ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Education company EAB recently named Winthrop University and York Technical College as the winners of its Student Success Collaborative - CONNECTEDness Award.
EAB’s CONNECTEDness Award recognizes institutions that build relationships across institution types, connecting community colleges, four-year schools and the broader higher education community. This is the ninth year in a row that EAB has recognized outstanding achievements in student success.
The awards were presented Nov. 8 at CONNECTED22, a three-day gathering of thousands of student success leaders from progressive community colleges as well as four-year colleges and universities.
Awardees were chosen from among the colleges, universities and individuals that use Navigate, EAB’s student success management system, or Starfish, the student success platform EAB acquired in 2021.
Amanda James, Winthrop’s director of admissions, said Winthrop and York Technical College partnered to prioritize transfer student success. Together, the institutions’ teams created four transfer meta-majors to simplify the process of students selecting their transfer major.
“Each meta-major contains guided pathways that outline the relevant course requirements at York Tech and Winthrop, as well as key milestones for students to track their progress,” James said.
As a result of this partnership, the number of York Tech students successfully transferring to Winthrop has steadily increased each year from 2018 to 2022. “Winthrop and York Tech have created a more seamless process for students to have an enhanced and intentional transition experience that reduces barriers to success,” said Tourgeé D. Simpson Jr., Winthrop’s assistant dean for academic success/chair of student success and retention.
EAB company officials said students, faculty and campus staff have become savvier with respect to combining both online and in-person student support services. EAB President of Technology, Scott Schirmeier noted: “The winners of EAB’s 2022 Student Success Collaborative Awards are leading the way in rethinking the student support model and using technology in creative ways to keep students on track to graduate.”
For more information, contact admissions@winthrop.edu or call 803/323-2191 or 800/Winthrop (946-8476).
