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Columbus State University Campus Plan Update 2025

Columbus State University is a vibrant state regional institution in Columbus, Georgia, dedicated to empowering its community, driving innovation, and creating opportunities. As part of the University System of Georgia, CSU provides high-quality, affordable education through more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs grounded in creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence. With small class sizes, engaged faculty, and strong partnerships across the region, the university prepares students to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Mission: Columbus State University empowers its community, drives innovation, and creates opportunities. To accomplish this, we will focus on student success, responsible stewardship, community impact, and economic competitiveness.

Vision: Columbus State University will be a model of empowerment through transformational learning experiences that prepare students to serve the world as creative problem solvers and high impact leaders.

Core Values:

  • Excellence: Actively engaging outstanding methods in teaching, academic discovery, creative pursuits, student success, cultural enrichment, and the overall campus community.
  • Creativity: Pursuing distinction through inquiry and innovation, challenging convention, and focusing on solutions.
  • Engagement: Dynamic civic involvement and participation of students, faculty, staff, and alumni in the university experience.
  • Sustainability: Advancing fiscal responsibility, well-being, innovation, lifelong learning, and environmental stewardship.
  • Inclusion: Cultivating and championing a campus environment that welcomes diverse backgrounds, ideas, perspectives, and practices.
  • Servant Leadership: Leading through ethical empowerment and service.

This campus plan reflects CSU’s ongoing commitment to student success, community engagement, and the strategic growth needed to sustain a dynamic learning environment.

Student Body Profile

Over the last 5 years, enrollment at Columbus State has averaged 7,738 students, with Fall 2025’s enrollment at 7690, with 1788 graduate students, 5692 undergraduate students, and 210 other categories.

Enrollment Trends

  • Total Enrollment: CSU’s total enrollment for Fall 2025 is 7,690 students, reflecting a modest decrease of 3.1% compared to the previous year.
  • Undergraduate vs. Graduate: Undergraduate enrollment saw a decrease from 5,986 to 5,692 students (4.91% decline), while graduate enrollment increased significantly to 1,788 students (1.18% increase), while other categories increased from 183 to 210 (14.75% increase).

(USG by the Numbers: Enrollment Dashboard)

Demographics:

  • Race & Ethnicity:
    • 42.2% White
    • 37.9% Black or African American
    • 8.9% Hispanic/Latino
    • 3.2% Asian
  • Pell Eligible: 60%
  • Non-traditional Undergraduate Learners: 18%
  • Average Age:
    • Undergraduate: 23.8
    • Graduate: 35.2
  • Gender:
    • 59.9% Female
    • 40.1% Male

Fall 2025 SER Report

Key Performance Indicators

In 2017, Columbus State University identified a list of comparator and aspirational peer institutions (Appendix B). This list has not been updated since its creation and is expected to be updated in the next year in partnership with the University System Office. For the purposes of the Momentum CCG Campus Update, CSU has elected to compare itself to the State University sector (comparator), comprehensive universities (aspirational), and the system (aspirational).

First-time Full-Time Retention by Cohort (bachelor's degree seeking)

Cohort

CSU

State University Sector

Comprehensive Sector

USG System Wide

Fall 2019

75.4%

73.4%

77.7%

85.1%

Fall 2020

60.8%

74.3%

70.4%

79.8%

Fall 2021

65.3

69.6%

72.0%

81.8%

Fall 2022

72.6%

72.9%

77.1%

85.1%

Fall 2023

69.7%

73.8%

76.8%

85.1%

Fall 2024

72%

74.9%

79.7%

86.8%

(USG By The Numbers Retention Rate Report

First-Time Full-Time (FTFT) Retention Rate Analysis

FTFT retention specifically tracks first-time, full-time, degree-seeking freshmen who return to the same institution for their second fall semester. It is a key federal and state accountability measure, reported to IPEDS and used in benchmarking across peer and aspirational institutions. Because it only includes first-time freshmen, FTFT retention provides a narrow but standardized snapshot of how effectively an institution supports new students through their first year.

Above 70% (Fall 2019, Fall 2022, Fall 2024)

  • CSU achieved strong retention performance in Fall 2019 (75.4%), Fall 2022 (72.6%), and Fall 2024 (72%).
  • A retention rate above 70% indicates that most students are persisting successfully, and that the institution provides a stable, supportive environment conducive to continued enrollment.
  • These results highlight CSU’s ability to return to pre-pandemic strength following targeted student success initiatives.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic (Fall 2020, Fall 2021)

  • The sharp decline to 60.8% in Fall 2020 reflects the significant disruption caused by the pandemic, including challenges with remote learning, financial instability, and overall uncertainty.
  • The partial recovery to 65.3% in Fall 2021 suggests that early interventions helped stabilize persistence but that the institution was still regaining momentum.

 Recent Trends (Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

The improvement to 72.6% in Fall 2022 demonstrates a strong recovery and successful implementation of post-pandemic initiatives such as Academic Success Coaching, expanded Learning Support, and proactive retention strategies.

  • The modest dip to 69.7% in Fall 2023 may point to emerging challenges in sustaining retention gains.
  • The rebound to 72% in Fall 2024 reflects continued progress toward pre-pandemic levels and evidence that CSU’s renewed focus on student engagement and coaching is yielding results.

Comparison to State University Sector, Comprehensive Sector, and USG System Averages

Pre-Pandemic Strength (Fall 2019)

  • CSU’s 75.4% retention rate in Fall 2019 exceeded the State University Sector (73.4%) and approached the Comprehensive Sector (77.7%), marking a period of strong performance relative to peers.
  • While CSU trailed the USG System average (85.1%), its rates demonstrated competitiveness within its primary comparator group.

Pandemic Impact (Fall 2020 & Fall 2021)

  • In Fall 2020, CSU’s 60.8% retention rate was well below the State University Sector (74.3%), Comprehensive Sector (70.4%), and Systemwide average (79.8%), underscoring the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on CSU students.
  • By Fall 2021, CSU’s rate improved to 65.3% but remained lower than the State University Sector (69.6%), Comprehensive Sector (72.0%), and System average (81.8%).

 Post-Pandemic Recovery (Fall 2022–Fall 2024)

  • In Fall 2022, CSU reached 72.6%, nearly matching the State University Sector (72.9%) and signaling recovery to pre-pandemic norms.
  • The 69.7% in Fall 2023 and 72% in Fall 2024 indicate CSU is maintaining consistent progress, though it remains below the Comprehensive (79.7%) and Systemwide (86.8%) averages. The narrowing gap with the State University Sector highlights that CSU’s reforms are producing measurable improvement.

