The fall Student Success Launch and spring Student Success Summit are opportunities for the campus community to come together and discuss student success with an eye toward where we want to go and what we want to accomplish.
The Student Success Launch is a chance to showcase the multiple places on campus where student success work happens and network with others who are doing similar work. The event regularly draws over 200 participants and is held at the start of every academic year in the fall.
The Student Success Summit is an opportunity for the faculty, advisors and staff to connect at the end of the academic year on topics to support their student success work over the summer and into the academic year.
Student Success Launch 2025
Join us Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Kellogg Center, Big Ten A- C, for the 2025 Student Success Launch.
What to expect:
- Start with coffee and connection during registration
- Hear opening remarks from President Guskiewicz and Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Mark Largent as we officially launch the year’s student success initiatives
- Explore the Student Success Ecosystem and how it supports every phase of the Spartan journey
- Dive into two interactive sessions where your insights and ideas will help shape future strategies such as the first-generation student success center, modernization of general education, university learning goals revision, transfer student success initiatives, course scheduling, our student digital strategy, retention grant project, and academic standing initiative.
- Enjoy brunch while networking with colleagues and peers
Whether you're already part of this work or just starting to get involved, the Student Success Launch is your chance to connect, reflect, and contribute to shaping the future of student success at MSU.
This event is open to all MSU faculty, staff, educators, advisors, students, and all our campus partners. Come learn about our strategic priorities, progress on key initiatives, and how you can get involved in shaping student success this year. Brunch will be provided.
Agenda
- 8:30-9 a.m. – Registration (coffee and tea provided)
- 9-9:30 a.m. – Welcome and Launch kickoff, featuring opening remarks by President Guskiewicz and Vice Provost Mark Largent
- 9:30-10 a.m. - What is the Student Success Ecosystem?
- 10-11 a.m. – Insights and Input Session 1
- 11-11:45 a.m. – Brunch (provided)
- 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. – Insights and Input Session 2
- 12:45-1 p.m. – Closing
We're excited to gather in person, but we understand that you may hold a remote position. If you need a Zoom link to join us remotely, please complete this Zoom registration.
Student Success Launch Back-to-Campus Donation Drive
Join the Student Success Launch Planning Committee in donating essential need items to the MSU Food Bank. During the Student Success Launch event on Sept. 15, a Back-to-Campus Donation Drive will be held for attendees to drop off donations in person. This Back-to-Campus Donation Drive will help students have access to essential supplies and help support their personal and academic success. The MSU Food Bank acts as a distribution hub to collect, sort, and deliver donations to satellite pantries around campus.
During this donation drive, the Planning Committee is asking for school supply, personal hygiene, and snack donations for the MSU Food Bank. We ask that no expired, gently used or opened items be donated. Additional information on the specific items for the three categories can be found below.
Thank you in advance for any generous donations made toward the MSU Food Bank. To learn more about the MSU Food Bank and Basic Needs Program, visit foodbank.msu.edu.
School Supply Items
Pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, highlighters, fidget toys, coloring items
Personal Hygiene Items
Toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, mouthwash, bar soap, body wash, shampoo (including sulfate-free options), conditioner (including moisturizing or leave-in options), deodorant (unscented and scented), lotion (fragrance-free and scented), hand sanitizer, razors, shaving cream, makeup wipes, moisturizer, lip balm, hairbrushes and combs, hair ties and accessories, nail clippers, cotton swabs, cotton balls or pads, wet wipes or facial cleansing wipes, tissues, hand soap
Snack Items
Granola bars, protein bars, nuts or trail mix (single serve), pretzels, popcorn, crackers, fruit snacks, dried fruits, jerky or meat sticks, chips (single-serve bags), applesauce or fruit cups
Launch and Summit Archive
2025
The 2025 Summit explored how MSU’s faculty and staff continue to reform MSU using the Five Opportunity Areas of Student Success, celebrating impactful contributions across campus. New for 2025, the Summit took place over two days: day one was in-person, and day two was virtual.
In partnership with the MSU Spring TALKS Conference, the opening morning of day one featured Dr. Nick Sanders, professor of Rhetoric and Writing at Oakland University, and Spartan Alum, as keynote speaker. The morning session reviewed key efforts including the Spartan Undergraduate Experience Strategy Guide, Learning Community, and initiative database. Recipients were also announced and awarded for the Five Opportunity Areas of Student Success Recognition Program. Afternoon breakout sessions covered topics such as: incorporating all five areas of success in your bridge, transition or cohort program; addressing sense of belonging in curricular and co-curricular efforts; tending to returning students’ success; assessing student success efforts; mapping student engagement, and more.
Day two's virtual sessions provided opportunities to interact and engage across the five opportunity areas of success. Recordings of the May 7 keynote session and some discussions were available to virtual attendees the morning of May 8.
