Success Navigators
Vice President of Student Affairs, Director of Student Experience, Success Navigators
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 ºÚÁϹÙÍøs. Success Navigators will assist ºÚÁϹÙÍøs with the transition to college through new ºÚÁϹÙÍø 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 ºÚÁϹÙÍøs.
Deliverables
- Hire and onboard the Director of Student Experience
- Hire and onboard Success Navigators to conduct ºÚÁϹÙÍø 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 ºÚÁϹÙÍø workshops hosted by the SSC
- Identify resources and referrals for ºÚÁϹÙÍø support services
- Develop Spartan Connect Form implementation and outreach process
- Develop a weekly automatic new ºÚÁϹÙÍø query sent to SSC staff 60 days prior to the start of the semester
- Review and revise new ºÚÁϹÙÍø entry and enrollment process
- Incorporate Success Navigators into the Early Alert process
- Conduct drop in and appointment navigation support with targeted outreach to ºÚÁϹÙÍøs 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 ºÚÁϹÙÍø needs and enhance the ºÚÁϹÙÍø onboarding experience
Project Scope
In Scope
- Spartan Connect Form
- Campus support resources that assist ºÚÁϹÙÍøs in completion of first year of college
- Collaboration between departments to meet ºÚÁϹÙÍøs where they are at and offer wrap-around support services
- Tailoring workshops to meet ºÚÁϹÙÍø needs (identified using Spartan Connect form data)
- Onboarding experience following guided learning pathway framework
Out of Scope
- Student population and demographics
- Barriers affecting ºÚÁϹÙÍøs outside of college
- M State is an open enrollment institution
- Requiring ºÚÁϹÙÍøs to attend new ºÚÁϹÙÍø engagement events and workshops
Effectiveness Measures
Goal
- To provide wrap around support to ºÚÁϹÙÍøs
Key Performance Indicators/Metrics
- Number of full-time degree seeking ºÚÁϹÙÍøs
- Fall-to-fall persistence with first-time full-time degree seeking ºÚÁϹÙÍøs
- Fall-to-fall persistence with first-time part-time degree seeking ºÚÁϹÙÍøs
- 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 ºÚÁϹÙÍøs 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 ºÚÁϹÙÍøs face unforeseen circumstances throughout their time at M State, which negatively impacts our persistence and retention of ºÚÁϹÙÍøs
Financial Impact
If the college increases enrollment, fall-to-fall retention and ºÚÁϹÙÍøs 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 ºÚÁϹÙÍø 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 ºÚÁϹÙÍøs received information in their acceptance packet to visit the Prep for Success website, an online new ºÚÁϹÙÍø checklist, which includes the task of completing the Spartan Connect Form.