Pandemic’s Disproportionate Impact on CSU

  • CSU experienced a steeper retention decline (from 75.4% in Fall 2019 to 60.8% in Fall 2020) than other sectors, suggesting that its student population faced greater barriers related to technology access, financial constraints, and learning environment changes.
  • While all sectors saw declines, CSU’s sharper drop points to the importance of continued targeted interventions and wraparound supports to promote persistence among high-need populations.

Recent Standing and Implications

  • CSU’s Fall 2024 retention rate (72%) now approaches pre-pandemic levels and is within three percentage points of the State University Sector average (74.9%).
  • Despite this improvement, CSU continues to lag Comprehensive and Systemwide averages, reinforcing the need for sustained focus on coaching, student engagement, and data-informed retention strategies.
  • Nationally, the average FTFT retention rate for full-time, first-time bachelor’s degree-seeking students is approximately 68% (National Student Clearinghouse, Fall 2022 cohort). CSU exceeded the national average in both 2022 and 2024, underscoring continued institutional progress.

(USG By the Numbers Retention Report & National Student Clearing House Research Center)

 Persistence Rate Analysis

Persistence measures the percentage of all enrolled students who return from one academic year (or term) to the next, regardless of when they first entered the institution or whether they started as full-time, first-time freshmen. It reflects the overall ability of the institution to re-enroll continuing students across all class levels (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior). Persistence trends help identify where in the student lifecycle attrition occurs (for example, first-to-second year vs. junior-to-senior transitions) and evaluate the effectiveness of support systems for both traditional and nontraditional students.

Student Level

Fall 18-19

Fall 19-20

Fall 20-21

Fall 21-22

Fall 22-23

Fall 23-24

Freshman

66.81%

69.47%

55.25%

60.43%

62.98%

64.74%

Sophomore

75.28%

76.81%

73.42%

72.31%

74.32%

75.16%

Junior

80.80%

80.88%

78.91%

81.09%

81.65%

82.68%

Senior

85.79%

90.15%

86.35%

86.56%

85.49%

88.63%

Freshman Persistence Shows Continued but Slower Recovery

  • Freshman persistence rose again to 64.74% in Fall 2023–24, marking the third consecutive year of improvement since the pandemic low of 55.25% in 2020–21.
  • The rate remains below pre-pandemic levels (approximately 69–70%), suggesting that while CSU has regained momentum, first-year persistence is still the most vulnerable transition point.
  • This reinforces the importance of CSU’s Academic Success Coaching model, Learning Support redesign, and first-year engagement initiatives (RIVR/PERS courses, Cougar Kickoff, etc.) as key levers for continued improvement.

Sophomore Persistence Returns to Pre-Pandemic Stability

  • Sophomore persistence climbed to 75.16% in 2023–24, effectively matching Fall 2018–19 levels (75.28%).
  • This represents a full recovery from the brief post-pandemic dip in 2021–22 (72.3%), showing that once students progress past the first year, CSU retains them at strong rates.
  • It also indicates that targeted sophomore initiatives and degree-mapping efforts are successfully sustaining progress.

Juniors Maintain Consistent, High Persistence

  • Junior persistence remains exceptionally stable, increasing from 81.65% to 82.68% in the most recent year—the highest level in six years.
  • This consistent performance suggests CSU’s upper-division students are deeply engaged and well-supported through academic pathways.

Seniors Rebound to Near Record High

  • Senior persistence reached 88.63% in Fall 2023–24, nearing the six-year high of 90.15% recorded in Fall 2019–20.
  • The continued upward trend highlights strong momentum toward degree completion.
  • Institutional supports for late-stage persistence, such as graduation audits, financial aid interventions, and academic advising, are proving effective.

Overall Pattern and Implications

  • The persistence gradient (rising steadily from first year to senior year) remains intact, confirming that retention challenges are concentrated in the first year.
  • The 2023–24 data show CSU’s post-pandemic recovery has stabilized across all class levels.
  • First-year persistence remains the key opportunity area for major gains, emphasizing the importance of early momentum-building strategies such as proactive and intrusive coaching, and student engagement.

Summary of What Changed

  • The 2023–24 data extend the recovery trend across every student level, with sophomores, juniors, and seniors now meeting or exceeding pre-pandemic persistence levels.
  • The freshman rate, though improving, remains about five points below 2018–19, identifying it as the most critical target for continued Momentum and CCG efforts.
  • CSU’s story now shifts from rebuilding to stabilizing and refining, reflecting meaningful progress and a data-driven approach to sustaining gains through coaching and support initiatives.

(Metrics Dashboard)

Graduation Rate Analysis

Graduation rates represent the percentage of students from a given cohort who complete a degree within six years, providing a long-term indicator of institutional effectiveness. However, these rates are sensitive to enrollment size and student composition. As CSU’s undergraduate enrollment has fluctuated over the past decade, affected by both demographic trends and the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of students reaching completion has also reflected shifts in readiness, persistence, and resource access.

Because graduation rates are lagging indicators, the results for cohorts such as Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 reflect students who entered before many of CSU’s most significant student success reforms. While rates appear stable, they do not yet capture the impact of more recent interventions such as Academic Success Coaching, Learning Support redesign, and early momentum strategies embedded in RIVR and PERS courses, nor do they capture the impact of the pandemic, which will be reflected in graduation rates over the next several years.

6-Year Graduation Rates by Cohort

 

Cohort

CSU

State University Sector

Comprehensive University Sector

USG System Wide

Fall 2014

37.4%

42.3%

47.1%

61.9%

Fall 2015

42.1%

40.8%

47.6%

62.4%

Fall 2016

42.9%

42.6%

46.7%

61.8%

Fall 2017

40.7%

42.0%

47.0%

61.6%

Fall 2018

42.0%

42.9%

49.4%

63%

Fall 2019

41.4%

42.4%

48.8%

62.1%

(USG By the Numbers Graduation Report)

Comparative Analysis: CSU, Sector, and System Trends

CSU Trends (Fall 2014–Fall 2019 Cohorts)

  • CSU’s six-year graduation rates have remained relatively consistent, ranging from 37.4 percent (Fall 2014) to 42.9 percent (Fall 2016), with most cohorts stabilizing around the low-40 percent range.
  • The Fall 2019 cohort graduated at 41.4 percent, slightly below the university’s six-year high, suggesting continued stability but limited upward movement in completions.
  • These patterns indicate CSU’s steady performance in degree completion, even through periods of enrollment volatility and demographic change.

Comparison to the State University Sector (Peer Comparator)

  • CSU’s graduation rates are comparable to the State University Sector, which ranged between 40.8 percent and 42.9 percent across the same period.
  • CSU outperformed the sector for the Fall 2015 cohort (42.1 percent vs. 40.8 percent) and aligned closely in 2016 (42.9 percent vs. 42.6 percent).
  • In more recent years, CSU has trailed slightly, with the Fall 2018 and 2019 cohorts showing a 0.5–1.0 percentage point gap, indicating parity but not leadership within the sector.

