Author: Dustin Grabsch

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Office of General Education

Engage Dallas Book Club registration now open

As a key partner office to Engage Dallas, the Office of General Education would like to amplify a professional development opportunity for faculty and staff.

We are excited to invite you to participate in our next Engage Dallas Book Club, hosted in collaboration with the SMU Budd Center. This spring our featured book is How to Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.

“Ibram X. Kendi’s concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America–but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Instead of working with the policies and system we have in place, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it.”

Grab your lunch and join us on Zoom as we discuss ways to pursue antiracism in Dallas and how we can recognize and grow through our own biases.

4th Thursday of the Month

12:00-1:30 PM—Virtual
  • February 27, Chapters 1-4
  • March 27, Chapters 5-8
  • April 24, Chapters 9-13
  • May 22, Chapters 14-18

Register by February 14

Categories
SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success

Enhancements made to undergraduate Degree Planner tool in my.SMU

Enhancements have been implemented in Degree Planner, which has resolved several course-sharing issues previously reported by students and academic advisors.

With the launch of Degree Planner 2.0, SMU did not have the option to adjust when course sharing was evaluated. This led most students, especially newer students with several remaining requirements, to see their Common Curriculum requirements grouped together upon opening their plan. In addition, Degree Planner auto-selects courses that it determines would benefit students, particularly those that fulfill multiple Common Curriculum requirements.

With this enhancement, Degree Planner will no longer constantly evaluate course sharing and will only evaluate it once a student selects a course. Requirements will default to appearing individually unless a student specifically selects a course that fulfills multiple. This means the tool operates regarding course sharing in much the same way as Degree Planner 1.0 but with all the speed and improvements of 2.0.

It is possible that Degree Planner may still auto-select courses for individual requirements, but the SMU in Four team has not encountered anything as extreme as what it was doing prior to this enhancement. We also have a continuing issue open with our vendor: reducing the number of times Degree Planner auto-selects courses.

Overall, this is a significant enhancement and has resolved the issue we have received most frequently with the tool.

Thanks go to several team members in the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Information Technology for implementing these enhancements. As a reminder, undergraduate students will be required to submit an updated Degree Plan by Saturday, March 1, according to the Academic Calendar. 

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success

Upcoming SAES Divisional Adoption of Microsoft Teams 

We are writing to share an important update regarding the Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success (SAES). Based on the thoughtful feedback we received through the SAES Training and Development Survey, the division will be moving into a dedicated SAES Microsoft Teams environment. This shift is designed to strengthen communication, streamline collaboration, and support a more connected division-wide experience. Additionally, when myHilltop (SMU-branded Slate for Student Success) is implemented, the default virtual meeting platform will be Microsoft Teams.  

To help everyone prepare for this transition, the committee will host two identical overview workshops on how to use Microsoft Teams. These sessions will focus on using MS Teams activity, chat, and teams areas of the software.   

Training Options: 

  • Session 1: January 5, 2026 | 11:30am – 12:00pm| Microsoft Teams | [RSVP] 
  • Session 2: January 8, 2026 | 3:00pm – 3:30pm | Microsoft Teams | [RSVP]
     

As part of the rollout, all SAES employees will be added to the new Microsoft Teams space, titled 365_SAES, on Friday, January 2. Each SAES Executive Team member will also determine whether their unit or area will have dedicated channels to support their work and communication needs. Therefore, you might be added to additional private channels to support your work.  

To promote transparency, shared learning, and community, the 365_SAES Teams space will include three public channels available to all division members: 

  • General: division-wide announcements and broad communication 
  • Professional Development: articles, workshops, resources, and learning opportunities 
  • Social: social events, celebrations, and other community-building activities 

We look forward to this transition as a meaningful step toward fostering stronger connections within SAES. As we approach June 2026, more sessions will be offered as we prepare for using Microsoft Teams exclusively for meetings, appointments, and other integrations with myHilltop.  

Thank you for your engagement, your feedback, and your continued collaboration. 

Categories
Student Academic Success Programs

Updates to SAES-managed my.SMU Student Groups: Improving Accuracy, Visibility, and Usability

Over the past several months, the Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success (SAES), in collaboration with the Registrar’s Office (RO) and University Decision Support (UDS), has been engaged in a comprehensive review of SAES-managed student groups within the my.SMU student information system.

This audit examined more than 800 student groups to assess accuracy, relevance, and alignment with current business and operational needs. As a result of this review, a number of important updates are being implemented to improve data integrity, employee awareness, and system usability.

What’s Changing?

  • Archiving Inactive and Legacy Groups: Many outdated or inactive student groups were identified during the audit. These groups will be archived to reduce clutter, limit confusion, and support more accurate record keeping.
  • Updated Group Categories: Group category levels were modified to better reflect evolving institutional and operational needs. These changes allow student groups to be organized in a more intentional and functional way.
  • Clear Association of SAES Areas: SAES functional areas (e.g., Student Advising and Academic Success, Undergraduate Education and Academic Success, Honors and Scholars, etc.) are now directly associated with the student groups they manage. These groups will be publicly viewable by employees, making it easier to understand how a student may be connected to an SAES program, initiative, or service.
  • Creation of an Administrative Category: A new administrative group category was established for operationally focused groups, such as:
    • Students who decline program offers
    • Groups used for batch processing
    • Other system- or workflow-driven groupings

These groups will be hidden from most employee views to reduce noise and ensure attention is focused on meaningful student engagement indicators.

Why This Matters

This clean-up and permissions project is designed to:

  • Improve the accuracy and reliability of student group data
  • Better alert employees when a student is connected to an SAES program or initiative
  • Reduce visibility of operational or low-importance groups that do not require broad awareness

Ultimately, these updates support clearer communication, better decision-making, and a more user-friendly experience in my.SMU.

