VP of pupil success, retention at TAMU San Antonio

Pupil success leaders in greater schooling should be capable of have a look at all of the completely different initiatives associated to pupil success throughout the establishment and supply help or establish points that want addressing, says Duane Williams, who joined Texas A&M College–San Antonio—a Hispanic-serving establishment—a bit over a 12 months in the past after almost a decade of pupil success–associated positions at different establishments. “It’s roughly giving everybody pores and skin within the sport,” he says.

Williams first got here to america as a global pupil from Jamaica to attend group school, which required acclimating to a brand new tradition, a brand new setting and a brand new local weather (rain in New Jersey, not like rain within the islands, might be freezing, and dressing for the climate requires wardrobe choices past shorts). Whereas his tutorial pursuits shifted all through his undergraduate years, Williams discovered he loved being round individuals and serving to others. That’s when greater ed emerged for him as a viable profession path.

Learn on for insights into Williams’s viewpoint on pupil success elements, data-based actions to enhance outcomes, his largest worries for college students and what makes him really feel hopeful about greater schooling.

Inside Greater Ed: Are you able to inform me concerning the varied areas you oversee? And the way does your division function a connector between different divisions and workplaces?

Williams: I’m within the provost’s workplace. Reporting to the provost permits me quite a lot of inroads by way of asks or initiatives. I can sort of make the most of that to my benefit. I oversee three major areas: undergraduate tutorial advising, our tutorial help (which entails tutoring, supplemental instruction and our testing heart) in addition to our Workplace of First-12 months Expertise. I’ve three direct studies for that, and I additionally oversee a grant acquired final 12 months.

I meet with the provost month-to-month, with the deans and chairs, so I’ve direct entry from the tutorial aspect. Any sort of help that they want, I’ve the help companies that feeds into that. When it comes to connecting the dots throughout divisions, I oversee a retention steering committee, which is comprised of not solely school representatives from every of our faculties however our pupil affairs in addition to our enrollment companies division. The opposite two divisions have workers members which are represented there. Now we have pupil representatives that serve on this committee. That’s one house the place I can weave issues collectively to make these connections.

Inside Greater Ed: Did the construction of pupil success at your establishment change previous to your arrival, or did your place change it not directly?

Williams: The committee that I simply talked about, the retention steering committee, was born out of one other initiative. It was a pupil success and fairness initiative, and that was previous to my function. My function was recommended from that committee. What I do is help the completely different initiatives that each one help pupil success.

And that’s key on this work. Whereas there’s a centralized particular person, or probably a couple of of us which have that title in there or that title of their title, I believe it’s [important] for me, or anybody in one of these function, to then have a look at all the completely different initiatives and be capable of present the help or establish points which are prohibitive to pupil success. That’s how I view the function, and it’s roughly giving everybody pores and skin within the sport. So it’s not simply the function that I play, nevertheless it’s school and pedagogical approaches within the classroom. It’s actually how our college students have interaction exterior of the classroom, how college students might have tutorial struggles, whether or not it’s content-based or skill-based, and having the ability to present these helps. It’s the sum of all components that’s pupil success in a nutshell.

People acknowledge that they’re liable for their chunk of scholars that they serve, and [can] have a look at that as how do I have interaction, how do I hold or retain the scholars that I oversee—whether or not that’s a division, whether or not that’s a college entity, whether or not that’s a company. How do you have interaction your group? And after we begin to divide and conquer, then I suppose we see features. Now we have a inhabitants of a bit bit over 8,000, so it’s unimaginable for a bunch of two or three or 4 people to do all of the work vital. However that group can spotlight and perceive the intricacies of the challenges or the nuances of scholars persisting and being retained, after which begin to put in place mechanisms to help the areas that help these college students.

Inside Greater Ed: What function does information, and sharing information, play in all of that?

Williams: Oh, it’s large. It’s what offers me the license to go in and say, “Hey, one thing shouldn’t be proper with this specific group of scholars.” We are able to have a look at ache factors and attempt to perceive, you understand, is it extra systemic by way of the construction versus the aptitude of scholars?

Living proof: Now we have entry to information that reveals us what is named a poisonous course combo. That is one thing that we have now by means of certainly one of our instruments, and we’re searching for programs affected by college students enrolling in one other course. When you’ve got a course being taken impartial after all B, you’ve got a selected DFW price. Nonetheless, if college students enroll in course A and course B, that DFW price goes up by 15 p.c. That’s one thing not essentially simply seen or unknown, however by means of our instruments, we’re capable of pull that out.

