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Pillar I | Foster Student Success

Overarching Goal: Ensure every student has an opportunity to thrive, resulting in improvements in retention, graduation, and post-graduation outcomes. 

 

Strategic Imperatives  〉

  • Expand Access and Pathways
    • Open new pathways of access and success for first-generation, adult, and high-achieving students by elevating WSSU’s visibility, refining recruitment strategies, and strengthening completion support initiatives.
    • Strengthen partnerships with K–12, community colleges, universities, and workforce development organizations to expand transfer pipelines and degree completion.
    • Develop flexible, innovative delivery modalities to more broadly serve adult and transfer student populations.
    • Promote a standard of academic excellence while continuing to open doors for students of all academic and financial backgrounds to see WSSU as the place where they belong and their best choice for higher education.
  • Elevate Student Learning and Career Readiness
    • Integrate high-impact and experiential learning practices that connect classroom learning to real-world application and career outcomes.
    • Embed career readiness, digital fluency, and applied learning across academic and co-curricular programs.
    • Strengthen academic support services through proactive outreach, early interventions, and technology-enhanced tools.
    • Strive to close gaps in graduation and career outcomes by connecting every student to high-impact, real-world learning experiences that elevate earning potential and career readiness.
  • Promote Holistic Well-Being and Thriving
    • Cultivate a culture of care that prioritizes the holistic well-being and thriving of students.
    • Expand and coordinate wellness and counseling services, with a focus on prevention, early intervention, utilization and collaboration.
    • Strengthen early identification and support for financial, housing, and basic needs challenges through campus and community partnerships.
    • Enhance systems and programs that support the holistic success of all campus stakeholders across academic, emotional, physical, and social dimensions.
  • Strengthen a Data-Informed Student Success System
    • Align policies, technology, and practices to support real-time decision-making and continuous improvement led by Institutional Assessment and Research, Academic Affairs and Student Success.
    • Utilize predictive analytics, early alert systems, and integrated advising to identify and support students at risk.
    • Track UNC System Core Metrics (retention, graduation, and completion) to assess progress and inform strategy.
    • Develop targeted second-year initiatives to support persistence and degree momentum.
    • Continuously evaluate academic programs for relevance, sustainability, and impact.