{"id":1936,"date":"2016-01-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/blogtest\/furthering-the-quest\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T16:00:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:00:44","slug":"furthering-the-quest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/furthering-the-quest\/","title":{"rendered":"Furthering the Quest"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p>Our ultimate success as educators\u00a0here at MTSU, I believe, lies in our\u00a0day-by-day efforts to ensure that every\u00a0student gets the attention they deserve\u00a0on their path to earning a degree.<\/p>\n<p>Our unwavering focus on helping individual\u00a0students overcome\u00a0obstacles, stay enrolled\u00a0in classes, and earn\u00a0college degrees, regardless\u00a0of the external factors around\u00a0us, is what I believe will make\u00a0us a successful institution today, tomorrow,\u00a0and in the future.<\/p>\n<p>A few years ago, MTSU launched a major initiative\u2014the\u00a0Quest for Student Success. This Quest is designed to ensure\u00a0that every student who comes to MTSU with the drive to\u00a0achieve will be met with the best instruction from excellent\u00a0professors who care for their success. As part of the Quest,\u00a0University faculty and staff members have also become\u00a0more flexible and nimble enough to provide extra support\u00a0and assistance when our students encounter unexpected\u00a0difficulties or when roadblocks arise that negatively affect their\u00a0persistence toward graduation. By doing so, we have created\u00a0a culture of high expectations coupled with personal attention\u00a0when students struggle inside or outside the classroom.\u00a0The following update provides a list of the top 15 recent\u00a0developments in our Quest. <em>True Blue!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>1\u00a0<\/strong> On January 15, 2016, more than 100 students were\u00a0welcomed to the REBOUND program. In its second year\u00a0of operation, REBOUND provides specialized advising\u00a0and programming to freshmen who earn less than a\u00a02.0 GPA in their first semester of studies. The one-year\u00a0retention rate for students who participate in REBOUND is\u00a050 percent higher than for students who do not.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2\u00a0<\/strong> The Scholars Academy continues its tradition of success in\u00a0serving at-risk new freshmen. In Fall 2014, 113 students\u00a0entered the program. By Fall 2015, a total of 85 percent\u00a0of these Scholars Academy students returned to MTSU,\u00a0a retention rate that easily surpassed new freshmen who\u00a0were not a part of the program (73.2 percent). In Fall 2015,\u00a0the Scholars Academy expanded to serve 167 students.\u00a0Early indicators show that these students, much like those\u00a0who participated in earlier programs, continue to excel.\u00a0About one-quarter were named to the Dean\u2019s List, and\u00a0nearly 50 percent earned above a 3.0 GPA in their first\u00a0semester of studies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3\u00a0<\/strong> MTSU\u2019s tutoring initiative continues to evolve to support\u00a0the academic needs of students. Although the Office\u00a0of Student Success coordinates tutoring, the real work\u00a0involved is accomplished by faculty and chairs who\u00a0recruit, hire, and manage tutors for their individual\u00a0program areas. In Fall 2015, free tutoring was offered for\u00a0187 courses, representing 24 disciplines. In this semester\u00a0alone, students spent 7,089 hours in tutoring!<\/p>\n<p><strong>4\u00a0<\/strong> A transformative model of academic advising developed\u00a0and implemented as part of the Quest has reshaped the\u00a0student experience at MTSU. This initiative has involved:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Selection and appointment of advisor managers for\u00a0every college<\/li>\n<li>Recruitment and appointment of 47 additional advisors to\u00a0bring the median student-to-advisor caseload to 300\/1 or less<\/li>\n<li>Creation of work spaces for college advising centers<\/li>\n<li>Development of a year-long education and training\u00a0program to prepare and acclimate advisors to a new\u00a0student success paradigm<\/li>\n<li>Creation and implementation of an advising culture that is\u00a0student-centered, data-informed, and