Comparison to the Comprehensive University Sector (Aspirational Comparator)

  • CSU continues to lag aspirational peers, whose rates ranged from 46.7 percent to 49.4 percent during the same period.
  • The Fall 2019 cohort shows a 7.4-point gap (41.4 percent vs. 48.8 percent), reflecting room for improvement in long-term student progression and completion.
  • This gap suggests that while CSU’s persistence initiatives are helping more students continue from year to year, additional focus on academic scaffolding and pathway completion could further close this divide.

Comparison to the USG Systemwide Average (System Benchmark)

  • CSU’s graduation rates remain well below the USG System average, which has remained steady between 61.6 percent and 63 percent.
  • The Fall 2018 cohort demonstrates a 21-point gap (CSU 42.0 percent vs. USG 63.0 percent), highlighting the distance between institutional outcomes and system-level expectations.
  • Systemwide gains reflect cumulative effects of sustained retention improvements across institutions, reinforcing that CSU’s recent retention and persistence progress should begin translating into higher graduation rates in the next several cohorts.

National Context

  • Nationally, the average six-year graduation rate for public four-year institutions is 61.1% percent for the most recent cohort (2018)
  • CSU’s performance in the low-40 percent range is consistent with regional access institutions serving a diverse and high-need student body but remains below both national and aspirational benchmarks.

Summary and Implications

  • CSU’s six-year graduation rates demonstrate stability amid changing enrollment patterns, suggesting consistent institutional performance rather than decline.
  • The steady range of 40 to 43 percent reflects the university’s success in maintaining completion outcomes while serving an increasingly diverse and access-oriented population.
  • The gaps between CSU and both Comprehensive and System averages highlight the need to strengthen the early-to-late student success pipeline and convert improved persistence into measurable degree completion gains.
  • As first-year and sophomore persistence rates continue to rise, CSU is well-positioned for future graduation rate growth, particularly as the effects of post-pandemic recovery, coaching implementation, and targeted support initiatives appear in later cohorts.
  • CSU will most likely see at least two years of reduced graduation rates before recovery, due to the pandemic's impact on retention and enrollment.
  • Moving forward, CSU can frame its story as one of stabilization with upward potential, leveraging its strong foundation in persistence and retention to produce sustained improvements in completion and to align more closely with both system and national benchmarks over the next five years.

(USG By the Numbers Graduation Report)

Student Success Inventories

For its 2025 Momentum/CCG campus plan, CSU focused on 4 activities/projects, which arose out of our engagement with the National Institute of Student Success (NISS):

  • Developing systematic, scaled first-year experience programming.
  • Improved financial wellness for students.
  • Creating a standard of care for students around advising.
  • Hardwire career experiences across the curriculum as a structured component of the academic and co-curricular experience

Each of these areas are related to the mission, vision, and values of Columbus State University and the new strategic plan, Better Together 2030. In addition, these activities are recommendations taken directly from the playbook provided to CSU by the National Institute of Student Success.

 

Success Inventory

Systematic Scaled First Year Experience Program (Columbus State University-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Systematic Scaled First Year Experience Program
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Pathways
Mindset
Strategy/Project Description: 

Create structures focused on the first-year experience –scaled summer bridge program, freshman learning communities, redesigned institutional priority courses, meta-major based curricular and co-curricular activities-to promote student belonging and to guide students into right-fit academic majors in the first year.

Activity Status: 
Scaling
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Key Performance Indicator: First-Time, Full-Time (FTFT) Retention
Goal:
Increase FTFT retention to 85 percent by 2030, demonstrating CSU’s commitment to enhancing student success, belonging, and persistence through intentional first-year structures and data-informed interventions.

Baseline:
The Fall 2023 FTFT cohort established a baseline retention rate of 69.7 percent. The Fall 2024 cohort achieved 72 percent, reflecting a 2.3-point improvement and early progress toward long-term retention goals.

Cohort Year

Target FTFT Retention Rate

Incremental Increase (Target)

Actual or Status

Fall 2023 (Baseline)

69.7%

—

Baseline established

Fall 2024–25

72.8%

+3.1%

Achieved 72.0% (slightly below target, +2.3%)

Fall 2025–26

75.8%

+3.0%

On track with continued retention-focused interventions

Fall 2026–27

78.8%

+3.0%

Midpoint target aligned with full Academic Success Coaching implementation

Fall 2027–28

81.8%

+3.0%

Reflects expanded FYE structures and integrated support programs

Fall 2028–29

84.8%

+3.0%

Near aspirational benchmark, closing the sector performance gap

Fall 2029–30

87.8%

+3.0%

Exceeds 85% goal, positioning CSU among system leaders in retention
Progress and Adjustments: 

2025 Planned Activity Summer Bridge:

The launch of the Cougar Success Academy in Summer 2024 marked a significant milestone in reimagining CSU’s summer bridge programming. This for-credit experience combines two core curriculum courses with targeted academic support and co-curricular engagement. Students in the pilot cohort demonstrated strong academic performance (average GPA 3.18) and reported increased confidence, social connection, and familiarity with campus resources. Based on this success, the 2025 plan aimed to scale the program to serve up to 150 students.

2025 Status Update Summer Bridge:
By May 2025, enrollment for the 2025 Cougar Success Academy totaled only 10 students despite utilizing the same recruitment strategies for the pilot cohort.

After consultation with the Momentum Council and key leadership in Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Student Affairs, the decision was made to pivot and reallocate resources toward high-impact, scalable interventions.

The chosen strategy embedded academic and student support directly into ENGL 0999 corequisite learning support courses. This included intentionally partnering with faculty to integrate tutoring, academic coaching, library partnerships, and counseling outreach. This shift ensured that students with the greatest academic vulnerability received structured support within their coursework and could not opt out. This expanded on a previous pilot for fall 2024 and spring 2025 and included all sections of ENGL 0999. The faculty reports that this larger cohort of students is more engaged and performing better than previous cohorts. Formal outcomes will be available after end of term data is collected.

The pivot demonstrated CSU’s commitment to data-informed decision-making and efficient use of resources. While the Cougar Success Academy effectively supported a small cohort, low enrollment revealed limited scalability and misalignment with student demand. The cost structure of a standalone summer bridge model was determined to be prohibitive given the return on investment.

2025 Planned Activity FLCs:

CSU developed the RIVR course sequence (RIVR 1101, RIVR 1102, and 2101) as the foundation for a redesigned first-year and sophomore experience. These courses were designed to promote belonging, academic planning/purpose, and career development, aligned with CSU’s mission and the IMPACTS core redesign. The university anticipated launching the new RIVR sequence in Fall 2025 pending USG curriculum approval.

