From Vision to Impact: How Leadership Transformed Student Success at UND

Introduction

At the University of North Dakota (UND), leadership is more than decision-making—it’s about driving transformation.

Dr. Karyn Plumm, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Student Success, and Ashley Vigen, Director for Student Academic Success have been at the forefront of UND’s shift toward a milestone-driven, student-first onboarding strategy.

Over the past six years, UND has redefined how students transition into college, stay engaged, and graduate successfully. By combining proactive academic advising, technology-driven solutions, and cross-department collaboration, UND has established one of the most effective onboarding models in higher education.

The Institutional Shift: Rethinking Student Onboarding

VZO’s Role:

✅ Enabled a seamless transition to remote academic advising before COVID.
✅ Provided a centralized digital platform for pre-advising and course registration.
✅ Reduced manual paperwork and in-person academic advising workloads.

💡 Ashley’s Quote:

“We created over 2,400 academic advising sheets using VZO—this process was infinitely more efficient than our old in-person model.”

Before 2019, students attended in-person orientation sessions where advisors manually assisted them with course registration.

That changed when UND leadership, led by Dr. Karyn Plumm and supported by Ashley, spearheaded a shift to online pre-advising—before COVID even hit. This proactive move set UND ahead of national trends.

✅ Key Outcomes:

• Advisors now complete 2,400+ academic advising sheets remotely.
• UND eliminated unnecessary travel burdens for families.
• Academic advising became proactive, rather than reactive.

Collaboration & Leadership: The Power of a Unified Approach

VZO’s Role:

✅ Standardized workflows across departments, improving efficiency.
✅ Ensured seamless coordination between academic advising, admissions, and student affairs.
✅ Allowed teams to track student progress in real time.

💡 Ashley’s Quote:

"We have a team-focused approach. I never keep ideas to myself—I reach out to Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, and other directors to make our strategies stronger."

Rather than leaving academic advising in a silo, UND created a culture of cross-department collaboration. Academic Advising, Student Affairs, and Admissions work closely to ensure a seamless student experience.

✅ Key Takeaways:

• UND eliminated departmental silos, improving cross-functional teamwork.
• Regular interdepartmental meetings keep initiatives aligned.
• A culture of collaboration enables better problem-solving and efficiency.

Measurable Success: Record Retention & Enrollment Growth

VZO’s Role:

✅ Provided data tracking tools that helped UND measure onboarding impact.
✅ Improved student preparedness, contributing to record retention rates.
✅ Ensured students received personalized academic advising before arriving on campus.

📊 Retention & Enrollment Success:

• Record-high retention rates from Fall 2023-Fall 2024 (the highest in the North Dakota University System history).
• Lower summer melt, meaning fewer students dropped off between acceptance and arrival.

💡 Ashley’s Quote:

“UND is growing because we think about the student first in all things that we do.”

UND’s transformation isn’t just theoretical—the data proves it.

Scaling Success Through Technology

VZO’s Role:

✅ Automates the collection of student responses for pre-advising.
✅ Ensures accurate course recommendations before students meet with advisors.
✅ Helps maintain academic advising records & progression tracking in one place.

💡 Ashley’s Quote:

“VZO’s structured student questionnaire gives us the data we need—without overwhelming students with unnecessary questions.”

UND uses technology to enhance, not replace, human academic advising. VZO’s platform helps advisors recommend the right courses efficiently, allowing students to arrive at UND with a clear academic plan.

✅ UND’s Strategic Tech Approach:

• A robust student questionnaire in VZO allows advisors to tailor recommendations.
• Plans to integrate VZO with Civitas for full four-year course planning.
• Automated course recommendation sheets reduce advisor workload.

Reducing Staff Burden: 50% Time Savings in Academic Advising

VZO’s Role:

✅ Cut academic advising workload in half by automating student intake and course placement.
✅ Allowed advisors to spend more time supporting students instead of performing administrative tasks.
✅ Streamlined workflows reduce bottlenecks during peak enrollment seasons.

💡 Ashley’s Quote:

“VZO made it possible to go from six weeks of one-on-one in person academic advising to a streamlined, efficient online process where students have access to their academic advisor when and how they need them.”

✅ Key Takeaways:

• Less administrative work = more time for student engagement.
• Advisors now focus on student success rather than manual course entry.

Training & Preparedness: The Key to Success

VZO’s Role:

✅ User-friendly platform requires minimal advisor training.
✅ Advisors use real student data within VZO during hands-on training sessions.
✅ Built-in tools & logic help advisors quickly recommend courses with confidence.

💡 Ashley’s Quote:

“VZO is so intuitive that we barely need training to onboard new advisors—it just works.”

UND invests heavily in training, ensuring advisors are prepared and confident before working with students.

✅ Structured Training Approach:

• Monthly planning meetings (Jan-April) for leadership teams.
• Hands-on training in April to prepare advisors for peak academic advising season.
• Real student case studies ensure advisors are confident before working with students.

Final Takeaways & Leadership Advice

VZO’s Role:

✅ Strong vendor partnership—VisualZen listens and adapts to UND’s needs.
✅ Scalable solution that grows as UND refines its onboarding strategy.
✅ Data-backed decision-making that helps UND improve retention.

💡 Ashley’s Quote:

“Our relationship with VZO is what makes this successful. When we need something, we get a response and a solution—often on the same day.”

✅ Key Leadership Lessons for Other Institutions:

• Prioritize student-first innovation.
• Build cross-campus collaboration.
• Use technology to enhance academic advising, not replace it.
• Train and empower advisors for success.

“UND wants to be the leader in onboarding innovation. We’re not just adopting best practices—we’re setting them.”