SSTAR Lab Insights

Edition #1 | September 2025

Welcome to our inaugural edition of SSTAR Lab Insights: Research in Action! This new publication provides highlights about interesting research and best practices in higher education, while including actionable steps you can take to apply research to your everyday work. We aim to appeal to a diverse audience and intend to cover a variety of topics with relevance across our different units, roles, and levels of expertise. You can expect topics to range from building foundational knowledge, reinforcing existing practices, or introducing novel ideas to bring innovation to our work. We invite you to explore this new resource with curiosity and see how SSTAR Lab can help you turn research into action!

Featured Study

Rust, M. M., & Willey, A. E. (2024). Defining and institutionalizing proactive advising: Insights from a national survey. NACADA Journal, 44(2), 83-109. https://doi.org/10.12930/NACADA-23-11

Quick Take: Proactive, advisor-initiated outreach is widely recognized as an effective advising technique to promote students' success, but it can be even more effective when adopted as an institutional strategy. This study recommends engaging in coordinated, multilevel efforts to define and embed proactive approaches to enhance services for students.

Deeper Dive

Why this matters for all higher ed professionals.

• Defining the Work: Proactive outreach involves intentional and individualized communication with students. It aims to anticipate and respond to potential barriers to students' success. It also serves to establish meaningful connections between students and trusted campus professionals and can lead to improved outcomes. 
• It Takes a Team: Broad implementation of proactive strategies requires collaboration and coordination across academic advisors, administrators, and campus leaders to define their proactive approaches and identify shared goals.
• Making Data-Informed Decisions: Leveraging data is important to identify students in need of additional support, respond to early alerts with targeted outreach, evaluate our interventions, and guide resource allocation to support staff training and development.

 

Try This

How to apply this framework, no matter your role.

Proactive Strategies Inventory: A good researcher needs to gather evidence first! Use this quick inventory to reflect on how well you (or your department) proactively support students. Rate each item from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).

Outreach & Communication

• Do we reach out before students ask for help?
• Are reminders sent ahead of key deadlines?
• Do we follow up with unresponsive or higher need students?

Student Engagement

• Are we building ongoing relationships, not just transactional ones?
• Do we recognize and act on early alerts (e.g., missed classes, disengagement in advising meetings, no advising)?
• Are we informing students of all their options? Are we working with them to establish and reevaluate their academic goals? 

Data & Research

• Are we using data to identify and support students who may be in need of additional support?
• Do we have systems in place to monitor student progress and engagement?
• Are we staying informed and up to date with ongoing trends in higher education and using them to inform our practice? 

Continuous Improvement

• Do we reflect on and improve our practices regularly?
• Is proactive outreach a team and leadership priority?
• Are we taking student feedback into consideration when reflecting on and improving our practices?

How did you score?

• What are your top three strengths in proactive strategies?
• What are your top three areas for growth?

 

Featured Research Partner

Marina Fandaros, PhD 

Assistant Director for Undergraduate Research Engagement
URECA (Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities)

Marina participated as the inaugural SSTAR Lab Innovation Fellow in Summer 2025. During this time, Marina focused on exploring the impact of undergraduate students' knowledge capital in obtaining research in the humanities and social sciences.

"This summer in SSTAR I explored potential factors underlying the success of our first-year humanities research assistantships which paired first-year students with faculty mentors on research projects. I proposed that the structure of the program could be related to the students' success by lowering traditional research capital barriers, key knowledge about the process, to engage first-year students who may not have experience through email outreach and a simple application process. 

As the central hub for undergraduate research on campus, we want to support and engage as wide a population as possible. Making informed and actionable decisions when structuring our programs is key to lowering barriers to engagement and having this high-impact experience continue to thrive. I want to thank SSTAR for this opportunity to zoom out and evaluate the program from this perspective."  - Marina Fandaros, PhD

Research Roundup

Want to learn more about this topic? Here's what we've been reading...

• "It’s Time to Disrupt Your Approach to Advising" (Advice) by Jonikka Charlton - The Chronicle of Higher Education | 6 minute read
• "ACCESS: A Framework for Student Success" (Opinion) by Laura J. Jacobsen - Inside Higher Education | 6 minute read
• "Proactive Advising Practice Guide: How Advisors Can Support At-Promise Student Success with Proactive Advising Strategies" by USC Pullias Center for Higher Education | 15 minute read

Edition #2 | October 2025

Welcome to our second edition of SSTAR Lab Insights: Research in Action! This edition takes us “into the archives” to explore one of the foundational frameworks on student retention often referenced in higher education research and literature. We hope this serves as an introduction to the theory for some and a refresher for others who may be familiar with the work of Vincent Tinto.