2025 Status Update:
RIVR 1101 and 2101 were approved by the USG in Spring 2025, though the timing impacted block scheduling for Fall 2025. RIVR 1102 was sent back for revisions. Nearly all new students were enrolled in RIVR 1101 by focus area for Fall 2025, establishing a universal first-year experience across the institution. Students were also enrolled in PERS 1506 by focus area where possible, to support students in the RIVR 1101 classes in connecting to the campus and community.

RIVR 1102, a redesigned continuation of PERS 1506, is still progressing through the approval process—it has passed CSU’s University Curriculum Committee and is awaiting submission for final USG approval. It did not make it through the 2024-25 submission cycle.

RIVR 2101, designed for sophomores, will launch in Spring 2027. This staggered implementation allows faculty resources to be focused on first-year instruction each fall, then shift to second-year engagement in the spring. The structure also strategically supports student belonging and persistence during the critical “second-year slump” period.

A major milestone in the new First-Year Experience was the launch of the First-Year Convocation on August 8, 2025, which drew record attendance (over 900) and formally welcomed students into the academic community. The event celebrated CSU’s mission and culture of belonging, featuring faculty, deans, academic coaches, and student leaders from each focus area. It is now established as a signature annual event marking the beginning of the academic journey for every incoming student.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

Reflection and Next Steps Summer Bridge Activities (for Momentum 2026):

The integrated ENGL 0999 approach offers a more sustainable, equity-focused alternative by embedding academic, library, and counseling supports directly within required corequisite learning support courses. This ensures that all students with developmental needs receive structured, proactive support.

  • Next Steps:
    • Continue monitoring academic outcomes and retention among ENGL 0999/1101 students.
    • Assess the impact of embedded tutoring and support on DFW rates.
    • Assess the impact of these supports on retention of students.
    • Use findings to refine the first-year experience strategy within the core curriculum rather than through a separate bridge program.

Reflection and Next Steps FYE (for Momentum 2026):

The successful approval and launch of RIVR 1101 represents a major step forward in CSU’s comprehensive redesign of the first-year experience. The delayed approval process and limited scheduling infrastructure revealed the importance of early coordination across Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Information Technology to support large-scale course implementation. The intentional design of RIVR 2101 as a spring offering for second-year students will provide continuity in academic and social belonging and may serve as a model for sophomore momentum strategies.

  • Next Steps:
    • Monitor outcomes from the first RIVR 1101 cohort, including retention, GPA, and engagement indicators.
    • Finalize approval and launch RIVR 1102 for Fall 2026.
    • Prepare instructional teams, coaching partners, and co-curricular units for the inaugural RIVR 2101 launch in Spring 2027.

Continue refinement of the FLC model and Convocation programming to strengthen student belonging and academic identity.

Challenges and Support: 

CHALLENGES

The RIVR sequence and expanded first-year programming require sustained instructional and co-curricular support. Balancing faculty loads between RIVR 1101/1102 in fall and RIVR 2101 in spring will necessitate intentional resource planning and ongoing coordination with department chairs and deans.

  • Data Integration and Assessment:
    As the new courses and supports roll out, consistent data collection across units (Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Institutional Research) will be critical to measure impact on belonging, GPA, and retention. Current systems are improving but not yet fully integrated.
  • Student Awareness and Engagement:
    Transitioning to a universal first-year model requires clear communication to students and families. Early outreach, consistent messaging, and active engagement from coaches and faculty will be essential to ensure full participation and understanding of the program’s value.
  • Sustaining Momentum Over Time:
    As CSU scales the new model, maintaining enthusiasm and alignment across multiple divisions will be key. Ongoing collaboration, professional development, and visible leadership support will help sustain energy and consistency through the multi-year implementation.

SUPPORT

To ensure the continued success and scalability of CSU’s first-year experience and learning support initiatives, several areas of external support would be valuable:

  • Curriculum and Course Approval Timelines:
    Delays in course approvals, such as those experienced with the RIVR sequence, can disrupt implementation and scheduling cycles. There should be a dedicated CAT (formerly RAC) which supports the Institutional Priority area as it’s not always clear to other CATs the purpose of IP courses and how they support the SLOs which are determined by the institution.
  • Professional Learning Communities:
    Opportunities to collaborate with peer institutions implementing similar first-year course structures or learning community models would strengthen CSU’s capacity to refine and sustain its own initiatives through shared resources and best practices.
  • Targeted Grant or Momentum Innovation Funding:
    Continued access to system-level funding to pilot or expand evidence-based student success strategies—particularly those focused on first-year persistence and second-year momentum—would accelerate CSU’s progress toward systemwide retention and graduation goals.
Primary Contact: 
Annice Yarber-Allen, Interim Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Mellisa Young, Assistant Vice President for Student Success
Libby McFalls, Professor of Art

Scaled financial wellness for students (Columbus State University-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Scaled financial wellness for students
Momentum Area: 
Change Management
Data & Communications
Category: 
Financial Risk Alerts
Strategy/Project Description: 

Support students financially through the enhanced use of data, coordinated student communications and outreach across units, and initiatives to address financial stop-outs and students losing HOPE.

Activity Status: 
Piloting
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

CSU’s evaluation plan for the Scaled Financial Wellness initiative focuses on reducing the percentage of students who lose HOPE scholarship eligibility by addressing financial literacy, aid awareness, and proactive outreach. Efforts are monitored annually through integrated academic and financial aid data dashboards and aligned with institutional retention and completion goals.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

Indicator

Baseline (2023–2024)

Target (2030)

Milestones / Process Indicators

Timeline to Goal

% of students who lose HOPE by 30 credit hours

24%

12%
  • 2024–25: 22%
  • 2025–26: 20%
  • 2026–27: 18%
  • 2027–28: 16%
  • 2028–29: 14%
  • 2029–30: 12%

6 years (AY 2024–2030)

% of students who lose HOPE by 60 credit hours

22%

10%
  • 2024–25: 20%
  • 2025–26: 18%
  • 2026–27: 16%
  • 2027–28: 14%
  • 2028–29: 12%
  • 2029–30: 10%

6 years (AY 2024–2030)

Anticipated Timeline:

Progress will be evaluated annually through AY 2030, with early impact measures expected by 2026 following full integration of financial wellness content and the Momentum Grant pilot.

Progress and Adjustments: 

CSU planned to scale financial literacy across the curriculum by embedding financial wellness content into high impact, required FYE courses and launching a social science course ECON 1101. Building strategic partnerships with local financial institutions, financial literacy workshops were designed to partner with PERS 1506 (as co-curricular engagement activities), and ECON 1101 (through applied personal finance components). These integrations aimed to normalize financial literacy as a part of the core, impacting student success while reinforcing CSU’s focus on purpose, planning, and persistence.

