The University System of Georgia will increase degree completion through a robust and intensive approach to access and student success, utilizing data analytics and best practices.

Initiatives

• NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS (NISS) AT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

  Georgia State University has led the nation in student success initiatives using data analytics and common sense. Working with institutions, the NISS diagnoses barriers to student success in terms of policy, standard operating procedures, organizational structure, etc. All institutions that have not engaged with the NISS will have an opportunity for the Diagnostic and Playbook service and when necessary, Implementation Support. The NISS will create actionable plans to implement best practices identified during the diagnosis.

• SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT SUCCESS TOOLS

  Colleges and universities increasingly utilize technological tools to make student success efforts more comprehensive, efficient, real-time, and data driven. The USG will work to research these tools in a coordinated fashion and then leverage systemwide pricing to bring down costs. Institutions can benefit from shared experience to implement these technologies in a holistic fashion and integrate them into their broader student success work. Systemwide contracts will enable more institutions to access the technology and reduce the cost to the institutions already using it.

• PERFORMANCE-BASED BUDGET ALLOCATION MODEL

  System office divisions of Fiscal Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Research and Policy Analysis will collaborate to develop a student-success focused institutional budget allocation model. Input will be sought from institution leadership and analogous offices. The system office will develop an internal student success-focused allocation model for a portion of institutional budgets which incentivizes student success efforts that increase retention, graduation, and degrees and certificates earned.

• DIRECT ADMISSION

  The system office will collaborate with leadership from the Georgia Student Finance Commission, Technical College System of Georgia, Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and Georgia Department of Education to launch a direct admissions program to encourage more Georgians to enroll in post-secondary education. Additionally, the agencies will streamline the admissions process so that it is simpler. The program will put a letter in every high school senior’s hand that shows where they are eligible for admission.

• CONTINUING/PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

  USG institutions will work to understand workforce needs in Georgia for other types of credentials and expand the availability of these through continuing and professional education. The system office will collaborate with institutions to develop standard means of tracking this educational activity and credentials and begin systematically collecting this data. This initiative will expand continuing and professional education opportunities to meet workforce needs and support new and returning students throughout their careers.