student success

Definition

An institutional buzzword encompassing everything from retention to graduation to employment, allowing administrators to claim progress on ill-defined metrics. Academic KPIs disguised as caring about students.

Example Usage

The new Student Success Initiative involved renaming existing services and hiring a director who reported to a committee that reported to another committee.

Origin

Higher education administration terminology popularized in the 2000s

Fun Fact

Every institution defines student success differently, making the term simultaneously ubiquitous and meaningless.

Source: Institutional planning and student affairs

Related Terms

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supremum

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teaching philosophy statement

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course withdrawal

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