Featured Study

Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89-125.

Quick Take: One of the most influential frameworks in higher education, Vincent Tinto’s theory of retention posits that student persistence is strongly tied to their academic and social integration into the institution. According to the model:

• Students who feel academically connected and socially integrated are more likely to persist and graduate.
• The model emphasizes the importance of institutional commitment and how well the university creates an environment that supports student success.

This theory laid the groundwork for many institutional practices like learning communities, early alert systems, and student support initiatives to promote retention.

Deeper Dive

Why this matters for all higher ed professionals:

According to this model, a student’s decision to persist at their university is influenced by the extent to which they are socially and intellectually integrated into the campus community. As students engage with the academic and social components of their college experience over time, their goals and institutional commitment are either strengthened or diminished. Academic and social integration can occur in both formal and informal ways:

• Students’ engagement in the learning process
• Receiving feedback on academic performance / earning grades
• Interactions with faculty when attending office hours
• Interactions with staff during advising meetings or while navigating campus resources
• Participation in official university activities such as clubs or co-curriculars
• Peer group interactions at campus events or in residence halls 

Ultimately, institutions can capitalize on opportunities to promote positive social and academic experiences for students. We as higher education professionals should consider the degree to which these formal and informal interactions occur and students’ perceived quality of these relationships. Fortunately, we can encourage students to build relationships with their peers, faculty, and staff to increase their sense of belonging and foster meaningful academic interactions. 

  
Try This

How to apply this framework, no matter your role:

Micro Student Journey Audit

As discussed above, one of the key tenets of Tinto’s theory involves students' integration into the college environment and the positive outcomes on retention. 

Below we have provided a brief “audit” that we challenge you to take! The purpose of this audit is to give you a quick way to inventory one or more recent student interactions you’ve had. With this inventory, you can reflect on what you have done well, what you can improve, and how Tinto’s framework can be applied to every interaction we have with students. 

Step 1: Pick a recent interaction you had with a student (this can be an advising session, tutoring appointment, outreach phone call, student supervision, etc.). 

Step 2: Examine the following questions about the interaction:

• If the student were to review your conversation, would they state they felt seen and heard by you?  Would they feel the interaction promoted connection or disconnection? 
• Is the student experiencing any barriers to participation (financial, cultural, procedural)? 
• How did you try to address those barriers? Are there any barriers that you were unable to address yourself due to barriers out of your control? 
• What is one word/phrase you utilized in your interaction that helped promote integration?
• If you were meeting with the student again right now, what else would you say to them to improve their experience?

 

Theory Through the Years

Read how Tinto's theory has developed over the years, including more updated and modern takes!

Student characteristics and enrollment trends outlined in the 1975 article are clearly outdated and untrue among today’s undergraduates. Tinto acknowledges these drawbacks as well, and his theory has evolved over the years to be inclusive of diverse experiences of college students. Core elements of the original theory still hold true and serve as a foundation for understanding student retention.

• Reflections: Rethinking Engagement and Student Persistence - Tinto, 2023
• Through the Eyes of Students - Tinto, 2015 
• Research and Practice of Student Retention: What Next? - Tinto, 2005

 

Research Roundup

Want to learn more about this topic? Here's what we've been reading...

• "From Retention to Persistence" by Vincent Tinto - Inside Higher Ed | 9 minute read
• "When Access is Not Enough" by Vincent Tinto - Carnegie Perspectives | 6 minute read
• No time to read? Listen to Dr. Vincent Tinto speak about his Retention Model on YouTube! (There are no added visuals, so you can listen like a podcast!)

Edition #3 | December 2025

Welcome to our third edition of SSTAR Lab Insights: Research in Action! Our previous edition took us into the archives to explore Vincent Tinto's foundational research in higher education. In this edition, we will be looking forward to a more recent theory and its applications to students' success and retention. Borrowing from the field of positive psychology, we will examine how Hope Theory can help us reimagine our perspective on academic success. 

