In the photo above, a group of Northwest students study for final exams at the B.D. Owens Library in. As a result of the University's student success initiatives, 美国州立学院和大学协会宣布威尼斯人在线获得其卓越和创新奖之一. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

For the fourth time in five years, 美国州立学院和大学协会(AASCU)授予威尼斯人在线卓越和创新奖, honoring the institution this year for its focus on student success.

AASCU在学生成功和大学完成方面的卓越和创新奖授予那些在学生成功和大学完成方面取得重大进步的机构. While the award focuses on year-to-year retention and graduation rates, AASCU选择威尼斯人在线获得该奖项，因为它的杰出成果和影响其他机构的潜力，并成为其他机构的榜样.

The recognition reflects, in part, 威尼斯人在线在18个月的时间内完成了这项工作，以实施一项重新构想的学生成功计划，提高学生的卓越表现. The new academic success and retention unit, led by Allison Hoffmann, who serves as director of academic success and retention, brought together areas of academic advisement and success coaching; academic recovery; academic support, including tutoring and supplemental instruction; new student orientation; first-year experience and retention support.

“As with all awards, 在学生成功的名义下，如此令人难以置信的工作归功于许多人,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “This is truly an institutional effort. Our efforts in implementing the integrated model cut across teams and individuals, and we are thankful for our institutional ethos focused on student success. At our core, we have focused on student success throughout our history, and we are continuing to build, 调整和完善威尼斯人在线的方法，通过合作伙伴关系来满足不断变化的学习者需求, the great work of our faculty and staff and other stakeholders.”

Quickly after creating its academic success and retention unit in July 2017, Northwest’s fall-to-fall retention increased to 73.24 percent, a two percent increase over the previous three-year average. Last fall, one full academic year after the unit’s implementation, the University’s retention increased to a record 77.97 percent, 7%的显著增长，在全国同类院校中也排在第99百分位. Additionally, 威尼斯人在线留校察看和休学的学生人数有所减少, 而在诺埃尔·莱维茨学生满意度调查中，新生的满意度在每个类别中都有所提高.

According to the satisfaction survey results, which is given biennially to freshmen and juniors, 威尼斯人在线78%的新生表示，他们“可能会”或“肯定会”再次入学, compared to 71 percent nationally. 82%的大三学生表示，他们对在威尼斯人在线的经历“满意”或“非常满意”, compared to 71 percent nationally.

Additionally, 威尼斯人在线是与AASCU合作验证策略的五所大学之一，AASCU今年启动了一个学生成功中心. 威尼斯人在线和其他被选中的机构正在分享工具和专业知识，因为他们正在完善和验证学生成功中心的产品，目标是将服务扩展到更广泛的AASCU成员.

“这个奖项是威尼斯人在线对学生成功的承诺的真实证明，也证明了威尼斯人在线愿意重新思考威尼斯人在线如何支持和服务学生,” Hoffmann said. “推出一个全面和综合的学生成功模式，除了改变威尼斯人在线在校园为学生成功所做的努力外，还显著提高了学生的保留率和持久性. 特别感谢威尼斯人在线的学术成功和保留团队成员以及威尼斯人在线整个校园社区的敏捷性, flexibility and a continued commitment to student success.”

About the Excellence and Innovation Awards

AASCU卓越与创新奖的获得者将获得一个雕刻雕塑，并于周日获得认可, Oct. 27日，在凤凰城坎比酒店举行的2019年AASCU年会开幕式上.

The Excellence and Innovation awards program, now in its sixth year, 表彰AASCU成员机构在区域和经济发展领域的卓越和创新, student success and college completion, sustainability and sustainable development, teacher education, international education, and leadership development and diversity.

获奖作品必须证明该机构的倡议得到了高层管理部门的支持, connected with its mission and strategic agenda, contributed to significant institutional improvements or programming, was grounded in research, and incorporated best practices.

去年，AASCU授予威尼斯人在线Christa McAuliffe优秀教师教育奖, 2017年为可持续发展和可持续发展，2015年为威尼斯人在线. 威尼斯人在线是美国第三所两次获得麦考利夫奖的大学, having first received it in 2006.

View an AASCU news release announcing its Excellence and Innovation Award winners, here.

AASCU is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of about 400 public colleges, 其成员共享以学习和教学为中心的文化的大学和系统, 对服务不足的学生群体的历史性承诺，以及对促进本地区经济进步和文化发展的研究和创造力的奉献精神.

About Northwest Missouri State University

With an enrollment of more than 7,100 students, Northwest is a coeducational, 主要是住宿的四年制大学，提供广泛的本科和研究生课程，在其玛丽维尔校区以及它的 Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Center and through Northwest Online.

该大学拥有97%的学士学位获得者的就业率，99%的硕士学位获得者在毕业后六个月内找到工作或继续学业, according to the most recent data. 求职网站Zippia将威尼斯人在线评为密苏里州最适合找工作的大学.

威尼斯人在线高度重视以专业为基础的学习，帮助毕业生在职业生涯中有一个快速的开始. 学生们有机会通过在校园里几乎所有学习领域的经历来建立自己的心智, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency.

Furthermore, 它充满活力和多样化的学习社区提供了150多个学生组织, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $7,400 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, 让学生通过国际基准的学生就业计划建立专业技能. 

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit dingtia.volamdolong.com/aboutus/facts/.