Update from Provost Paquette Re: UMaine’s Partnership with the National Institute for Student Success

Provost’s Update for the Faculty Senate

(April 15, 2026)

Throughout 2024-2025, UMaine partnered with Georgia State’s National Institute for Student Success (NISS) as part of an eight-member cohort of universities within Maine. This work was made possible by a generous, anonymous gift. NISS has supported more than 130 colleges and universities, spanning 30 states. Through data collection, interviews, and focus groups that included faculty, staff and students, NISS developed a diagnostic summary and student success “playbook,” which is a roadmap designed to improve retention and graduation rates by removing systemic barriers. The Provost’s Office included an update on these developments, and a link to the playbook, in our fall update to faculty.  

With this work as a foundation, we are now turning our focus toward implementation, thinking carefully about how to translate these recommendations into action in ways that best support our students at UMaine and UMaine Machias. This phase of the work is intentionally collaborative. The strength of UMaine’s approach will depend on meaningful faculty and staff engagement, shared governance, and our collective commitment to improving the student experience. 

I would like to provide a few updates concerning this phase of the work:

• We are excited to continue into the implementation phase, which includes coaching meetings with NISS and customizing the recommendations for UMaine and UMaine Machias.  As part of this work, we are establishing four standing councils focused on: First-year experience, Academic Advising, Student Success Data, and Student Communications.  For each council, small implementation groups have been formed and are being led initially by a combination of staff and administrative leaders. These groups have already begun meeting and have developed initial draft charges to guide their work. We are still in the process of forming the corresponding councils, preparing background material, and refining the charges while we continue to participate in NISS webinars and coaching meetings. 
• We will be inviting faculty to both serve on and engage with these councils. While we will work through the Faculty Senate as a primary avenue for representation, we will also seek participation from others who are deeply engaged in student success efforts across the institution. The composition of each council will be finalized and shared in the coming months. Faculty voice and partnership will be central to this work, particularly as we move from recommendation to implementation.
• The leads for this work are Senior Associate Provost Scott Marzilli, Executive Dean of the Maine Business School Jason Harkins, and Associate Provost Deb Allen. Please feel free to reach out to Scott, Jason, or Deb with any questions.

I am grateful for your continued partnership and look forward to working together to advance student success in ways that are both impactful and aligned with our identity as a learner-centered, R1 university.