This will be our final edition of the fall 2025 term. We appreciate the time you spent reading and engaging with SSTAR Lab Insights and for the feedback we received. We look forward to providing more opportunities to turn research into action in the spring semester!

Featured Study

Snyder, C. R., Shorey, H. S., Cheavens, J., Pulvers, K. M., Adams, V. H., III, & Wiklund, C. (2002). Hope and academic success in college. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(4), 820-826. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.94.4.820 

Quick Take: Hope is a measurable psychological construct which can positively contribute to students' academic outcomes. Students with higher levels of academic hope are more likely to earn higher cumulative GPAs and have a greater likelihood of graduating from college.

Deeper Dive

Why this matters for all higher ed professionals:

Evidence suggests hope positively contributes to students' academic performance, persistence, and success. There are three primary components of hope which function together: 

1. When students are able to set clear and realistic goals, 
2. Feel a sense of agency to achieve these goals, 
3. And can identify multiple pathways to make progress toward those goals, they are more likely to have higher levels of academic hope!

Fortunately, hope is measurable and can be fostered and strengthened. This means we can design programs and interventions which bolster feelings of hope among undergraduate students. These efforts can span individual and group settings, like academic advising or tutoring sessions, or even inform institutional policy and success strategies.

  
Try This

How to apply this framework, no matter your role:

As you think about the ways you or your team interact with students, consider how each interaction can strengthen hope. Think back on individual meetings you have with students, existing programs your department facilitates, and any other daily touchpoints. Then reflect on and identify actionable opportunities to enhance each of the three components of hope: Goals, Agency, and Pathways. 

Goals: The desired outcomes which are specific, realistic, and for which the student is well-suited.

• Do you help students engage in meaning-making about their college experiences?
• Do you support students in clearly identifying their academic goals?
• Do you guide students as they clarify their desired future?
• Do you regularly encourage students to reflect on their purpose in college?
• Do you assist students in assessing the suitability and attainability of their goals?
• Bottom line: Look for opportunities to clarify purpose.

Agency: The belief in one's ability to make progress and sustain the motivation to pursue goals.

• Do you help students develop or practice their academic skills?
• Do you encourage students to track their academic and personal progress?
• Do you support students in focusing on lessons learned from setbacks?
• Do you guide students in connecting with their motivation drivers?
• Do you highlight areas of students' growth to build their confidence?
• Bottom line: Look for opportunities to build confidence.

Pathways: The perceived ability to generate routes forward and make plans to reach one's goals, especially when things don’t go as planned.

• Do you help students learn about all their options?
• Do you guide students as they explore strategies to move toward their goals?
• Do you support students in increasing their awareness of resources and how to access them?
• Do you work to minimize barriers that students may encounter when possible?
• Bottom line: Look for opportunities to create strategies.

 

On the Road with U-RISE

Earlier this semester, members of the Undergraduate Retention Initiatives and Success Engagement (U-RISE) team traveled to San Francisco to share their work at the NODA Annual Conference!

• Michelle Setnikar and Billy Martin shared their work on the applications of Hope Theory as a framework to build academic hope among at-promise students.
• Danielle Dailey and Robert Drago presented a poster highlighting their initiatives to promote students' success through scholarships and campus employment.
• Jennifer Rodriguez shared a poster about engaging colleagues in communities of practice to promote collaborative learning. She also presented on asset-based advising strategies to support students' success.

 

Research Roundup

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these further readings, including Michelle and Billy's resource from the NODA conference!

• Setnikar, M., & Martin, W., III. (2025). Academic hope for at-promise students.
• Feldman, D.B, & Kubota, M. (2015). Hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and academic achievement: Distinguishing constructs and levels of specificity in predicting college grade-point average. Learning and Individual Differences, 37, 210-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2014.11.022
• Sympson, S. (1999). Validation of the Domain Specific Hope Scale: Exploring hope in life domains. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas, Lawrence. 

Edition #4 | February 2026

Welcome to the spring semester and our fourth edition of SSTAR Lab Insights: Research in Action! With a new semester now underway, we look forward to bringing you more actionable strategies to apply research to your daily work. We hope this semester’s series will re-energize our shared commitment to creating meaningful experiences for our students and promote their success and retention. 

In this edition, we present an opportunity to fine-tune best practices focused on a core concept within student success: Sense of Belonging. This issue highlights recent research on belonging and informs us that small shifts can generate big impacts on students’ experiences and sense of self. We hope you engage with this topic with curiosity and an open mind. Let’s bring the research into action to ensure every student feels they have a place at Stony Brook University!

