UBThrive: Successful students, successful institutions

Conference on importance of student success making its debut in June 2015

Even in this age of tight budgets, college and university leaders are directing funds and attention to the all-important issues of institutional and student success. This is mission-critical because while the number of students attending college is increasing, the number of those who complete is not.

The federal government reported a 31 percent graduation rate for public institutions and 52 percent for privates in 2012. This may leave the U.S. economy with a shortage of the skilled workers it needs to remain competitive, according to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation data.

Higher ed leaders are seeking creative ways to boost completion rates and ensure financial stability. Forward-thinking institutions around the country are implementing incentivized programs, such as offering students cash for academic success and giving priority course enrollment to those who complete an intensive higher ed onboarding class.

University Business magazine regularly features campuses that have started online learning and competency-based initiatives to assist nontraditional students. Articles also frequently profile schools that have partnered with peer institutions and private organizations to fill budget shortfalls.

Anyone on campus interested in learning how to launch similarly innovative programs will want to attend UBThrive, a student and institutional success conference launching in 2015. From June 15 to 17 in Orlando, a maximum of 300 higher ed leaders will have the opportunity to hear from peers who are creatively fostering success on campus.

The conference will be co-located and share an exhibit hall and two common keynotes with UBTech, University Business’s annual technology success and leadership conference. It will otherwise be independent. UBThrive sessions will focus on key themes of growth and organizational structure as they relate to executive leadership, the student experience, operational efficiency and finance.

For more details, to register or to submit a session proposal, visit www.universitybusiness.com/ubthrive.

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