Agenda and Resources

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Summit Check-in Opens

Thursday, October 1, 2026  |  10:00-11:30 am  |  Rooms: B/C

Brunch Available

Thursday, October 1, 2026  |  10:30-11:30 am  |  Rooms: B/C

Opening Session

Thursday, October 1, 2026  |  11:30 am-1:15 pm  |  Rooms: B/C

Welcome

Dr. Paul Watson II | President | Kellogg Community College | More Info

Dr. Paul Watson, President of Kellogg Community College and Chair of the MCCA Student Success Committee welcomes you to the 2026 Student Success Summit!

Summit Overview

Erica Orians | Vice President | Michigan Community College Association | More Info

Join us as we kick off the Summit and set the stage for the sessions ahead.

2025-26 Leadership Academy Graduation

Erica Orians | Vice President | Michigan Community College Association | More Info

Join us in celebrating the capstone achievement of our 2025–26 Leadership Academy Fellows as they take the stage to mark their graduation.

Every Piece Plays a Part: Collaborative Activity

Precious Miller | Program Director | Michigan Community College Association | More Info

Work together on a hands-on collaborative challenge that highlights how individual contributions come together to shape shared outcomes.

Keynote Address - College Customer Service: Embracing Student Engagement in the NEW Campus Environment

Andy Masters | Professional Speaker, Advocate & Award-Winning Author | More Info

This critical and timely program illustrates how to apply proven customer service principles at all levels of staff, faculty, and administration—while serving both internal and external customers of the college. Andy illustrates these principles by applying each directly into the college campus environment, using “real-life” examples, role plays, and interactive exercises. Andy presents each program in only his unique and entertaining way, while sharing success stories from many other colleges which have embraced this critical customer service trend. Further, all campus departments will be empowered to embrace continual process improvement to create even better solutions for our students–both “in person” and “online”.

Andy proves that each college campus must “create a transformation from doing a job, to creating a bond with students–one interaction at a time.” He also shares examples from other colleges on how to increase retention rates, graduation rates, student & alumni loyalty–and improve the college reputation–including on social media. Enjoy this timely, interactive, and impactful program which provides critical solutions to help provide all students a “life-changing” service experience on your campus.

Presentation PDF

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Concurrent Sessions: More Essential than Ever

Thursday, October 1, 2026  |  1:30-2:30 pm

Frontier 1 - Align Programs to Good Jobs & Transfer in Major

Room: A1

Chris Baldwin | Senior Fellow | National Center for Inquiry and Improvement | More Info

Katie Giardello Transfer SuccessProject Manager | MiLEAP | More Info

Consider how colleges can strengthen connections between programs, good jobs, and transfer opportunities through interactive discussion facilitated by state and national experts. Participants will examine challenges and promising practices, then identify a role-based action they can take to strengthen pathways for students.

Powerpoint Presentation

Frontier 2 - Active and Experiential Learning

Room: A2

Holly Clendenen | Chief Student Services Officer | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | More Info

Amber Greenway Neher | Director - Student Success and Postsecondary Partnerships | Detroit Drives Degrees | More Info

Dive into approaches that bring learning to life through hands-on, applied, and experiential opportunities across programs. Expert-facilitated discussion and peer learning will help participants consider opportunities to strengthen student learning and identify an action they can advance within their own role.

Powerpoint Presentation

Frontier 3 - Career/College Program Exploration & Planning

Room: A3

Dawayne Kirkman | Senior Vice President - Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, & Regional Locations | Clark State College | More Info

Jeremy Hendges | Executive Director | The Michigan Center for Adult College Success | More Info

Focus on how colleges can help students explore options, make informed choices, and develop clear academic, career, and financial plans. Participants will engage in interactive discussion around common challenges and promising approaches before identifying an action they can take within their role to help students gain early momentum.