Featured Study

Walton, G. M., Murphy, M. C., Logel, C., Yeager, D. S., Goyer, J. P., Brady, S. T., Emerson, K. T. U., Paunesku, D., Fotuhi, O., Blodorn, A., Boucher, K. L., Carter, E. R., Gopalan, M., Henderson, A., Kroeper, K. M., Murdock-Perriera, L. A., Reeves, S. L., Ablorh, T. T., Ansari, S., . . . Krol, N. (2023). Where and with whom does a brief social-belonging intervention promote progress in college? Science, 380(6644), 499–505. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade4420 

Quick Take:This study highlights the effectiveness of a brief reading-and-writing activity focused on social belonging among first-year students across multiple institutions nationwide. Researchers discovered that framing social challenges while adjusting to college as temporary and normal contributed to an increase in students’ retention, with even greater benefits seen among historically underrepresented and first-generation students.

Fun Fact! Components of this research informed the development of the new SBU 101 curriculum and related classroom activities, such as sharing stories of belonging and writing letters to high school students about the college transition experience.

 

Deeper Dive

Why this matters for all higher ed professionals:

• The Power of a Brief Intervention: This study found that when incoming students complete a short reflective writing activity about social belonging, it can significantly increase the rate at which they complete their first year and persist at their university. This strategy works by normalizing everyday worries about belonging (such as academic struggles or homesickness) as common experiences that typically improve over time. This brief but powerful message provides a low-cost/high-impact approach that is scalable to multiple settings.
• Shifting Perspectives: When students are uncertain about their belonging, especially those with minoritized identities, they may view common setbacks as proof that “people like me” don’t belong. However, when we find opportunities to shift this lens, it can validate students’ feelings and guide them to interpret transitional challenges as normal, temporary, and not a personal deficit. 
• Institutional Responsibility: The benefits of this intervention do not exist in a vacuum. There is an institutional responsibility to (1) provide widespread and consistent messages of belonging, and (2) create supportive environments which validate students’ sense of place and offer genuine opportunities for belonging. These efforts can help us achieve more equitable outcomes for our students.

 

Try This

How to apply this framework, no matter your role:

From Research to Action: Sense of Belonging Inventory:As you think about the ways you or your team interact with students, consider how each interaction can strengthen students' sense of belonging. How can we harness the power of brief interventions, shifting perspectives, and institutional responsibility?

Branching Outward: Engaging with Students

1. Reframing Struggles as Normal and Temporary:

• When working with a student experiencing academic setbacks, do we explicitly frame the struggle as a common first-year transition rather than a reflection of their capability?

2. Beyond the Transaction: 

• Are we reaching out to students for reasons other than "business" to bridge connections (e.g., checking in after a campus event or following a personal milestone)? 
• Are we coordinating across departments (e.g., advising to tutoring) to ensure students don't feel lost when referred to a new office?

3. Lowering Barriers: 

• Are we simplifying processes (like research applications or event sign-ups) to engage students who may not have prior experience? 

4. Nudges of Support: 

• Are reminders sent to validate a student’s progress, rather than just warning them of deadlines (e.g., tracking and celebrating achievements, not just focusing on what has not been completed)?

5. Goal Setting: 

• Are we working with students to create and reevaluate goals in a way that makes them feel like they have a say in their academic success? 
• Are we normalizing challenges and informing students of all their options to help them find the best solution when obstacles arise?

 

Looking Inward: What is Our Departmental Role?

1. Departmental Self-Reflection: 

• Are staff working together to define what "proactive support" to promote belonging looks like for your specific student population?
• Does your team regularly gather evidence and reflect on how well they proactively support students’ sense of belonging?

2. Data and Technology: 

• Are we using data to anticipate barriers to success and belonging before the student encounters them?

3. The Feedback Loop: 

• Are we considering student feedback about their perceived barriers to belonging when reflecting on and improving our practices?

 

Featured Research Partner

Julia Goodwin
Undergraduate Colleges Advisor 

Julia participated as the second SSTAR Lab Innovation Fellow in the Fall of 2025. During this time, Julia focused on exploring and understanding the academic struggles unique to the international student population she serves. 

