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 - E16 - Dr. Karen McGregor - Best in Class Basic Needs Support Badging Program (Culture)
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In this episode, we explore Purdue Global’s Best in Class Basic Needs Support Badging Program, an innovative approach to building a campus-wide culture of care for students facing non-academic challenges. Designed for a large population of working adult learners, the program empowers faculty and staff to identify students struggling with issues such as food insecurity, housing instability, and other basic needs, and connect them with trained Student Success Coaches. Through a four-tier badging system (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum), participants progressively deepen their engagement, from learning how to recognize and refer students in need to actively championing support initiatives across the institution. The conversation highlights how a relatively low-cost, scalable program can mobilize an entire campus community to support student well-being and success, while fostering a culture where basic needs support truly becomes everyone’s responsibility.
