2025 UNT Student Portraits Data Symposium

This interactive session explores student Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) status at UNT and how to improve student retention. The presenters share retention data on TSI incomplete students and why they should be an intervention group of focus for the institution. Additionally, the team covers student holistic health by integrating wellness data into the conversation and thus discussing how the UNT community can better support this student population.

Presenters from the UNT Division of Student Affairs:
Dr. Sheila Bustillos, Director of Student Services Assessment
Sam Williamson, Assistant Director of Student Services Assessment
Shafayat Islam, Assistant Director of Student Services Assessment

Location: Gateway Ballroom

Over the past eight years, the College of Science has implemented several reforms to enhance student success. Attendees will see how COS identified performance gaps and thus adapted undergraduate program requirements, enhanced prerequisite standards in DFWI courses, and initiated a first-exam grade intervention campaign via Navigate to create meaningful, successful educational outcomes.

Presenters from the UNT College of Science:
Dr. John Quintanilla, Dean
Dr. Lee Hughes, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Tanisha Edwards, Senior Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs

Location: Room 43

This presentation focuses on the practical application of Team-Based Learning in the music history classroom and reflects on the efficacy of this pedagogical strategy in improving student retention and success. More pointedly, the presenters provide an overview of resources and data that support implementing TBL (particularly in the humanities), offer a brief introduction to TBL processes and best practices, and share anecdotal evidence from their UNT classrooms.

Presenters from the UNT College of Music:
Dr.  April L. Prince, Principal Lecturer, Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology
Dr. Brian Anderson, Senior Lecturer, Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology

Location: Room 47

This session by Texas Woman’s University presenters explores how to make program assessment data more actionable and useful. It focuses on SACSCOC Standard 8.2.a, which emphasizes using assessment results to improve student learning outcomes. The session details the use of a coding model that simplifies analysis findings and thus offers strategies to help faculty effectively translate assessment data into actionable curriculum and pedagogy improvements.

Presenters from the Office of Academic Assessment and Accreditation at Texas Woman’s University:
Dr. Gray Scott, Director of Academic Assessment and Accreditation
Mary Rosene, Assistant Director of Accreditation

Location: Room 48

The UNT CLASS advising office has a dedicated team of advisors (Take Flight) to provide intentional interventions to their dedicated cohort to focus on first-time-in-college (FTIC) student retention from fall to fall. Attendees will see how Take Flight uses data to help students connect and persist.

Presenters from the UNT College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences:
Katherine Jenkins, Senior Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs
Justin Canfield, Senior Academic Counselor

Location: Room 42

Three student groups that participated in the inaugural Student Assessment Challenge will present their findings and share their experiences during this session. The Division of Student Affairs Assessment Challenge offered students the opportunity to earn one of four $500 awards by analyzing institutional data. Guided by an advisor and completing FERPA training, participants from across campus selected unique student demographics to research. In a conference-style format, these student teams discussed their research methods, findings, ideas, and lessons learned during the event. This session provides symposium attendees another chance to hear those groups elaborate on their insights and reflect on their experiences with the challenge. Facilitator, Sam Williamson, Assistant Director of Assessment for the Division of Student Affairs.

Student Presenters: Kaitlyn Adamson, An Raahul Raj Akula, Sai Divya, Jai Sai Akhil Katta, Taruni Katta, Sarvamangala Sahithi Pulugurta, Machiraju, Dheeraj Marthand.

Location: Gateway Ballroom

PERTS Ascend, a professional learning platform that empowers higher education institutions to use student feedback to measure and enhance seven critical learning conditions, such as belonging and self-efficacy, fostering equitable and supportive environments for academic success. 

Presenter:
Stacey Polk, Student Success Program Manager

Location: Room 43

This session focuses on the critical process of  deeply reviewing data to enhance the organization of student information. Presenters will showcase their thoughtful and transparent methodologies to demonstrate how the refined data is utilized to strengthen employer engagement and promote student success. Attendees will gain insights into the collection of employer and student outcome data through the Career Center and learn how these insights facilitate partnerships with employers, helping students achieve their career aspirations.

Presenters from the UNT Career Center:
Eileen Buecher, Assistant Vice President
Melanie Mitchell, Senior Associate Director
Corey Davidson, Assistant Director
Philip Aguinaga,  Assistant Director

Location: Room 48