Properly, what will we do with that sort of knowledge? Understanding the why behind these outcomes is simply as essential as implementing a course of. Framing the problem might be much more essential than the problem itself. If there’s a difficulty however we by no means actually body or give it context, we might develop practices and processes which are deleterious or ship us on a journey that we don’t must go on, thereby losing time, effort, sources. Having the info is one factor, however decoding the info is an entire different a part of this. That helps me have generally tough conversations. It helps me unearth a number of the challenges, whether or not recognized or unknown, and it then it helps me to start the method of setting up completely different strategic options to enhance the outcomes.

I work intently with the director of institutional analysis and analytics, so I depend on that particular person and his staff to supply sure metrics. You will need to perceive, you understand, we’ve retained a sure proportion of scholars, and we are able to see that numerically, however what help or what companies contributed to the scholars returning? This fall, we’re doing a qualitative evaluation—doing a little focus teams of our first-year college students to know their perspective.

One other sort of study was college students who’re part-time versus full-time. We conduct surveys simply to get a pulse on why college students could also be attending part-time versus full-time, as a result of the info had confirmed that as college students improve of their rank, going from freshman to sophomore to junior to senior, that they more and more go from full-time to part-time. The query is, is it one thing inherent in our construction that’s inflicting that, or is it exterior? That means college students must work, and so it’s a pure course of development. So we needed to ask college students, and it was an enormous a mixture of each. The quantitative items can present broadly what’s occurring, however the qualitative items permit us to drill in and go deep.

I’m a qualitative researcher by commerce, in order that that comes naturally, however apparently, I’ve developed to essentially respect each, and therefore me working intently with our IR individual … We bounce concepts forwards and backwards. Loads of the info that he’s given me, and I’ve obtained from him, I’ve really turned it into nearly like motion analysis.

As an example, we checked out persistence charges primarily based on semester course load or semester credit score hour. College students had been taking a median of, like, 12 credit a semester. And that equated to an extended time to diploma. Why are they not taking extra credit? And quite a lot of that was nuanced in how they had been taught about what’s full-time versus part-time. Loads of it was simply extra us inflicting hurt, if you’ll, or giving sure data in a means that didn’t paint a broader image of what college students might or couldn’t do … With some exterior analysis, we noticed that even if you happen to improve by one course, the persistence charges go up.

We modified our strategy. I had my advising staff actually work on rising the quantity of scholars that had been enrolled in 15 semester credit score hours or extra. And we went from fall ’22 having 20 p.c of our incoming class with 15 credit or extra, to 46.8 p.c of this class being 15 semester credit score hours or extra. Simply shifting that needle up, with out actually doing something or concerning content material, we’re already shifting probably how college students are shifting by means of our course of. That group now may have the arrogance that, “OK, I might do 15 semester credit score hours with the precise help.” In order that’s one instance of how we’ve used the info and switch[ed] it into an actionable merchandise.

Inside Greater Ed: We spend quite a lot of time enthusiastic about the definition of pupil success, and the way college students and directors might outline it, and maybe their institutional management may outline it barely in a different way. One instance is graduating on time versus graduating in any respect. In certainly one of our Pupil Voice pupil surveys, we noticed that graduating in any respect, at any level, was actually the purpose; the on-time piece was extra of what directors would need for college students. How do you personally outline pupil success, and is that definition used throughout your establishment?

Williams: It’s a subjective subject, by way of the group that A&M San Antonio serves … We’ll have a huge effect by way of social and financial mobility. We’re a younger establishment, and we’re positioned in an space that’s fairly new by way of progress. So the group affect has already been felt and can proceed to be felt. Finally, it’s actually about impacting the group of the scholars who attend right here. Our purpose: Sure, we wish them to graduate. Time clever: We wish them to do it ahead of later, as a result of there’s a price to this … We wish them to satisfy their targets. We wish them to have the ability to return into their group, their area people, and make a optimistic affect, and thereby change the trajectory for not solely their era, however generations to return.

And so for me, pupil success is about recognizing one’s ardour and fulfilling lifelong goals and changing into lifelong learners. We are able to have a look at the metrics and measure how nicely we’re attaining these, and we’re striving in the direction of that. However I additionally suppose we are able to get slowed down—there is usually a nice web forged over our eyes after we focus an excessive amount of on these metrics. Properly, perhaps our pupil inhabitants must be right here for an extended time than we might need, as a result of that’s the tempo that they’ll afford to go … Now we have to fulfill college students at their stage, and our pupil inhabitants, greater than the place I’ve been prior to now, actually requires a novel strategy.

The administration and the workers and college at A&M–San Antonio all acknowledge who we serve. Loads of our workers members are from the group, however we even have exterior of us, and I believe it’s a matter of onboarding and creating that tradition of care and compassion that can assist everybody perceive what’s pupil success for the establishment, what’s pupil success for the scholar and the way do you see your self enjoying an element in that?

