Georgia State Introduces National Institute for Student Success To Expand Work in Nationally Recognized Student Success Initiatives

ATLANTA—Georgia State University, the national leader in eliminating achievement gaps in higher education, will open a first-of-its-kind National Institute for Student Success to further its work and expand its reach.

The National Institute for Student Success will provide a structure for innovations to continue and to expand over the next decade and beyond. By connecting the key members of Georgia State’s student-success operation with peers from across the U.S. and the world, the Institute will incubate, test and disseminate the next generation of innovations in student success.

Georgia State has been widely recognized for designing and implementing scalable models for student success, more than doubling its graduation rates while proving students from all backgrounds can succeed at equal rates. More than 500 higher education institutions serving more than 3 million students have sent teams to Georgia State over the past six years to learn more about the university’s innovative approaches to helping students graduate.

“Georgia State was among the first universities in the nation to use big data predictive analytics to inform student advising, was the first to use an artificial intelligence-enhanced chatbot to combat college dropout rates and was the first to show conclusively via controlled studies that students from underserved backgrounds were the biggest beneficiaries of personalized support,” said Tim Renick, senior vice president for student success. “Georgia State pioneered the use of data-determined micro grants to help seniors stay enrolled after their eligibility for other means of aid had expired — a model now used by dozens of schools nationally.”

With the institute, Renick said the university will institutionalize the work that has already been done to share its practices and better resource its research.

Planned components of the National Institute for Student Success include:

• An incubator that will use research collaborations between Georgia State and external practitioners, conferences, site visits and other mechanisms to develop Georgia State’s next generation of innovations in student success.

• An online portal and gateway to increase Georgia State student success offerings for other institutions. Content will come in several forms, including taped and live webinars, online guides, white papers and third-party studies, as well as a robust, easily navigable website with content to help an institution move forward in its student success journey.

• “High-touch” offerings that will include customized diagnostic help, playbook development and personalized coaching institutions can access to promote better and more equitable student outcomes on their campuses. The institute is also planning to offer certificates in student success.