STUDENT SUCCESS
Investing in the Future
One of our greatest opportunities for impact lies in the privilege of empowering students on their educational journey and enriching the future of our society. At the University of Utah, we are committed to ensuring that every student—undergraduate, graduate, professional, in-person, and online—thrives by achieving their academic goals, experiencing a sense of belonging, and cultivating a growth and learning mindset.
Our goal is to provide our students with an exceptional educational experience by helping them foster a strong sense of community; equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to secure meaningful employment with competitive salaries; guiding their transformation by helping them build confidence, embrace challenges, and discover their purpose; and empowering them to make a meaningful impact in the world.
To support this vision, we will provide proactive and personalized pathways that help students achieve their goals. We will enhance and streamline access to health and wellness resources. We will revitalize engagement and belonging experiences for students to help them discover their passion, people, and purpose. We will provide faculty with targeted development opportunities in their integral roles of creating impactful learning environments.
GOALS
- Advance the reach of the university through strategic enrollment growth
- Fuel the economy with a highly skilled workforce
HOW WE’LL MEASURE SUCCESS
- 40,000 enrolled students
- Rate of returning students (“Retention Rate”)
- 80% of students completing their degree within six years (“Graduation Rate”)
- 90% of students finding employment in a related field, enrolling in post- baccalaureate education, or enlisting in the military within six months of graduation (“Placement Rate”)
- Improvement in students’ belief in their ability to succeed (“Thriving Rate”), measured by academic achievement (metric: UU GPA), belonging and well-being (metric: belonging survey), and learning mindset (metric: TBD)
HOW WE’RE MOVING FORWARD
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Navigate U is a campus-wide initiative that brings together disparate efforts to improve the undergraduate experience at the University of Utah. At the heart of Navigate U are eight strategic actions, which support every aspect of the student journey—from pre-enrollment through career placement. These actions include the following:
- Enhancing awareness of and engagement with the university through pre-enrollment activities
- Optimizing student transitions
- Providing proactive academic advising
- Streamlining academic planning and curriculum systems
- Building transparent financial structures
- Offering experiential learning opportunities
- Investing in student pathways and career success
- Providing academic and well-being resources
Navigate U leverages robust data collection to identify barriers to success and to deliver personalized resources that empower students academically, socially, and personally. The combination of the eight strategic actions will enable the U to make significant headway in addressing the critical issues facing higher education, such as student retention, time to graduation, student belonging, curriculum and course equity gaps, and faculty development.
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The U Career Success Center will ensure positive career outcomes for University of Utah graduates by providing comprehensive support at every stage of the student's professional journey and by cultivating strong partnerships with industry and community leaders. Career coaches will conduct proactive outreach to students, build meaningful relationships, and deliver personalized services. Corporate and community engagement managers will collaborate closely with industry and community leaders to identify workforce needs and will coordinate with coaches to match students with employers. These services will be accessible at no cost to all students, regardless of major.
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At the University of Utah, engagement and belonging are core to the student experience—and central to our long-term vision for the campus. That vision includes creating what we call college town magic: a vibrant, best-in-class environment where students and the wider campus community can live, learn, and connect. As part of our recently announced campus framework, we’re reimagining the heart of campus as a dynamic, 24/7 hub with new housing, walkable streets, dining, retail, and recreation options — all designed to foster connection and belonging.
To further elevate the student experience, the university has formed a task force to coordinate efforts around student engagement and belonging. By coordinating event schedules, hosting events that serve as a cornerstone of students' college experience, and developing a regular cadence of programming, students will be encouraged to make meaningful connections and have memorable experiences on campus.
A platform called Campus Connect will be used to improve how students get involved. It creates a single place for recognized student organizations to manage their clubs and organizations, propose budgets, host and advertise events, communicate with organization members, and more. Other tools to encourage student engagement include the Utah 360 app, the belong.utah.edu website and programming, and a new student-led Instagram account called @utahstudentexperience, created by students for students.