Inside Greater Ed: So that you’re saying it’s sort of OK if the definitions of pupil success don’t align exactly.

Williams: Sure, I believe relying in your function, you’ll have completely different opinions on that. Finally, the parents who’re boots on the bottom with college students need to see college students develop—as people, as group members. They need to see them start to chase their goals. And so there may be that piece of pupil success, the place the scholar is evolving and caring for themselves, caring for their households. After which there’s the opposite aspect, the place we’re seeing college students being profitable at school, being retained, being engaged, and having the ability to transfer into their future careers at a at a progressive price, which then impacts their time to diploma. Each issues go hand in hand, however we have now to provide understanding that not everybody goes to go at a selected tempo, and we have now to be malleable and account for these issues.

We even have transient college students who might begin right here, and their purpose is to maneuver on to a different house, not as a result of they don’t have an affinity right here, however that is the launching pad to their very own particular person success. If we might be part of that journey, even when it’s for a semester or two, we have now to have the ability to help college students, as a result of their journey received’t cease right here in San Antonio. That is simply, I believe, the catalyst for them to acknowledge that there’s a lot extra on the market, and we’re part of that story.

Inside Greater Ed: When it comes to your background, not being from the U.S., what was it like to start school right here and the way did you wind up on the upper ed profession path?

Williams: I got here to america as an as a global pupil from Jamaica, and so I perceive that complete worldwide pupil course of—[although] this was pre-9/11, so it regarded very completely different. I perceive that problem of acclimating to a brand new tradition, a brand new setting, new climate. I had some tradition shocks. You already know, I didn’t notice that you would have even freezing rain, and I used to be in New Jersey, however I was simply used to rain being heat, not chilly, and I used to be sporting shorts and I used to be freezing. And that’s how I met a few of my closest associates, as a result of they had been laughing at me, like, why are you dressed like this?

I began at a group school due to comfort of location and affordability, not as a result of I used to be passionate concerning the particular main, as a enterprise data techniques main … After which once I transferred into the four-year establishment, I did administration science. And what I took from that was, I was good at working in form of the enterprise trade, by way of being in a company and understanding individuals. The constant theme was I loved being round individuals. I loved serving to others.

I didn’t know what I needed to do, even once I accomplished my bachelor’s, therefore me going proper into my grasp’s diploma. I did public administration at the moment, and I had begun understanding greater ed, and I acknowledged that this might be a viable profession path.

And I had mentors. They guided me and noticed issues in me I didn’t know or see. After finishing my grasp’s and beginning my greater ed journey, I labored for 12 years in a group school and in [a] four-year public. I labored in lots of roles, primarily on the scholar affairs aspect, however I used to be doing quite a lot of the tutorial affairs. I had mentors telling me, you gotta go get your doctorate, since you need to progress on this area. My Ph.D. [is] targeted on first-gen Black professionals. So an entire shift from what I did in my undergraduate years. However it actually was me discovering what I used to be keen about and inquisitive about and had skilled.

That’s sort of the journey I’ve taken. It’s not linear, nevertheless it’s been enjoyable and I wouldn’t change it.

Inside Greater Ed: What function does bettering course of, and making issues extra environment friendly, play in your work?

Williams: As I have a look at greater ed, I have a look at it as a public good, to serve the group, to have a optimistic affect in society. I additionally have a look at it from now a enterprise perspective, by way of making it environment friendly … Once I meet with my staff, and I discuss completely different initiatives to affect college students, I have a look at, how are we being efficient and environment friendly? How are we using the sources in the very best means? And I wish to brainstorm and use my group as suppose tanks. It’s actually about difficult the established order. It’s actually about pushing boundaries. It’s actually about being versatile, the identical issues we wish college students to do. I begin to deliver that into this house.

As establishments which are speculated to be the modern areas, we generally don’t use innovation in our work. I wish to suppose that I’m forward-thinking and an innovator in my strategy. [When] I’m assembly with of us, myself and the provost will, inside like two or three minutes, certainly one of us is up writing or charting out issues. We are able to give you a bunch of issues that we have now, however how we turn into a solution-focused entity, I believe, is a query on the desk, as a result of I’ll go round and listen to the identical points again and again and over.

How can we adapt parts from the surface world by way of non–greater ed industries that will make us extra environment friendly, that will assist us transfer college students by means of our system in a way more efficient means? I’ve leaned into the enterprise of upper schooling and what meaning. The extra environment friendly we’re as a enterprise, the higher the outcomes for college students, by way of their time to diploma, the price of a level and the expertise that they’ve whereas right here. As a younger establishment, 15 years outdated, we have now the power to not make comparable errors as different establishments might have made, and in a faster method, rightsize or right-shape, right-fit a number of the issues that will not essentially serve us nicely. That’s sort of how I’ve checked out it, and I make the most of my staff in that suppose tank sort of method.