Powerpoint Presentation

Frontier 4a – Support for On-time Completion

Room: D

Hana Lahr | Assistant Director of Research and Director of Applied Learning | Community College Research Center | More Info

Zach Evans | Interim Director of Higher Education Innovation | Michigan College Access Network | More Info

Examine how course structures, scheduling, academic supports, and other practices can help students maintain momentum and complete programs on time. Participants will consider common barriers and promising approaches with state and national experts, then identify a role-based action to support more students through completion.

Powerpoint Presentation

Frontier 4b - Affordable Completion Support

Room: Mona Lake

Sarah Whitley | Principal | Sova | More Info

Alisha Cederberg | Administrative Manager, Office of 60 by 30 | State of Michigan | More Info

Consider how financial supports, college practices, and other resources can reduce the cost of earning a credential and help students stay on track. Through expert-facilitated discussion and peer learning, participants will examine opportunities to make completion more affordable and identify an action they can advance within their own role.

Powerpoint Presentation

Frontier 5 - On-ramps from High School

Room: Twin Lake

Sarah Griffin | Researcher | Community College Research Center | More Info

Trish Caldwell | Director of Advising and Coaching | Michigan College Access Network | More Info

Take a closer look at how dual enrollment and other high school-to-college pathways can expand access to career-connected postsecondary opportunities. Through facilitated discussion and peer learning, participants will consider ways to strengthen these on-ramps and identify an action they can take within their role to support stronger transitions to college.

Powerpoint Presentation

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Leadership Academy Student Success Project Showcase

Thursday, October 1, 2026  |  2:45-3:45 pm

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Reception

Thursday, October 1, 2026  |  4:00-5:00 pm  |  Room: Pre-Function Hallway

Connect and unwind with colleagues while enjoying heavy appetizers and refreshing beverages. Take time to visit with Summit sponsors, continue conversations from the day, and be sure to stick around for our raffle and the chance to win some great prizes.

Dinner on Your Own

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Friday, October 2

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Breakfast Available

Friday, October 2, 2026  |  7:45-8:30 am  |  Rooms: B/C

Plenary Session

Friday, October 2, 2026  |  8:30-9:30 am  |  Rooms: B/C

Welcome and Remarks

Dr. John Selmon | President | Muskegon Community College | More Info

Join us as we kick off the second day of the Summit and set the stage for the sessions ahead.

Leadership for Advancing Student Success

Pascale Charlot | Managing Director of the College Excellence Program | The Aspen Institute | More Info

Join Pascale Charlot, Managing Director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, for a plenary session exploring how leaders across all institutional levels can champion student success. This presentation will examine the strategies used by leaders throughout Aspen Prize-winning colleges to implement and sustain institutional reforms that deliver economic mobility for more students and much-needed talent for regional economies. Attendees will have the opportunity to assess their own leadership attributes and how they can impact student success at scale from their role.

Presentation PDF

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Concurrent Sessions I

Friday, October 2, 2026  |  9:45-10:30 am

Every Student on a Plan: Scaling Student Success Through Career, Academic, and Financial Planning

Room: A1

Holly Clendenen | Chief Student Services Officer | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | More Info

What if every student had a clear roadmap from their first interaction with your college through graduation and employment? This session explores how community colleges can implement individual Student Success Plans that connect career goals, academic pathways, financial planning, and holistic support into a student-centered framework. Drawing on the experience of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, recipient of the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, participants will learn how integrating success planning into onboarding, advising, and ongoing support can strengthen engagement, improve retention and completion, and help more students achieve family-sustaining careers.

The session will highlight implementation lessons, organizational change strategies, and approaches for scaling success planning across the institution. Attendees will learn practical strategies for implementing Student Success Plans and creating a seamless student experience through proactive advising and collaboration among enrollment, advising, financial aid, and academic teams, as well as leave with actionable ideas for designing or strengthening Student Success Plans that create clearer pathways, improve advising effectiveness, increase persistence and graduation rates, and help more learners connect their education to careers.

