Thomas More University joined in a pilot initiative introduced by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in undergraduate education (Gardner Institute) and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB).
The initiative, called the Governing Board Equity in Student Success Project, is an effort to improve retention, graduation and employment rates significantly and equitably for all students, especially for those who come from low-income, rural and historically marginalized backgrounds. The initiative hopes to tap into higher education governing boards to oversee envision, and drive equity-focused student success through the senior administration.
Following a selection process, the Commonwealth of Kentucky was invited, and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) accepted, the offer to become a partner in this initiative, opening the door for Thomas More’s participation. Kentucky was selected as the demonstration site because the Commonwealth met specific criteria, including a population of students with high levels of financial need and a large number of rural and BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/People of Color) students.
The Commonwealth also has a sophisticated state-wide data sharing process in place among the public and private institutions. All Kentucky degree-granting institutions (public/private, two/four year) were invited to participate with financial support for the project coming from a generous grant from Ascendium Education Group, a grant-making agency committed to helping degree seekers strengthen their opportunity for social mobility.
The commitment for Thomas More’s institutional team, made up of leadership and board members, is potentially two-part and starts with participation in an academy over the course of the next two-plus years. The team examines board-level policies and practices and learns about promising national practices both in board-level governance and in institutional efforts to improve student success for all students.
It is hoped that by enhancing the knowledge and skills of the governing board members of Kentucky’s higher education institutions and senior administrators that these critical leaders build capacity for oversight of institutional initiatives that lead to equitable student success and completion outcomes.
“Thomas More University is pleased to join the inaugural (Student Success) Academy on Governing Board Equity in Student Success,” Ph.D., provost at Thomas More Molly Smith said. “As a member of a team drawn from trustees, academic affairs, student life, and human resources, I feel confident that immersion in strategies to strengthen access and equity as a leadership-level commitment, will lead to impactful advancement of diversity, equity, and belonging on campus. I look forward, with my fellow team members, to engaging with peers on this matter of vital importance to our community, the region, and our nation.”
The second part of the commitment is the Retention Performance Management – governing board focus process in which further student success is facilitated by the Gardner Institute for a subset of seven institutions that were involved in the academy. The Retention Performance Management process engages in an institution-wide self-study of retention data to create and implement an evidenced-based, equity-focused retention plan specific to each institution and requires another two-plus years of work by the institution’s teams. The research findings for the entire project will be presented nationally to inform work in other states and regions.
“This is a unique opportunity for Thomas More University at this critical juncture as we chart the course for our next century,” Ph.D., Chair of the Board of Trustees Judith A. Marlowe said. “The guiding principle underlying the Academy’s program design intentionally brings university governance and operational leadership together to focus strategically on equity throughout the student experience. It is a novel approach that acknowledges that this collaboration is essential in order to achieve meaningful results that support educational success. It is truly an honor to participate in such an innovative project.”
The Governing Board Equity in student success project was introduced in Kentucky at the annual Governing Board Professional Development Conference held virtually on Sept. 14, 2021. Thomas More University was one of the post-secondary institutions recruited last fall and officially invited to join the academy in 2022.
