About Student Success

Student Success provides vision and leadership to university units and programs that focus on retention, persistence, and graduation. Although we track retention and graduation rates as metrics of institutional success, we would argue that student success is nuanced and individualized. In order to serve students holistically, we work to remove barriers in order to achieve broader social justice and equity goals. We aim to meet students where they are by taking a developmental approach to help students learn and grow.

We collaborate extensively with the Colleges, the Graduate School, Student Life, Institutional Research, and Enrollment Management to create a campus culture where every student can thrive.

Mission

Student Success designs and provides holistic, inclusive, research-based, and student-centered programs to enrich and support K-State students as they strive to achieve their academic, personal, and career goals.

Vision

All students at Kansas State University will have access to institutional support and enrichment opportunities to achieve their personal, academic, and career goals.

Guiding principles

Equity and inclusion: Our work is inclusive of, and positively affects, all undergraduate and graduate students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability/disability, religion, family income, age, or generational status. We strive to be anti-racist and culturally responsive in practice and policy.

Holistic support: We recognize, honor, and support students as individuals with multiple dimensions, perspectives, and unique needs. We engage in empathetic and caring ways to meet students where they are, and to support their academic, social, and emotional well-being. Student success belongs to all students, including those who are struggling or excelling, as well as leaders and those who are finding their way.

Institutional collaboration: Student Success is the work of the whole institution. We collaborate and coordinate with faculty, staff, campus partners, and university leadership to identify and remove institutional barriers to inclusion and success. We advocate and influence systems of support at our university and across the region and nation.

Creative innovation: Student Success at Kansas State University requires the courage to innovate and experiment with new ideas to address the needs of an ever-changing student body. We work to continuously improve through assessment practices and utilize that to create and bolster evidence-based, best-practice programs.

Student outcomes

Our goal is to create an environment at Kansas State University where students:

Have equitable access to information, assistance, resources, and programming necessary for their success;
Feel they belong and that their input and experiences are valued;
Persist through challenges to reach their goals each semester and through to graduation ;
Grow as individuals, learners, and leaders;
Learn through transformative educational experiences both inside and outside of the classroom;
Are engaged in classes with instructors who raise academic expectations with support and compassion;
Thrive academically and personally;
Have confidence in themselves and their abilities;
Are prepared for graduation and opportunities beyond, including employment, community and civic engagement, and graduate degree attainment.