President’s Council on Retention

Student Success at NDSU is realized by the achievement of students’ academic, life, and career goals and is primarily influenced by advising, curricula, teaching, and their experiences in co-curricular activities.

To ensure that we are meeting our student-focused, land-grant mission, NDSU must take strategic action to retain more of our students on a term by term basis as they progress toward degree attainment.

President’s Charge

The President’s Council on Retention was formed to improve NDSU’s student retention rate through the development of structures, strategies, and resources that help us meet changing student needs.

Council on Retention 2024 Report

The council developed its work to support the current NDSU Strategic Plan, specifically supporting Goal 1: Diversity, Inclusivity, and Respect, and Goal 2: Student Success and Achievement. The goals outline the areas in which to focus as will be seen in the summary of council work and future recommendations, while the metrics below will be our initial quantifiable metrics to measure progress. See the 2023-2024 Report.

Strategic Priorities

Our Why:

  • The State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) and the NDUS Chancellor have identified student success as a strategic priority for all NDUS institutions.
  • NDSU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).  HLC requires all accredited institutions to demonstrate educational improvement through goals and strategies that improve retention, persistence and completion rates in tis degree and certificate programs.
  • NDSU has set Student Success and Achievement as a priority within the new strategic plan. Our goal is to provide transformational experiences for students from diverse backgrounds through high-quality education and opportunities for personal and professional development.
    • Sub-goal: Improve our student’s academic success with outcome-based experiential learning opportunities and vital student-support services.
    • Action Item: Systematically use student outcome data to inform changes across programs, colleges, and the university.
  • Student Success is central to our student-focused, land-grant mission.

Co-Chairs

Becky Bahe – Director of Career and Advising Center
Carrie Anne Platt – Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Members

Nadeje Alexandre – Assistant Dean for Student Success, College of Arts and Sciences
Jessie Bauer – Assistant Director of Student Success Initiatives
Marc Bauer – Faculty, Department of Animal Sciences
Jeff Boyer – Director of Assessment and Accreditation  |  Steering Committee Liaison
Warren Christensen – Faculty, Department of Physics
Sarah Crary – Assistant Director of Online Programs, Office of Teaching and Learning
Stacy Duffield – Director of Office of Teaching and Learning
Eric Gjerdevig – Faculty, Department of Marketing
Dilvin Habib – Senior Director of Access and Opportunity
Andrea Hein – Assistant Director of Career and Advising Center
Kay Hopkins – Staff Senate President and Business Manager, College of Business
Tanya Kramer – Associate Director of International Student and Study Abroad Services
Garrett Kuhn – Student Body President
Jobey Lichtblau – Director of Wellness Center
Molly McKinnon – Director of Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources
Jennifer Momsen – Faculty, Department of Biological Sciences
Lisa Montplaisir – Faculty Senate President and Faculty, Department of Biological Sciences
Kaelen Napoleon – Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Office of Multicultural Programs
Rian Nostrum – Director of Residence Life
Michelle Pearson – Assistant Director for Learning Services, Student Success Programs
Scott Pryor – Associate Dean, College of Engineering
Lisa Samuelson – Director of Student Activities
Melissa Selder-Ortez – Academic Support Administrator, Graduate School

Top of page