Promoting Student Success through Collaboration: Implementation of a Student Success Center

Improving the success of academically underprepared students who are in need of developmental or remedial education is a key challenge for faculty. The mission of the Student Success Center is primarily focused on student personal and academic success which guides our interactions with students. We seek positive outcomes for students by carefully attending to the barriers they are experiencing with the goal of self-empowerment and behavioral change on the part of those students using a collaborative learning approach. The Center will give students a learning environment that motivates students to make positive life choices like making academics a priority, attending classes daily, and utilizing resources to obtain success in the classroom. The Student Success Center is expected to be operating fully by the Fall 2016 term.

 The presentation will examine the implementation of a Student Success Center in a university setting in the Southwest that fosters an open and responsive environment for students. The center also encourages faculty to take an active collaborative role in student success. Dedicated faculty and teaching assistance will work with students using a self-evaluation tool to assess individual strengths/weaknesses. An individualized academic success plan is developed in collaboration with the student.

After participating in Student Success Center programs for an appropriate amount of time, and within the context of each student's individual needs, students become more independent, self-confident and efficient learners.

The Student Success Center will create an appropriate infrastructure to increase communication, promote collaboration, and align resources, to meet student needs.

Collaboration plays an important role in academic success. Implementation of a Student Success Center could promote an environment to nurture students academically. Student Success Center needs further study upon implementation to ascertain contributing factors to student success, NCLEX first time pass rates, professional socialization and other factors. This model could be replicated across colleges of nursing nationally.