2025 Status Update:

  • PERS 1506: Financial literacy workshops were offered as part of the engagement series for first-year students for the first time in FA2025. Partner financial institutions and campus offices provided interactive sessions on budgeting, credit, FAFSA, and managing college costs.
  • ECON 1101: The new course moved through the curriculum process and is scheduled to debut its applied personal finance components in Spring 2026.
  • Tools and Analytics: The TouchNet Student Accounts Advisor tool and HOPE/Zell risk dashboard remained integral to proactive outreach and student conversations about aid eligibility and balance management.

2025 Planned Activity:
The Keep HOPE Alive initiative was designed to provide structured financial education and targeted micro-grants to students who experience temporary aid loss or unmet financial need. The goal was to help students maintain enrollment and progress toward graduation through short-term financial assistance combined with financial coaching and literacy support.

2025 Status Update:
During implementation planning, the initiative was restructured and renamed the Momentum Grant to align with CSU’s broader retention and completion strategies. The program’s pilot was deferred to Spring 2026 following adjustments to internal funding timelines and financial aid processing schedules. The additional planning window allowed the university to refine eligibility criteria, develop outreach processes that integrate financial aid and academic data, and ensure coordination among the Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and Student Success teams.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

Embedding financial wellness into required first-year and social science courses represents a sustainable, equity-focused strategy that meets students where they are. Early efforts through PERS 1506 demonstrated strong engagement from students and campus partners, affirming that financial topics are most effective when presented in a practical, relationship-based context. The integration of financial literacy into ECON 1101 in Spring 2026 will extend this reach beyond the first year, reinforcing financial decision-making as part of lifelong learning.

At the same time, the forthcoming Momentum Grant represents a critical next step in CSU’s holistic approach to student success, addressing short-term financial barriers that threaten persistence. By combining financial support with proactive coaching and data-informed outreach, the program will allow CSU to intervene earlier and more effectively with students facing unexpected financial challenges.

Next Steps:

  • Launch ECON 1101 with embedded personal finance content in Spring 2026.
  • Continue offering PERS 1506 (soon to be RIVR 1102) engagement sessions in collaboration with financial institutions and campus partners.
  • Launch the Momentum Grant pilot in Spring 2026 using a coordinated process that leverages existing financial aid and academic dashboards.
  • Evaluate the pilot’s impact on student persistence and re-enrollment rates among recipients.
  • Develop training and communication materials for coaches and staff to guide consistent implementation and follow-up.
  • Use pilot findings to inform recommendations for future funding, sustainability, and potential expansion.

Assess KPIs, student feedback and retention trends to refine and scale financial wellness programming across the curriculum.

Challenges and Support: 

CHALLENGES

Several challenges may affect CSU’s ability to fully implement and scale financial wellness initiatives and the Momentum Grant pilot:

  • Staff and Faculty Training:
    Financial literacy and aid conversations can be complex. Faculty, coaches, and staff will need ongoing professional development to confidently guide students through budgeting, scholarship eligibility, and resource navigation while maintaining consistency of message across divisions.
  • Funding Sustainability:
    Initial implementation of the Momentum Grant relies on limited foundation resources. Identifying ongoing funding and developing a clear process for renewal or scale-up will be important to ensure long-term viability.

Student Engagement and Awareness:
As financial wellness becomes more deeply embedded in the curriculum, maintaining student interest and ensuring participation in workshops and support programs will require ongoing communication, faculty reinforcement, and integration with advising and coaching.

SUPPORTS

To successfully scale financial wellness and sustain the Momentum Grant initiative, CSU would benefit from continued collaboration and targeted support from the University System Office and peer institutions:

  • Shared Resources and Best Practices:
    Access to systemwide examples of effective financial wellness programs, curricular modules, and communication strategies would accelerate CSU’s integration efforts and ensure alignment with broader USG student success priorities.
  • Training and Professional Development:
    System-sponsored workshops or micro-credentials for faculty, advisors, and coaches focused on financial literacy and aid awareness would strengthen institutional capacity to engage students confidently in financial conversations.
  • Data and Analytics Support:
    Continued investment in dashboards and predictive analytics to identify students at risk of financial attrition, particularly those losing or close to losing HOPE or Pell eligibility, would enhance proactive outreach and coordination across campuses.

Peer Collaboration Networks:
Opportunities to connect with other USG institutions implementing similar financial literacy or micro-grant initiatives would allow for cross-campus learning, shared evaluation tools, and collective refinement of best practices.

Primary Contact: 
Mellisa Young, Assistant Vice President for Student Success

Improved standard of care for advising (Columbus State University-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Improved standard of care for advising
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Pathways
Mindset
Change Management
Data & Communications
Category: 
Advising
Strategy/Project Description: 

Align academic advising systems, protocols, and training to ensure that students receive consistent, timely, and proactive support throughout their academic programs.

Activity Status: 
Scaling
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Primary Outcomes:
The Academic Success Coaching model directly supports CSU’s institutional goals for improving retention, graduation, and time to degree by delivering proactive, relationship-based guidance across the student lifecycle.

These metrics align with the NISS Playbook, USG Momentum framework, and Better Together 2030 strategic priorities.

FTFT Retention

Cohort Year

Target FTFT Retention Rate

Incremental Increase (Target)

Actual or Status

Fall 2023 (Baseline)

69.7%

—

Baseline established

Fall 2024–25

72.8%

+3.1%

Achieved 72.0% (slightly below target, +2.3%)

Fall 2025–26

75.8%

+3.0%

On track with continued retention-focused interventions

Fall 2026–27

78.8%

+3.0%

Midpoint target aligned with full Academic Success Coaching implementation

Fall 2027–28

81.8%

+3.0%

Reflects expanded FYE structures and integrated support programs

Fall 2028–29

84.8%

+3.0%

Near aspirational benchmark, closing the sector performance gap

Fall 2029–30

87.8%

+3.0%

Exceeds 85% goal, positioning CSU among system leaders in retention

FTFT Six-Year Graduation Rate

Cohort Year

Target Graduation Rate

Incremental Increase (Target)

Actual or Status

Fall 2018 (Baseline)

42.9%

—

Baseline established

Fall 2019

45.9%

+3.0%

Actual: 41.4% (below target, reflecting post-pandemic impacts and current intervention alignment)

Fall 2020

48.9%

+3.0%

Recovery expected as Academic Success Coaching reaches full scale

Fall 2021

51.9%

+3.0%

Midpoint projection aligned with improved persistence rates

Fall 2022

54.9%

+3.0%

Reflects early impact of integrated advising and academic recovery programs

Fall 2023

57.9%

+3.0%

Approaching system median for comprehensive institutions

Fall 2024

60.9%

+3.0%

Achieves 60% benchmark, aligning with 2030 goal trajectory

Expect the next 2 years min to be below target, reflective of the direct impact of the pandemic and retention/enrollment of these cohorts.