Creating Belonging, Building Persistence: A Holistic Support Model for Adult Learner Success

Room: A2

Andrew Custer | Adult Student Advocate | Mott Community College | More Info

Dr. Tya Frelix | Project Director, Adult Student Success Center | Mott Community College | More Info

Felicia Cobbin | Adult Student Advocate | Mott Community College | More Info

Adult learners often balance multiple responsibilities while pursuing higher education, including careers, families, financial obligations, and personal challenges. Traditional student support models frequently fail to address the unique needs of this population, resulting in lower persistence and completion rates. This session explores how the Adult Student Success Center (ASSC) at Mott Community College developed a holistic, student-centered support model that fosters belonging, increases engagement, and promotes persistence among adult learners. Participants will learn practical strategies for creating intentional support structures, leveraging data-informed interventions, and building campus partnerships that contribute to student success.

Presentation PDF

From the Wild West to a Student Success Ecosystem: Building Stronger K–12 and Dual Enrollment Pathways

Room: A3

Mike Baysdell | Director of K-12 Relations | Macomb Community College | More Info

Jennifer Cronkright | Coordinator of Concurrent Enrollment Programs | Mott Community College | More Info

Jim Lundie | Manager of K-12 Relations | Macomb Community College | More Info

Learn how one determined K-12 Relations Department persevered to increase Dual Enrollment in two years by 140%--and by 500% in economically disadvantaged districts. You’ll also learn how to execute specific enrollment strategies, staff your office, build robust relationships with partners, advise students, and leverage technology to save time and labor.

Presentation PDF

Changing Culture and Curriculum in Community Colleges: Sharing NMC's Success in Promoting Experiential Learning Campus-Wide

Room: D

Brandon Everest | Sociology Professor and Experiential Learning Inst. Co-Director | Northwestern Michigan College | More Info

Kristy McDonald | Business Professor and Experiential Learning Inst. Co-Director | Northwestern Michigan College | More Info

NMC has been involved in a ten-year, faculty-led effort to infuse experiential learning and durable skills across our campuses and curricula. In this workshop, NMC faculty will share struggles and successes in taking an innovative idea through to institutional and cultural change. The presentation will include highlights like the importance to student reflection and the connection of learning to career and life-readiness, faculty engagement, curriculum mapping and assessment, program supports and long-term funding and the development of a durable skills credential.

One Framework, Multiple Perspectives: Amplifying Student Success through Shared Principles for Inclusive Practice

Room: Mona Lake

Amy E. Lyn, PhD | Executive Dir. Of Teaching, Learning, and Distance Ed. | Grand Rapids Community College | More Info

Garry Brand | Professor | Grand Rapids Community College | More Info

Melissa Ware | Program Director for the Center for Counseling and Well-Being | Grand Rapids Community College | More Info

Justin Vogelar | Educational Technologist | Grand Rapids Community College | More Info

Evan Macklin | Faculty Advisor | Grand Rapids Community College | More Info

While classroom teachers, counselors, librarians, and advisors serve distinct functions, they share a foundational mission: fostering equity, belonging, and academic momentum. This panel presentation brings together diverse faculty and staff roles from Grand Rapids Community College to describe how they modernized and are operationalizing a shared evidence-based framework: The Good Practices for Inclusive Teaching and Learning. Our panel will offer honest insights into our journey toward deeper professional development and collaboration, obstacles we have encountered, and strategies we have used to build momentum and foster a culture of growth.

Presentation PDF

Reverse Transfer Roundtable

Room: Twin Lake

John Meldrum | Director of Records and Registration | Macomb Community College | More Info

Dr. Carrie Jeffers | VP of Student Services | Macomb Community College | More Info

As part of Finish Forward, institutions across Michigan have begun joining the National Student Clearinghouse’s reverse transfer solution. Come and discuss your institution’s progress, shared best practices, and how it is going thus far!

