ASCEND Podcast
Are you ready to ASCEND to new possibilities? In this podcast, Dr. Jared Tippets and Dr. Eric Kirby outline why a focus on retention and completion is so important, why previous retention efforts have not always worked, and discuss how we can successfully "ASCEND" to these great expectations. In each episode, we will share innovative ideas, creative initiatives, and best practices and strategies that campuses have used to achieve amazing results. This podcast has intentionally been produced in a quick-tip, bite-sized format where the listener can quickly find ideas, initiatives, and solutions that can be tried on campus today.
ASCEND Podcast
S3 - E15 - Susan Merrill - Thor’s Hammer of Knowledge: A Case Study in Proactive Connection to Campus Resources (Support)
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What do you do when you know a First-Year Experience course improves student success, but you don’t have the funding or institutional support to build one? In this episode, we explore an innovative workaround born from a simple idea: Thor’s Hammer of Knowledge.
This conversation covers how Susan Merrill and colleagues from Southern Utah University highlights created a low-cost workshop series designed to connect students with campus resources before they realize they need them. We discuss the power of proactive outreach, building belonging outside the classroom, and how small incentives (food, fun, and community) can drive meaningful engagement.
Join us as we unpack the results, lessons learned, and how this model might inspire new approaches to student success on your own campus.