Average Time to Degree

Cohort Year

Target Average Time to Degree

Annual Change (Target)

Actual or Status

2023 (Baseline)

5.3 years

—

Baseline established

2024

5.2 years

-0.1 year

Improved with expanded degree planning tools

2025

5.1 years

-0.1 year

On track through enhanced advising and coaching coordination

2026

5.0 years

-0.1 year

Midpoint target aligned with increased four-year completion rates

2027

4.9 years

-0.1 year

Reflects continued efficiency in course scheduling and student planning

2028

4.8 years

-0.1 year

Approaching 2030 target through proactive coaching and major mapping

2029

4.7 years

-0.1 year

Demonstrates sustained reduction in average completion time

2030

4.6 years

-0.1 year

Achieves 2030 goal for timely degree completion
Progress and Adjustments: 

CSU embarked on a major transformation of its advising model to establish a consistent, student-centered approach to academic support across the entire student lifecycle. Guided by recommendations from the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) Playbook, this initiative aims to create equitable, proactive, and relationship-based support for every student.

Key priorities included:

  • Launching TargetX, the new advising CRM, to improve communication planning, appointment scheduling, early alerts, and predictive analytics.
  • Revising and expanding advisor training through CougarView, incorporating current policies, technology use, and developmental advising strategies.
  • Designing and piloting a centralized Academic Success Coaching model, in which each student is assigned an Academic and Career Success Coach who provides holistic, proactive support from enrollment through graduation.

These changes were designed to promote consistency, efficiency, and collaboration across advising units, ensuring that all students receive timely, high-quality academic and career guidance.

2025 Update:

CSU made substantial progress toward full alignment of advising systems, protocols, and training throughout 25-25.

  • Center for Academic Coaching Launch: The Center for Academic Coaching officially launched in Fall 2025, replacing the former decentralized advising structure for MOST students. All new first-year students were assigned an Academic Success Coach by college or focus area, ensuring a single, consistent point of contact for academic, career, and personal development support. Returning students through 70 hours were also assigned to an Academic Success Coach. Additional hires planned for FY27, will facilitate caseloads of 150 and encompass all undergraduate students.
  • ICF-Aligned Coach Training: Coaches completed extensive onboarding and professional development aligned with International Coaching Federation (ICF) core competencies. The training emphasized holistic student engagement, active listening, goal setting, and accountability—marking a transition from traditional advising to an ongoing coaching relationship.
  • TargetX Implementation: The TargetX CRM was implemented campus-wide to streamline communication, appointment tracking, and early alerts. Adoption across units continues to expand, and development has begun on dashboards and workflows that will support predictive outreach and intervention tracking.
  • Advisor and Coach Training: The updated Advisor Training course in CougarView was further revised to reflect the new coaching framework, incorporating modules on student development theory, communication, and technology use. This training is now required for all new academic success coaches and faculty advisors to ensure consistency and quality across all student interactions.

Cross-Unit Alignment: Regular briefings and collaborative planning among Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Student Success have strengthened understanding of the new model’s goals and reinforced shared accountability for student success.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

The launch of the Center for Academic Coaching marks a major milestone in CSU’s shift from traditional advising to a proactive, relationship-centered coaching model. This transition has already created greater consistency and accountability across the student experience, with early signs of improved communication and engagement among first-year and returning students. The integration of TargetX provides a foundation for coordinated, data-informed student support, while the ICF-aligned training ensures that each coaching interaction is grounded in quality, intentional practice.

As the model scales, continued attention to staffing, technology adoption, and cross-campus communication will be essential. Early implementation highlighted the importance of shared ownership across academic and student success units and the need to maintain clear expectations for both coaches and faculty. The next phase will focus on refining the model, expanding its reach, and using data to demonstrate measurable impact on student retention and satisfaction.

Next Steps:

  • Expand the Academic Success Coaching model to include all undergraduate students by FY27, supported by additional coach hires and resource realignment.
  • Deepen integration of TargetX, leveraging its predictive analytics to identify students in need of early outreach and track engagement across the lifecycle.
  • Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the first-year coaching cohort, including measures of student satisfaction, academic performance, and retention.
  • Continue refining training and professional development for coaches and faculty advisors to ensure consistent application of ICF-aligned competencies and institutional protocols.

Strengthen collaboration across Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Student Success through shared dashboards, communication plans, and joint professional learning opportunities.

Challenges and Support: 

CHALLENGES

The transition to a fully centralized coaching model represents a major cultural and operational shift for the institution. While early outcomes have been positive, several challenges could affect the continued implementation and scaling of the model:

  • Staffing and Caseloads:
    Expanding the model to serve all undergraduate students will require additional coach hires and sustained funding to maintain reasonable caseloads and high-quality engagement.
  • Change Management and Role Clarity:
    The shift from advising to coaching requires continued communication and reinforcement of roles across faculty, coaches, and support offices. Some overlap in responsibilities and processes remains as teams adjust to new expectations.
  • Training and Professional Development:
    Maintaining fidelity to the ICF-aligned model requires recurring investment in training and mentor coaching. Ensuring consistent quality and shared language across all coaches and advising partners will be key to long-term success.
  • Data Integration and Assessment:
    Measuring the full impact of coaching on retention, engagement, and satisfaction depends on continued collaboration among Institutional Research, Enrollment Management, and Student Success to align data systems and dashboards.

SUPPORTS

To ensure the continued success and scalability of CSU’s Academic Success Coaching model, additional collaboration and resources from the University System Office and peer institutions would be beneficial:

  • Professional Development and Training Resources:
    Access to USG-wide training modules or communities of practice focused on academic and career coaching, student engagement, and data-informed advising would strengthen professional learning and consistency across institutions.
  • Cross-Institutional Collaboration:
    Opportunities to connect with other institutions implementing centralized coaching or hybrid advising models would support the exchange of best practices, shared assessment tools, and model refinement.
  • Funding Opportunities:
    System-level grant or innovation funding to support additional coaching hires, ongoing ICF training, and data integration projects would accelerate CSU’s ability to scale the model to all undergraduates by FY27.

Assessment and Evaluation Guidance:
Shared frameworks for evaluating the impact of academic coaching on retention, persistence, and student engagement would help align institutional outcomes with broader system goals and ensure consistency in reporting.

