UCA recognized for student retention strategies

(l to r) Sean Sullivan, general manager of Skyfactor Mapworks, presenting a Mapworks Excellence Award to Thomas Bruick, UCA’s campus coordinator for Mapworks

(l to r) Sean Sullivan, general manager of Skyfactor Mapworks, presenting a Mapworks Excellence Award to Thomas Bruick, UCA’s campus coordinator for Mapworks

The University of Central Arkansas was one of 10 universities honored by Skyfactor Mapworks with a Mapworks Excellence Award during the organization’s annual Mastering Mapworks Summer Conference.

The awards recognize institutions through a process of self-nomination. Universities submit information that highlights the many ways they use Mapworks data to build strategic partnerships, develop sustainable programming, and thoughtfully support students. In addition to UCA’s public recognition for outstanding work in the field of student success and retention, UCA was invited to share best practices with other campuses from across the nation.

Since incorporating Mapworks at UCA in fall 2012, the university has developed strategies for leveraging Mapworks data when developing intervention plans, creating purposeful intervention strategies, and engaging campus partners. The strategies have also supported the realization of tangible outcomes such as 10-percent increase in the number of students who reviewed their student report and a 14-percent increase in report views among the highest risk students.

“The success we have experienced would not have been possible without the involvement of wonderful partners throughout campus,” said Thomas Bruick, assistant director for retention initiatives and campus coordinator for Mapworks at UCA. “The Mapworks program is a clear representation of the great value faculty and staff throughout campus place on supporting student success.”

Skyfactor Mapworks, formerly EBI MAP-Works, is a student-retention and success system that determines if a student is on track to be successful based on a customizable risk predictor. Risks are determined by a variety of different information from multiple sources within the university. This allows the university to quickly see which students need immediate assistance.

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