Retention Leadership Groups
Student success is the priority of colleges and units across the University of Arizona. The Retention Leadership Groups bring together staff and faculty to focus on undergraduate student persistence.
2026-2027 Retention Steering Committee
The Retention Steering Committee (RSC) was established in 2021 to ensure point-in-time coordination of information and action during the critical summer months. The group is comprised of functional leadership from key areas across campus to problem-solve in real-time. The committee also works to prioritize strategic efforts for the new academic year.
- Alex Underwood | University Registrar
- Amanda Kraus | Vice President for Student Affairs
- Amy Kimme Hea | Sr. Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Success for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences & Provost Fellow
- Art Young | Chief Financial Aid Administrator and Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management
- Chrissy Lieberman | Dean of Students
- Christie Harper | Chief Brand Officer for Campus Brand Engagement
- Christine Salvesen | Chief Retention Officer and Associate Vice Provost for Student Success
- Cisco Ramos | Executive Director for University Analytics and Institutional Research
- Emily McCarthy | Executive Director, Center for Career Readiness
- Greg Heileman | Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
- James Bond | Assistant Professor in the Division of Foundational Studies within the College of Integrative Learning, UAGC & Faculty Fellow
- Jameshia Granberry | Executive Director of Administrative Operations and Chief of Staff for the College of Medicine & Provost Fellow
- Jenna Rickus | Senior Vice Provost
- Jenna Rutschman | Executive Director of Campus Brand Management
- Jennifer Ludwig | Director of Strategic Interventions and Data Management for Student Success
- Jenny Nirh | Director of Collaboration, Communication and Outreach for Student Success
- Jessica Salata | Director of Student Success for AZOnline & Provost Fellow
- Kris Wong Davis | Vice President of Enrollment Management & Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
- Laura Andrews | Senior Analyst of Assessment and Research for Student Success
- Mark Barton | Bursar and Sr. Director of CatCard Services
- Mark Ray | Architect of Academic Data for University Analytics and Institutional Research
- Sarah Kyte | Senior Research Scientist for Student Success
- Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski | Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advising
Student Success Collaborative
2026-2027
Student success is impacted by academic, social, financial, and wellness related factors. Therefore, supporting the persistence and completion of all students requires a broad network of partners across the University. The Student Success Collaborative will serve as an information hub and town hall to discuss initiatives and raise issues that impact the student experience, persistence, and graduation. The collaborative will provide opportunities for real-time brainstorming and action planning to support the student experience.
Format
- In person meetings. We will begin with brief updates, and the majority of time will be spent connecting with colleagues and sharing ideas in group discussions.
- Resources, takeaways, and next steps will be distributed to attendees following each session.
- Lunch will be provided.
Participation
- Staff and faculty with an interest in data, programs, and initiatives to support student success.
Fall 2026 Schedule (Spring 2027 - TBA) | Tentative Topic/Supporting Data or Information | Proposed Discussion Questions |
September 16th 11am – 12:30pm | Student Transitions & Academic Support Highlighting the Student Success Resource Hub:
| Discuss challenges and barriers for students in their first few weeks on campus. How can we work together, and engage more faculty and staff, to encourage help seeking behavior? What are top barriers you encounter in your work supporting students (policy, business process, resources, etc.)?
|
October 21st 11am – 12:30pm
| Student Communications Best Practices Highlighting: Enrollment intercept data Registration data Retention dashboard | What barriers do students experience relating to spring enrollment? How can you apply strategies from the RetentionPlaybook or your colleagues to improve your spring reenrollment strategy? What other data do you have or need to advance your work? |
November 18th 11am – 12:30pm
| Belonging, Mentoring, & Connections
| How do students find community and what practices facilitate that for them? What barriers to belonging currently exist? How are different units successfully promoting community and belonging? How are areas encouraging belonging for specific populations? |
Feel free to submit discussions topics, questions or ideas for meetings to studentsuccess@arizona.edu