  "Throughout my time with SSTAR Lab during the Fall 2025 semester, I was provided with the necessary encouragement and support to allow me to learn more about my student population and better support their success here at SBU. As an advisor to international students in the Undergraduate Colleges, I wanted to develop a better understanding of the academic struggles my students may experience during their first year and what might contribute to attrition rates for this population.

Through SSTAR Lab, I was able to participate in a collaborative and supportive environment. I'm thankful to the entire team for being so welcoming and providing such thoughtful feedback and ideas while I was working on my research project. In particular, Jen Rodriguez served as a wonderful mentor who guided me throughout the process and engaged meaningfully with my project in a way that I really appreciated and valued. 

Ultimately, I was able to collect and interpret data about my students' academic performances throughout their first year, particularly in relation to their writing placements and subsequent performance in their writing courses. I am also thankful to my supervisor Sam Zinke, who encouraged me to bring my findings back to my team. We are actively working to improve our programming, advising, and outreach services to better support students whose writing placements may put them at higher risk of attrition. 

I've really valued my time working with SSTAR Lab and would encourage others in our division to engage with any opportunity for collaboration that SSTAR Lab comes up with in the future!"

 

Opportunity Ahead! Virtual Academic Advising Roundtables

Are you an academic advisor looking for more opportunities to apply research and theories to your advising practice? Consider joining one (or more!) of the upcoming Virtual Academic Advising Roundtables, facilitated by Assistant Provost for Academic Advising, Dr. Ryan Braun, and SSTAR Lab Coordinator, Dr. Jen Rodriguez. These one-hour Zoom sessions will provide a collaborative space for advisors to explore current research and best practices through open discussion about practical advising topics. 

 

Research Roundup

Want to learn more about this topic? Here's what we've been reading:

• "When Students Belong, They’re More Likely to Earn a Degree" by Alicia Roberts - Wake Forest News | 5 minute read
• Increasing Equity in College Student Experience: Findings from a National Collaborative (Report) - Student Experience Project | 25 minute read
• Student Experience Project Fact Sheet | 3 minute read

Edition #5 | March 2026

Welcome to our mid-semester edition of SSTAR Lab Insights: Research in Action, which takes us “into the archives” to explore a foundational piece of literature in higher education. In this edition, we explore the work of Ernest Boyer, his commitment to enhancing campus life and community-building, and consider how his notable contributions to higher education continue to be pivotal to our work today. Among his many influential roles in shaping US higher education, Ernest Boyer served as Chancellor of the State University of New York, making it especially meaningful that we get to engage in this important work within the SUNY system he once led. 

Featured Study

Boyer, E. L. (1990). Campus life: In search of community. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED320492.pdf

Quick Take: 

This special report highlights findings from a national study on students' experience of campus life. Based on the findings, the report advocates for six principles of community that universities should aim to embody. Boyer asserts that every member of the campus community is responsible for strengthening these principles and should strive to create universities which are: 

1. Educationally purposeful—a place where faculty and students share academic goals and strengthen teaching and learning on campus.

2. Open—a place where free speech is protected and civility powerfully affirmed.

3. Just—a place where the sacredness of each person is honored and where diversity is aggressively pursued.

4. Disciplined—a place where individuals accept their obligations to the group and where well-defined governance procedures guide behavior for the common good.

5. Caring—a place where the well-being of each member is sensitively supported and where service to others is encouraged.

6. Celebrative—a place where the heritage of the institution is remembered and where rituals affirming tradition and change are shared.

(NOTE: The report’s prologue captures a concise summary of these six principles, but the full report is included for those interested in exploring these themes in greater depth.)

Try This

How to apply this framework, no matter your role:

“Community Dialogue” – Within your own “community” (your team, department, etc.), start a dialogue about the ways in which you collectively demonstrate Boyer’s six principles of community. Reflect on how you can be more intentional about exemplifying these principles in your work. Consider where your team can strengthen these efforts.

 

Educationally Purposeful:

• How can we help students draw connections between their coursework, cocurricular activities, and interactions with our support services so they view each aspect of their college experience as educationally meaningful? 

• Do we communicate degree requirements, policies, resources, etc. to students in an accessible and teachable way, as opposed to giving them a “smorgasbord” of information? 

Open:

• What steps can we take to ensure our communication with students and colleagues affirms the identity and dignity of all individuals, especially when discussing difficult topics? 

