The Student Experience Project
The Student Experience Project (SEP) is a series of efforts aimed at creating a more navigable, equitable and integrated student-centered support system at the U, spanning services, scholarships, communications, technology and engagement.
The (SEP) is key to how we will achieve the student success goals outlined in Impact 2030:
- Expanding the U to 40,000 students
- Achieving an 80% graduation rate
- Ensuring 90% job placement at the time of graduation
By improving how students access support, how we communicate with them and how we manage key platforms and processes, the SEP will help the U scale our services to meet growth while improving outcomes for all students.
Why We're Doing This
The SEP builds on the research and assessment in our National Institute for Student Success (NISS) report, as well as focus groups and interviews conducted with students, faculty, staff and campus leaders to better understand the student experience.
That work confirmed what many of us already know: teams across the university are doing exceptional, student-centered work that makes a real difference. Many of us have seen firsthand the impact of extra care or support in helping students thrive.
At the same time, the research revealed a growing challenge. As the university has expanded, so has the complexity of our student services. New programs, technologies and offices have been created to meet evolving needs, often independently of one another.
For students, this can create a fragmented and confusing path to resources and opportunities. Some navigate it with ease, but others do not—often depending on who they know, what they already understand, or whether they happen to find the right door at the right time.
That difference has real consequences: missed opportunities, uneven engagement and lower rates of completion and job placement compared to our American Association of University (AAU) peers.
The SEP is not just about redesigning our structures; it’s about how we work together across units to create a more navigable, equitable and integrated student-centered support system at the U.
-
We are building an integrated support model that guides students to the right resources, from the right people, at the right time.
Support will be organized into three categories:
- Self-directed services like chatbots, websites and apps for quick, on-demand answers
- Guided services from trained staff who can address common student needs and refer to specialized support when deeper expertise is required
- Advanced services from specialists in financial aid, academic advising and wellbeing, among other areas.
-
We are integrating academic advising and career coaching under the same organizational structure and organizing them into regional teams. This model strengthens connections between academics and careers, ensures students have consistent access to support and creates clearer roles, equity in workloads and pay, and stronger career pathways for staff.
-
The SCC is building a unified approach to student communications, reducing overload, improving clarity and aligning messages with critical points in the student lifecycle.
-
SISTC leads strategy and implementation for student-facing technology and data systems by streamlining platforms, improving integration and aligning tools with university goals for student success.
-
We are working toward a unified platform for managing scholarship applications, reviews, payments and communications. These changes will improve transparency, equity and stewardship of scholarship resources.
-
The SEP includes a renewed focus on how we coordinate and design engagement efforts to ensure students are connected to resources, opportunities and communities that support their wellbeing and success.
Leadership Team
The SEP is led by a small cross-functional team:
- Mitzi Montoya – Executive Sponsor, Provost
- Paul Kohn – Sr. Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment & Student Success
- Lori McDonald – Vice President for Student Affairs
- T. Chase Hagood – Vice Provost for Student Success
- Sarah Shreeves – Alice Sheets Marriott Dean of Libraries
- Randy McCrillis – Senior International Officer, Interim AVP for University Connected Learning
- Vahe Bandarian – Associate Provost for Mission-Aligned Planning
- Lindsay Coco – Project Management
- Audrey Iffert-Saleem – Strategic Communications
Each component of the SEP is guided by its own team, with additional working groups and subcommittees to ensure broad stakeholder input throughout the design and implementation process.