Primary Contact: 
Mellisa Young, Assistant Vice President for Student Success
Kenny Gray, Director of Academic Success Coaching

Career Readiness Across the Curriculum (Columbus State University-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Career Readiness Across the Curriculum
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Pathways
Category: 
Career/Major Exploration
Strategy/Project Description: 

Hardwire career experiences across the curriculum as a structured component of academic and co-curricular experience.

Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

CSU’s Career Integration initiative is designed to ensure that every student graduates with meaningful experiential learning and documented career preparation. These KPIs align with the goals of the NISS Playbook, ASPIRE 2025, and Better Together 2030 by embedding career readiness within the curriculum through RIVR courses, coaching, and engagement platforms such as SteppingBlocks and Handshake.

Experiential Learning Participation

Year

Target Participation Rate

Incremental Increase (Target)

Actual or Status

Fall 2024 (Baseline)

20.9% (1,658 students in 126 courses)

—

Baseline established through course coding of study abroad, undergraduate research, work-based learning, capstone, and service learning

Fall 2025

50%

+29.1%

Growth expected through expansion of applied learning in RIVR 1101 and PERS 1506

Fall 2026

75%

+25%

Scaling through sophomore-level integration (RIVR 2101) and departmental partnerships

Fall 2027

90%

+15%

Near-universal participation as experiential learning becomes a requirement within RIVR sequence

Fall 2028

100%

+10%

Full institutional integration, with all students completing at least one experiential learning course or equivalent

Handshake Utilization

Year

Target Utilization Rate

Incremental Increase (Target) or Actual

Actual or Status

Fall 2024 (Baseline)

37%

—

Baseline established

Fall 2025

60%

 43%

Increased adoption through PERS 1506 modules and coaching assignments. Presently 43% of students have logged in to Handshake this fall so far-increase of 6%, far short of the target.

Fall 2026

80%

+20%

Continued integration through RIVR 2101 and co-curricular programming

Fall 2027

90%

+10%

Standardized use in all RIVR courses and career-focused interventions

Fall 2028

100%

+10%

Full utilization achieved through required student participation in the RIVR sequence

SteppingBlocks Engagement

Year

Target Engagement Rate

Incremental Increase (Target)

Actual or Status

Fall 2024 (Baseline)

30%

—

Baseline established

Fall 2025

60%

+30%

Expanded access and assignment integration in PERS 1506

Fall 2026

80%

+20%

Required use in RIVR 2101 for major-to-career pathway planning

Fall 2027

90%

+10%

Widespread adoption across majors and career exploration activities

Fall 2028

100%

+10%

Achieved through embedded assignments and assessment across the RIVR course sequence
Progress and Adjustments: 

2025 Planned Activity:

CSU planned to embed career development across the curriculum as a structured and intentional part of the academic experience. This work aimed to ensure that every student, regardless of major, could connect academic choices to meaningful career outcomes and work directly with career success coaches aligned to their focus area.

To accomplish this, the Center for Career Design shifted toward an embedded and proactive coaching model that integrates career development into required first-year courses and key academic milestones. Career Success Coaches were positioned to teach career readiness content in PERS 1506, focusing on career exploration, resume development, goal setting, and major-to-career alignment.

Career Coaches engaged in ICF-aligned professional development to align their approach with Academic Success Coaches, establishing a unified, student-centered coaching framework. Planning also began scaffolding career experiences that would continue into sophomore, junior, and senior years supported by partnerships with employers and academic units.

2025 Status Update:

CSU made major strides toward integrating career development across the academic experience by aligning career content, coaching practices, and faculty partnerships.

  • Career Integration in PERS 1506:
    Career Success Coaches created career development modules which were embedded into PERS 1506, ensuring that all first-year students engage in structured career exploration and planning. Content includes major-to-career mapping, Handshake/Stepping Blocks, resume development, and goal-setting activities, delivered in collaboration with the Center for Career Design.
  • Joint ICF-Aligned Training (May 2025):
    In May 2025, Academic and Career Success Coaches completed joint ICF-aligned training designed to create a unified coaching philosophy and consistent student experience. The training emphasized holistic engagement, active listening, and developmental goal setting, establishing a shared language and approach across both teams.
  • Student Success Summit (July 2025):
    A Student Success Summit in July 2025 brought both coaching teams together for hands-on collaboration and service design. A substantial portion of the summit focused on aligning roles, delineating responsibilities, and refining the referral process between academic and career coaching. The summit served as an important step in solidifying cross-team communication and coordination.

Employer and Faculty Collaboration:
The Center for Career Design expanded partnerships with regional employers to strengthen internship pipelines and experiential learning opportunities. Career Coaches also collaborated with faculty to develop internship training and tracking to ensure that students are closing the loop on skill development and can articulate their progress as they develop their post-graduation resumes.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

CSU’s efforts to embed career development across the curriculum have solidified career readiness as a defining element of the student experience. The integration of career modules in PERS 1506 ensures that all first-year students begin connecting their academic pathways to future goals from the start of their college journey. The joint ICF-aligned training in May 2025 and Student Success Summit in July 2025 were pivotal in establishing a cohesive coaching ecosystem, creating shared understanding between Academic and Career Success Coaches, and improving coordination of student support.

This alignment between coaching teams, faculty, and employers has deepened the connection between academic planning and professional development, while also strengthening CSU’s partnerships with industry. As career content continues to scale, CSU remains focused on maintaining consistency in delivery, expanding experiential opportunities, and ensuring that students can clearly articulate their skills and career readiness outcomes.

Next Steps:

  • Continue delivering career development modules in PERS 1506, ensuring consistent integration and assessment across all sections.
  • Assess the efficacy of those modules in course outcomes and post-graduate outcomes.
  • Develop sophomore- and junior-year career pathway modules by academic focus area to extend career integration beyond the first year.
  • Implement a tracking and reflection process for internships and experiential learning to document student skill development and application.
  • Launch RIVR 2101 in Spring 2027 with embedded career and professional development content tailored to second-year persistence and exploration.
  • Expand faculty and employer partnerships to increase access to internships, job shadowing, and experiential learning opportunities aligned with high-demand career fields.
  • Establish an annual joint professional development series for Career and Academic Success Coaches to maintain alignment, share student outcomes, and continue refining hand-off processes.
  • Evaluate student feedback and outcome data from PERS 1506 to guide ongoing improvement and scalability of career readiness integration.
Challenges and Support: 

CHALLENGES

As CSU continues to hardwire career experiences across the curriculum, several challenges may influence the pace and consistency of implementation:

  • Scalability and Staffing:
    Expanding embedded career content to reach all first-year and upper-division students will require additional instructional capacity and continued coordination between Career Coaches, faculty, and department chairs.
  • Consistency of Delivery:
    While the career modules in PERS 1506 have been well received, ensuring that every section delivers the material with consistent depth and engagement will require ongoing training, monitoring, and faculty collaboration. Additionally, being cognizant of the course structure and credit hour (1), will require review and assessment.
  • Technology Integration:
    Full adoption of tools such as Handshake and Stepping Blocks depends on continued student engagement and faculty reinforcement. Building these tools into the classroom and advising workflows remains an ongoing process. The Center for Career Design recently launched a virtual career center powered by the platform uConnect to drive student engagement.
  • Cross-Functional Coordination:
    Aligning Academic and Career Coaching requires sustained communication, clearly defined referral processes, and shared accountability measures. Continued role clarity and collaboration are essential to maintain the unified coaching model established in 2025.
  • Employer and Experiential Learning Partnerships:
    Strengthening internship and applied learning pipelines depends on deepening partnerships with employers, which can be resource intensive. Ongoing employer engagement and tracking mechanisms are necessary to ensure scalability and measurable outcomes.

