Student Success Strategic Framework

February 1, 2022

Background:

• The College’s framework for student success provides a roadmap for increasing degree completion through college-wide engagement and prioritizing student retention and graduation outcomes.
• The framework will be used to guide CASNR and academic program-level decisions related to student success.
• While providing a framework for the College, it is less prescriptive than a strategic plan, allows more autonomy and creativity, and serves as a unifying way of setting priorities and decision making.

How It Was Developed:

• College-level trend analysis conducted for degree completion outcomes
• Analysis of the types of strategies institutions employ and the impacts on student outcomes
• Interim Teaching and Learning Workshop focused on degree completion and student success
• Three listening sessions for advisors, student success coaches, instructors, and unit leaders

N2025 Targets:

• 4-year graduation rate increase from 46.9% to 55%
• 6-year graduation rate increase from 67.8% to 72%
• First- to second-year retention rate of 88%
• Gap in degree completion reduced from 14.4% to 7%

CASNR 2025 and Beyond Targets:

• Continue to achieve or exceed N2025 Targets for retention and graduation rate
  • 4-year graduation rate of 55%
  • 6-year graduation rate of 72%
  • First- to second-year retention rate of 88%
• In addition, CASNR will embrace our commitment to the University’s land grant mission and establish a long-term goal to increase degree attainment for all students enrolled in CASNR; thereby, contributing to the economic growth and vitality of Nebraska through a talented workforce
  • Focus on all CASNR students including those who enter through other pathways beyond full-time first-time freshman
  • Measuring the success of all students

Degree Completion

Trend analysis:

Over the last five years, both the four- and six-year graduation rates have been steady to increasing, with the four-year rate increasing from 46.5% to 62.2% (34% increase) and the six-year rate holding steading at around 70%. Notably, for both the four- and six-year graduation, CASNR’s rate has exceeded UNL’s rate for every cohort and CASNR is already exceeding or slightly below the Chancellor’s 2025 targets.

Strategy:

• Focus on holistic student development
  • Curriculum linked with experiential learning and co-curricular programming
  • Career exploration
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Every person and every interaction matters
• Continue to implement college and degree program-level data-driven best practices and student success initiatives for retention and degree completion
• Leverage university-level student success initiatives
• Establish Student Success Networks
  • Goal is for each student to have at least 3 points of contact
  • Points of contact examples:
    • Unit-level (advisors, degree program point(s) of contact, student success coaches)
    • College-level (CASNR Student Success Team and Career Development Team)
    • University-level (Center for Academic Success and Transition, ISSO, Faculty Fellows for Student Success)
• Emphasis on continuous improvement
  • Form a college-level Student Success Working Group to guide college-wide efforts
  • Identify and empower decision-makers for each academic program or unit
  • College-wide awareness of “Who are our students?”
  • Quantitative and qualitative data approaches to drive decision-making
  • Workshops and other professional development opportunities for college-wide Student Success Community focused on data-driven best practices for student success and degree completion
  • Advising models – professional advisors, faculty, hybrid approach
• Deploy intervention strategies
  • Encourage instructors to leverage Canvas as an early alert and implement course design strategies that provide timely feedback to students
  • Outreach to students indicating a concern and/or challenge in their responses to the Husker POWER survey
  • Expand CASNR’s tutoring support platform with a focus on critical courses that meet the needs of multiple programs
  • Utilize UNL graduation planning hold
  • Ensure students, faculty, and staff are aware and know how to connect with CASNR CARES, unit-level student success hubs, and university resources
  • Leverage unregistered dashboards for outreach to re-engage students not enrolled
  • Reactivate your education program
  • Deploy emergency funds for students with unexpected or emergency financial shortfalls and connect students facing food insecurity with the East Campus Husker Food Pantry
• Expand student success programming for second- and third-year students
• Annual unit- and degree program-level planning and reporting aligned with the college’s smart enrollment framework and N2025 goals (enrollment, retention, matriculation success)