Delivering Holistic Support at a Large Urban Community College District with Dr. Ruth Reinhart
Release Date: 05/28/2024
![[Bonus Episode] How to Empower Student Retention Efforts with AI show art](https://assets.libsyn.com/item/39744775?height=50&width=50)
[Bonus Episode] How to Empower Student Retention Efforts with AI
Next Practices
What if AI could help student success teams act earlier, work smarter, and focus more on human connection—without requiring perfect data or adding more burden to already stretched staff? In this special bonus episode of Next Practices, we’re sharing a recent conversation featuring Civitas Learning CEO Will Ballard on the Higher Ed Geek Podcast, hosted by Dustin Ramsdell. Will breaks down what institutions actually need to know about AI in higher education today—from predictive and assistive use cases to the cultural and operational shifts required to make new tools stick. Rather than...
info_outline
Improving Student Success with a Hub-and-Spoke Advising Model
Next Practices
What if your advising system could see students not just as a collective, but as individuals with unique needs, goals, and challenges? At the University of North Dakota, that vision is becoming reality. In this conversation, we explore how a campus-wide transformation in student advising is already producing measurable success through rising retention rates, stronger relationships, and the power of shared data. You’ll hear from Dr. Karyn Plumm, vice provost for undergraduate studies and student success, who helped spearhead the shift to a hybrid “hub-and-spoke” model of advising. She’s...
info_outline
Ensuring Your Team is Strategically Enabled to Use Technology with Stephanie Smith Euting
Next Practices
Introducing new technology into an institution is only the first step. Ensuring that teams are fully prepared to use it in ways that align with strategic goals is where the real work begins. Strategic enablement is more than training users on where to click. It’s equipping people to apply data and tools thoughtfully, effectively and consistently to support long term student success. In this episode I talk to Stephanie Smith Euting, Director of Strategic Enablement at Civitas Learning about turning software adoption into measurable impact. With nearly 20 years of experience in higher...
info_outline
Thinking Creatively About Better Serving Adult Learners with Dr. Frank Dooley
Next Practices
Across Purdue Global’s virtual halls 38 000 students, nearly all of them working adults, log in after shifts and school runs, yet they are moving toward Purdue degrees faster because the university treats their lived experience as real academic currency. Dr. Frank Dooley, Chancellor Emeritus of Purdue Global, explained how his team built policies that convert military medic training, corporate leadership courses, and on‑the‑job technical certificates into college credit. On Purdue’s residential campus the playbook looks different: first‑year students find peer tutoring and...
info_outline
How to Build a Strong Faculty and Staff Advising Partnership
Next Practices
Nothing beats seeing a student’s confidence bloom when the right support team steps in. At Austin Community College, Dr. Giao Phan, Dean of the Public and Social Services Division; Kathy James, a nineteen-year advising veteran who now coordinates support across every campus; and Dr. Rania Salman, Assistant Department Chair and dedicated mentor in early childhood education, have turned collaboration into an everyday habit instead of a distant goal. Dr. Phan describes how her division built trust by showing up for students and colleagues semester after semester. Kathy explains how a single...
info_outline
Applying the 2025 Student Success Impact Report: Insights from the Civitas Learning Customer Development Team
Next Practices
What if the programs designed to help students were actually making things worse or simply doing nothing at all? It’s a question more institutions are asking as they confront the hard truth: not every initiative leads to better outcomes. This episode takes a closer look at the data behind student success and how colleges and universities can learn which efforts are truly making a difference. You’ll hear from a powerhouse team at Civitas Learning who bring a combined 75 years of experience in higher education. Nova Davidson shares insights from her two decades in enrollment management and...
info_outline
How UVU’s Student Success Specialists Build Connection Through Proactive Outreach
Next Practices
When students need support, it often makes all the difference when help feels personal, not procedural. At Utah Valley University, Ryan Bailey, Director of the Student Success Center, and Jamie Muhlestein, Associate Director of Student Success and Support, have helped build an innovative program that brings recent graduates and upperclassmen into part-time professional roles, focused on reaching out to students exactly when they need it most. Through consistent, genuine conversations mostly by text, the specialists are helping students stay connected, navigate challenges, and feel seen...
