Defining Student Success at the University of Utah
Student success in practice and in higher education literature refers to both student
engagement and positive educational outcomes, often focusing on students with highest
potential for experiencing the transformative effects of higher education. Engaging
in work to see all students succeed requires recognizing student needs are individual-based,
multifaceted, and nuanced. At the U, we’ve dedicated considerable resources to understand,
innovate, and activate planning through a shared responsibility, student success agenda
we call Navigate U.
The University of Utah wants every undergraduate student to have an Exceptional Educational Experience (E3) during their time at the U. As our institutional learning framework, E3 seeks to incorporate four focus areas: Community, Transformation, Knowledge and Skills,
and Impact.While the E3 framework organizes students’ curricular experiences through learning outcomes, key
metrics defining Student Success at the U are as follows:
Retention monitors the rate at which students can be sustained by actions of the institution
to return each year.
Completion refers to students’ completing their degree within six years (or less) of first enrolling
in postsecondary education.
Placement extends the institution's commitment beyond completion into the students' ability
to find employment, typically within 8-10 months of completion.
Thriving reflects a student’s belief in their ability to succeed—from Academic Achievement
(metric: UU GPA) to Belonging and Well-Being (metric: Belonging Survey) to Learning
Mindset (metric: TBD)—and the evolution of their skills for their futures in the world
of work and as educated, global citizens.
