Student Success and Innovation Committee: 6:22:00:01

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Responsible Executives:

  • Executive Vice President of Student Success
  • Vice President of Academic Affairs

I. PURPOSE

The Student Success and Innovation Committee (SS & I) is organized to serve Motlow State Community College’s (Motlow State) students by promoting transformational change for faculty and staff. As such, the goal of the SS & I committee at Motlow State is to improve student success metrics (persistence, retention, completion course pass rates, and student success in outcomes) by fostering a culture of continuous improvement through equipping students, faculty, and staff with tools, training, and collaborative opportunities that improve student success outcomes, student success, and institutional effectiveness. The SS & I committee is charged by Motlow State to support these efforts through the following:  

  1. Responsibly administering funds entrusted to the SS & I in accordance with institutional and Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) systemwide practices, policies, and guidelines;  
  2. Creating and supporting programming, training, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities that foster a Motlow State community that embraces change, best practices, and innovation;  
  3. Teaching and demonstrating the highest quality of student success practices;
  4. Promoting recruitment, engagement, and retention of all students, faculty, and staff across the institution by serving as an advocacy group for all communities across Motlow State;  
  5. Ensuring this body is represented in budget considerations through collaboration with Executives, President’s Cabinet, and the Institutional Oversight Committee (IOC) for annual budget development. The Executive Vice President of Student Success (EVPSS) or their designee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) or their designee shall be responsible for monitoring functions of the funds.

II. DEFINITIONS

    1. Executive Committee – For the purposes of this policy, the executive committee are voting members. Subcommittee members are advisory (non-voting members) and support the goals of the SS & I executive committee.  
    2. Innovation - Refers to the development and implementation of new, creative, and evidence-based strategies, programs, or technologies that improve the student experience and remove barriers to achievement. It involves rethinking traditional practices to create more efficient and personalized pathways that help students persist, complete their credentials, and reach their academic and career goals.  

      Key elements often include:  
        1. Student-Centered Approaches – Designing policies and services around student needs rather than institutional convenience.  
        2. Use of Technology & Data – Leveraging analytics, digital tools, and AI to anticipate challenges, guide interventions, and personalize support.  
        3. Holistic Support Models – Integrating academic advising, mental health, financial aid, career readiness, and basic needs assistance.  
        4. Access – Creating innovative practices that reduce achievement gaps for underrepresented, first-generation, and nontraditional students.  
        5. Continuous Improvement – Using feedback and outcomes to adapt, evolve, and scale successful initiatives.  
    3. Quorum – For the purposes of this policy, a quorum shall be defined at all meetings as two-thirds of voting members necessary for the transaction of business.  The actions of this quorum of the voting members of the SS & I executive committee present at any meeting shall be the action of the SS & I executive committee, except as may be otherwise provided by policy.  
    4. Student Success – In higher education, student success is defined by retention and completion goals. Student success includes a holistic perspective that consists of persistence, retention, completion, engagement, and preparation for future goals. The following definitions must be included related to defining the term student success:  
        1. Persistence & Retention – A student’s ability to continue enrollment from semester to semester and ultimately remain on track toward completion.
        2. Academic Achievement – Demonstrated learning, skill development, and attainment of competencies within the chosen field of study by obtaining a grade point average of a 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
        3. Completion & Graduation – Earning a credential (certificate, associate degree, or transfer toward a bachelor’s degree) within an appropriate timeframe.  
        4. Access – Ensuring all students, regardless of background, have the resources and support needed to thrive.  
        5. Engagement– Active participation in the academic and social life of the college, with a sense of inclusion and connection to the institution.  
        6. Career & Life Readiness – Development of skills, knowledge, and experiences that prepare students for employment, further education, and lifelong learning.  
    5. Student Success Programmatic Efforts – For purposes of this policy, student success programmatic efforts are intentional, structured initiatives and services designed to support students in achieving their academic, personal, and career goals. The programmatic efforts may include initiatives for training and coaching faculty and staff to aid in developing better student success and innovation practices. Programs may include but are not limited to:  
        1. Academic Support – Tutoring, supplemental instruction, learning communities, and first-year experience programs.  
        2. Advising & Coaching – Proactive, developmental advising and success coaching that guide students through educational pathways.  
        3. Wellness & Support Services – Counseling, disability access, basic needs of support, and programs that promote mental health and resilience.  
        4. Career Readiness – Internships, career services, and experiential learning opportunities that connect academics to future employment.  
        5. Access Initiatives – Programs that close opportunity gaps for first-generation, underrepresented, and nontraditional students.  
        6. Engagement Opportunities – Co-curricular activities, mentoring, and leadership development that build belonging and connection to the institution.  