Beyond Transactions: Executive Leadership for Transformational Reform

Room: Muskegon Lake

Pascale Charlot | Managing Director of the College Excellence Program | The Aspen Institute | More Info

Join Pascale Charlot, Managing Director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, to explore how executive leaders build and manage effective teams to drive institutional reform. Drawing on insights from senior leaders at Aspen Prize-winning colleges, this session explores how to shift from traditional to transformational leadership. Through guided self-reflection and discussion, attendees will assess their own leadership attributes and leave with actionable strategies to lead high-impact teams for student success reform.

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Concurrent Sessions II

Friday, October 2, 2026  |  10:45-11:30 am

Supporting Students Through a Coordinated Care Model

Room: A1

Emily Merten | Assoc. Dir. Of Student Success | Muskegon Community College | More Info

Dr. Steve Sanocki | Director of Student Success | Muskegon Community College | More Info

Helena Kore | Student Success Manager | Muskegon Community College | More Info

Alicia Goll | Student Success Navigation Project and Success Coach Manager | Muskegon Community College | More Info

Dr. Sarah Whitley | Principal | Sova Solutions | More Info

In this session, participants will learn about Muskegon Community College's journey to establish a Student Success department that supports students through community and campus programs, services, and resources. We will highlight how our department collaboratively functions to proactively identify students and connect them with campus-wide specialized resources (Veterans, Adults, DSS, Essential Needs, Student Life, Academic Support, Counseling, Faculty, Coaches).

Complementing this institutional case study, Dr. Sarah Whitley of Sova will provide a national perspective on student success and basic needs efforts occurring across higher education. Drawing from national research and trends, she will highlight how colleges and universities are addressing barriers to persistence through integrated support models, cross-campus collaboration, and data-informed strategies that promote student well-being and success.

Together, we will share insights from what we've learned, including our mistakes, our experiments, and our success stories, while connecting these lessons to broader national developments in student support. During this interactive session, participants will identify what their own Student Success web might look like, develop action steps for moving toward their goals, and network with like-minded individuals seeking to strengthen student success ecosystems on their campuses."

Presentation DOCX

Student Success Is Everyone's Work: What Michigan Community Colleges Are Learning Together

Room: A2

Trice Batson | Director of Diversity and Inclusion | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | More Info

Jamillya Hardley | Director of the Woodrick Center of Inclusion and Multicultural Affairs | Grand Rapids Community College | More Info

Student success doesn't happen in one office; it happens across an entire institution. Every interaction a student has with faculty, advisors, financial aid, student services, and other campus partners shapes their experience and can influence their success.

In this interactive session, members of the Michigan Community College Connections Council will share collective lessons learned and promising practices from community colleges across Michigan. Rather than highlighting a single institutional model, presenters will explore how colleges are strengthening collaboration, reducing barriers, and embedding student-centered practices into everyday policies, programs, and decision-making.

Participants will engage in discussion with colleagues from community colleges across the state, exchange ideas, and explore practical strategies that can be adapted to institutions of any size. This session is designed for professionals across all areas of the college—including faculty, student services, enrollment, administration, and campus leadership. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for strengthening cross-campus collaboration and advancing student success, regardless of their role.

Presentation [A] PDF

Presentation [B] PDF

Advancing Wage Outcomes For Every Graduate: Using UIA Wage Data to Assess Student Success

Room: A3

Wyl McCully | Market Research Analyst | Lansing Community College | More Info

Matt Fall | Executive Director of Center for Data Science | Lansing Community College | More Info

True student success is a function of what happens to the student after they have left our classrooms. While sources like LightCast and the BLS offer generic data about broader market trends, we can only truly assess how well our programs serve both our students and the local labor market by studying the extent to which training we provide results in a living wage after leaving our institutions.

At Lansing Community College (LCC), we have been working with MCCA and the state of Michigan to access wage data drawn from the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) for the past few years. Our analyses have revealed important trends in how our graduates experience life after graduation and have led to changes in program design, student advising, and our assumptions about labor market data. As a result, we have embraced non-credit approaches, devoted more time to tracking students’ post-completion progress, and held richer discussions about assessing program health.