The 2025 Summit explored how MSU’s faculty and staff continue to reform MSU using the Five Opportunity Areas of Student Success, celebrating impactful contributions across campus. New for 2025, the Summit took place over two days: day one was in-person, and day two was virtual.
In partnership with the MSU Spring TALKS Conference, the opening morning of day one featured Dr. Nick Sanders, professor of Rhetoric and Writing at Oakland University, and Spartan Alum, as keynote speaker. The morning session reviewed key efforts including the Spartan Undergraduate Experience Strategy Guide, Learning Community, and initiative database. Recipients were also announced and awarded for the Five Opportunity Areas of Student Success Recognition Program. Afternoon breakout sessions covered topics such as: incorporating all five areas of success in your bridge, transition or cohort program; addressing sense of belonging in curricular and co-curricular efforts; tending to returning students’ success; assessing student success efforts; mapping student engagement, and more.
Day two's virtual sessions provided opportunities to interact and engage across the five opportunity areas of success. Recordings of the May 7 keynote session and some discussions were available to virtual attendees the morning of May 8.
2024
The 2024 Student Success Summit was held on Wednesday, May 8 from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Minskoff Business Pavilion. Featuring opening remarks by President Guskiewicz, Interim Provost Jeitschko, and Vice Provost Mark Largent, with Dr. Kristen Renn as keynote speaker, this year's event focused on deep learning around the five opportunity areas of undergraduate student success, critical thinking around meeting 2030 goals, and a celebration of outstanding fellow Spartans.
For continued learning and those who were unable to attend, find materials from the day of the Summit linked below:
· Student Success Summit Presentation (PPT)
· Opening Remarks and Presidential Address (video)
The 2024 Student Success Launch took place on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the MSUFCU Club in Spartan Stadium. This event invited campus partners to participate in workshopping and discussion around the projects, policies, processes and practices that can remove student barriers and support the five opportunity areas of the Spartan Undergraduate Experience Strategy:
- Self-discovery of purpose
- Educational success
- Developing a sense of belonging
- Contributing to an empowered community
- Developing wellbeing
Materials from the day of the Launch
Spartan Undergraduate Experience Strategy Database
Please consider contributing to the Spartan Undergraduate Experience Strategy Database form. The purpose of this survey is to build a database of campus efforts that specifically align with and help us enact researched and documented MSU strategies for closing our opportunity gaps.
Five Areas of Success Learning Community 2024
Please consider joining members of a campus-wide community that will contribute to new discoveries and refine the institutional commitments and metrics for five opportunity areas of undergraduate success outlined in the Spartan Undergraduate Experience Strategy Guide. This guide supports our 2030 Strategic goals of increasing retention and graduation rates by closing opportunity gaps in undergraduate student success. This group will meet monthly in different formats (workshops, lunch and learns, design labs) depending on the topic and participant interest.
Sign up to join the community! Attendance is welcome at any and all of the scheduled meetings.
2023
The 2023 Student Success Summit, Building Bridges and Cultivating Compassion, was held at the Business College Complex (BCC) on Monday, May 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Dr. Alexis Travis, Assistant Provost and Assistant Vice President of Health and Wellbeing, opened the summit. Dr Travis is a passionate leader with 10+ years of expertise in developing strategic collaborations, building coalitions, and creating innovative programs for vulnerable populations.
Dr. Travis was followed by Keynote Speaker, Dr. Soumya Palreddy, co-founder of the Palreddy-Lowe Learning Lab. Dr. Palreddy is an anti-bias/anti-racism educator in progress, a licensed psychologist, and trainer.
Breakout sessions were led by campus partners and highlighted an overview of strategies, activities, and ideas they have implemented and/or plan to implement in alignment with the summit theme.
Through collective wisdom and engagement between the presenters and attendees, the summit worked to build community, foster dialogue, and promote collaboration for the continued advancement of Student Success at MSU.
2023 Student Success Summit Planning Team
- Kimberly Blair-Chambers
- Chastity D. Gaither
- Helena Gardner
- Taylor Marino
- Sadiq Mohammed
- Jessica Oyoque-Barron
- Kanchan Pavangadkar
- Kristi Porrell
- Jieron Robinson
- Lance Sharp
- Justin St. Charles
- Kari Stone-Sewalish
The 2023 Student Success Launch was held on Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in the Kellogg Big Ten A&B room. This event centered around reaffirming commitments to student success, building community across campus student success work, and collaborating on moving key initiatives forward.
2022
The 2022 Student Success Launch was held Tuesday, Sept. 27, 1-4 p.m. in the MSU Union Ballroom and via Zoom.
The event highlighted the work that is going on across campus to close opportunity gaps while increasing student learning, persistence, and success.
Watch recordings from the Launch: