The Office of Student Success is responsible for facilitating, coordinating, and leading the implementation of MTSU’s Quest for Student Success. The office works to enhance the institution’s persistence, retention, and graduation rates. It does this by focusing on primary strategic initiatives that include enhancing advising, promoting and facilitating course redesign, ensuring that effective tutoring is available to students, and establishing a system to communicate student success initiatives and performance metrics. 

MTSU seeks to become a national thought and practice leader in student success. This endeavor will require joint efforts of the student, faculty, and broader campus community and the integration of our student-centered support services and data-informed best practices. The goal is to facilitate degree completion while cultivating students who are committed to critical inquiry and lifelong learning in a changing global society. 

Here are some recent student success updates: 

Scholars Acadamy 

The Scholars Academy welcomed 142 new MTSU students into its 2024 cohort Aug. 11–22. Assistant Director Monique Ward and Associate Vice Provost Michelle Arnold participated in extensive efforts to build this year’s cohort. They attended the MTSU True Blue Tour and Preview Day events and organized several informational Zoom sessions to discuss and recruit for the Scholars Academy. Arnold made it a priority to build relationships with high school counselors and programs within local school systems. They have been working with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the New Skills Ready Grant to build partnerships with the community and specifically the GEAR UP program. Arnold and Jonell Hinsey were recently appointed permanent associate vice provosts for student success. 

This year’s Scholars Academy included an outside presenter focusing on goal setting, time management, and study skills. Scholars also got an introduction to colleges, departments, resources, and organizations on campus. 

Upward Bound Program 

The MTSU Upward Bound program wrapped up its six-week Summer Academy on July 11. Beginning June 3, the Upward Bound program consisted of a three-week virtual learning component in which students took core classes (math, science, reading/language arts, and foreign language) and workshops on being a successful virtual student. Upward Bound participants then had the opportunity to attend the two-week residential component, where students gained the experience of living on a college campus. MTSU Upward Bound is a grant-funded pre-college program through the Department of Education that serves first-generation and/or income-eligible students from the following high schools: Community (Unionville), LaVergne, Shelbyville Central, and Smyrna, and target areas of Rutherford County and Bedford County. The program is funded to serve 60 students each year from September to August. 

Academic Advising 

The Advisor Mastery Program (AMP) is MTSU’s in-house certification for professional development created and sustained by academic advisors to foster communication, commitment, and continued professional growth for the benefit of students, the University, and academic advisors. The Advisor Professional Development Committee works to provide multiple opportunities each month for professional development, collaboration, and training. In the 2024–25 academic year, the committee will focus on “Developing as a Professional Academic Advisor.” We have broadened our reach to incorporate more than professional development by creating the Blue Raider Academic Advising Network to share resources and allow for more cross-college collaboration and consistency in academic advising across MTSU’s campus with an updated Mission Statement for Academic Advising and the rollout of a campuswide Academic Advising Syllabus in the fall. 

Year in review for May 2023-May 2024: 

• Academic advisors served 15,544 students in 46,272 appointments.
• 41% of those appointments were in person; 59% virtual.
• Academic advisors met with 89% of undergraduate students.
• 47% of academic advisors earned AMP Certification for professional development.
• 88% submitted documentation of professional development.
• 82% of academic advisors participated in AMP-offered training.

This certification increase offers a greater number of MTSU advisors access to outside training and development, which provides more opportunities to learn and develop new skills and possible solutions to student success roadblocks while increasing the visibility of MTSU in the academic and advising communities. 

The Advisor Professional Development Committee also offers weekly opportunities for training, collaboration, and development beginning with a Kickoff Workshop in August. Outstanding advisors were recognized with new awards and will be submitted to the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) for regional and national recognition. 

These 2023–24 award winners have also been submitted for Regional Advising Awards for NACADA. 

• AMP Excellence in Advising Award for Academic Advisor—Judy Albakry (Honors)
• AMP Excellence in Advising Award for New Advisor— Jennifer Waite (CBAS)