Students First Framework
As part of Rowing, Not Drifting 2030, UNC has created a Students First Framework to advance strategic efforts related to improving enrollment, retention rates and graduation rates.
The framework builds on UNC’s Strategic Enrollment and Student Success Plan (SESS). It is comprised of Executive Sponsors, a Steering Committee, an Admissions and Recruitment Taskforce, a Graduation and Retention Taskforce and a College Success Committe.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is comprised of the executive sponsors plus the chair(s) of the Recruitment and Admissions Taskforce and the chair(s) of the Retention and Graduation Taskforce.
Members of the inaugural Steering Committee included:
- Lisa Vollendorf, Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer
- Jared Stallones, Dean, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
- Michelle Quinn, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration
- Cedric Howard, Vice President for Student Affairs
- Tobias Guzmán, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Arte Libunao, Executive Director, Extended Campus
- Pete Lien, Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Management
- Stephanie Torrez, Assistant Vice President, Student Academic Success
This Committee is Charged With:
- Overseeing and coordinating the overall efforts and actions of the two taskforces
- Setting priorities for the taskforces
- Overseeing business process improvement in support of student success
- Both recommending and leading overall cabinet-level strategy for student success and enrollment management
Students First Taskforces Guiding Principles
The taskforces comprise two key leadership groups for the Students First Strategic Framework at UNC. The guiding principles for the taskforce work include:
- All work undertaken by the taskforces shall be guided and informed by the institution’s commitment to service a diverse student population with integrity.
- The taskforces shall strive to provide strategic direction regarding communication and action strategies to help UNC serve all students—including first-time, first year students; transfer students; graduate students; returning students; and non-degree seeking students.
- The taskforces shall serve as primary conduits for two-way communication between college student success committees, the associate dean student success working group, and the Steering Committee regarding prioritization of needs, operational barriers to student success, and the operationalization of high-impact practices for improving retention and graduation.
The taskforces shall be provided with annual goals developed by the Steering Committee and shall provide annual reports reflective of the work accomplished and with suggestions for future work to be undertaken in service to the Students First Framework.