• Are we taking time as individuals and/or units to review our daily interactions and address the implicit biases we may hold when interacting with students and colleagues? 

Just:

• How are we identifying and working to remove institutional barriers that might be preventing marginalized students from succeeding academically? 

• How can we ensure that high-impact opportunities, like research and internships, are equitably accessible to all student populations we serve? 

Disciplined:

• Are we taking time in our advising sessions to move beyond “checking boxes” and ensuring that students are truly understanding policy/procedure and the context beyond these standards? 

• How are we upholding our department's mission, core values, and professional standards to ensure they remain the foundation of our work? 

Caring:

• What practices do we have in place during advising conversations to ensure that students never feel like “just a number” when interacting with our units?

• How are we demonstrating empathetic support for students which recognizes the unique life challenges some of our students face? 

Celebrative: 

• How can we honor the diverse contributions of our students and team to ensure our community feels inclusive? 

• How do we leverage or build upon existing campus traditions and create moments where students and staff can share their perspectives in meaningful ways? 

 

Boyer's Legacy Today

Boyer’s legacy continues today — His principles and ideals serve as a foundation for the Boyer 2030 Commission Report, put forth by higher education leaders across the country. This report – The Equity-Excellence Imperative – represents a blueprint for research universities to enact change and drive progress at their institutions, while prioritizing both equity and excellence in undergraduate education.

Report Highlights:

• Recommendations included in the report emphasize the concept that true excellence in higher education cannot exist without equity, and that equity alone is an unfulfilled promise without also prioritizing educational excellence.

• Boyer’s purposeful community has evolved in the 21st century as an obligation to prepare students for “World Readiness.” There is a call for research universities to provide an interdisciplinary, transformative education for all students, which prepares them to be leaders who can respond to the challenges of the world today. 

• There must be continued emphasis on the importance of holistic advising, with a focus on synthesizing a student’s aspirations with their academic path while advocating for their well-being and basic needs support.

• Research universities must strive to increase access to high-impact practices and include students from diverse communities in empowering academic programs.

• There must be a focus on identifying and removing institutional barriers that can slow or halt the academic progress of marginalized student populations in order to achieve equitable and excellent undergraduate education.

About the Boyer 2030 Commission and UERU

Read the Report: The Equity-Excellence Imperative 

 

Opportunity Ahead! Academic Advising Summit

The deadline to submit proposals for the inaugural Stony Brook Academic Advising Summit is fast approaching! Advisors are encouraged to share their expertise and innovative practices by submitting a workshop proposal by Friday, March 20 at 11:59pm. Visit the Academic Advising Summit website to learn more or contact the committee at AcademicAdvisingSummit@stonybrook.edu with any questions.

 

Research Roundup

Want to learn more about this topic? Here's what we've been reading:

• "Excellence in Undergraduate Education Must Include Equity, Says Influential Group" by Beth McMurtrie - Chronicle of Higher Education | 4 minute read

• "Universities Can't Do Everything" by Barbara R. Snyder and Holden Thorp - Chronicle of Higher Education | 5 minute read

• No Time to Read? Listen to this 1984 interview with Ernest Boyer - SUNY Buffalo State Oral Histories | 7 minute listen

Edition #6 | April 2026

Welcome to our final edition of the 2025-26 academic year! In this edition of SSTAR Lab Insights: Research in Action, we continue exploring this semester’s theme of creating an inclusive and supportive campus environment. Our previous edition took us into the archives to explore Ernest Boyer’s influential work in strengthening campus life. Here, we introduce more recent literature on the impact of faculty and peer connections on students’ sense of belonging within their major, and feature innovative work from the SSTAR Lab, which reinforces these efforts to promote students' success and retention.

 

Featured Study

Crowe, J. A. (2021). Creating a departmental climate that increases a student’s sense of belonging, perceived faculty support, and satisfaction with the major. Innovative Higher Education, 46, 95–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-020-09530-w 

Quick Take: It is well documented that meaningful faculty and peer relationships positively contribute to students’ success, but how can universities create intentional opportunities to strengthen these connections? This study found that a holistic program, which integrated scholarship funding, research mentorship, and professional development, positively contributed to students’ sense of support and belonging within their academic major. The author recommends creating structured, supportive, academically-focused opportunities to build faculty and peer networks around shared academic interests and bolster students’ commitment to their major and institution. 

