About the Curriculum
This five-part instructional series on Student Success Technology is designed for minority-serving institutions (MSIs). Taken together, these instructional resources aim to provide practitioners with the tools to establish and maintain a technology ecosystem that effectively supports the institution’s broader student success and equity goals. The exercises and resources within these modules are also widely applicable across the higher education field.
This resource, developed by The Ada Center in partnership with Complete College America, was compiled with generous funding from the Gates Foundation. It was authored by The Ada Center based on six years of insight from work with hundreds of MSIs and access-focused institutions. The Advising Success Network is a roll-out partner and project champion for the curriculum.
Click here to watch a January 2024 webinar on using the curriculum.
How to Use the Resource
This curriculum is meant to be used in sequential order, with use of all of the tools and resources offered throughout the five modules.
Each module will start with an introductory guide aimed at orienting and equipping users with the necessary background information to engage with the module’s content. This will include:
- Suggested audiences for the module
- Module learning objectives
- Module content overview
- Case-making narrative/data for the module topic
- Critical table-setting background information and/or frameworks
Each module will feature multiple resources in a variety of mediums, depending on the learning objective. This may include:
- Webinars Recordings (+Presentation Deck and Transcript)
- Discussion Guides
- Narrative Research Content
- Group Activities
- Planning Templates
- Targeted Tools
Learn more in a primer about the five modules.
Who Can Use This Resource?
Any institution can use the curriculum, whether large, small, public, private, two-year, four-year or more. The curriculum was developed for MSIs, but can be adapted for any college or university. The curriculum can be used by professionals or leaders who work in student success, academic affairs, IT, or many other areas of a university.
Access the Curriculum
You can view each of the modules below. You’ll need to log in or sign up with a CCA account to view the materials.
Module 1: How Can Student Success Technology Advance Institution Goals?
A practical overview of what good student success technology looks like, how the technology marketplace is organized, and key continuing education resources.
Module 2: How Does My College Create a Student Success Technology Plan?
Walk through a process akin to a “chiropractic adjustment” for your student success strategies and technologies by creating a student success technology plan that ensures your technology ecosystem aligns with your student success and equity goals.
Module 3: What Do Students Think About Our Technology?
Explore how to leverage student insights effectively, equitably, and efficiently to build a technology ecosystem that is authentically student-informed and student-centered.
Module 4: How Should We Approach Buying New Technology?
Gather practical insights and best practices to help you navigate this complex landscape, put together an effective procurement team and intentional procurement process, and support your institution’s efforts to find technology solutions that are aligned with your needs and mission.
Module 5: How Can We Effectively Implement Technology Projects?
Cover the basics of technology implementation success and provide resources for those hoping to rescue a technology initiative gone adrift.