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Shon Wheatley
Final Paper
Dr. Renner
21 April 21, 2020
Student Success and Advising at East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is medium-sized public university in the Appalachian region of
the United States. East Tennessee State University graduates over 2,000 students each academic
year but still only has about a 70% retention rate(ETSU Factbooks, n.d.). East Tennessee State
University like its peer institutions has worked overall the past several years to increase the
retention rate of its students through quality student success initiatives. With the normalization of
the academic advising professional field, East Tennessee State University has launched a new
initiative to help all its students be successful. East Tennessee State University believes that
academic advising can the most important and the most foundational factor in its toolbox to
enhance student success at this higher education institution.
East Tennessee State University is a small degree-granting university in Tennessee. Its
Carnegie classification is: Doctoral Universities: Moderate Research Activity. The university has
a service–based community enhancement mission. The main vision for the institution is to be a
people first institution working to advance Appalachian region through quality higher education.
In line with the institution’s Carnegie classification; the mission reads in part; ETSU honors and
preserves the rich heritage of Southern Appalachia through distinctive education, research, and
service programs and is actively engaged in regional stewardship.
The current student population which includes undergraduates and graduates for Fall 2019 was
13, 800 students (ETSU Factbooks, n.d.). The university expects that number to grow well
beyond 14,000 students during the next academic year.
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With the most recent passage of the Focus on College and University Success Act by the
109th Tennessee General Assembly, the university began the transition from governance by the
Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) to an institutional board of trustees. The university is now
governed by a ten-member board of trustees who are appointed by governor of the State of
Tennessee. The composition of the membership of the Board, how long the members can serve,
and other rules and conditions are governed by state law in Tennessee, more specifically T.C.A.
§ 49-8-20. The officers of the board include chair and vice chair and board secretary.
The board elects the president and renews the contract. The board of East Tennessee
State University is very student centered and has established a well-regarded relationship with
the university’s president. In conjunction with the secretary, the board’s chairman and the
president set the meeting agenda. The board meetings are held quarterly and can be held
anywhere in the state. The meetings are open to the public and can be streamed online. East
Tennessee State university is a public institution that is accredited by the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools and individual programs are accredited by different boards and
organizations.
Being that Tennessee State University is a public institution in Tennessee therefore the
institution regulated by the Tennessee Board of Regents and the Tennessee Higher Education
Commission. The university is broken into six different organizational charts. These include
University level, Academic Affairs, Finance and Administration , University Advancement ,
Health Affairs, and Student Affairs. A public organizational chart could not be found at the time
of this writing.
The university uses a shared governance administration model. Shared governance is
decision-making authority that incorporates input from staff, faculty and sometimes special
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interest groups. All parties have well-defined responsibilities and, as a group, they share
accountability for their decisions(Burke, 2010). The university previously operated through a
centralized governing structure become decentralizing about three years ago. The university has
serval operating and standing committees. Some but not all of their committees include;
Academic Council, Academic Freedom & Faculty Ethics Standing Committee
Admissions & Readmissions Advisory Committee, Advisory Committee on Undergraduate
Degree Completion Systems and Advisement, Animal Care Standing Committee
Biosafety and Chemical Safety Standing Committee, Bucky’s Food Pantry Advisory Committee
Disability Issues Standing Committee and ETSU Army ROTC Standing Committee. However,
two of the most important committees are Faculty and Staff senates. These two committees are
very vital to the shared governance model. The university has broken down its mission plan into
measurable goals and each standing committee helps develop the institutions strategic plan.
East Tennessee State University has a very precise mission and vision that is very present
throughout the institution and its operations. This mission and vision statement are very
comprehensive. While the mission and vision are multifaceted statement, the most important part
of it is: PEOPLE come first, are treated with dignity and respect, and are encouraged to achieve
their full potential; RELATIONSHIPS are built on honesty, integrity, and trust; DIVERSITY of
people and thought is respected; EXCELLENCE is achieved through teamwork, leadership,
creativity, and a strong work ethic; EFFICIENCY is achieved through wise use of human and
financial resources; and COMMITMENT to intellectual achievement is embraced(ETSU
Mission, Vision, Values, n.d.). One can tell by the level of service and contacts that you make at
this institution that the mission and vision is embedded in every single area and domain at East
Tennessee State University.
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The biggest challenges faced by East Tennessee State University are enrollment and
student success. To the first challenge, enrollment. Enrollment is the biggest concern for most
higher education institutions(Barr & Turner, 2013). The budget formula and financial process are
dependent on student enrollment. The intuition’s general operation budget relies heavily on
student tuition as revenue and state appropriations. With the changing enrollment landscape, the
institution could lose budget dollars as students choose to go elsewhere. One of largest reasons
the institution sees declining enrollment is because of Tennessee Promise. Tennessee Promise is
both a scholarship and mentoring program focused on increasing the number of students that
attend college in our state. It provides students a last-dollar scholarship, meaning the scholarship
will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees not covered by the Pell grant, the HOPE
scholarship, or the Tennessee Student Assistance Award (Krause, 2020).