Inside Greater Ed: What do you do to assist college students have belief in you and imagine which you can assist them, and to not be suspicious of you as an administrator?

Williams: My largest high quality, I believe, is constructing relationships. And the best way I construct relationships is by being genuine. I like to inform tales. I like to provide them actually the pure me, who I’m as a person, share components of my story that assist them join and see themselves in me. And although I’ll have that title, that lengthy title, that a few of them might or might not perceive, I am going the place they’re.

I go to the first-year seminar course, which the bulk [of students] are enrolled in, to say hello for 5 minutes and make a connection. I believe that has allowed college students to say, “OK, I do know this man. I’ve seen him a pair locations. He’s come to my class, and if there’s a difficulty, he stated I might attain out to him.”

I strive to ensure I’m seen to all college students no less than a pair occasions of their first semester, in order that they have a face. … Whereas I do what I can do, the thought is that everybody is replicating that very same methodology in their very own strategy to make a reference to one or two college students, and the extra we are able to try this, then when somebody slips by me, there’s another person to catch that particular person.

Inside Greater Ed: When you concentrate on college students at your establishment succeeding and fulfilling their goals sooner or later, who and what do you are worried about essentially the most?

Williams: I believe of us who usually are not knowledgeable and don’t have the precise data, and by that I imply on monetary affordability, is a big, large problem. Due to the tradition, quite a lot of our inhabitants, their households, are mortgage averse. So by way of financing, of us might shrink back from taking out loans if it’s required. And in order that causes one problem by way of, how do you afford this, this funding.

After which on the opposite finish, by way of tutorial preparedness, we have now college students who’re coming from underserved communities. In Texas, there’s one thing referred to as Texas Success Initiative evaluation, TSI for brief. With the intention to matriculate into school, college students must take the TSI placement check. And in case you are not … TSI prepared, you might be restricted within the varieties of programs which you can take inside your first 12 months. What that does is, it places up an extra roadblock. It additionally, by way of momentum, is usually a deflator for college students. And so once I take into consideration that first 12 months of the faculty expertise, we have now quite a lot of college students which are, by definition of the place they’re coming from, susceptible to not being retained, not as a result of they’ll’t they don’t have the aptitude or the need to be right here, however as a result of we have now insurance policies which are prohibitive in some methods, for them being profitable.

How will we develop help mechanisms for college students who want extra assist in that first 12 months? We’ve seen that past the primary 12 months, college students are retained at the next price, however that first 12 months is the place they’re figuring issues out, and if we don’t have early connections, if we don’t encourage, if we don’t take away the additional boundaries, then chances are high we lose a considerable amount of these college students. And in the event that they go away, chances are high we don’t get them again. So that’s one thing that performs on my thoughts, monetary affordability, but in addition, how will we help college students, our most weak inhabitants, to achieve success and work out that that is an funding in themselves and their group and their household.

Inside Greater Ed: What offers you hope with greater ed proper now?

Williams: Greater schooling has at all times been a spot that may be a catalyst for change and getting ready our future generations. Greater schooling is an evolving house. It’s a microcosm of society. If you happen to have a look at the completely different intervals, from the Industrial Revolution to the data period to the AI period, if you’ll, greater schooling has performed an element in shifting the needle ahead. Greater schooling will at all times have naysayers. I’ll say that not everybody must be on this house, nevertheless it’s actually designed to assist society transfer ahead.

I simply imagine, wanting traditionally, that it has at all times overcome the completely different challenges. I believe we’re doing that at this level. And if you happen to have a look at the scholars, myself included, who’ve benefited and whose children will know or are at the moment being beneficiaries of my funding, that has generational affect.

While you suppose on a macro stage, hiring will at all times and proceed to face challenges, but in addition discover methods to beat these challenges, and that offers me hope and permits me to proceed doing the work. On the particular person stage, even when it’s one pupil that I helped, you understand, it modified their mindset. One individual could also be impacting a bunch of different people. And I believe for that motive, it’s value it.

There’s a time period I heard once I was at group school, and it’s inescapable engagement. Once we are designing packages, companies, the ethos of inescapable engagement is that we’re making a tradition that acknowledges our present college students—no less than right here, the place I’m—must be guided in a means that perhaps former generations didn’t want that sort of help. Now we have to show and information these younger people and to create an inescapable expertise the place college students are shepherded. [That] is an strategy I’m taking and never leaving issues as much as happenstance or probability.

Share a pupil help initiative at your establishment that’s making a optimistic affect. Inform us about it.