About Student Success

NC State's Student Success Philosophy

NC State University is a large institution where the administration, staff, and faculty recognize that student retention is everyone's job. Made up of more than 30,000 students, NC State is committed to the programs and services provided to grow and produce a "Community of Scholars." NC State as a highly selective institution enrolls students with the expectation that they will be successful.

Accountability for succeeding is spread broadly throughout NC State from the administrative buildings to the residence halls. Our students bring a desire to learn and, while at NC State, may seek support or services to improve behaviors and skills that foster success in and out of the classroom. The administration of NC State understands the importance of creating a culture of caring and success by establishing systems of support and policies and practices to help our "Community of Scholars" achieve. Faculty members contribute through using pedagogical approaches and paradigms that will enabe students to learn and grow in the classroom or the research laboratory. Our faculty also aid student success as advisers and mentors. Every staff level serves the role of supporting the university's core business. Frontline staff especially serve an important customer service role as they are usually the student's first point of contact with the university.

 

How Students Should Use the Online Center for Student Success

The Online Center for Student Success seeks to connect students with the support, services, resources, and programs they need in order to navigate the social and academic environments of this great institution.

The Online Center for Student Success also utilizes Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1943) in seeking to help students answer questions regarding basic needs such as food, shelter, safety, and health to more institutionally-based needs of academic and support services. See below for NC State's modified version of Maslow's Hierarchy used on this site.

 

If for any reason, students are not finding what they need through this site, they should complete the form. Don't hesitate, let us know how we may help!

 

History of the Online Center for Student Success

The Online Center for Student Success was developed in August 2007 to serve as a connecting resource in helping students seek answers to questions relating to student success while at NC State. Additionally, this site contains useful advice and ways of connecting to the campus from student peers. The blogging feature allows students to follow the lives of 10 diverse students, which are members of the Student Advisors for Student Success (SASS), a select group of student leaders that advise NC State administrators on what helps and what does not help student achievement and satisfaction.

The Office of Retention Services contracted a student, Ryan VanGundy, a senior in Chemical Engineering, to conceptualize a web site that other students will find useful. While developing this site, the Advisory CounCil for Enhancing Student Success formed a subgroup of seven members to answer over 40 pertinent questions affecting the success of many NC State students. This team is also responsible for regularly reviewing this site.