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Provost outlines Student Success Task Force initiatives, honors college planning and DataKind partnership
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Summary
Provost Mitch Cordova updated trustees on a student success task force focused on first‑year experience and data analytics, announced intent to develop an honors college, and described a DataKind partnership funded by a Google Foundation grant to build predictive models for student retention.
Provost Mitch Cordova told the Academic Affairs Committee that a reconstituted Student Success Task Force is focusing on three priorities: improving the first‑year experience, strengthening data analytics and governance, and interventions to boost retention.
Cordova said the task force — co‑chaired by Vice President Leonard Clemens and drawing staff from finance and administration, military and veterans affairs, student affairs and academic units — is evaluating weeks‑of‑welcome activities and orientation programming to improve early engagement.
“So what we did was we created a social engagement scale where we assigned points to students who are involved in different types of activities on campus, the quality of activity, and also the frequency of their activities,” Cordova said, describing a metric the university will use to identify and reach out to students with low engagement.
Cordova reported the outreach produced notable increases in platform connection and activity: among residential students previously showing no program attendance, 82% were connected through GovConnect after intervention and there was a 45% increase in program activity for that group; commuter students previously unconnected rose to 71% GovConnect participation and community students to 57%.
On academic programs, Cordova said the university has formal written proposals for a master’s degree in athletic training and a master’s in environmental science. He said the next steps are submission to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and subsequent SACSCOC approval, noting accreditation remains a necessary final hurdle.
“The creation of an honors college represents a bold commitment to academic excellence, student achievement, and regional impact,” Cordova said, adding a formal proposal for an honors college is expected in the spring semester.
Cordova also described progress on data governance and a partnership with nonprofit DataKind supported by a multimillion‑dollar grant from the Google Foundation to build AI‑based predictive models that will help the university identify factors tied to retention, persistence and graduation.
University staff said plans to reimagine the general education core are underway; the new core will remain compliant with Tennessee statutes while emphasizing critical thinking and high‑impact practices.
Cordova invited committee questions and said he would keep trustees updated as proposals move toward external review and formal approvals.