strategy-driven<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>5 \u00a0<\/strong>During the first year alone of using a new predictive\u00a0analytics system (EAB SSC), academic advisors\u00a0at MTSU:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Met in person with 28,184 students<\/li>\n<li>Conducted 9,438 advising sessions by email or online<\/li>\n<li>Advised 1,450 students by phone<\/li>\n<li>Reviewed the files of 22,214 students and reached out\u00a0to assist them<\/li>\n<li>Altogether, made 63,945 contacts with students<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>6 \u00a0<\/strong>Within the first six months of implementing\u00a0both this new advising model and the predictive\u00a0analytics system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>MTSU was recognized as a top user among the more than\u00a0170 universities using the EAB SSC system.<\/li>\n<li>Advisors focused on basic outreach campaigns\u2014like\u00a0getting students enrolled for the upcoming semester\u2014that\u00a0produced significant gains in persistence rates from the Fall\u00a02014 to Spring 2015 semester.<\/li>\n<li>Persistence rates increased by 2.2 percentage points for\u00a0new freshmen, 4.5 points for transfers, and 2.1 points for\u00a0sophomores.<\/li>\n<li>It is estimated that improvements in persistence rates for\u00a0the first semester alone resulted in the generation of\u00a0an additional $1.5 million in Spring 2015 tuition and\u00a0fees.<\/li>\n<li>It is estimated that these efforts resulted in retaining an\u00a0additional 390 students from Fall 2014 to Spring 2015.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>7 \u00a0<\/strong>In Spring 2015, more than 2,500 students were\u00a0surveyed about their experiences with academic\u00a0advising at MTSU. The results were compared to a\u00a0survey conducted of the undergraduate population\u00a0exactly two years prior. Student opinion of advising\u00a0experiences were significantly higher in 2015\u00a0as compared to 2013, especially on items that\u00a0included:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Willingness to discuss problems<\/li>\n<li>Responds in a timely manner<\/li>\n<li>Is approachable and easy to talk with<\/li>\n<li>Is available when assistance is needed<\/li>\n<li>Is helpful in clarifying life and career goals<\/li>\n<li>Is helpful in obtaining tutorial assistance<\/li>\n<li>Is helpful in improving study habits<\/li>\n<li>Is helpful in selecting a major<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>8 \u00a0<\/strong>During the Spring 2015 semester, advisors managers,\u00a0chairs, program coordinators, and faculty went through\u00a0a careful process to identify \u201csuccess markers\u201d for\u00a0more than 150 undergraduate programs. This involved\u00a0a thorough assessment of each program area\u2019s most\u00a0predictive courses, establishing grade thresholds for\u00a0these courses, and determining sequences for course\u00a0completion. Success markers have been entered into\u00a0and are active in the EAB SSC system. These markers\u00a0enable the identification of students who are at-risk\u00a0or off-track in completing degree requirements.\u00a0Academic advisors use these success markers in\u00a0conjunction with risk prediction to conduct outreach\u00a0campaigns to assist students.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9 \u00a0<\/strong>Over the past three years, a total of 28 MTSU gateway,\u00a0high-enrolled undergraduate courses have been\u00a0redesigned. All 10 of MTSU\u2019s most predictive and most\u00a0enrolled courses have been redesigned. The redesign of\u00a0courses, in every case, has led to increases in rates of\u00a0success for students.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10 \u00a0<\/strong>In Fall 2015, MTSU\u2019s retention rate for new freshmen,\u00a073.2 percent, reached the highest level in at least the\u00a0past 15 years. The improvement in freshman retention\u00a0between Fall 2014 and Fall 2015, +3.0 percentage\u00a0points, was the largest one-year increase observed at\u00a0MTSU in at least the past 15 years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11 \u00a0<\/strong>Although Spring 2016 census data will not be available\u00a0until later in the semester, trends show that persistence\u00a0(the percentage of students who started in Fall 2015 and\u00a0return in Spring 2016) continues to increase\u2014in every\u00a0category! Although Spring 2015 was a record year for\u00a0student persistence, trends suggest continued persistence\u00a0increases across all student categories for Spring 2016.