Progress

What is the Student Success Goal?

  • Expand efforts supporting academic preparedness and excellence.
  • Strengthen student engagement, sense of belonging, and well-being.
  • Increase support for graduate students.
  • Enhance career and post-graduation success.
  • Build student success infrastructure.

How will we reach that goal?

TXST is moving forward with critical investments that will enhance student success:

  • Launching a student success platform that will include software technology that will allow the university to collect, compile, analyze, and act on data that are known to predict student success.
  • Expanding student access to virtual mental health counseling and other initiatives supporting student well-being.
Expand FAQ List

  • In the first year of Hopes & Aspirations High, we restructured the university to better support student success, hired key personnel, acquired EAB Navigate (a student success technology platform), and began phase 1 of the Hilltop Housing project. This year, we made progress on many of our plans, including creating a premier housing experience to support the affordable housing needs of our students, launching NavigateTXST, and carrying out a range of other initiatives.  

    On-Campus Housing

    On February 1, 2024, we acquired two apartment complexes, and this Fall, we will open two new residence halls in the Hilltop area, bringing the number of beds available to Freshmen and some upper-class and graduate students on the San Marcos Campus to 9,000. By 2025, we will have 10,000 beds with the opening of Canyon Hall, and by 2027, we will have 11,000+ beds with the completion of phase 2 of the Hilltop Housing project.  

    NavigateTXST 

    This technology platform helps students communicate directly with their advising centers, make appointments with support professionals (e.g., advisors, tutors, and success coaches), design their course schedule, ask questions, monitor academic progress, and receive personalized guidance. We implemented a four-month pilot program this past Spring and introduced NavigateTXST during new student orientation this Summer. As of July 14:  

    • 4,959 students have used NavigateTXST.  
    • 6,597 advising notes have been created.  
    • 295 hands have been raised (this is a “here to help” feature in the software).  
    • 538 appointments have been created.  

    Impact

    Fall 2023 to Spring 2024 persistence of our FTIC students hit an all-time high of 93.3%. Our one-year retention of our Fall 2023 FTIC cohort is hovering at 80%, and as of July 18, continuing undergraduate headcount is up by 3.7% (+863 students).   

  • 2022-2023

    • Historically, student success initiatives were organized primarily in different units, reporting to different vice presidents. The President’s Cabinet consolidated like teams together under a new Division of Student Success to reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and optimize student support – all with the goal of creating a holistic student success mechanism that gives every Bobcat the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

      The new Division of Student Success is comprised of departments from the Division of Student Affairs and specific student services units from University College. Dr. Cynthia Hernandez is leading this new division, and her title has changed from Vice President for Student Affairs to Vice President for Student Success. 

      TXST is moving forward with critical investments that will enhance student success:

      • Launching a student success platform that will include software technology that will allow the university to collect, compile, analyze, and act on data that are known to predict student success.
      • Expanding student access to virtual mental health counseling and other initiatives supporting student well-being.

      Though the full impact of these changes will take some time to materialize, TXST retained a near record 92% of our First-Time-In-College (FTIC) student 2022 cohort from Fall to Spring.

    • Work that was previously led by the Division of Inclusive Excellence supporting student success initiatives will now be accomplished through the Division of Student Success. Learn more in the president’s July 2023 message.

      Dr. Victoria Black joined the leadership team in the Division of Student Success. 

      Dr. Kambra Bolch remains in the Division of Academic Affairs to lead our first-year and transfer undergraduate student advising efforts. Dr. Bolch will work with the college deans to better coordinate academic advising in their respective colleges. Dr. Bolch and the units under her direction will report to the Provost’s Office, but will also work closely with the Division of Student Success.

    • TXST is moving forward with critical investments that will enhance student success:

      • Launching a student success platform that will include software technology that will allow the university to collect, compile, analyze, and act on data that are known to predict student success.
      • Expanding student access to virtual mental health counseling and other initiatives supporting student well-being.

      Though the full impact of these changes will take some time to materialize, TXST retained a near record 92% of our First-Time-In-College (FTIC) student 2022 cohort from Fall to Spring.