Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

2025 Student Success Summit

Transformational Leadership

Feb. 10-11, 2025 | University of Kentucky, Gatton Student Center

The fourteenth annual Kentucky Student Success Summit focused on leadership and how we, as individuals and as campuses, can foster collaboration and innovation between Kentucky's campuses and other sectors.  While inclement weather derailed programming on day 2, those sessions were provided at a later date by webinar format to all registrants. The conference program can be found here and links to the sessions and recordings are provided below. Note: Slides link to their location on the KYSSC Impact Exchange; if you have not already created an account, you may need to do so in order to access. 

Session Materials

OPENING KEYNOTES - Feb 10

  • You are Important to Kentucky's Student Success - Dr. Aaron Thompson, president, CPE 
  • From Seamless Admissions to Seamless Transfer: What's Going on in Louisiana - Dr. Tristan Denley, deputy commissioner for Academic Affairs and Innovation, Louisiana Board of Regents
  • Merging Pathways for Student Success - Dr. Lilly Massa-McKinley, assistant vice president, Kentucky Student Success Collaborative, CPE

Slides-Thompson

Slides-Denley

Slides-McKinley

Recording

CLOSING KEYNOTE - Webinar, Feb 27

  • Transformational Leadership: Being Student Ready to Advance Student Success - Dr. Tia McNair, partner, SOVA

Slides

Toolkit

Recording

BREAKOUT SESSION - Feb 10

  • Dual Enrollment as a College-Going and College Success Strategy - Aurely Garcia Tulloch, senior research assistant, Community College Research Center

Slides

Recording

BREAKOUT SESSION - Feb 10

  • Faculty Mindset Impact on Student Academic Success - Dr. Chris Hulleman, professor at the University of Virginia and director of Motivate Lab

Slides

Recording

BREAKOUT SESSION - Feb 10

  • Impact of Belonging & Basic Needs on Mental Health - Erica Riba, director of Strategic Higher Education Initiatives, The Jed Foundation

Slides

Recording

BREAKOUT SESSION - Feb 10

  • Committing to Quality: for Students, the Economy and Democracy - Dr. Carol Geary Schneider, president emerita of the American Association of Colleges and Universities

Slides

Handout

Recording

CLOSING KEYNOTE - Webinar, Feb 27

  • Transformational Leadership: Being Student Ready to Advance Student Success - Dr. Tia McNair, partner, SOVA

Slides

Toolkit

Recording

BREAKOUT SESSION - Webinar, Feb 28

  • Career Readiness and the Quality Imperative - Dr. Angela Christie, Faculty Director, Georgia State University

Slides

Recording

STUDENT PANEL - Webinar, Mar 3

  • Kentucky College Admissions: A Student Voice Panel - Moderated by Lena Blackstock, Partner and Managing Director, Process/Practice Studio with panelists from four Kentucky high schools 

Slides

Recording

BREAKOUT SESSION - Webinar, Mar 4

  • Fostering Transfer Student Success: Building Belonging on Campus - Dr. Dawn Offutt, Executive Director of Access,Engagement & Belonging,CPE; Stephanie Cheung Associate Director for Transfer Strategy, KYSSC/CPE; and a panel of college students moderated by Darryl Parker, KYSSC Graduate Fellow

Slides

Recording

AWARDS CEREMONY - Feb 10

  • Celebrating Kentucky's Transformational Leaders - Awards were presented to six campuses for advancing CPE’s strategic priorities and engaging with other postsecondary partners to share lessons learned.

Campus Partners

Awardees

Closing

News Release

Recording

REMAINING -- Day 2 Session Make-up Dates

Each session will have a separate registration link and they are listed in make-up date order.  (Note: You must register for each session if you want to attend; your registration for the Summit does not automatically register you.)  

Session Date (ET)   Links

Creating Systems of Support through Basic Needs Strategies for Adult and Parenting Students (Continue the Path)

Adult and parenting students face numerous challenges on their path to success. This session, led by One Parent Scholar House, will highlight holistic solutions and comprehensive support systems that can transform the lives of adult and parenting students. Panelists will focus on their strategies for improving retention, increasing credential attainment, and driving meaningful change through topics like proactive advising, wrap-around services, and community partnerships.

3/26/25

3 p.m.

Register here

Dual Credit & Gateway Course Success (Chart the Path)

Dual credit courses offer high school students a chance to earn college credit, but how do they affect success in critical gateway courses? This thought-provoking session, featuring experts on data analysis, policy and practice, explores that link through data, and strategies. Attendees will learn how these pathways impact student readiness and success, with practical takeaways for curriculum design and institutional policy.   (Note: Date of this webinar was updated on 2/26)

3/27/25

4 p.m.

Register here

Event Information

If you have any questions regarding the event, please email heather.faesy@ky.gov.

Last Updated: 3/4/2025