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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864">Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864">Happy Fall semester start! Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to read a brief report put out by the Chronicle of Higher Education,
<i>Beyond the Hype: An Inside Look at Student Success</i> (see attached). Though intended to be a ‘teaser’ for a larger (not free) Chronicle report, the content struck me – especially as we begin a new academic year. The Chronicle articles highlights the reality
of our student success work: “The student success movement is at a turning point between rhetoric and reality. The problem is vast and complex, the work consuming and slow….Many students have a lot to overcome. Colleges are trying to piece together scaffolding
to support them, or at least not stand in their way”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864">The report’s conclusions aren’t unexpected – that sustained attention to student success is good for our students, our institutions and the public good – but the recommendation resonated with me: “Rather than
fixate on particular programs or tools, campus leaders should take a step back and tackle broader issues…an institution truly grappling with student success will discover that it needs to change the way it’s always done things”.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864">Chancellor Brostrom has identified “student success” as one of his priorities for the academic year, meaning our work continues to be supported at the highest levels. However, as UC Merced approaches 2020, I
think we have the opportunity to grow our strategic partnerships and cross-unit, cross-division collaborations, with a goal of developing a strong (dare I say efficient!) scaffolding of support for our students.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864">I hope this year proves to be a productive one – for you, your units and our campus – as we think about our individual and collective roles in promoting student success.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864">Wishing you a restful, long weekend!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#1F3864">P.S. We invite you to contribute to our shared learning by forwarding articles, resources and other information relevant to undergraduate student success to the listserv membership (email: ucm-student-success@lists.ucmerced.edu).
</span> <span style="color:#1F3864">If you have new staff, please encourage them to join the listerv! General information about the mailing list, including options to unsubscribe, can be found here: http://lists.ucmerced.edu/mailman/listinfo/ucm-student-success.</span></i>
<i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F3864"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864"><img width="135" height="89" style="width:1.4083in;height:.925in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.png@01D55F48.1E5245D0" alt="https://emailsignature.ucmerced.edu.672elmp01.blackmesh.com/ucm_seal.png"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864;text-transform:uppercase">Alisha Kimble</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864"><br>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#092F44;text-transform:uppercase">Assistant Dean</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864;text-transform:uppercase">Division of Undergraduate Education</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864"><br>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#999999">5200 Lake Road </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#DAAC00">|</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#999999"> Merced,
California 95343<br>
ue.ucmerced.edu </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#DAAC00">|</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#999999"> 209.228.4604
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#EEEEEE;letter-spacing:1.9pt;background:#092F44">BUILDING THE FUTURE IN THE HEART OF CALIFORNIA</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F3864"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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