Four Universities Honored with National Awards for Advances in Student Success

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EAB announced the winners of the 2016 Student Success Collaborative Awards today, honoring universities that used best practices, data analytics, and technology to increase student retention rates by as much as 6.8 percentage points.  By keeping more students in school, these institutions also improved financial performance, allowing for further investment in improving student outcomes. 

The winners of the 2016 Student Success Collaborative Awards are:

• Eastern Kentucky University (Data-Driven Impact Award) got faculty and staff across the entire campus to use EAB student success data and analytics though a coordinated effort and commitment to student achievement. Now, more than 340 professional and faculty academic advisors at EKU proactively identify students at risk of dropping out. By using student success technology so broadly, EKU achieved a 6.8 percentage point increase in retention since 2012, which translates to $1.67 million in additional revenue.
• Melissa Boog, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Salisbury University, (Visionary Leadership Award) led efforts to centralize advising, rallied disparate groups on campus toward common student success goals, and encouraged degree completion through the creation of four-year curriculum guides and the expansion of condensed classes called "mini-mesters." Her efforts resulted in a 2.2 percentage point increase in first-time, full-time student retention from 2015 to 2016, which translates to $340,000 in additional revenue in just one year.
• University of Northern Colorado (Collaborative Citizenship Award) increased undergraduate persistence by two percentage points in part by using EAB's student success analytics and workflow platform, EAB Campus™. UNC plans to build on that success by housing a variety of student services in one place on campus, as well as continuing to connect support staff through the EAB Campus technology. Moreover, UNC student success leaders selflessly shared how they used data and analytics to find and support students at-risk with their peers in an effort to improve persistence for all students.
• West Virginia University (New Award: Technology Pioneer) is an industry leader and invaluable partner to EAB. WVU leaders were early adopters of risk analytics, and they continue to work with EAB to enhance the ways in which data and analytics can be used to help students succeed. Administrators also test and refine new solutions, such as EAB Guide, a mobile platform that simplifies communication with students, helps students make better decisions, and "nudges" students to take actions at the right time.

"Colleges and universities across the country continue to embrace new student success initiatives because they are more committed than ever to ensuring all students graduate," said Scott Schirmeier, executive vice president at EAB.  "The winners of this year's Student Success Collaborative Awards embody the collaborative spirit, innovative mindset, and effective use of data and analytics that are necessary to truly improve student outcomes." 

The awards were presented at the Student Success Collaborative's Annual Summit, CONNECTED, a two-day gathering of more than 400 of the country's most progressive leaders to explore innovative solutions and build on best practices that help more students succeed. 

This is the third time EAB has presented awards to members of the Student Success Collaborative. 

About EAB
EAB, formerly the Education Advisory Board, is a best-practices firm that uses a combination of research, technology, and services to improve the performance of more than 1,100 educational institutions.  A division of The Advisory Board Company (NASDAQ: ABCO), EAB forges and finds the best new ideas and proven practices from its network of thousands of leaders, then customizes and hardwires them into every level of member organizations, creating enduring value.  For more information, visit www.eab.com.

About Eastern Kentucky University 
Eastern Kentucky University is a regional, coeducational, public institution of higher education offering general and liberal arts programs, pre-professional and professional preparation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located in Richmond, Kentucky, with regional campuses in Danville, Corbin, and Manchester, EKU has a distinguished record of more than a century of educational service to the Commonwealth. With approximately 17,000 students, Eastern is both a residential and commuter campus. The majority of EKU's students are from Kentucky and surrounding states, with the remainder coming from throughout the United States and abroad.

About Salisbury University 
Nationally recognized for academic excellence, Salisbury University  is home to 8,700 students from across the United States and around the world. A creative curriculum emphasizes undergraduate research, study abroad, professional internships and community engagement. A member of the University System of Maryland, SU is a four-year comprehensive institution offering 59 undergraduate majors, graduate programs, and doctorates. The campus, a national arboretum, is located just 30 miles from Atlantic beaches and a few hours from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. 

About University of Northern Colorado 
University of Northern Colorado is a doctoral research university with premier programs in education, health sciences, business and the performing arts. Founded in 1889 as the state teachers' college, UNC has always worked to promote human understanding and enrich lives. With approximately 12,000 students enrolled, UNC focuses on five areas of engaged learning: research and creative work, civic engagement, global experiences, leadership, and professional experience.

About West Virginia University 
West Virginia University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and has been designated an R1 university for research by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. WVU has 15 colleges and schools offering 193 bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs. WVU also has divisional campuses, Potomac State College of WVU in Keyser and the WVU Institute of Technology in Montgomery and Beckley. A tradition of academic excellence attracts exceptional high school seniors. WVU has produced 24 Rhodes Scholars, 42 Goldwater Scholars, 22 Truman Scholars, and 42 Fulbright Scholars, among others. WVU is also among the few U.S. schools that are land-grant, doctoral research universities with a comprehensive medical school.

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