How Students Define Their Success and What That Means for Administrators

Defining a college student’s success can be a challenge for those in higher education because success can mean different things for different learners.

A new survey, released March 4 by virtual health and well-being provider TimelyCare, finds that three in five college students (59 percent) measure their success in college by their grade point average. This was the most popular response, followed by greater knowledge (54 percent), graduating or completing a course of study (53 percent) or getting a desired job (46 percent).

This response shows a disconnect between higher education professionals, who are evaluating metrics such as persistence and degree completion first and holistic student thriving second.

What students say: Students responding to the question “How do you define student success?” in the survey pointed to achieving goals, learning in a field of interest, passing classes, graduating with minimal debt, balancing academics and social life, managing time, and building professional relationships.

Among respondents, 23 percent indicated a job’s starting salary measures their success in college, 22 percent said upskilling in their current career and 18 percent said being able to pay off student loans denotes success.

What administrators say: At a November 2023 conference workshop at Student Success U.S., hosted by Inside Higher Ed and Times Higher Education, administrators pointed to intangibles as the metrics of student success including communication skills, critical thinking and career preparation.

Sense of belonging is another abstract facet of a student’s college experience and can be evidence of greater engagement within their campus community.

Administrators are aware of students’ academic-focused definitions of success, Louie F. Rodríguez, vice provost dean of undergraduate education at the University of California, Riverside, shared in the conference session. Students have also expressed to campus leaders that they don’t see themselves as part of a larger aggregate; they want their successes measured individually as they progress toward their goals.

Where students need help: TimelyCare survey respondents indicated mental health (60 percent) was the greatest challenge impacting student success, followed by finances (43 percent), physical health (37 percent) and academic barriers (37 percent).

To receive help, students regularly turn to academic advising (52 percent), tutoring or learning assistance services (35 percent), career services (34 percent) and financial wellness resources (24 percent). Despite a large number of students experiencing mental health concerns, only 19 percent of students regularly use campus support services for mental health resources.

The primary reasons students gave for not utilizing campus student success resources were that the hours are not convenient (28 percent) or they didn’t know how or where to seek support (22 percent).

What administrators are doing about it: The first step in supporting students’ definition of student success is creating a unified approach at the institution in supporting students’ goals, administrators said in the Student Success US 2023 workshop. Getting top-down support from leadership helps, shared Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, vice president for student success for the Indiana University system.

Many structural barriers impede students’ time to degree or experiences engaging with institutional resources, Rodriguez said, so understanding where those gaps are is key. Coordinated conversations with different departments aid this work, as well.

Diane Z. Chase, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Houston, noted that she shares individual student success stories and how staff members personally supported them to boost awareness of how caring for the individual matters.

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