SUPPORTS

To fully scale and sustain CSU’s embedded career development model, continued partnership and support from the University System Office and peer institutions would be valuable in several key areas:

  • Statewide Career Readiness Frameworks:
    System-level guidance or shared frameworks for embedding career competencies across the curriculum would help align institutional outcomes with state and workforce priorities while promoting consistency across USG institutions.
  • Professional Development and Shared Resources:
     Access to system-sponsored training, shared module templates, or faculty development resources focused on integrating career readiness into academic programs would strengthen implementation quality and efficiency.
  • Technology Integration and Data Sharing:
    Expanded access to systemwide platforms and data tools—particularly for tracking internships, experiential learning, and post-graduation outcomes—would enhance CSU’s ability to measure impact and close the loop between academic and career success.
  • Employer Engagement and Regional Partnerships:
    System-level coordination to connect institutions with major state employers and regional workforce initiatives would expand internship and applied learning opportunities while supporting Georgia’s talent pipeline goals.
  • Innovation or Momentum Funding:
    Targeted funding opportunities to support curricular integration, faculty partnerships, and employer engagement would accelerate the development of career pathway modules and experiential learning tracking systems.
Primary Contact: 
Shana Young, Assistant Vice President of Leadership Development and Executive Director of the Leadership Institute
Patrick Keebler, Director of the Center for Career Coaching

Supplemental Updates

Supplemental Updates

CSU’s ongoing Momentum and student success initiatives are directly aligned with our planned ASPIRE 2026 framework, emphasizing intentional design, integration, and data-informed decision-making to improve student outcomes.

First-Year Interventions: RIVR and Coaching
The launch of the RIVR Sequence and the expansion of Academic Success Coaching represent critical first-year interventions that align with ASPIRE's focus on improving outcomes for First-Time Full-Time (FTFT) students. These initiatives emphasize proactive engagement, goal setting, and academic planning to improve course performance and retention across cohorts.

Momentum Grant Integration
The Momentum Grant strategically invests in first-year retention and degree progress by removing financial barriers and aligning grant activities with ASPIRE outcome measures. This integration ensures that financial support is tied directly to momentum metrics and measurable improvements in persistence.

Critical Course Interventions
CSU continues to implement data-informed interventions in high-DFW courses, leveraging early alerts, faculty collaboration, and embedded academic support to improve course success rates. These efforts intentionally connect course-level performance to institutional metrics for persistence and GPA improvement.

Intentional Summer and Fall Scheduling
Intentional scheduling practices and expanded summer programming have strengthened persistence between academic years. Efforts to coordinate course availability, waitlisting, and registration timelines center student needs and reinforce ASPIRE's emphasis on structured and streamlined academic pathways.

Course Breadth and Design
Curricular evaluation efforts are focused on streamlining the Core IMPACTs curriculum to enhance relevance and coherence. Reducing low-impact courses and promoting integrated learning pathways ensures that CSU’s course design directly supports ASPIRE 2025’s goals of purposeful and efficient progression toward degree completion.

Observations and Next Steps 

Over the past year, CSU has advanced a unified student success strategy that aligns with the NISS Playbook, the USG Momentum framework, the ASPIRE goals, and the institutional priorities of Better Together 2030. This alignment has produced greater coherence across initiatives and clearer, data-informed pathways to improve retention, persistence, and degree completion.

Most Successful Strategies and Activities:
The most impactful strategies have centered on building intentional structures that hardwire student success into the student experience rather than offering it as a supplement. The launch of the Center for Academic Coaching and the development of RIVR 1101 have provided consistent, scalable platforms for proactive engagement, academic planning, and belonging. The introduction of career development modules in PERS 1506 has helped students connect their academic choices to purpose and professional goals early in their journey.

The integration of TargetX, the HOPE/Zell risk dashboard, and coordinated outreach strategies has also improved the institution’s ability to act on early indicators of risk. Collectively, these efforts demonstrate how the NISS Playbook and Momentum frameworks can be operationalized through clear systems, consistent training, and measurable outcomes.

Less Effective or Needing Adjustment:
Initiatives that relied on opt-in participation or resource-intensive manual processes have proven less sustainable. The limited enrollment in the Cougar Success Academy reinforced the need to embed supports within required courses and core academic structures. Similarly, the expansion of Freshman Learning Communities was constrained by scheduling challenges and highlighted the need for improved technological infrastructure, such as CourseLeaf, to streamline course scheduling, pairing, and registration.

Institutional Adjustments Made:
CSU has made significant adjustments by transitioning from isolated programs to an integrated ecosystem approach. This includes:

  • Shifting from traditional advising to the Academic Success Coaching model to ensure every student receives consistent, proactive support.
  • Embedding financial wellness and career readiness content into required coursework rather than standalone workshops.
  • Reallocating resources from small, high-touch initiatives toward broader, scalable interventions that reach all students.
  • Expanding cross-divisional collaboration to reduce duplication and strengthen alignment between Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Student Success.

Future Direction and Next Steps:
In the coming years, CSU will continue to strengthen the integration of coaching, curriculum, and career to ensure that academic, financial, and professional development are experienced as a single, cohesive framework of student success. The university will:

  • Scale the Academic Success Coaching model to all undergraduate students by FY27.
  • Expand the Momentum Grant pilot to reduce financial barriers and increase persistence among at-risk populations.
  • Implement sophomore-year interventions through RIVR 2101 to sustain engagement and belonging beyond the first year.
  • Continue to refine high-DFW course interventions and curriculum design to improve learning outcomes and efficiency.
  • Leverage data analytics and predictive modeling to target support earlier and measure outcomes across all Momentum metrics.

Guided by Better Together 2030, CSU remains committed to fostering a culture of care, accountability, and innovation, ensuring that every student is supported, empowered, and equipped to complete their degree with purpose and confidence.