Higher Learning Commission

As a small Catholic institution noted for its diverse student body, Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, aims to prepare those who might not otherwise go to college achieve their dreams. 

Founded nearly 75 years ago as a beacon of hope for immigrants living largely in the city’s inner core, Donnelly College continues today to serve largely urban, first generation and minority students.  

Its leaders know many in the student body face hurdles. What they didn’t understand until they joined HLC’s Student Success Academy in 2021 was the complexity of those hurdles – and the precision in problem-solving it would take – to devise ways for students to stay the course for future success. 

“One of the goals of HLC’s Student Success Academy is to give colleges and universities some tools they can use to achieve positive outcomes,” said HLC’s President Barbara Gellman-Danley. 

More than 25 institutions have graduated from the Academy since it began in 2018. HLC works closely with institutions in the program as they identify students’ traits and needs, inspiring reflection about improvements that can benefit student engagement and success.

“We struggled at first to find the data we would need and it was a heavy lift,” said Richard Esvang, associate professor of liberal arts and sciences and a member, and later leader, of the Donnelly team that completed HLC’s Student Success Academy in April. 

Esvang still recalls one of the Academy’s scholars, whom he called a ‘rock star,’ asking early on “Where does the data live?” It inspired team members to visit multiple community members and college departments in order to find answers to that question. 

The group of administrators and faculty from across college operations and disciplines met at first every day. Sessions began with laptops open to spreadsheets full of data and ended with homework assignments for all.  

What the team found in its data search defines today’s Donnelly student: 72% are African American or Hispanic, 70% are the first generation in their families to go to college, and 64% still live in Kansas City’s urban core. 

Academy mentors further taught the group how to conduct and interpret surveys measuring success and failure of the student experience. For instance, the group found its orientation session wasn’t working as it could. It also discovered that some students were hungry, some needed childcare and mental health services, while others couldn’t afford books.  

“One of the great things about the Student Success Academy is the impact it has had on our collective thinking,” said Esvang. “We were able to dissect our institution down to its DNA, and as a result, we grew as a group in institutional knowledge that we’ve been able to share with the entire Donnelly community.” 

Some of the steps for student success improvement include:  

• Reorganization and rebranding of the student orientation session, which is now mandatory, with the new name "Dragon Week" in honor of the college’s mascot. 

• Hiring of a contractor who has worked with the institution to devise a registration system folding cost of books into overall fees and enabling students to obtain books before classes start. 

• Creation of new opportunities for parents, particularly those with children who are the first in the family to go to college, to visit Donnelly where they can learn useful information about the college experience. 

• Increased offerings and hours for the college’s food pantry. 

• Development of a proposal that may pave the way for the hiring of a social worker who can assist students in finding childcare, healthcare, transportation and other resources they need for their college journey.  

There are signs that enrollment is growing and student participation in student council and clubs is on the rise, with more students achieving the honor roll and graduating, according to Esvang.  

“There’s a lot more energy on our campus now.  The Student Success Academy experience has helped us to foster engagement, community spirit and momentum as we head into the fall semester,” he said.  

The Donnelly College experience is another example of the importance of mission in shaping quality improvement, added Gellman-Danley. 

“We are excited about what this institution has been able to do and look forward to seeing its continuous progress,” she said. 

Learn more about HLC’s Student Success Academy.

Applications to join the Academy will be accepted in spring 2025.  

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