Minority mentorship program receives national recognition
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has received recognition for its participation in a new program that aims to close the completion gap and promote social mobility nationwide.
WSSU is one of seven mentor institutions in the program, through the Foundation for Student Success (FSS).
The program – set to impact 100,000 Black, Latino and American Indian students at 21 mentee institutions – was introduced at the inaugural National Student Success Conference in Tampa on Feb. 22. Case studies from WSSU and the other mentor institutions also are available on the FSS website.
“There are many national projects to support institutional transformations for student success,” said Foundation for Student Success Executive Director Dr. Sally Johnstone. “But the work of the Foundation for Student Success is more personal than most. These mentor institutions are sharing their successes and failures while ‘holding the hands’ of their mentees as they begin their long journey to shift their campus cultures.”
WSSU was chosen as a mentor because of its high student success rates. Through the program, WSSU is providing guidance and support to Savannah State University, Langston University, and University of Michigan-Flint to promote social mobility.
In addition to WSSU, selected institutions are: California State University, Channel Islands; Los Medanos College; Rutgers University, Newark; San Jacinto College; Santa Fe College; and University of South Florida.
FSS will continue to track the institutions working together toward reducing their equity gaps and changing the culture of their campuses. The lessons learned will be shared widely with practitioners and thought leaders in the field of higher education to shape the future of the student success movement for years to come. WSSU’s Office of the Provost is leading the initiative.
READ MORE: WSSU to mentor 3 universities seeking to improve equity gaps
About Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University fosters the creative thinking, analytical problem-solving, and depth of character needed to transform the world. Rooted in liberal education, WSSU’s curriculum prepares students to be thought leaders who have the skills and knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. Founded in 1892, WSSU is a historically Black constituent institution of the University of North Carolina with a rich tradition of contributing to the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic growth of North Carolina, the region and beyond. Guided by the motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” WSSU develops leaders who advance social justice by serving the world with compassion and commitment.
About the Foundation for Student Success
FSS was founded in 2016 and is housed at the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) in Boulder, Colorado. The mission of FSS is to stimulate and support the use of predictive analytics and other emerging technologies to help institutions of higher education identify at-risk students and to develop interventions to increase their chances of success. To accomplish the mission of FSS, the Board has targeted three student populations: Black, Latino, and American Indian. The data FSS and NCHEMS gathered and analyzed on the success rates for these students indicates serious equity gaps across the country.
