Shepherd Success Academy serving as model for student support

ISSUED: 3 April 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Hans Fogle

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV - An article published last year in Inside Higher Ed has created interest in Shepherd University's model for fostering student success.

"Scaling Up: College Readiness Coaching for First-Year Students" showcased the Shepherd Success Academy (SSA), a personalized coaching initiative established in 2017 that Shepherd uses to build students' sense of accountability and confidence while navigating the transition to college.

Staff from several institutions have already reached out to Shepherd Success Coach Danielle Stephenson and Julia Franks, division of student affairs chief of staff and SSA director, about the program.

"The Student Success Center has been contacted by three separate schools to share insight on college student success and college readiness," Franks said. "That demonstrates the need for open dialogue on these topics and the impact success coaching has on student retention."

A group from Bridgewater College, a private school in Bridgewater, Virginia, recently came to Shepherdstown and visited campus on March 6 to discuss how Shepherd supports students on campus as they develop a student success model for the Bridgewater community.

Along with SSA, Shepherd staff shared data and logistics from the Student Success Center, the Beacon early alert system, peer-to-peer support, and the overall student experience.

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