SUCCESS is moving from planning into sustained implementation. In Phase 4, the focus shifts to tracking progress, learning from the data, and refining strategies so the initiative continues to support enrollment, retention, completion, and student engagement goals.
Reporting and Accountability
Progress toward the SUCCESS metrics below is available through the SUCCESS dashboard. The dashboard provides a central place to view updates on the initiative’s high-level measures and support ongoing review of implementation progress.
View Dashboard Opens an external link.
Metrics
- Increase total enrollment by 5% over five years, or approximately 1% per year.
- Increase the first-time, full-time freshmen retention rate by 2.9 percentage points.
- Improve the four-year graduation rate to 55%.
- Improve the six-year graduation rate to 70%.
- Increase student participation in and favorable assessment of student support services, including the Career Center, Counseling, and Academic Support.
- Increase student participation in programs such as co-op training, internships, community engagement, undergraduate research, and study abroad.
SUCCESS Implementation Councils
To support this phase, three councils will help connect strategy to action. Each council focuses on a key part of the student journey: enrollment, retention, and engagement. Together, the councils provide a structure for data-informed review, coordinated planning, and recommendations that support student success.
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Student Enrollment Council
The Student Enrollment Council is responsible for developing, coordinating, and monitoring strategies that support enrollment goals and student success. Its work brings together recruitment, admissions, enrollment, and financial assistance efforts to support sustainable enrollment outcomes aligned with the institution’s mission and strategic plan.
The Council advances a data-informed, student-centered enrollment strategy that promotes access, student success, diversity, and institutional sustainability through collaborative planning, implementation, and assessment.
Key Areas of Focus
- Develop and recommend enrollment strategies and goals.
- Review enrollment trends, forecasts, market conditions, and key performance indicators.
- Monitor progress toward institutional enrollment targets.
- Promote coordination among academic and administrative units that impact enrollment.
- Identify and address barriers to recruitment, enrollment, access, affordability, and student success.
- Recommend policy, process, or corrective actions when needed.
- Foster shared accountability for enrollment outcomes.
Scope of Responsibility
The Council provides oversight, guidance, and recommendations related to recruitment and enrollment, financial aid and affordability, and enrollment analytics.
Core Members and Key Stakeholders
- Provost
- Senior Vice Provost, Chair
- Assistant Vice President Digital Strategy and Marketing
- Executive Director of Admissions
- Director of Financial Aid
- Senior International Officer
- dean or dean representative
- faculty representative
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Student Retention Council
The Student Retention Council is responsible for advancing student persistence, retention, progression, and degree completion. The Council provides strategic oversight, data-informed recommendations, and coordinated actions to improve student success outcomes across all student populations.
The Council’s mission is to increase student success by identifying barriers to persistence, aligning institutional efforts, promoting evidence-based interventions, and fostering shared responsibility for retention and completion.
Key Areas of Focus
- Monitor retention, persistence, progression, and graduation metrics.
- Analyze student success data to identify trends, equity gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
- Recommend strategies, policies, practices, priorities, and action plans that support student success.
- Promote collaboration across academic and administrative units.
- Evaluate retention initiatives and interventions.
- Support institutional enrollment, completion, and strategic plan goals.
Core Members and Key Stakeholders
- Provost
- Senior Vice Provost for Enrollment and Student Success
- Deans or dean representatives
- Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness
- Vice President for Information Technology
- academic advisors
- Executive Director for Retention Initiatives
- Faculty Senate representative
- Director of Financial Aid
- University Registrar
- students
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Student Engagement Council
The Student Engagement Council supports coordination between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs to sustain active engagement throughout a student’s college journey. Student engagement is defined as a student’s active connection with the campus community.
The Council focuses on creating environments that support learning, foster belonging, and guide students through exploration, integration, and contribution. Using metric data and large data sets such as the NCHA and NSSE, the Council will identify how students navigate engagement activities and recommend strategies for student engagement success at UAB.
Members for Academic Year 2026–2027
- Mary Blanchard Wallace, Chair
- Christopher Jones
- Angela Sullivan
- Jennifer Griffin
- Kristin Chapleau
- Christopher Minnix
- Angela K. Lewis-Maddox
- Gabe Miller.
Ongoing Optimization
Through regular reporting, dashboard updates, and council engagement, Phase 4 creates a cycle of review and improvement. This structure allows SUCCESS to monitor progress, respond to emerging needs, and continue refining strategies that support students from enrollment through completion and engagement.