On September 1, Missouri State will roll out a new student success system, ATLAS. If you have access to the current student information menu, you will have access to ATLAS.

While ATLAS is phased in, both systems will be available. Any information you enter in the current student information menu will automatically populate in ATLAS. Dr. Kelly Wood, associate provost for student success, says this dual-system approach allows users to compare how ATLAS relates to the system they’re accustomed to using. And she’s confident users will like what they see.

So far, people who’ve tested ATLAS have raved about its intuitive interface — and the in-depth information it provides. With ATLAS, it’s easier to understand a student’s interactions and experiences throughout campus. We recently sat down with Wood to learn more about these advantages.

Q&A

Academic Expressions: It sounds like ATLAS will provide a more holistic view of student success.
Kelly Wood: Definitely.

AE: What impact will this have?
KW: Advisors will have more information about a student’s whole experience, including their interactions with financial aid staff, personnel from the Career Center and student success coaches. For example, an advisor might recommend that a student visit the Career Center. Later, that advisor can see if the student followed up on the recommendation. If there’s no note from the Career Center, the advisor can help the student create steps to make that Career Center visit happen. The same goes for financial aid and student success.

A Customized Platform

AE: So ATLAS will give us more information?
KW: And in a system that was customized for us. It was built from the ground up for us by the incredible staff in [the office of] management information systems.

AE: Cool!
KW: Yes, it’s exciting. Through a wide-ranging development process, we were able to gain so much knowledge about what’s possible and what we needed. With this knowledge, we were able to customize ATLAS and make it the best fit for our campus and our students.

Gaining Insight

AE: What are some features that make ATLAS such an upgrade?
KW: In Phase One, we’ll incorporate information from Boomer Bot to display how students are describing their experiences here. In Phase Two of ATLAS’s rollout, the Insights tab will be enhanced to include information such as whether the student has completed their FAFSA for the upcoming year and other academic and engagement information.

AE: A few weeks ago, you and Dr. Egon Heidendal [associate provost for institutional effectiveness] shared that when Boomer Bot receives a response indicating a student might be at risk of dropping out, your team is alerted. You then intervene to support the student. You’ve had real success with this approach.
KW: Yes, Boomer Bot provides important insight for us, and ATLAS will include these reflections. Boomer Bot has the capability to identify risk elements, like engagement, belonging, financial wellness, mental health wellness and academic engagement. When a student indicates they feel disconnected on campus, an advisor or success coach or faculty member will be able to see that. Everyone will be empowered to engage with the whole student — with a more comprehensive understanding of their academic, social and financial well-being.

Next Steps

AE: How do people get trained on ATLAS?
KW: We’re planning master advisor forums. We’ll also hold demonstrations for advisement centers and Faculty Senate. In general, the beta-testing group found that they learned the most from getting into the system and working with it. ATLAS really is that intuitive.

AE: So it’s okay if people go in and start using ATLAS on September 1?
KW: Absolutely! We’ll have a website with FAQs and relevant information for users, along with a feedback form.

Recognizing the Team

A steering committee guided the ATLAS development process. The team in Springfield partnered with staff at Missouri State-West Plains. ATLAS will roll out on the same day at both campuses, which means that Springfield and West Plains staff will have access to the same student information. “It’s going to have a big impact on advising West Plains students who transfer to the Springfield campus,” Wood says.

ATLAS Steering Committee

• Evonne Bird, Senior Academic Advisor for the McQueary College of Health and Human Services
• Cindy Bridges, Director of Advising and Academic Support (West Plains)
• Brian Edmond, Coordinator of Management Information Systems
• Ross Hawkins, Director of Academic Advising and Transfer Center
• Nathan Hoff, Associate Registrar
• Theresa McCoy, Deputy Chief Information Officer in the Division of Information Services
• Beth Perine, Academic Advisor for Intercollegiate Athletics
• Jaime Ross, Director of Adult Student Services
• Melissa Warren, Systems Analyst in the Office of Computer Services
• Dr. Kelly Wood, Associate Provost for Student Success

Springfield Development Team

• Sreekanth Acharya, Senior Database Engineer in the Office of Computer Services
• Jon Lee, Senior Systems Analyst in the Office of Computer Services
• Ashley Pearce, Application Developer in the Office of Computer Services
• Ethan Patterson, Senior Application Developer in the Office of Computer Services
• Koen Rogers, Application Developer in the Office of Computer Services
• Drew Sparks, Senior Full-stack Web Developer/Engineer in the Office of Computer Services
• Matthew Taylor, Application Developer in the Office of Computer Services

West Plains Development Team

• Biff Bird, Systems-Database Analyst in Information Technology Services
• CJ Collins, Director of Management Information Systems
• Mike Scheidt, Software Support Specialist in Information Technology Systems
• Daniel Wilson, Programmer Analyst for Information Technology Services

Administrative Support Team

• Blanca Mallonee, Executive Assistant in the Division of Student Success
• Nicole Muse, Executive Assistant in the Division of Information Services