BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwired - Sep 14, 2016) - Civitas Learning and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), today, announced a partnership that will enable university leaders to measure the efficacy and tune the future development of student success initiatives, programs and policies designed to improve persistence, completion and graduation.
Listed among U.S. News and World Report's most innovative colleges and universities, UMBC leaders have deployed an array of technologies and strategies for student success, but often need better real-time information to take precise action to support student needs and accurately assess what's working to improve outcomes. Using Civitas Learning's Student Success Platform and flagship application, Illume, UMBC will be able to synthesize data from across the institution in order to develop a more complete picture of which efforts are working -- and their impact on specific student populations.
"UMBC has a long tradition of using data-driven approaches in order to create nationally recognized models supporting student success," said Dr. Philip Rous, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at UMBC. "Aligned with this ongoing commitment and a fundamental objective of our new strategic plan, our partnership with Civitas will augment UMBC's analytic capabilities to further enhance the success of our students."
By integrating data from historically disparate systems on campus, Civitas Learning couples recent advances in data science with compelling visualizations and tools to provide institutions with the ability to confidently take action using a unified student success platform. UMBC will leverage insights and action tools from Illume to better understand the complex factors that drive student success -- including uncovering the powerful predictors of student progression, courses that have the biggest impact on student success, and which interventions are most likely to help students overcome barriers to graduation. This work will help guide outreach and shape initiatives.
"UMBC has a robust business intelligence system, and we have seen how data-driven insights can improve student outcomes. However, we realize that to move to the next level, we need more expertise in data science modeling to answer the most difficult questions regarding student success," said Jack Suess, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at UMBC. "In partnering with Civitas, we know we are working with the best in data science modeling and will have the tools to answer questions such as what courses are critical to ensuring graduation and which interventions work best with different students. We see our partnership with Civitas Learning as an important next step in scaling our capacity to support students."
"For fifty years, UMBC leaders have been passionate advocates for innovation and trailblazers in providing honors-quality undergraduate education," said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Civitas Learning. "Their deep commitment to delivering on the promise of higher education to students from diverse backgrounds is tightly aligned with our mission of helping a million more students graduate."
UMBC is currently ranked #4 on U.S. News and World Report's list of most innovative universities. The Baltimore-based public university is known as a leader in graduating minority students in STEM and is the top producer of African American undergraduates who go on to enroll in M.D. and Ph.D. programs. Its nationally recognized STEM pathways initiative has helped to support a successful transition to STEM study for academically talented students studying at public community colleges in Maryland.
About University of Maryland, Baltimore County: UMBC is a leading public research university known for innovative teaching, relevant research across disciplines, and a supportive community that empowers and inspires inquisitive minds. UMBC serves 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and combines the learning opportunities of a liberal arts college with the creative intensity of a leading research university. At the same time, UMBC is one of the country's most inclusive education communities. UMBC also contributes to Maryland through strong government and industry partnerships that advance K-16 education, entrepreneurship, workforce training, and technology commercialization. For more information about the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, please visit umbc.edu.
About Civitas Learning®: Civitas Learning is the Student Success Platform for higher education. Our Student Insights Engine™ powers initiatives that dramatically improve student success.
Data tells us every day how students are doing and what they need most. Are you listening to their story? Our Student Success Platform leverages the most statistically rigorous technology in the market today to provide a clear view of the current and future state of your institution and students. Faculty, administrators and students are empowered to act with confidence and make the most of their time, energy and investment for the greatest good.
Today, our community includes more than 285 institutions reaching more than 6.5 million students worldwide. Together, we are working to help millions of more students learn well, finish strong, and go on to brighter futures and better careers. For more information, visit: www.civitaslearning.com.
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