The Student Support Services program tracks data to follow how well we are achieving our outcome objectives displayed in the “Goals and Learning Outcomes” tab below. The Program uses this data to target and improve activities in achieving these goals.
Mission Statement
Student Support Services seeks to support disadvantaged students who have potential to meet the challenges of higher education by strengthening and developing their academic and self-management skills. Its focus is to insure that participants in the program have a realistic chance to persist in school and graduate from Utah State University. To accomplish these objectives Student Support Services provides services to enhance students' academic success, personal skills, and social skills. Providing services in these areas corresponds to the University's mission to support students' intellectual development, personal growth, and community advancement.
Vision Statement
The USU Student Support Services will be an exemplary TRIO program for its best practices in serving disadvantaged students by providing "holistic and integrated services" at Utah State University, the state of Utah, and the region.
Goals and Learning Outcomes:
Grant Cycle: Fall Semester 2020 – Spring Semester 2025
To implement the program's aims as outlined in its mission statement, the Utah State University Student Support Services program focuses on five major goals:
- Recruit eligible students who meet federal low income, disability, and/or first generation guidelines.
- Increase the retention of disadvantaged students in the University.
- Increase the academic success of eligible students by increasing their GPA.
- Increase the number and percent of disadvantaged students who graduate from the University.
- Increase the number and percent of disadvantaged students who pursue graduate or professional schooling.
Each goal evaluated against objectives established in the Utah State University Student Support Services approved grant proposal (2020-2025).
- Objective I – Serve a complete cohort of participants:
- The SSS Project will serve 196 first-generation, low-income, and/or disabled students currently enrolled at the USU Logan main campus. (In school year 2015-2016 the objective was 190 students rather than 196.)
- Objective II - Persistence (Retention) Rate:
- 80% of all participants served by the SSS Project will persist from one academic year to the beginning of the next year or graduate.
- Objective III - Good Academic Standing Rate (GPA):
- 84% of all enrolled participants served by the SSS Project will meet the GPA performance level required to stay in good academic standing at the grantee institution.
- Objective IV - Graduation Rate:
- 40% of new participants served each year will graduate within six years.
Foundational Documents
Originally established in 1968, the national TRIO Student Support Services program has been operating under several reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act. The current USU Student Support Services grant project, serving students on the USU Logan Campus continuously since 1988, operates under the most recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of Aug. 14, 2008, (now called the Higher Education Opportunity Act or HEOA). Read the TRIO Section of the HEOA (20 USC Chapter 28, Subchapter IV Part A, §1070
Assessment Plan/Matrix
| Goals (Objectives and Learning Outcomes) |
Assessment Tool (Criteria) |
Data Source Documentation |
Timeline | Responsible Persons |
Map to Division Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Cohort: The Project will serve 196 first-generation, low-income, and/or disabled students currently enrolled at the USU Logan main campus. | Count of current number of active participants | Enrollment status and eligibility documentation verified at the time new participants admitted to the project. | Per school year (fall and spring semesters) | Project Director, Staff Assistant | Goal 2 and 8 |
| Persistence Rate: 80% of participants will persist from one academic year to the beginning of the next academic year during the academic year. |
Enrollment status during USU's 3rd week census. | Review census and compare to previous Fall Semester. Participants enrolled both terms counted. | Each Fall Semester | Project Director, Staff Assistant | Goal 2 and 8 |
| Academic Standing: 84% of participants will meet the performance level required to stay in good academic standing. |
GPA from USU transcript. | Review of transcript and enter in Blumen. | Each semester. | Project Director, Staff Assistant | Goal 2 and 8 |
| Graduation Rate: 40% of new participants served each year will graduate within six years. |
Graduation date posted on transcript. | Review transcript each semester to note date of graduation and degree and enter in Blumen. | Transcript review each semester. | Project Director, Academic Advisor, Staff Assistant | Goal 2 and 8 |
Outcomes Data
| SSS Goals | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Complete Cohort: | 190 (out of 190) | 196 (out of 196) | 206 (out of 196) | 202 (out of 196) | 205 (out of 196) | 196 (out of 196) | 196 (out of 196) |
| 2. Persistence Rate: | 83.6% (objective: 70%) | 84.1%(objective: 70%) | 84% (objective: 70%) | 81% (objective: 70%) | 85% (objective: 70%) | 82% (objective: 80%) | 81% (objective: 80%) |
| 3. In Good Academic Standing: |
82% (objective: 65%) | 75% (objective: 65%) | 83% (objective: 65%) | 87% (objective: 65%) | 95% (objective: 65%) | 87% (objective: 84%) | 90% (objective: 84%) |
| 4. Graduation Rate: | 41% (2010-11 cohort) (objective: 45%) |
45% (2011-12 cohort) (objective: 45%) |
48% (2012-13 cohort)(objective: 45%) |
58% (2013-14 Cohort) (objective: 45%) |
45% (2014-15 cohort) (objective: 45%) |
57% (2015-16 cohort) (objective: 40%) |
53% (2016-17 Cohort) (objective: 40%) |
Continuous Improvement
In addition to tracking learning outcomes data for the main program objectives, Student Support Services conducts an annual survey to assess participant satisfaction with the program. Based on this feedback, program services can be adjusted to meet participant needs.
2022-2023 Student Satisfaction Survey
2021-2022 Student Satisfaction Survey
Supporting Documents
Originally established in 1968, the national TRIO Student Support Services program has been operating under several reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act. The current USU Student Support Services grant project, serving students on the USU Logan Campus continuously since 1988, operates under the most recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of Aug. 14, 2008, (now called the Higher Education Opportunity Act or HEOA). Read the TRIO Section of the HEOA (20 USC Chapter 28, Subchapter IV Part A, §1070