A Year in Review

Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, all of our UIA members were equally hard at work this year with transforming their campuses to better support student success.

From MSU redesigning their institutional strategic plan to be more diversity, equity, and inclusion focused to the Ohio State eliminating student loan debt for incoming undergraduate students, 2021 has been a big year for student success wins in public higher education. The Alliance also expanded and welcomed two accomplished members to the UIA family: NC A&T, who was recently named as one of the nation’s top-ranked public HBCU, and UMBC, a long-time leading expert in increasing the pipeline of diverse scholars in STEM. As we head into 2022,  we can't wait to learn about the strategies and practices for supporting Latinx students at UCF, UCR, and ASU helping them achieve the Seal of Excelencia.

We can't wait to celebrate, encourage and scale even more innovative strategies for improving outcomes for students in 2022!

Nicole Wilson has spent the past decade to advancing student success particularly among low-income and first-generation students. She brings a breadth of experience spanning undergraduate admissions, academic advising, TRIO student support services, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Her research agenda centers on low-income and first-generation college students' lived experiences within comprehensive college transition programs, as well as asset-based approaches for promoting student success.

1. Calm, Confidence, and Managed Expectations, featuring Becky Johnson, Interim President of Oregon State University
2. System-Wide Equity and Compassion, featuring Joseph Castro, Chancellor of the California State University System
3. Safety, Diversity, and Opportunity, featuring Kristina Johnson, President of The Ohio State University

1. Have We Gotten Student Success Completely Backward? (Chronicle)
2. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples (Linda Tuhiwai Smith)
3. Colorado Graduates Hispanic Men at Low Rates (Chalkbeat)
4. Nikole Hannah-Jones and the Country We Have (Throughline podcast, NPR)
5. Race on Campus: One University's Plan to Combat Anti-Black Racism (Chronicle)

• This small, adjustable-height portable desk is a game-changer when working from home
• Traveling again? These toiletry containers from Cadence are fantastic.
• Mixtiles: Reinvigorate any workspace with pictures that inspire you. Mixtiles take photos from your phone and put them temporarily on your walls (with a sticky backing that is easy to move around). My office wall features mixtiles of UIA fellows and important organizational milestones.
• Tags for Hope An incredible gift for the pet lover in your life. (Order early for the holidays)
• Water bottles are designed to help you drink more water (created by an MSU graduate). Multiple water bottles can make it easier to know how much water you have drunk today. As you can see below, my desk has an obnoxious number of water bottles on it, to help me stay hydrated during zoom life. 
• A portable home office!

January 13 - 15, 2022: NASPA Mental Health Conference, Boston (Deadline to register: December 8, 2021)

January 19- 21, 2022: AAC&U Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. (Deadline to register: January 4, 2022)

March 5 - 7, 2022: ACE Annual Meeting, San Diego (Deadline to register: February 11, 2022) 

March 7 - 10, 2022: SXSW EDU Conference & Festival, Austin (Deadline to register: January 13, 2022)  

March 17 - 19, 2022: AAC&U Conference on Diversity, Equity & Student Success, New Orleans (Deadline to register: February 23, 2022) 

March 19 - 23, 2022: NASPA Annual Conference, Baltimore (Deadline to register: February 18, 2022)

April 4 - 6, 2022: ASU + GSV Summit, San Diego (Deadline to register: April 3, 2022)