Meauxmentum

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BACKGROUND

The Louisiana Board of Regents Meauxmentum Year Project

The Louisiana Board of Regents requires all state higher education institutions to design and implement strategies aligning with The Meauxmentum Approach, an “evidence-based framework demonstrated to significantly improve student success and close equity gaps across all types of universities and colleges in multiple states,” to help achieve the Louisiana Master Plan for Higher Education’s goal to double the number of students who complete a higher education credential by 2030.

2023 Meauxmentum Summit

The LA Board of Regents held a summit in the spring of 2023 for teams from every state higher education institution to accomplish several goals, including the following:

• Create a clear, shared understanding of the Meauxmentum Framework.
• Identify existing institutional strategies that align with the framework.
• Identify gaps where there are minimal or no existing strategies aligned to the Meauxmentum Framework.

• Identify other faculty and staff who should be involved in Meauxmentum planning and what role they should play.
  
  

ULM Meauxmentum Summit Team:

• President Ron Berry
• Vice-President for Academic Affairs/Provost Mark Arant
• Vice-President for Student Affairs Valerie Fields
• Vice-President for Business Affairs Bill Graves
• Director of Assessment and Evaluation Allison Thompson
• Faculty Representative Dr. Janelle McDaniels
• Student Representative Raquelle Franklin

 

Link to LA BOR Meauxmentum Framework

Link to Master Plan

 

ULM Meauxmentum Framework

ULM’s Meauxmentum Framework applies a design framework combining three foundational strands and four structural threads.

The foundational strands, Equity, Resources, and Learning Mindsets are critical to ensuring all students are afforded the opportunity and environment they need to thrive. The structural threads, student Choices, academic and co-curricular Pathways, Milestones, and student Engagement represent areas where institutional policy and processes can drive student success.

Teams of campus leaders will be managing efforts in each of the structural thread areas, with the foundational strands at the forefront of their discussions, to implement strategies at ULM to advance student success.

 

Choice Thread

Provost Mark Arant

Vice President Lisa Miller

Student Representative Raquelle Franklin

 

Pathways Thread

Vice President Michael Camille

Vice President Valerie Fields

 

Milestones Strand

Dean John Pratte

Faculty Representative Janelle McDaniel

 

Engagement Strand

Vice President Valerie Fields

Vice President Michael Camille

Student Representative Raquelle Franklin

 

ULM Meauxmentum Plan

Universities that implement momentum year projects typically aim to help more students accomplish three things in their first year:

• complete 1^st English and 1^st Math courses
• complete at least 3 courses in the student’s academic area of focus
• complete 30 credit hours overall

Students who accomplish this are retained and graduate at higher rates; additionally, they graduate faster and with less debt.

ULM Meauxmentum Strands within each Thread are designed to encourage and support students in achieving these milestones. Here are a few examples of Threads in progress to assist students:

 

Choice Thread: Enrollment Management staff are analyzing the use and effectiveness of MyMajors in assisting students in making the best major choice.

Pathways Thread: Academic Affairs is convening faculty to develop Academic Areas of Focus that advisors can use to ensure students take courses related to what they want to study in addition to core courses.

Milestones Thread: The Deans Council is reviewing academic policies to eliminate barriers to student progression.

Engagement Thread: Student Affairs and Information Services and Student Success are reviewing a variety of first year experiences and services to determine how to best engage and support first year students through existing and new activities and programs.