info_outline
How an IR-Led Outreach Experiment Boosted Student Persistence at Greenville Technical College
Next Practices
When a simple check-in email leads to a 77 percent increase in student persistence, it’s clear something powerful is happening. At Greenville Technical College, data is more than numbers on a dashboard. It’s a way to connect, support, and transform student outcomes. What started as a pilot outreach project by a team of data analysts quickly became a catalyst for campus-wide change. In this episode, Kevin McMindes shares how his team used predictive analytics and personalized outreach to make a real difference. From identifying students most in need of support to tracking the impact of...
info_outline
From Pressure to Possibility: Navigating the New Realities of Higher Ed
Next Practices
Higher education stands at a crossroads. With growing public skepticism about the value of a college degree and mounting financial demands on both students and institutions, the need for bold, student-centered leadership has never been greater. Today, you'll hear from someone who has not only confronted these problems, but also turned them into possibilities for positive change. My guest, Dr. Nicholas S. Zeppos, Chancellor Emeritus of Vanderbilt University, shares the story of Opportunity Vanderbilt, one of higher education's most ambitious financial assistance efforts, and what it took to...
info_outline
Creating a Data-Driven and Proactive Student Support System with UNC Asheville
Next Practices
Student success in higher education isn’t just about reacting to problems — it’s about building systems that anticipate them. And at the University of North Carolina Asheville, that proactive approach is making all the difference. Joining today’s conversation are two incredible leaders who are doing this work every day: Regine Criser, Director of Student Success, and Lynne Horgan, University Registrar. Regine oversees UNC Asheville’s Academic Success Center, leading efforts in advising, writing support, and peer tutoring, while Lynne brings over 25 years of experience to her role...
info_outlineIn this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Ruth Reinhart, the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Support Services at Austin Community College (ACC) in Austin, Texas. With over 35,000 students spread across 11 campuses, ACC serves as a beacon of opportunity in the community, but also faces unique challenges in supporting its diverse student body.
Dr. Reinhart takes us on a journey through ACC's proactive and holistic approach to student success, leveraging analytics and integrated student success case management tools. From reimagining advisor-student interactions to launching innovative initiatives like Academic Alerts, ACC is at the forefront of fostering student support and empowerment. Join us as we explore the collaborative efforts between instructional faculty and support services to build a system that not only meets students' needs but also cultivates a culture of success and inclusivity. This episode offers invaluable insights into the transformative impact of data-driven strategies and proactive support mechanisms on student outcomes, paving the way for a brighter future in higher education.
Show Notes:
[2:06] - Ruth describes her role at Austin Community College and the huge reach the institution has in the community.
[3:26] - Having a huge and diverse population is a positive opportunity for ACC, it does pose some unique challenges.
[4:51] - The future vision of ACC is to offer free tuition.
[6:14] - They are very intentional and proactive in their case management per student.
[8:20] - Students at ACC are not required to see their advisors, but Ruth describes what they do instead.
[11:11] - ACC launched Academic Alerts a few years ago that has boosted student support greatly and has helped instructors provide what they need.
[12:39] - The students who need the most help are typically not the students who advocate for themselves and seek support from advisors.
[13:47] - When Ruth began at ACC, the walk-in model and full advisor schedules were common. This isn’t the trend anymore.
[15:54] - The tools they use provide a holistic snapshot for users to see and help make this journey successful for students.
[17:30] - In years past, this type of support was simply not possible.
[20:05] - Instructional faculty was heavily involved in building the Academic Alerts.
[22:02] - If free tuition is on the horizon for ACC, how will these systems support students and what are the challenges they foresee?
[24:24] - It is a shift in campus culture, but one that is worth making.
[26:28] - By using Civitas Learning Platforms, everything is all in one place.
[28:45] - There is a lot of data and it's important to use it strategically.
[30:36] - Students who went through high school during Covid-19 are really struggling.
[32:43] - Ruth discusses some strategies in how they are helping students obtain certificates and credentials along the way.
[34:48] - Students don’t always know the questions to ask, so it is our responsibility to advise and support them.
Links and Resources:
Civitas Learning Student Impact Platform
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts