Kennesaw State University
Observations and Next Steps
The strategies and activities that have been most successful this year have been those that were well-received by our campus community. Initiatives like Starting Blocks, Early Alert and Midterm Grade programs, and UHoo Analytics have had a positive impact. These successes were bolstered by comprehensive trainings and strong support from leadership, which helped foster campus-wide engagement and alignment around these initiatives.
KSU aims to take full advantage of data gathered through the LMS, D2L, for a faculty audience. Our online learning unit, Digital Learning Innovations, has revised their mission to support faculty in using the LMS to manage learning in all modalities and using the data to identify problems, diagnose root causes, and take targeted actions during the semester to impact student success within the semester. The learning analytics solution, uHoo Analytics, is available to all faculty. Additionally, faculty are provided professional development in tool use and data interpretation.
Success is more about what you do while you are in college and less about which college you attend. A recent study showed that the most successful students are those who participate in undergraduate experiences, such as internships, undergraduate research, and service-learning. These engaged learning opportunities allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to the real world. Through internships, undergraduate research, and service-learning, students also gain unparalleled opportunities to hone their critical thinking and communication skills.
To combat lower graduation rates, KSU will focus on four initiatives aimed at supporting new students.
- The President’s Focused Learner Program
The President’s Focused Learner Program (PFL) is a KSU initiative seeking to assist incoming students at risk of “Murky Middle” GPAs with their ability to navigate the academic and personal well-being factors often necessary for a student’s academic success. The PFL Program spans all majors at KSU.
KSU’s “Starting Blocks” project launched in Fall 2024. Block scheduling serves multiple purposes, all designed to enhance the academic experience and support student success. It streamlines the registration process for easier enrollment, ensuring students make appropriate selections of courses, including introductory English and math, during their first semester. It helps minimize potential credit loss if students change majors, and it provides students with the optimal opportunity to register for a full-time (15 credit hour) schedule.
Success is more about what you do while you are in college and less about what college you attend. A recent study showed that the most successful students are those who participate in undergraduate experiences, such as internships, undergraduate research, and service learning. These engaged learning opportunities allow students to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to the real world. Through internships, undergraduate research, and service-learning, students also gain unparalleled opportunities to hone their critical thinking and communication skills.
KSU aims to take full advantage of data gathered through the LMS, D2L, for a faculty audience. Our online learning unit, Digital Learning Innovations, has revised their mission to support faculty in using the LMS to manage learning in all modalities and using the data to identify problems, diagnose root causes, and take targeted actions during the semester to impact student success within the semester
To combat lower graduation rates, KSU will focus on four initiatives aimed at supporting new students:
- The President’s Focused Learner Program
The President’s Focused Learner Program (PFL) is a KSU initiative seeking to assist incoming students at risk of “Murky Middle” GPAs with their ability to navigate the academic and personal well-being factors often necessary for a student’s academic success. The PFL Program spans all majors at KSU.
Student success projects are being performed in every college based on data provided through the METRICS Dashboard. The METRICS Dashboard was launched in fall 2022 as a way to provide actionable information that is meaningful, relevant to the context of student success and/or barriers to that success, and provide insight into potential challenges to student success.
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