Director's Welcome

Welcome to Student Success Programs, or as we are known around the campus community, SSP. I am extremely excited to serve as the Director of this unit that is in place for our students’ academic success as they go through their college experience to degree completion. 

SSP is part of the Division of Academic Affairs and our role at KSU is to offer a variety of access programs that serve a targeted student population. Participants in our five signature student success programs are referred to as Scholars and include First-Generation students, STEM Majors, HOPE Scholars, and those entering the institution from urban and rural areas. 

Our mission is to advance student success and enrichment among our outreach programs’ participants by providing individualized and holistic support to students in their transition into college and throughout their journey to graduation.

Scholars in our programs are welcomed into a community of peers with similar backgrounds and educational goals, along with faculty and staff who are here to support and guide them through their tenure at KSU. The wrap-around services provided to our scholars include an assigned student success coach, academic support workshops, interactions with campus and local community leaders, peer mentoring, career planning, financial aid information, two state-of-the-art study lounges and introduction to education abroad and undergraduate research prospects. Our scholars are exposed to opportunities that develop a sense of belonging, life-long skills, career readiness, and leadership proficiencies that foster the attributes that today’s employers are seeking in college graduates. 

Each year when we have the privilege of seeing our scholars walk across the stage and receive their college degree, it means that we have been successful in meeting our recruitment, retention, and graduation goals. It is mine and the SSP team’s immense pleasure to serve our scholars and their families. I encourage you to look over our website to learn more about our programs and services.

Again, welcome and Go Owls!

Sincerely,

Linda M. Lyons, Ed.D.