What is the SST?

History

The Student Success Team (SST) at The University of Iowa (UI) was created in September 2006 by Tom Rocklin, Vice Provost, for the purposes of bringing attention and action to issues of undergraduate student success. The SST is one of several initiatives stemming from the first goal of The Iowa Promise, the University’s Strategic Plan for 2005-2010. The Iowa Promise states “excellent undergraduate education” is the core of the University’s mission and the plan’s first goal is to “create a University experience that enriches the lives of undergraduates and helps them to become well-informed individuals, lifelong learners, engaged citizens, and productive employees and employers.” Related initiatives include assessment of learning outcomes and the special-emphasis self-study, focused on undergraduate education, for re-accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.

During the 2006-2007 academic year, the SST met to study and discuss topics relevant to supporting student success, including UI admissions and retention data, research on institutional conditions for student success, and research about UI students’ experiences and outcomes. In July 2007, the SST held a retreat to develop a plan for action for 2007-2009; implementation of that plan began in Fall 2007.

Goals

The overarching goal of the SST is to foster, and improve, undergraduate student success. To accomplish this goal, the SST will – through its committees and members – implement programs, research, and other activities to help students attain their educational goals and help the University achieve its goals for undergraduate education.