In this session, we’ll dig into those data and explore the implications for the work we do at community colleges, walk through the necessary steps to gain access to the data, and close with a discussion of what this means for all of us as we commit ourselves to helping students succeed while preparing for a regulatory environment with strict measures holding us all accountable for student wage outcomes.

Presentation PDF

Join Slack Group Discussions

Bridging the Transfer Gap: Connecting Student Advising and Institutional Partnerships

Room: D

Cheryl Garayta | Director of Academic Quality | Lansing Community College

Laura Wise | Program Director, Envision Green | Michigan State University

Erika Espinoza | Transfer Advisor Coordinator, Envision Green | Michigan State University

Erin Luppo | History Faculty and SSH Program Advisor | Lansing Community College

Dr. Jessica Hester | Director of Social Science and Humanities Dept. | Lansing Community College

Dr. Kristin Houck | Instructor of Psych. Program Advisor Social Sciences & Humanities Dept.

Dr. Rebecca Bieberly | Assistant Professor & Lead Faculty, Art History | Lansing Community College

Roughly 80% of community college students express a desire to earn a bachelor's degree, yet only one third transfer. Lansing Community College has addressed this gap through a combination of strategies designed to support transfer students. This presentation highlights three of these strategies: Program Advising, structured institutional partnerships exemplified by the Envision Green collaboration, and a revised First-Year Experience course that integrates career exploration with major and transfer institution selection and serves as a vehicle to facilitate student visits with academic and program advisors.

The Program Advising system implemented within the Social Science and Humanities (SSH) department features two full-time program advisors who also serve as part-time faculty within their own disciplines, and who partner with instructional faculty across SSH programs to provide discipline-specific guidance distinct from general academic advising. This model consists of four mechanisms: targeted advising, a Transfer Pathways Seminar, structured campus visits, and major-specific group advising. We will examine the seminar and the campus visits in detail, as we believe these travel most readily across institutions, and situate the other two strategies within the model. We will also highlight a collaborative initiative between Lansing Community College and Michigan State University, Envision Green, designed to create a seamless transfer experience for students. Attendees will learn how cross-institutional collaboration transformed advising practices within and across both institutions through ongoing dialogue and coordinated student support that reduces barriers throughout the transfer process. We will discuss strategies for increasing course transferability through curriculum alignment, expanding transfer articulation agreements, and developing comprehensive transfer guides that provide students with clear academic pathways. In addition, we will explore how faculty, advisors, and administrators worked together to strengthen communication, build trust across institutions, and create a student-centered transfer culture. Finally, we will explore the use of the First Year Experience course as a vehicle to provide structured career, major, and transfer exploration for all incoming students and as a means to ensure students meet with academic and program advisors as well as raising their awareness of the Envision Green initiative and other institutional partnerships designed to facilitate transfer.

Presentation PDF

Meeting Students Where They Are: Embedded Academic Coaching and the Power of Term-Aligned Support

Room: Mona Lake

Christopher Barry | Dean of Student Services | West Shore Community College

Jared Seymour | Coordinator of Enhanced Academic Support | West Shore Community College

Faith Funk | Lead Academic Coach | West Shore Community College

Mark Kinney | Executive Vice President of Academics and Student Services | West Shore Community College

Dr. Paula Rolim | Associate Professor of English | West Shore Community College

West Shore Community College has redesigned academic support by moving beyond a traditional, student-initiated tutoring model toward embedded academic coaching organized around specific courses and the rhythm of the academic term. Coaches work in partnership with faculty, build shared course context, develop relationships with students, and provide support at predictable points of academic friction rather than waiting for students to seek help after they have begun to disengage.

During the 2025–2026 academic year, embedded coaches completed 1,350 recorded coaching sessions across 100 courses and served 318 students. Students who used academic coaching were retained from fall to winter at a rate of 96.0%, compared with 70.3% among students who did not use coaching. Coaching use was also associated with substantially higher first-year English and mathematics success rates.

