Commission

Presidential Commission on Student Success

The Student Success Executive Committee was transformed into the Presidential Commission on Student Success, which was directed to make bold recommendations to increase student retention and graduation rates.

Charge of the Commission

  • Increase first year retention of full-time, first-time in college students to 85% by 2025.
  • Decrease retention disparities between demographic cohorts (e.g., first-gen and gender).
  • Develop an institutional vision of equitable student success to increase academic achievement, wellbeing, sense of belonging, and engagement.
  • Increase the 4-year graduation rate to 37%.
  • Increase the 6-year graduation rate to 58%.
  • Increase transfer student graduation rate to 64%.

2023-2024 Priorities

  • Create awareness and excitement around Student Success at TXST.
  • Develop tagline/university-wide marketing/branding effort that communicates student success philosophy, framework, and everyone’s role in supporting student success.
  • Develop and implement a series of townhalls/workshops that focuses on different aspects of the student success framework.
  • Develop and disseminate monthly articles to the university community highlighting current and new Student Success efforts.

Members of the Presidential Commission on Student Success

  • Cynthia Hernandez, Vice President for Student Success (Co-Chair)
  • Michael O’Malley, Dean of the College of Education (Co-Chair)
  • Michael Preston, Associate Vice President for Student Success
  • Valerie L. Holmes, Associate Vice President for Student Success & Dean of Students
  • Matt Hall, Vice President for Information Technology
  • Sandy Pantlik, Vice President for Marketing & Communication
  • Pranesh B. Aswath, Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Kelly Visnak, Vice Provost & University Librarian
  • Candace Hastings, Associate Vice Provost, Faculty Success
  • Gary Ray, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
  • Kathy Ybanez-Llorente, Associate Dean & Associate Professor, College of Education
  • Beth Thomas, Director for School of Art and Design
  • David Donnelly, Professor, Physics