Student Success Initiative Update: Early Referral and Identification
Last spring, Pacific demonstrated its ongoing commitment to support our students by approving a Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) proposal for the Student Success Initiative. A foundational component of the Student Success Initiative is an automated early identification system to help at-risk students stay on track in their courses and programs of study. The Student Success Committee, established by President Eibeck in Fall 2014, reviews outcomes for student success.
This fall, faculty members from developmental writing and mathematics, Pacific Seminar 1, and Cross Cultural Training are piloting an electronic referral process using Enrollment Management's existing Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) system (currently used by the University to communicate with prospective and incoming students). SIF funds were used to expand resources for English as a Second Language (ESL) support, General Academic Tutoring, and case management to provide a strong safety net for identifying and responding to the needs of referred students.
Detailed information and resources for this institution-wide approach to identifying and connecting at-risk students with support services will be available in January. The referral process is scheduled to go live University-wide in Spring 2016.
Systems that will identify students needing support to remain on track toward timely degree completion are also in development. In consultation with the Council of Assistant & Associate Deans (CAAD), a pilot program was initiated this fall that uses the CRM to proactively reach out to undergraduate students who have not yet fulfilled their fundamental skills requirements.
This pilot program serves as the foundation for phased plans to expand CRM integration using data from Blackboard Analytics. A separate project to implement DegreeWorks, an advising and degree audit system, is already underway. These resources are scheduled to be available to faculty members and advisors toward the end of the Spring term.
For more information about the Student Success Initiative, please contact Lou Matz at lmatz@pacific.edu.