Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (SWTC)—a rural college with about 3,700 students in credit programs and 2,500 in noncredit programs—shows how an institution can redesign how it helps every student make an integrated career, educational, and financial plan in just a few years. Prior to introducing the career, educational, and financial plans, called Student Success Plans (SSP), many students did not have a clear understanding of program options or of how much they cost. Today, however, by taking the guesswork out of their education, students are making more informed program decisions aligned with their career goals.
This case study accompanying the brief From Goals to Graduation to Post-Completion Success explores several lessons in organizational change from SWTC’s transformation that could benefit other institutions. First, college leaders positioned SSPs as a college-wide responsibility, not simply as an advising reform. Reorganizing staff around SSPs made them central to supporting students’ success. Second, the college demonstrates how adopted technology should follow rather than guide the planning processes. Finally, the rapid expansion of the SSPs to students in dual enrollment and adult basic education programs shows how a redesign can include all student groups.