The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) was one of six institutions accepted into the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) Student Success Academy, a structured, mentor-facilitated multi-year program aimed at evaluating and improving institutional factors that affect student success. The HLC is an institutional accreditor for degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the United States and accredits UAPB as a whole.
UAPB must complete a comprehensive evaluation every ten years to reaffirm that the institution continues to pursue institutional improvement while meeting the accreditation criteria outlined by the HLC. There are two pathway options that institutions can utilize for accreditation reaffirmation: standard and open.
UAPB uses the Open Pathway, which requires an institution to designate one major improvement effort undertaken during its 10-year accreditation cycle as its Quality Initiative.
An institution selected for the Student Success Academy may use the experience as its Quality Initiative. The institution can apply for the Student Success Academy, a structured, mentor-facilitated multiyear program aimed at evaluating and improving institutional factors that affect student success. “Student success will continue to be the top priority for our campus,” Interim Chancellor Andrea Stewart said.
Dr. Sheena Meadows, the UAPB assistant to the vice chancellor for academic affairs, serves as the team lead for the UAPB Student Success Academy committee. Other UAPB committee members include Mrs. Margaret Taylor, institutional research director; Mr. Arthur Thomas, LiveText administrator/Office of Assessment; Mrs. Rita Conley, Student Success Center director; Mrs. Tracy Knowlton, Cooperative Education & Internships/Office of Career Services assistant director; Dr. Jillian Cheatham, leadership development/Emerging Scholars Leadership Institute associate director, Dr. Tanya Walker, advanced degree preparation director, and Mr. Brodderick Tucker, executive senior associate athletic director for compliance and student-athlete services.
The team began by fulfilling the first task of the Student Success Academy requirement, which was to conduct an environmental scan of the campus. The team has completed an inventory of student data from various academic and extracurricular units. This data was used to identify populations of concern regarding retention. Currently, the team is completing a student success initiatives data inventory. Next, the team will take its engage in a roundtable discussion with HLC scholars, mentors, and other cohort institutions, including Blackburn College, Central Methodist University, Northwestern Michigan College, Redlands Community College, and Three Rivers College.
Ex-officio committee members of the academy include Dr. Andrea Stewart, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, Dr. Moses Goldmon, vice chancellor for enrollment management and student success, and Dr. David Fernandez, interim dean of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education and UAPB’s HLC accreditation liaison officer (ALO).