 

Deeper Dive

Why this matters for all higher ed professionals:

• Belonging Predicts Persistence: A student’s sense of belonging and perceived faculty support directly influence their commitment to their major and institution. Advisors and other student-centered staff can foster supportive learning environments within their departments and in their interactions with students. We are also well positioned to initiate conversations with students about how to build meaningful relationships with their faculty. 
• Connecting Students with Opportunities: Academic advisors often serve as gateways to high-impact practices by encouraging students to get involved in hands-on experiences to enrich their college experience. As student-centered staff, we can leverage our roles to routinely promote and highlight the benefits of research and professional development in our conversations with students. 
• Scaling Efforts: Even without scholarship funding, departments and campuses can replicate these positive benefits by integrating research activities into foundational coursework, facilitating local or virtual conference travel, and hosting on-campus symposia to foster an academic community.

 

Try This

How to apply this framework, no matter your role:

For staff and advisors serving in student-centered roles, we are uniquely positioned to bridge connections between students, faculty, and their academic community. As the Division of Undergraduate Education continues to expand its partnerships with academic departments for advising, we can leverage this opportunity to increase students’ sense of engagement, integration, and belonging in their majors. 

Practice "Psychologically Supportive" Advising: 

• Students report a higher sense of belonging when they perceive staff and faculty as approachable and interested in their success.
• During your interactions and meetings with students, focus on behaviors that students identify as supportive: active listening, demonstrating a genuine interest in their academic and non-academic challenges, and ensuring they feel comfortable expressing their ideas.

Promote Early Research and Professional Development:

• Take time to stay up-to-date and informed on educational and professional development opportunities for students in specific areas of study. 
• Encourage participation in experiences like industry-specific career fairs, resume writing workshops, research opportunities, etc., which can have a positive impact on students.  
• Students who begin to make connections between their academics and career-ready skills can find renewed commitment to their major and optimism about their future path. 

Identify Relevant Populations: 

• Work with institutional research or examine data you have that can assist in pinpointing specific sub-populations at your institution who may benefit from additional support (e.g., specific majors, students behind on credits, or an intersection of risk factors).

 

Opportunity Ahead! SSTAR Lab Innovation Fellowship

Looking for more opportunities to build your research skills? Consider applying for the SSTAR Lab Innovation Fellowship! The fellowship provides staff in the Division of Undergraduate Education with an opportunity to contribute to innovative evidence-based projects, advance their research interests and professional growth, and gain new experiences to approach their work from a research-informed perspective. Applications will open in May for the Fall 2026 semester! Stay tuned for more information.

 

Research Roundup

Want to learn more about this topic? Here's what we've been reading:

• Finding Academic Purpose: How Targeted Educational Experiences can Influence Perceived Value of Higher Education - SSTAR Lab Toolkit, Stony Brook University | 4-minute read
• "The Economics of Belonging: A New Way of Thinking About Student Success" by Dr. Richard Tomczak - Times Higher Education | 5-minute read
• "A New Way to Build Belonging" by Kelly Field - The Chronicle of Higher Education | 6-minute read
• "How Colleges Can Cultivate Students’ Sense of Belonging" by Beckie Supiano - The Chronicle of Higher Education | 4-minute read

 

Letter from the Editors

Jennifer Rodriguez, EdD, LMSW - Associate Director of U-RISE and SSTAR Lab Coordinator

Tiana De Jesus, MSW - Lead Academic Success Advisor and Retention Specialist, U-RISE

With so much information at our fingertips and the busy schedules of our departments, staying up-to-date on higher education publications can be a difficult task. The idea of SSTAR Lab Insights was developed as a way to quickly share research, articles, and updated trends in higher education with our fellow division members and campus partners. We wanted to take some of the guesswork out and deliver a curated newsletter, where all you had to do was click and read.

This year, we covered a variety of topics. We brought in some core foundational texts from Boyer and Tinto, explored more novel concepts like Hope Theory and Major Belonging, and discussed proactive advising along with brief interventions. The ideas and concepts we can explore together are endless, but we hope you have found value in what we shared this year.

As we often remind our students, learning is a process – a never-ending one at that! From new professionals to more experienced staff who have been at Stony Brook for many years, we all have varying areas of expertise, but we can also continuously grow. We encourage you to continue to be curious – read, question, and start a dialogue with your colleagues. 

