Strategic Priority 1
Enhance Student Success Across the Student Life Cycle
Strategic Priority 1 encompasses five individual objectives which may be viewed by clicking on each below.
Objective 1: Build community earlier in the student life cycle to increase retention and foster inclusion
Strategy
Conduct a comprehensive review of current college and university programs to identify gaps and opportunities for fostering early community engagement.
Tactics
- Undergraduate Students
- Assess and improve Premier DePaul and Transition DePaul orientation programs for CSH students, with a focus on the broader student experience.
- Develop CSH-specific onboarding activities to address identified gaps, including opportunities to engage with sustainability initiatives on campus.
- Graduate Students
- Evaluate and enhance the graduate orientation program for CSH.
- Introduce a peer mentorship program for new graduate students, incorporating themes of environmental and social responsibility in science and health.
- Community Building
- Enhance CSH Fest as an annual signature event, increasing student engagement, career resources, and alumni/donor participation, while integrating sustainability themes (e.g., green initiatives, reducing event waste, and sustainability-focused research showcases).
- Boost participation in the Undergraduate STEM Research Showcase by involving alumni, donors, and industry, including representation from sustainability and environmental science professionals.
Metrics
- Student Lifecycle and Retention
- Complete a CSH-specific student lifecycle gap report by March 2025.
- Address 80% of identified gaps by Spring 2026 with new programs and efforts.
- Annually calculate retention rates and four and six-year graduation rates of the Comprehensive Student Success Retention Initiative (CSSRI) participants, aiming for a 10% increase in retention and graduation rates.
- Reduce student melt by 5% by 2029.
- Engagement amd Participation
- Increase scholarship applications by 15% annually.
- Increase CSH Fest attendance by 10% annually, maintaining 75% satisfaction in community and belonging.
- Increase STEM Research Showcase attendance, student participation, and alumni/donor/industry involvement by 10% annually through 2029, including sustainability-focused professionals.
Objective 2: Increase faculty and staff engagement with university, college, and department-level student success initiatives
Strategy
Offer targeted training and resources to equip faculty and staff with the skills to support student success.
Tactics
- Mental Health Training
- Partner with University Counseling and Psychological Services to deliver two annual training sessions on mental health, targeting 50% faculty/staff participation throughout the year.
- Financial Literacy Training
- Collaborate with Financial Aid to provide two annual training sessions on financial literacy, also aiming for 50% faculty/staff participation over the course of the year.
- Sustainability in Student Support
- Provide faculty and staff with training on how to integrate environmental sustainability into coursework, research projects, and student success programming.
- Resource Hub
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive resource catalog of student services on the Operations Hub, ensuring accessibility and regular updates, including resources on sustainable campus initiatives and environmental responsibility in STEM fields.
- Inclusive Teaching
- Create and promote resources for inclusive teaching and culturally relevant pedagogy.
- Encourage faculty participation in the Student Success Summit and introduce an Excellence in Support of Student Success Award.
Metrics
- Training and Engagement
- Achieve 50% faculty/staff participation in mental health and financial aid sessions by the end of the academic year.
- Conduct a student satisfaction survey to assess the effectiveness of financial aid sessions and resources, with a target of 80% satisfaction.
- Achieve 50% faculty/staff participation in mental health, financial aid, and sustainability training sessions by the end of the academic year.
- Resource Utilization
- Publish the resource catalog by Autumn 2025, with 50 unique visits in the first 6 months.
- Achieve an 80% satisfaction rate in accessibility and usefulness through a student satisfaction survey conducted within the first year of the catalog's launch.
- Inclusive Teaching Impact
- Develop 10 inclusive teaching resources by Autumn 2028, with 50% annual faculty utilization.
- Attain 80% positive feedback on inclusive teaching practices from faculty and students.
Objective 3: Enhance career readiness and employment outcomes for graduates
Strategy
Strengthen collaboration with the Career Center and Alumni Relations to integrate career readiness into CSH culture.
Tactics
- Alumni Engagement
- Organize quarterly alumni speaking engagements and enhance alumni participation at CSH Fest, the Undergraduate STEM Showcase, and other events by involving them in interactive panels, mentoring sessions, and collaborative workshops.
- Identify and engage alumni working in sustainability, environmental health, and green innovation fields to participate in career panels and mentorship programs.
- Career Development
- Implement career and research workshops tailored to CSH students' needs.
- Launch a Career & Life Design (CLD) course for CSH undergraduates by December 2025.
- Develop professional development sessions for graduate students, focusing on both academic and industry career pathways, including careers in sustainability-related fields.
- Create industry spotlights series in partnership among CSH faculty, Advancement, Alumni Relations, and the Career Center, featuring emerging careers in environmental science, health, and sustainability.
Metrics
- Alumni & Community Involvement
- Organize four alumni speaking engagements annually with 80% student satisfaction.
- Increase alumni and community participation in CSH Fest and the Undergraduate STEM Showcase by 10% annually, including sustainability-focused professionals.
- Career and Professional Development
- Conduct quarterly career and research workshops with 50% attendance from targeted student groups, such as juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
- Achieve a 15% improvement in career readiness through pre- and post-workshop surveys.
- Enroll at least 30 students in the CLD course by the end of SQ 2026.
- Conduct quarterly graduate professional development sessions with 50% participation.
- Develop industry spotlights series by December 2025.
Objective 4: Increase visibility and funding support for graduate programs to enhance recruitment and career outcomes
Strategy
Boost marketing and fundraising efforts to attract more qualified graduate students and secure financial support.
Tactics
- Marketing Campaigns
- Launch targeted marketing campaigns to enhance the visibility of graduate programs locally, regionally, and nationally.
- Highlight graduate research opportunities related to sustainability and environmental health in recruitment materials.
- Fundraising
- Collaborate with Advancement to develop and implement a fundraising campaign for graduate scholarships and research.
- Promote and secure grants for research and community engagement projects focused on social and environmental justice.
Metrics
- Marketing Impact
- Launch four major marketing campaigns annually, with a 15% year-over-year increase in inquiries and applications.
- Fundraising and Scholarhsips
- Increase funds for graduate scholarships and research by 15% annually.
- Establish three new scholarships annually, with a 10% increase in recipients.
- Promote five research and community engagement projects annually, with a 15% increase in participation and funding.
Objective 5: Reduce undergraduate achievement gaps and enhance DEI across the curriculum, research, and community engagement
Strategy
Implement DEI initiatives across the curriculum, research, and community engagement to create a more inclusive environment for CSH’s diverse student body.
Tactics
- DEI Integration
- Collaborate with IRMA to establish and integrate DEI metrics for tracking student achievement gaps, including disparities in environmental and sustainability education access.
- DEI Certification
- Develop a CSH DEI certificate program, including implicit bias training and inclusive teaching practices.
- Student Success Spaces
- Fundraise and create student success spaces focused on supporting underrepresented students, incorporating sustainability-focused resources and initiatives to create eco-friendly, accessible learning environments.
Metrics
- DEI Implementation
- Establish and publish comprehensive DEI metrics by year-end, with annual actionable insights.
- Achieve 90% participation in the CSH DEI certificate program by 2025 by all faculty and staff.
- Student Achievement and Support
- Reduce DFW rates in barrier courses for African American and Latine students by 50% by 2029.
- Double enrollment in CSSRI programs among African American and Latine students by 2027.
- Raise $500,000 for student success spaces by 2025, with increased utilization by underrepresented students.
- Improve students’ reported sense of community and belonging by 15% by 2027.