student success. The article resonates with our focus, as it emphasizes realigning institutional structures, culture, and business models to create a student-centered, inclusive learning environment.

Methvin's working definition of institutional transformation highlights the significance of leveraging strategic data use, catalytic leadership, and continuous improvement to achieve dramatic, equitable outcomes and educational value. These insights reinforce the notion that the challenges we face in higher education transformation are shared across the field, providing valuable guidance on effectively addressing these challenges.

We encourage all higher education professionals, policymakers, and institutional leaders to explore this article and consider how to apply these strategies to their institutions or initiatives. By learning from one another, we can collectively drive transformative change in higher education and achieve more equitable student outcomes.

Direct link to the article: https://usprogram.gatesfoundat...s/10-lessons-learned