Advising and Support

Description

A commitment to equity and student support means taking measures that address systemic biases, create an inclusive environment and help students feel like they belong at the institution. It’s important to invest in policy changes and initiatives that help to build self-confidence and prepare students academically.

Baseline

UWM students, faculty and staff have a responsibility to engage in the education, civil discourse and actions needed to address racial and social equity. Similarly, UWM takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that broader racial and social equity issues are being addressed within our campus community. For example, Chancellor Mark Mone, following extensive discussions with many students, faculty and staff, has outlined a comprehensive series of actions underway that reinforce our commitment diversity, inclusion and equity. He outlined many of these efforts in this video address to campus.

UWM serves more than 5,000 middle school, high school and adult students each year through outreach programs for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and pre-college programs.

Goal

We will continue to develop best practices and plans to respond quickly to issues to make sure that all students, especially those from underserved backgrounds, feel supported and valued by their community. We will build on our longstanding commitment of offering pre-college, dual-enrollment and other outreach programs that reduce equity gaps and help more students go to college. This includes the M³ Pathways early college program, which is a partnership with Milwaukee Area Technical College and Milwaukee Public Schools.

Description

Make sure students are aware of all campus support services that can aid in their success, including financial aid, counseling and career advising. Use technology to coordinate these services and raise their visibility with students.

Baseline

UWM uses Navigate360, EAB’s student success management system, to coordinate support services like advising, tutoring and supplemental instruction, and other means of outreach. A team of advisors and student services staff from across campus meet regularly to exchange ideas and best practices regarding how to use Navigate360. We also regularly review student services practices overall to make sure that we are meeting students’ needs.

Goal

UWM will continue to evaluate how we use Navigate360 in order to expand offerings and better coordinate support services for students.

Description

Target the individual needs of students by incorporating technology into advising. Using technology, create an early warning system that makes it easier for advisors to track student performance in required courses, intervene when necessary and devote more time to those who need additional help.

Baseline

UWM started to incorporate Navigate360, EAB’s student success management system, as an advising and outreach tool in 2014. The technology offers features like online scheduling with advisors and student progress reports that allow for faculty to reach out proactively if a student may be falling behind academically. A new progress report was added in spring 2020 to follow up with students who may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly all UWM student services offices have some level of access to Navigate360, especially those offices that provide advising and academic skills support.

Goal

We will continue to expand and build strategies using Navigate360 to advise students. We will continue regular comprehensive reviews of advising practices, with a particular focus on monitoring signs for students who are struggling or in danger of falling behind.