Timeline and Support

These changes will be made official in my.SMU by February 1. If you experience issues related to:

  1. Viewing student groups
  2. Access to add or remove group memberships
  3. Changes in permissions or visibility

Please contact Dustin Grabsch (dgrabsch@smu.edu) for assistance before contacting the OIT Help Desk. This will allow our team to first verify appropriate permissions and ensure the new configurations are working as intended. SAES Executive and Operational Teams will be breifed of the changes later in January ahead of them being applied in my.SMU.

We appreciate your time, attention, and patience as we implement these important updates. Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to improve systems that support our students and colleagues.

Categories
Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success

Office of General Education staff honored with national awards

The Office of General Education has two staff members who were honored with national awards during the fall semester.Brittaney Wilson, General Education and Academic Appeals Coordinator, was selected as a 30 under 40 Sawubona Class Recipient with the American College Personnel Association’s (ACPA) Pan African Network (PAN) within the Coalition on Multicultural Affairs.

This award honors 30 individuals of African heritage in higher education who embody the network’s core values. “Sawubona,” a Zulu greeting, means “I/We see you.” Brittaney will be recognized in the Campus Partnership and Collaboration category at the PAN Open Business meeting in February during the ACPA 25 convention in Long Beach.Melina Padron, Senior Advisor in General Education, was bestowed the NASPA’s NOW Professional Recognition, which recognizes the exceptional contributions of new professionals and graduate students within NASPA. Each year, participants are selected based on NASPA Pillars, Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation, and Inquiry, as well as a fifth category of Impact.

Melina was awarded under the Inquiry area based on her efforts on two original empirical research articles related to university academic testing within the United States.

Congratulations to Brittaney and Melina for their phenomenal contributions to campus partnerships at SMU, which led to these national recognitions.

Categories
Student Success & Retention

Join us for 2023 – 2024 Exit and Leave of Absence Survey Results presentation

SMU students enjoy carnival style games on day three of Perunapalooza, Wednesday, September 9, 2020 on the Main Quadrangle of the SMU Campus.

The Exit and Leave of Absence Surveys are our student-oriented questionnaire that tracks external attrition, whether formal exit or for a Leave of Absence, and supports the SMU in identifying key drivers of student satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and attrition. Student Success and Retention facilitates the collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings to the campus community.

Lisa Miller, Director of Student Success and Retention, and Jay Guillory, Success Coach from the Office of Student Success and Retention, present results from the 2023 – 2024 exit and leave of absence survey results.

Monday, December 16th

10:00 – 11:00 AM

112 Junkins Building

RSVPs are encouraged; walk-ins are welcome. Student Success and Retention can also provide analysis relevant to your division, area, or office. Learn more about this service offering.

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SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success

SMU in Four published year-three progress report and presentation

The SMU in Four team releases the year-three progress report on SMU’s Quality Enhancement Plan.

Updates are provided on early-alert mechanisms, undergraduate academic advising, technology enhancements, and gateway and introductory courses. Student retention, graduation rates, and goals for year three of the five-year initiative are also shared.

Download the SMU in Four Year 3 Progress Report.

In October, a copy of the year-three progress presentation was shared with the SMU community and is also available online. Questions regarding the report or presentation may be directed to smuinfour@smu.edu.

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Student Academic Engagement & Success University Testing Center

Testing returns to normal operations on 11/6

As of 5:00p.m. on Tuesday, November 5, testing has returned to normal operations following a two-day power outage in Clements Hall.

Test takers with scheduled testing appointments should plan to test at the University Testing Center. They are also encouraged to confirm testing appointment dates and times in the UTC Portal.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the University Testing Center staff at universitytestingcenter@smu.edu.

 

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success University Testing Center

Testing rescheduled on 11/4 and 11/5 due to Clements Hall electrical outage

On Monday, November 4, the university received notice from the Office of Facilities Planning & Management that Clements Hall experienced a power outage. Facilities updated the campus community at 6:41am on November 5 that the building will remain closed today.

All testing appointments on Monday, November 4, and Tuesday, November 5, have been rescheduled due to the Clements Hall electrical outage. Test takers and instructors were notified via their university email addresses and provided with individualized instructions from the University Testing Center staff.

Decisions related to November 6 testing appointments will be made by 4pm on November 5. Please check back for updates.

Classes scheduled in Clements Hall have also been relocated.

Please check the University Testing Center website for up-to-date information regarding testing operations as more information becomes available.

Categories
Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention

Join the Addressing Equity: Transfer Student Success and Retention DCII Research Cluster as we read Discredited

Join the Addressing Equity: Transfer Student Success and Retention Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute (DCII) Research Cluster as we read Discredited.

This research cluster addresses equity issues to support transfer student success and retention at SMU. Its focused research and collaborative approach on the Hilltop make these efforts significant.

Join us for our book club preceding the SMU Transfer Summit scheduled for February 14, 2025. In Discredited, education scholars Lauren Schudde and Huriya Jabbar illuminate the successes and failures of the systems that support student transfer among postsecondary institutions. Summarizing the key challenges of various transfer pathways, Schudde and Jabbar show how the current decentralized, bureaucracy-ridden, and often confusing process undermines equity and access in higher education.

To sign up, email Kate Bell-Miller (kebell@smu.edu) and Dustin Grabsch (dgrabsch@smu.edu) and pick up your book from the Transfer & Veteran’s Center located in Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building, Suite 100, on or before November 22.

Upon sign-up, you will receive Outlook calendar invites to the three book club meetings outlined in the flyer above. We look forward to learning with you this year.