Florida International University’s (FIU) commitment to putting students first positions the university as a leader in producing minority degree-holders in various academic fields.
With the Student Support Services Program, evidence-based student success strategies and a holistic approach to student success overall for its diverse student population, FIU has improved its four-year graduation rate by 14 percentage points in the last six years.
“We empower students with an extensive coaching and support system to ensure they complete their degrees in a timely manner,” says Dr. Elizabeth María Béjar, senior vice president for academic and student affairs at FIU. “Our Student Success Initiative targets students at every stage of their college career to help guide them and offer support.”
Student support is the responsibility of everyone at the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).
Programs like the multi-year Gateway Project – supported by a Department of Education Title V grant and FIU’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching – help students make the transition to college life through customized education plans and peer mentoring.
Faculty teams redesigned, and constantly refine, more than 20 gateway courses, Béjar says, and the project works to improve students’ competencies in skills such as reading, writing and math.
“Within many of these courses, we embed our Learning Assistants (LA), undergraduate students who are trained in how to support their fellow students’ learning,” Béjar says, allowing for the LAs to become part of faculty members’ teaching team so that faculty implement learning-centered, evidence-based and culturally responsive teaching methods.