This edition will serve as the final one for this monumental 2025-2026 academic year. We look forward to making our way back into your inbox with the start of the new academic year. 

Cheers! 

Jen and Tiana

 

Volume 2, Edition 1 | September 2026

Welcome back, colleagues! We’re excited to kick off a new academic year with Volume 2 of SSTAR Lab Insights: Research in Action, a publication which highlights interesting research and best practices in higher education, while including actionable steps you can take to apply research to your everyday work. As with prior editions, we aim to appeal to a diverse audience and cover a variety of topics with relevance across different units, roles, and levels of expertise. You can expect topics to range from building foundational knowledge, reinforcing existing practices, or introducing novel ideas to bring innovation to our work. We invite you to explore this resource with curiosity and see how SSTAR Lab can help you turn research into action!

Featured Study

Tampke, D. R. (2013). Developing, implementing, and assessing an early alert system. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 14(4), 523-532. https://doi.org/10.2190/CS.14.4.e

Quick Take: Many universities have been utilizing early alert systems to identify and reach out to students in need of additional support. These systems intend to identify areas of concern early and refer students to appropriate resources promptly, with the ultimate goal of increasing students’ success and persistence, making them a key tool to promote student retention. The featured article examines how one university used its web-based early alert system to facilitate early identification and intervention, which revealed positive associations between personal follow-up and higher levels of student success and persistence.

Deeper Dive

Why this matters for all higher ed professionals:

The university featured in this article created an Early Alert Referral System (EARS) as a way to address the institution's strategic goals of increasing students’ success and persistence. 

• Why? Early alert systems are designed to facilitate early identification and intervention of academic issues that could lead to a student’s departure from the university.
• Who? Early alert systems can focus on various aspects of student success like attendance, midterm grades, or certain academic behaviors. They may also focus on students in pre-identified populations who may require additional support, like those starting the semester on academic probation. Specific indicators of concern referenced in the article include:
  • Poor class attendance & participation
  • Poor academic performance on tests & assignments
  • Difficulty in specific content areas, like math & writing
  • Sudden decline in academic performance
  • Health concerns: Physical, mental, substance abuse, disruptive behavior
  • Financial difficulty
  • Other academic issues: major concern, college adjustment, etc.
  • Other personal issues: living conditions, workplace issues, etc.
• How? Personal outreach based on these early alerts can vary based on institution, student population, and staff capacity. Follow-up with students can range from broad emails, text messages, phone calls, and personal interactions. 
• Now what? The author states that users of the early alert system utilized a form to track student referrals, which captured how students were contacted and their response to the referral. Additionally, it tracked students’ progress in the referral process (e.g., initial contact, ongoing intervention, etc.). There is value in collecting this data to assess outcomes and inform future outreach efforts.

  
Try This

How to apply this framework, no matter your role:

If you’re an instructor: If you receive a progress report request, take a few minutes to fill it out. Your input helps activate a network of support and gives colleagues valuable information to connect students with the right resources early.

If you’re in an advising unit: Your unit likely already has a well-established outreach plan in place. This article offers a helpful reminder to occasionally revisit your approach and be intentional about how and why you are reaching out to students. What is the goal of the conversation? What do you want the student to know, consider, or do next? Small but intentional adjustments to your outreach strategy can make early alerts more meaningful and actionable.

Your efforts matter: Last semester, nearly 68% of students who received an alert ultimately went on to pass the course! Each progress report, outreach attempt, and follow-up conversation is an opportunity to help a student get back on track.

  
Opportunity Ahead! Academic Advising Roundtables

Are you an academic advisor looking for more opportunities to apply research and theories to your advising practice? Consider joining one (or more!) of the upcoming Virtual Academic Advising Roundtables. These one-hour Zoom sessions will provide a collaborative space for advisors to explore current research and best practices through open discussion about practical advising topics. 

  
Research Roundup

Want to learn more about this topic? Here's what we've been reading...

• Study: Academic Alerts Slash Course Withdrawal Rates by 30% - Inside Higher Ed (5 min read)
• Academic Early Alert and Intervention: Why Academic Advisors Are Best Suited to Intervene With At-Risk Students - Academic Advising Today - NACADA (10-minute read)
• Seven Ways to Ensure Your Early Alerts are Helpful, Not Harmful - Blog - Student Experience Project (5 min read)