At MSU, we believe that all admitted students have the ability to learn, persist, and succeed. We are committed to creating equitable pathways to enable students to do so. In order to track our progress, we need data measuring different aspects of student learning, persistence, and success. 

In a recent post, I introduce a new series of one-page summaries produced by Institutional Studies, a part of the MSU Office of Planning and Budgets, summarizing important aspects of our performance in helping students succeed.  Metrics considered include graduation rates, persistence rates, probation rates, and credit momentum.

Learn more here. 

Katie Dudlets, a graduating senior from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, narrates about powerful moments and accomplishments of the 2017-2018 academic year in a compelling video.

Watch the video here.

Genyne Royal was named the new assistant dean for student success initiatives and director of the Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative.

"I am deeply honored to provide leadership for the Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative as assistant dean," Royal said. "I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across campus as we strive to attain our institutional aspirations: decreasing our students' time to degree, increasing our graduation rate and closing the completion gap between populations. Closing the gap will be a significant focus of the Neighborhoods over the next few years. We also will continue to partner with colleagues from across the country who also are deeply committed to this work."

During the Spring 2018 semester, approximately 100 MSU undergraduate and graduate students participated in  MSU Dialogues -a series of facilitated conversations and exercises focused on race and culture sponsored by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives. 

The keynote presentation of MSU Dialogues was by University of Michigan Professor Patricia Gurin, whose research was foundational for the program.  "It is what institutions do with structural diversity that matters," said Gurin during her presentation. "This type of project is what universities do to ensure the engagement of diversity and not just mere tolerance. Students learn from each other and spend time with each other across demographic differences."

Find out more about the program and get involved in future instances.

 

Read a student's reflections on the course and initiative here.

Read about the program and its impact in the greater Lansing community.

This April, about 80 students were inducted into the oldest continuously active student organization on campus, the Tower Guard. The 2017-18 Tower Guard President shares his experience on the executive board and serving the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.

 

Read about the Tower Guard and its impact over the years.

In an encouraging feature, MSUToday breaks down the graduating class of 2018 and statistics about employability of MSU students.

 

Learn more here.

The Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor of the Year Award recognizes MSU faculty members who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to mentoring undergraduate researchers. This year's recipients were Daniel Menchik, assistant professor of sociology and history, philosophy, and sociology of science, and Patricia Norris, professor of community sustainability.

A number of additional MSU student success stories that may interest you this month include: