Northern Kentucky University begins the spring semester with its second annual Student Success Summit, a program focused on celebrating and exploring ways to support students creatively. This year’s theme focuses on the concept of CARE: Creativity, Appreciation, Resiliency and Engagement.
“NKU has embodied these four elements for over five decades now, and this was especially true during the past year. Our campus community continues to rise to the challenge of the pandemic,” said NKU President Ashish Vaidya. “The summit will celebrate the work that has taken place across the campus and further inspire our community to continue finding ways to show CARE for diverse learners in new and innovative ways.”
The program spotlights the work of students in community-based learning and research activities, like the varsity Esports team’s successful run and the Humans of Greater Cincinnati project. Last year’s Student Success Summit and Innovation Challenge provided the platform to launch these student engagement programs across campus.
NKU will also host a panel discussion exploring innovations in student success and ways to better drive community engagement. The panel features keynote speakers: Dr. Jaqueline Smith, J.D., who serves as vice president of the Arizona State University Foundation, and Dr. Bridget Burns, executive director of the University Innovation Alliance. Dr. Ande Durojaiye, NKU’s interim Provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will lead the discussion.
“Many peer institutions have paused their strategic endeavors due to the pandemic’s uncertainty and disruption. For us, delivering on Success by Design becomes even more urgent,” said Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President Bonita Brown. “The only constant thing is change. We need to use an entrepreneurial mindset to create the student experience today and in a post-pandemic world.”
Success by Design, NKU’s strategic framework, outlines three pillars of student success: Access, Completion and Career & Community Engagement. NKU has spent the past year implementing the framework’s First Five initiatives, each challenging the campus community to become a more student-ready, regionally engaged university.
• What: Second Annual Student Success Summit
• When: Jan. 15, at 9 a.m.
• Where: Zoom link provided
Community members are invited to join NKU’s campus for the Student Success Summit. To learn more about the program, visit Success by Design’s website.
