Systems & Tools
EAB Student Success Collaborative
Portland State University is a member of EAB's Student Success Collaborative (SSC). Portland State is one of a growing number of universities that are a part of the collaborative and have access to EAB’s student-centered technology platform, Navigate, as well as research and change management guidance to help connect all campus stakeholders to student success goals.
The SSC combines technology, consulting, and best practice research to help colleges and universities use data to improve retention and graduation rates. At the core of SSC is a proprietary predictive model that identifies at-risk students as well an analytics engine that isolates systemic barriers to degree completion. To complement the predictive model, SSC provides advisors and other student success specialists with powerful communication and workflow tools to transform insight to action and administrators with customized change management guidance to support institutional transformation.
Coordinated Service Network
The driving vision for a Coordinated Service Network (CSN) includes a belief that students should experience a coordinated and unified institutional response to problems and information needs, regardless of which student service office they first seek assistance from. While it is impossible and not even desirable for a single department to provide all necessary support, serving students is a collective effort and the challenge and responsibility of communicating and coordinating between service units should be borne by the institution (i.e. the student service units) to the extent possible, and not primarily by the students. In simple terms, a CSN should minimize student frustration and run around by streamlining administrative problem solving and processes. Adoption of an effective CSN will result in fewer errant referrals, reduction of redundant work, and fewer confused, frustrated students and staff.
The Coordinated Service Network, which includes academic advisors, staff in the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Student Financial Services and other student enrollment/success units across campus, utilizes the PSU Advising Portal and EAB’s Student Success Collaborative platform, Navigate (additional details above) to coordinate student support, manage, track and archive interactions with students, and provide students with the direction they need to efficiently complete enrollment and administrative tasks.
Faculty
The Office of Academic Innovation (OAI) Faculty Support Services provides faculty with a broad array of support for teaching with technology, including PSU services and resources for teaching. OAI presents faculty with opportunities for on the spot technical and instructional support services and advanced consultation and referral services.
Office of Academic Innovation (OAI)
Design Thinking
Design Thinking is a methodology of innovation developed by Tim Brown and used to problem-solve. There are five modes of design thinking used to create change through design: Discovery, interpretation, ideation, and experimentation.