November 3, 2016
The campus supported the development of a sudent success definition by creating a draft in late summer 2016. After review of a number of examples of student success definitions, the group identified the necessary components of the definition:
- Philosophy and guiding principles of student success
- Individual and institutional conditions that support student success
- Actions students should take to be successful
- Outcomes by which we measure our students’ success
With these components in mind, the group generated a list of themes as well as criteria for an effective definition of student success:
- Applicable to both undergraduate and graduate students
- Student focused
- Reflects the UC Merced context (e.g., San Joaquin Valley, research university)
- Student success is everyone’s responsibility – students, staff, and faculty
- Student success is facilitated in and outside of the classroom
- Communicates high expectations for everyone
- Brief but thorough
- Clear – accessible to multiple audiences, including students and families
- Stands alone
- Aspirational, realistic, and holds the campus accountable
The result of these efforts is a draft definition of student success that defines UC Merced’s approach to student success. This definition allows everyone to see themselves, and their work, as an agent in supporting both graduate and undergraduate students. It should be used by individual campus units to develop vision and mission statements, develop student learning and program outcomes, and as a driver for assessment of student success efforts.
