Feedback from day 1

Today I learned. . .

• The degree to which non-academic resources impact student success.

• My enthusiasm for the work we do and the appreciation for those I work with has increased.

• How policies can impact student success and retention.

• That we need to create alternative routes for admission to the university.

• That we could try to add a perk to our ACT Prep class that could help in recruitment.

Today I learned. . .

• Many factors that play into student success are non-academic in nature.

• Rituals are important.

• A lot about the entire picture of higher ed and specifically USFSM.

• A lot of stats and what stats are important. I get the big picture.

• That many feel the same way as me.

Today I learned. . .

• Don’t say “freshmen” or “undeclared” but rather say exploratory and find another term for freshmen.

• Issues in areas other than my own.

• How younger students progress through our existing systems.

• That it is not necessarily academics that need to be changed, but other institutional facets that can enhance student retention, time to completion, employment, and student success.

Today I learned. . .

• About more metrics.

• About DFWI rates and that we are unintentionally doing well in this area.

• About how parameters of retention, timely completion, employment/further education, and satisfaction affect student success (particularly career services).

• How much is going on toward these goals.

Today I learned. . .

• More about our institution—its strengths and issues.

• We all seem to be on the same page about what we are lacking to be successful.

• Data about retention, including our successes and areas for improvement.

• Ideas for enhancing rituals and traditions.

Today I learned . . .

• Ideas to develop faculty interaction.

• Ideas for activities, initiatives, discussions to incorporate soft skills into co-curricular activities.

• That student success impacts all areas of a student’s experience from beginning to end.

• We are not that far off.

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Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .

• Have an implementable plan for student success.

• Cover what stats are important and why they are important, and build a vision (a concrete picture) of what the future looks like.

• Touch more on honors for four-year; touch more on clubs and organizations; touch more on civic engagement; touch more on whatever you think we need .

• Develop some concrete steps to take.

Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .

• Make action plans. We can’t just talk about these large issues any longer.

• Discuss intentional strategies.

• Act on reducing red tape and commit to action period.

• Develop a plan specific to USFSM student success.

• Focus on structure and strategy; processes that use faculty, staff, and students together; develop more focus on community engagement and how this method can help retention, employment success, and satisfaction.

Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .

• Leave with action plans.

• Link up with student success metrics linked with funding to figure out ways and means for improvement.

• Emphasize community/campus collaboration as an asset in student success.

• Find out where USFSM needs to spend effort and money toward student success initiatives that are critical within the next few years.

Tomorrow we should make sure that we . . .

• Think critically about faculty involvement in co-curricular activities.

• Discuss the reality of our challenges and develop a plan to overcome them in order to improve the metrics we have been charged with.

• Have some strong ideas and plans that we commit to move forward with. Not just talk, but action.

• Talk about how we can involve faculty in recruitment.