Improving A First-Year University Student Success Experience

Improving A First-Year University Student Success Experience. Dana Pourciau, 2025: Strategic Research Project, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: higher education, retention, student success, persistence, enrollment cliff, mental health, predictive analytics, first-year experience, financial wellness This strategic research project was designed to provide a blueprint for implementing holistic student support at Pine Ridge University, a pseudonym for a regional public university in a southern state. The framework of the program includes integrated programming in four key areas: predictive analytics for student success outcomes, first-year programming to build a foundation for success, mental health support, and financial wellness programming. The framework is designed along institutional strategic goals and encourages meaningful cross-departmental collaboration. Instead of using isolated interventions, this model holds a student-centered approach that is strategic, coordinated, and connects offices of academic affairs, information technology, student affairs, financial services, and mental health resources. The framework is used to consider that student success is impacted by a wide range of both academic and non-academic factors, and needs a proactive, data-informed approach. Action steps involve a unified institutional strategy and work across campus to build the new initiatives, monitor their impact through measurable outcomes, identify challenges or barriers, and maintain a focus on training faculty and staff. By implementing a sustainable framework for student support, Pine Ridge University personnel can work toward improving retention and addressing enrollment challenges in the future. Additionally, using the systemic model can cultivate a culture of care, equity, and shared responsibility across the university, providing a practical guide for institutional leaders wanting to improve student outcomes in a complex environment.