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12 \u00a0<\/strong>Raider Learning Communities (RLCs) were re-invigorated\u00a0for the Fall 2015 semester, with 28 paired courses\u00a0offered to serve students. Pairings of courses were\u00a0predicated on the analysis of course offerings data from\u00a0previous semesters. Faculty members were encouraged\u00a0to consider participating in an RLC. Professional\u00a0development support including readings and a retreat\u00a0were provided to RLC faculty. Analysis of student\u00a0experiences and performance outcomes is underway.<\/p>\n<p><strong>13 \u00a0<\/strong>In the past six months MTSU has participated in\u00a0limited-invitation convenings to discuss the future\u00a0of higher education and student success initiatives,\u00a0including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In December 2015 in Indianapolis at the invitation\u00a0of the Lumina Foundation<\/li>\n<li>In October 2015 in Indianapolis\u00a0as a panelist at EDUCAUSE,\u00a0sponsored by the Bill and Melinda\u00a0Gates Foundation<\/li>\n<li>In September 2015 in Seattle at\u00a0the invitation of the Bill and\u00a0Melinda Gates Foundation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>14\u00a0<\/strong> MTSU has become recognized\u00a0regionally and nationally\u00a0by media outlets, national\u00a0organizations, and other\u00a0universities for using fundamental\u00a0best practices to increase student\u00a0success rates.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>MTSU was featured in the March\u00a013, 2015 edition of the Chronicle\u00a0of Higher Education, and MTSU\u2019s\u00a0efforts were pointed out in the\u00a0Washington Post on June 14, 2015.<\/li>\n<li>In August 2015, MTSU was\u00a0identified as one of five finalists\u00a0nationwide for the prestigious and\u00a0highly competitive 2015 Project\u00a0Degree Completion Award from\u00a0the Association of Public and Land\u00a0Grant Universities (APLU). The\u00a0award recognizes high-performing\u00a0institutions for exemplary student\u00a0success initiatives to improve\u00a0retention and degree completion.<\/li>\n<li>In September 2015, EDUCAUSE\u00a0announced 24 recipients of iPASS\u00a0(Integrated Planning and Advising\u00a0for Student Success) grants. MTSU\u00a0was selected to receive $225,000\u00a0over the next three years to fund\u00a0a portion of the SSC Campus\u00a0and DegreeWorks initiatives.\u00a0Institutions had to be invited in\u00a0order to make application for the\u00a0highly competitive grants. And, of\u00a0course, competition was stringent\u00a0among those who submitted\u00a0proposals. With funding provided\u00a0by the Bill and Melinda Gates\u00a0Foundation, iPASS grants are\u00a0intended to promote and enhance\u00a0the ability of leading institutions to\u00a0graduate more students.<\/li>\n<li>In October 2015, MTSU was\u00a0presented with the Data Driven\u00a0Impact Award by the Education\u00a0Advisory Board, a consulting group\u00a0specializing in student success.\u00a0MTSU was one of three universities\u00a0to receive an award. In MTSU\u2019s\u00a0case, the award was in recognition\u00a0of the University\u2019s use of data to\u00a0inform decisions that improve the\u00a0success of students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>15\u00a0<\/strong> In August 2015, MTSU academic\u00a0advisors received my Annual\u00a0Student Success Award. The\u00a0award included $25,000 in\u00a0recurring funds to support professional\u00a0development needs of\u00a0advisors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our ultimate success as educators\u00a0here at MTSU, I believe, lies in our\u00a0day-by-day efforts to ensure that every\u00a0student gets the attention they deserve\u00a0on their path to earning a degree. Our unwavering focus on helping individual\u00a0students overcome\u00a0obstacles, stay enrolled\u00a0in classes, and earn\u00a0college degrees, regardless\u00a0of the external factors around\u00a0us, is what I believe will make\u00a0us a successful institution [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":225,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}