This session will describe the design, growth, outcomes, and cross-functional partnerships behind the model. Participants will also learn how the academic term can serve as a practical unit for coordinating instruction, advising, academic support, student services, and institutional leadership around recurring student needs."

Presentation PDF

Handout PDF

Leveraging Strategic Institutional Partnerships to Strengthen Student Mental Health: Connecting with Cross-Campus Resources, Digital Mental Health, and External Institutions

Room: Twin Lake

Mira Wang | MPH Doctoral Candidate | University of Michigan School of Public Health | More Info

Amy Rusch | MPH, Doctoral Candidate | University of Michigan School of Public Health | More Info

Karry Kiste-Toner | MA, LPC, Dean of Student Success | Delta College | More Info

Erica Robb | MA, LPC, Director of Student Support | Delta College | More Info

Student mental health is a critical driver of student success, persistence, and retention, yet many Michigan community colleges face significant resource constraints in meeting students' growing mental health needs. This presentation explores how strategic institutional partnerships can expand colleges' capacity to provide meaningful mental health support without requiring substantial new resources.

Presenters will highlight practical partnership models implemented at Delta College and evidence-based recommendations and implementation guidance from the Mental Health Improvement through Community Colleges (MHICC) Initiative, which partners with Michigan community colleges to collect data and expand capacity for student mental health services. Attendees will learn how partnerships across campus and within the community can strengthen mental health supports, enhance student success efforts, and create sustainable approaches tailored to their institutional context.

Participants will leave with actionable, scalable strategies for developing and strengthening partnerships, and resources to support implementation on their own campuses.

Presentation PDF

Student Success Through Shared Responsibility: Internal Systems & External Partners

Room: Muskegon Lake

Claire Wittlieff | Academic Advisor & Disability Services Team Member | West Shore Community College

Adriza Caesar, Ph.D, LPC, CRC, | Assisted Learning Services Counselor | Henry Ford College | More Info

Attend this session to learn how disability services and campus partnerships reduce fragmentation and clarify pathways through shared internal systems and external partnerships. Using strategies and student success stories, we highlight how 2-year colleges can proactively contribute towards student success and enhance outcomes across every role and office.

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Concurrent Sessions III

Friday, October 2, 2026  |  11:45-12:30 pm

Beyond the Pantry: Reimagining Basic Needs Support Through Learning, Belonging, and Campus Collaboration

Room: A1

Kristina Marshall | Director of Institutional Standards and Practices | Oakland Community College | More Info

Shawna Boomgaard, EdD, EdS, LMSW, CCTP-II; | Social Work/Mental Health faculty | Oakland Community College | More Info

Kelli Marks, PhD, LMSW | Faculty Chair of Social Work/Mental Health | Oakland Community College | More Info

This session highlights how OCC is transforming The Nest Student Food Pantry from a traditional food distribution model into a student-centered hub that combines basic essentials support with learning and engagement. Presented collaboratively by the Director of Institutional Standards and Practice and OCC faculty, the session will demonstrate how partnerships between academic and student support areas can expand the impact of basic essentials initiatives. Through initiatives such as the Learning Lab, Lessons from the Nest, faculty-led programming, and culturally responsive food offerings, The Nest has evolved into a space where students gain practical life skills, increase awareness of campus and community resources, and strengthen their connection to the college.

Presenters will share strategies for reducing stigma, integrating educational opportunities into basic essentials services, and building meaningful partnerships across campus. Participants will learn how collaboration between faculty, institutional leaders, and community partners can create a more holistic approach to supporting student engagement, retention, and success. This session will provide practical ideas, implementation strategies, and adaptable resources to create welcoming spaces that address basic essentials while fostering learning, belonging, and student success.