III. MEMBERSHIP

  1. Voting membership of this committee comes from the following: 
    1. Ex-officio members – this category includes members who are members of the committee due to their role within the institution.  All ex-officio members are voting members unless otherwise specified.  
      1. EVPSS (Co-chair);  
      2. VPAA (Co-chair);  
      3. Executive Director of Organizational Compliance and Enrichment;  
      4. Dean of Students;  
      5. Executive Director of Community Relations;  
      6. Faculty Representative;  
      7. Academic Resource Center Director;  
      8. Executive Director of Financial Aid;  
      9. Director of Disability Access and Counseling Services;  
      10. Support Staff Representative;  
      11. Business/Finance Representative  
    2. Subcommittee members – this category includes members who are members based on their desired interest to support student success and innovation at Motlow State. SS & I subcommittees are based on the categories of the TBR SS & I grant (scholarships/student completion grants, student recruitment and retention, student success programmatic efforts). An executive committee member will chair a subcommittee. Subcommittee members are non-voting members and will operate as advisory board members.  
      1. Subcommittee members will serve no more than two (2) academic years.  
      2. Motlow State faculty and staff may complete an interest form to join every April – May.  
      3. Subcommittee members must attend the SS & I annual summer training/retreat.
      4. The following department or roles will be extended an invitation to participate in subcommittees to provide insight in scholarships/student completion grants, student recruitment and retention, student success programmatic efforts:
          1. Advising;  
          2. Campus Engagement;  
          3. Marketing;  
          4. Faculty Council;  
          5. Support Staff Council;  
          6. Athletics  

IV. MEETINGS

  1. In accordance with Motlow State Committee Appointments and Routines Policy 6:10:00:00, the SS & I committee shall:  
    1. Meet regularly as defined by the committee.  
      1. Regular meetings will occur at least twice per full semester.  
    2. Publicly announce meeting dates.  
    3. Encourage any interested faculty or staff member to attend any committee meeting.  
    4. Establish a quorum during SS & I meetings in order to conduct business. If no quorum can be established, the SS & I committee may convene for the purpose of receiving information.  If the SS & I committee convenes in the absence of a quorum and a quorum is later established during the meeting, the SS & I committee may then conduct business.  
    5. Designate a proxy for any SS & I member who is unable to attend a SS & I committee meeting. Those attending as a proxy for a voting member must be identified in the official minutes.  
      1. Voting members who cannot attend or name a proxy may submit votes electronically to the co-chairs or a designee.  Unless otherwise stated, a turnaround period of 48 hours will be given for those who are submitting electronic votes as a result of non-attendance.  
    6. Form subcommittees and/or special task force committees for the good of the order:  
      1. Standing subcommittees (e.g., scholarships/student completion grants, student recruitment and retention, student success programmatic efforts);  
      2. Ad hoc task force committees under the leadership of the co-chairs may be formed for special events or initiatives;  
      3. All subcommittees and task force committees will follow the quorum established by the SS & I committee.  
    7. Subcommittee chairs are encouraged to present pertinent items of business for any SS & I committee agenda.  
      1. All items should be submitted in written form and presented to the co-chairs within five (5) business days before the scheduled meeting date;  
      2. Faculty and staff may be invited to attend the meeting at which that faculty or staff member’s item of business is to be discussed;  
      3. When a proposed item of business is considered inappropriate for committee action, the faculty or staff will receive a response from the SS & I co-chairs.  
    8. A secretary/record keeper will be designated by the SS & I executive committee.  
      1. The secretary is responsible for recording the minutes at all official meetings of the standing committees and to distribute such minutes to faculty and staff where pertinent;  
      2. The secretary will work with Marketing to ensure the SS & I committee is listed on Motlow State website and;  
      3. The secretary will ensure the final approved minutes of all meetings will be forwarded to the Webmaster for posting.  
      4. Digital and electronic votes between regular meetings should be read into the minutes at the next regular meeting and attached for records of retention purposes.  

HISTORY

  • Success and Innovation Committee Approved: November 20, 2025 
    (Voted to replace 6:22:00:01Access and Diversity Committee with Success and Innovation Committee); Retired:  
  • Institutional Oversight Committee Approved: TBD  
  • President’s Cabinet Approved: TBD 
  • Effective Date: TBD