Student Success Summit 

Stephanie C. Dolan, Associate Director of Planning and Policy  |  Jim Purcell, Executive Director  |  Jessie Lynn Nichols, Research Fellow

In 2022, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) launched the FAFSA Completion Initiative for Alabama high school students to enhance college affordability through better access to financial aid. The initiative includes a FAFSA Completion Portal that generates informative reports for school staff and sends personalized notifications to students about their FAFSA status plus other state and federal aid resources.

Stephanie Norris, Senior Research Analyst & Associate Director, Community College Initiative

Community colleges play a unique role in the higher education and workforce ecosystem that is not readily reflected in common metrics (like the IPEDS 150% graduation rate). Researchers at the Richmond Fed have piloted a new approach to measuring community college success that account for different pathways community college students take to reaching their educational goals. 

Allie Edelstein, Education Policy Analyst

Our brains try to process information as quickly as possible through the use of schemas, which can lead to biased systems and procedures. Once we recognize these biases, we can begin to address them. Utilizing this framework, we broke down the pieces of our administrative process to address implicit bias, and re-built them with a focus on improving access to these opportunities for students.

Jamila S. Lyn, Chief Student Success Strategist, Bottom-Up Thinking  |  Edward L. Spears, II, Associate Vice President for Partner Success – Special Projects, Acadeum   

As agents of equity and student success, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long been committed to learner centered innovation. HBCUs are collaborating through a transformative course sharing model to support their shared mission of developing new leaders and creating innovative educational pathways. Together, HBCUs are leveraging their varied expertise to help students improve outcomes while securing institutional sustainability.

Ramona Curtis, Ph.D., Director of Workforce Programming  |  Dytisha Davis, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Student Success         

This session highlights a college's efforts in revitalizing its prison education program. It covers enhancing partnerships with on and off-campus entities, offering incarcerated students equivalent opportunities to their peers, integrating technology for academic support, providing faculty training, and supporting re-entry for formerly incarcerated individuals. The focus is on creating a comprehensive educational experience for second-chance students. 

Daniel Rossman, Ithaka S+R

Access-oriented, tuition-dependent colleges and universities are grappling with ways to enroll more new students and retain those already enrolled. The session will describe key findings and takeaways from Ithaka S+R’s recent engagements with three four-year institutions in which Ithaka S+R collected and analyzed student data to uncover barriers to retention and presented strategies and recommendations for addressing them.

J. Indigo Eriksen, Director of Faculty Professional Development (interim)

Backpacking teaches students how to rely on themselves, increases self-confidence, strengthens critical thinking skills, and supports collaboration and communication. Spending time outdoors also creates community and deepens connections central to larger feelings of belonging. This session highlights The NOVA Outdoor Project, a free outdoor adventure program that teaches students and college employees how to backpack and also hosts monthly hikes.

Sonya Okoli, EdD, Assistant Professor of Higher Ed Leadership 

This session explores the pivotal role of higher education in the social mobility of Black males, emphasizing the need to attract and retain graduate students by addressing their unique academic, social, and financial needs. It highlights disparities in graduate education, the impact of K-12 inequities, and strategies for creating an inclusive, supportive environment that fosters Black male student success from secondary to postsecondary education.

Dr. Joseph Cosgriff, Assistant Professor of Education

Explore how early experiences in teacher preparation shape future educators’ understanding of inclusive education, advocacy for academic and workforce success, and professional development by means of GenAI. This session highlights innovative strategies that foster positive attitudes toward inclusivity, empower advocacy skills, and utilize GenAI to enhance teaching and learning. Participants will gain insights into transforming teacher preparation to support economic mobility and community growth within an inclusive postsecondary future.