From Silos to Seamless: Building a Connected Student Experience Through the Student Life Cycle

Room: A2

Michelle Nelson, Ph.D. | Dean of Students | Macomb Community College | More Info

Aimee Adamski | Registrar, Director of Enrollment Services | Macomb Community College

As part of Macomb Community College's strategic plan and participation in the Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3), the College undertook a comprehensive effort to redesign how students experience support from enrollment through completion. Guided by the Student Life Cycle framework of Activate, Start, Stay, and Succeed, Macomb aligned New Student Orientation (NSO), First Year Experience (FYE), Counseling and Advising, and Coordinated Care initiatives to create a more connected and student-centered experience.

While many institutions focus on improving individual services, Macomb's approach centers on redesigning how services work together. Student onboarding, advising, support services, and engagement efforts were intentionally connected through shared frameworks, common goals, cross-functional collaboration, and proactive support strategies. The result is an emerging student support ecosystem designed to deliver the right information, resources, and interventions at the right time throughout the student journey.

This session focuses on the transformation process rather than outcomes. Presenters will share lessons learned, implementation challenges, and strategies used to build institutional alignment and shared responsibility for student success. Participants will leave with practical ideas for organizing support around the student journey, strengthening collaboration across departments, and creating a more student-ready institution regardless of size, staffing, or available resources.

Presentation PDF

Making Invisible Outcomes Visible: Documenting Career Success Beyond Traditional Wage Data

Room: A3

Dr. Angela Resseguie | Director Communication Media and the Arts | Lansing Community College | More Info

Community colleges are increasingly asked to prove program value using narrow earnings metrics that often undercount how students in arts, design, interpreting, and world languages actually work and earn. Many graduates build careers through transfer, freelance and gig work, project-based contracts, and portfolio income that do not show up cleanly in wage-record data. This session presents a practical, replicable framework for making those “invisible” outcomes visible.

Drawing on work from Communication, Media, and the Arts programs, the session will walk participants through five key components: designing graduate and stopped‑out student surveys that capture multiple income streams and transfer outcomes; structuring a regional market audit to document real employer demand (venues, agencies, galleries, contractors); organizing data in ways that speak to both accountability requirements and internal program review; and incorporating research on non‑wage outcomes such as critical thinking, civic engagement, and pathway momentum. Participants will engage in short reflective and small‑group activities to identify one or two programs on their own campus where official data may be incomplete, then outline first steps toward building a more complete outcomes story. Attendees will leave with adaptable tools, sample data categories, and a planning template they can customize to their institution.

From Insight to Action: Using Data and Navigation to Advance Adult Learner Success

Room: D

Denise Brown | Michigan Reconnect Navigator | Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential | More Info

Alicia Goll | Student Success Coach and Project Manager | Muskegon Community College | More Info

Jeremy Hendges | Executive Director | Michigan Center for Adult College Success | More Info

Shirl Martin | Student Navigator | Northwestern Michigan College | More Info

Supporting adult learners requires both an understanding of who they are and an institutional approach designed around their needs. This session brings together statewide research on Michigan’s adult learners with practical insights from those supporting adult students on the ground. Presenters will explore trends in persistence, outcomes, and barriers to completion, along with strategies colleges are using to strengthen navigation, cross-office collaboration, and connections to resources. Participants will leave with research-informed and practical approaches for creating a more connected experience for adult learners.

Presentation PPT

Breaking Down Silos leveraging SNAP E&T

Room: Mona Lake

Sam Frizzell | Adult Student Success Coach | Bay de Noc Community College | More Info

Staci Gates | Departmental Specialist | Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity–Workforce Development

Discover how Bay College leveraged the SNAP Food Assistance Employment and Training (FAE&T) program to build a collaborative support model that connects state agencies, workforce partners, and campus departments around a shared goal, student success. Learn how partnerships with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity–Workforce Development (LEO-WD), Upper Peninsula Michigan Works!, and cross-functional college teams helped streamline services, reduce barriers, and create a more coordinated experience for students. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for developing collaborative partnerships that improve student outcomes and support workforce pathways.

Presentation PPT

Summit Adjourns

12:30 pm

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