Transforming student success by redesigning the systems that support it

Higher education teams are stretched. Advisors, coaches and student-facing staff are navigating higher caseloads, more complex challenges and institutional systems that weren’t designed for today’s learners. The result? Students fall through the cracks, not because people don’t care, but because systems get in the way.

Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation faced these same challenges. Using the Principled Innovation® framework, the college’s student success teams redesigned advising structures, clarified workflows and created a coordinated care model that has strengthened student connections and contributed to persistence rates above the national average.

Now, this approach is available to institutions everywhere through a new online course on the ASU Professoinal Educator Learning Hub called Reflective Practice for Student Success in Higher Education. In this Q&A, MLFC’s Executive Director of Academic and Career Services Erica Mitchell explains how taking the course is about saving time, not adding to workload, as it allows teams to untangle ineffective processes and focus on what they do best — supporting students.  

Q1) How does this course support the work of student-facing personnel?

This course starts with a simple idea: Real change happens when everyone in a system sees themselves as leaders in their domain. If your work touches students, whether through advising, coaching, success programs, student affairs or policy, this course gives you tools to diagnose where systems unintentionally create barriers and to improve collaboration across departments. It also helps to strengthen your decision-making through a values-centered lens, and to build structures that reduce confusion, duplication and burnout. Teams learn how to turn reflection into coordinated action, leading to smoother workflows and more consistent support for students.

Q2) What is Principled Innovation and how does it apply to this course?

Principled Innovation® asserts that innovation without character is incomplete. It emphasizes integrity, compassion, integrity and long-term thinking. Instead of “fixing problems fast,” the framework helps individuals and teams understand how identity, beliefs and assumptions shape decisions and how to create solutions that reflect the values of the institution. Every college is different. This course doesn’t tell you what to do; it helps you build the right solutions for your environment.

Q3) What was the process like for your student success teams?

The reflective process clarified what was hindering student success. As a result, our team re-examined outdated policies and then built a holistic support model for students with a focus on academic, financial, wellness and career. We transitioned from individual caseloads to team-based advising, and we created an SOS system to keep students from falling through gaps. Principled Innovation® shifted from a framework to a lived practice, one that reshaped how we operate and serve learners. This course walks participants through that same journey so they can replicate what works and adapt it to their own distinct context.

Q4) How will this help me become more effective in my daily work?

You will learn to approach daily challenges with more clarity, intention and confidence. Through case studies and guided reflection, you’ll practice advocating for students when policy feels restrictive, and balancing institutional requirements with compassion. You will engage with colleagues in shared problem-solving, and discover ways to turn friction into collaborative redesign. We especially encourage units to enroll as cohorts, as shared learning accelerates implementation and builds team alignment.

Q5) How do you measure impact?
We measure impact not only through retention and graduation rates, but through how systems now collaborate to support whole students. The outcomes speak for themselves: More consistent student connections, faster resolution of challenges, reduced staff confusion and burnout, and a coordinated pathway that keeps students on track. Our implementation has contributed to the college’s fall-to-spring persistence rate exceeding 90% for full-time, first-year students, which is well above national averages. 

 Q6)  How is this making a difference in students’ day-to-day lives? 

Imagine a student completing a full semester course load and internship while juggling work, family responsibilities and unexpected financial emergencies. Before redesigning our systems, a setback like a car breaking down could derail their graduation. Now, through coordinated care, our teams in financial aid, advising and wellness are prepared to collaborate instantly: Emergency funds are aligned, cost-of-attendance adjustments are made and students receive the wraparound support needed to stay enrolled. That’s the power of principled advising and exactly what this course makes possible for your institution.

Sign up now: Reflective Practice for Student Success in Higher Education

If your team is overwhelmed, understaffed or stretched by rising student needs, this course will save you time and improve coordination and strengthen student outcomes. Enroll today or reach out to learn about facilitated cohort options for your department or institution.