11:04:00 Student Success Committee

Purpose

The purpose of the Student Success Committee (SSC) is to improve retention and persistence levels for all students, acknowledging the barriers to success faced by many Walters State students. The following are areas of emphasis:

• Lower percentage of under-represented students in school than in some of the 10 counties served
• Lower graduation rates for under-represented students compared to white students
• High number of students stopping out at 24 and 36 hours
• Low student usage of academic and student support services as reported by CCSSEE

The group is a cross-functional group, which serves as a dedicated resource to TBR and campus leadership on the completion efforts. The team does this through the work with Achieving the Dream as laid out in the bullets below:

• Increase three-year graduation rate to 30% by 2025
• Increase under-represented student college-going rates to match county population demographic by 2025
• Increase progression at 24 and 36 hour-marks by 5% by 2025
• Increase student usage of academic and student support services as reported by students in CCSSEE
• Reduce equality gap in the three-year graduation rate of under-represented students to white students so that they are equal by 2025
• Assist the development of implementation plans for strategies that have the potential to impact significant numbers of students,
• Complete honest (and timely) assessments of progress and barriers to success,
• Prepare realistic analysis, forecasting of data, and problem-solving, as appropriate,
• Provide oversight to the college and the executive leadership team (Council of Vice Presidents) for all college-wide initiatives and assist with reasonable efforts to meet student success goals

History

The Student Success Committee (SSC) evolved first from the Access to Success (A2S) Student Success Team when TBR rolled out the Achieving the Dream (ATD) Initiative.  In 2019, the existing Achieving the Dream committee was moved to what is now called the Student Success Committee (which remains under the direction of ATD). The original team was established under the direction of the Tennessee Board of Regents to guide institutional efforts to improve college-going and success rates for low-income and underrepresented minority (URM) students. The SSC initiative seeks to reduce educational attainment gaps between these groups and their counterparts. The TBR and other public higher education systems participate in this national initiative led by Achieving the Dream (the national organization) and the ATD Coaches. Success on this initiative contributes significantly to the TBR’s 2025 completion goal, which is to increase the number of Tennesseans with a post-secondary credential.

Membership

Dean of Distance Education, Chair
Director of Retention Services
Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Compliance
Director of Admissions & Enrollment Development
Dean of the Student Success Center and Articulation Officer
One Dean from the other Campus Locations
Two Full-time Faculty representatives (appointed by the Chair)
One Adjunct Faculty representative (appointed by the Chair)
One Academic Dean (appointed by the Chair)
One Support Staff Council member (appointed by the Chair)
Ex Officio:
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Vice President for Student Services
Vice President for Communications & Marketing
Director of Financial Services

11/16; 02/21; 08/22