KPI and Measure Alignment Across Goals

Objective 1.1: 

Contribute to a university-wide framework for access, persistence, and academic success that supports the identification and closing of equity gaps. 

KPIs/Milestones: Institutional Definition & Framework Maturity 

• Years 1–2: Shared definitions and indicators for access, persistence, academic success, and equity gaps are developed, documented, and disaggregated by relevant student populations with transparent documentation of data coverage, limitations, and populations not yet fully represented. 
• Years 3–4: Disaggregated indicators are integrated into institutional dashboards such as the Disability Analyses, DEIB Extended, Graduation and Retention, and DFW  and planning tools and are used to identify equity gaps across colleges, campuses, and student populations. 
• Years 4–5: Indicators are routinely referenced in institutional decision-making to inform strategies and actions aimed at closing identified equity gaps. 

Measures 

• Student academic performance and progress 
• Retention rates 
• Graduation rates 
• Existence and documentation of shared institutional definitions and indicators for access, persistence, and success 
• Adoption of shared indicators within institutional dashboards and planning tools 

KPIs/Milestones: Data & Analytics Readiness (AI-FLAGGED) 

• Years 1–2: Predictive analytics approaches are identified and piloted, with ethical review, to support the identification of equity gaps and differential risk patterns across student populations. 
• Years 3–4: Analytics outputs inform early-support conversations and targeted interventions designed to address equity gaps across student success systems. 
• Years 4–5: Data-informed and analytics-enabled practices are normalized institution-wide as part of coordinated efforts to close equity gaps. 

Measures 

• Student academic performance and progress Retention rates 
• Use of predictive analytics to identify students at risk of attrition 
• Integration of analytics outputs into early-support conversations across student success systems 
• Institutional adoption of ethical review processes for student analytics 

Objective 1.2:

Support colleges, campuses, and student services in enhancing accessible and equitable practices. 

KPI/Milestone: Institutional Capacity for Inclusive Practice 

• Years 1–2: Tools and shared language for inclusive practice are developed. 
• Years 3–4: Resources are used across colleges and campuses. 
• Years 4–5: Inclusive practices are embedded in institutional expectations. 

Measures 

• Academic coaching experience of students. 
• Access to and utilization of student learning support services. 
• Inclusive campus climate. 
• Adoption and use of inclusive practice tools across colleges and campuses. 
• Participation in professional development related to universal design and inclusive assessment. 

KPI/Milestone: Participation Gap Awareness & Response 

• Years 1–2: Participation gaps are identified and documented across OVPEE  
• Years 3–4: Gaps inform coordinated improvement efforts. 
• Years 4–5: Gaps are routinely assessed through planning processes. 

Measures 

• Equity in outcomes across student populations. 
• Retention of students from underrepresented backgrounds. 
• Graduation of students from underrepresented backgrounds. 
• Routine identification and documentation of participation gaps. 

Objective 1.3:

Enhance persistence and completion for students served by OVPEE programs. 

KPI/Milestone: Persistence & Completion Outcomes 

• Years 1–2: Baseline persistence and completion outcomes are established. 
• Years 3–4: Outcome data inform institutional conversations. 
• Years 4–5: OVPEE approaches contribute to institutional improvement. 

Measures 

• Retention rates. 
• Graduation rates. 
• Time to degree completion. 
• Credit hours to degree completion. 
• Persistence and completion outcomes for OVPEE‑supported students. 

KPI/Milestone: Early Support & Feedback Systems (AI‑Flagged) 

• Years 1–2: Early‑support mechanisms are developed and piloted. 
• Years 3–4: Insights are shared across student success systems. 
• Years 4–5: Coordinated early‑support approaches are embedded institutionally. 

Measures 

• Academic coaching experience of students. 
• Access to and utilization of student learning support services. 
• Coordinated early‑alert and referral mechanisms across OVPEE programs. 
• Feedback loops linking academic coaching, learning support, and career services. 

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Goal 2

Objective 2.1: 

Establish and sustain applied research partnerships with faculty whose scholarly expertise aligns with student success, belonging, and retention outcomes for populations served by OVPEE offices and programs. 

KPI / Milestone: Applied Faculty Research Partnership Development 

• Years 1–2: Priority applied research areas are identified in partnership with OVPEE offices. A cohort of faculty partners is engaged, and shared expectations for applied research and research-to-practice translation are established. 
• Years 3–4: Faculty-led applied research projects generate findings that inform OVPEE program refinement and institutional learning cycles. 
• Years 4–5: Applied research partnerships are sustained and embedded as a regular mechanism for institutional improvement. 

Measures: 

• Number of formalized faculty–OVPEE applied research partnership
• Alignment of faculty research agendas with OVPEE-supported populations and programs 
• Applied research outputs (e.g., briefs, evaluations, case studies) used in program or policy decisions 
• Documented use of findings to improve student success, belonging, or retention outcomes 

Objective 2.2: 

Leverage applied faculty–OVPEE research partnerships to secure external funding and build strategic collaborations aligned with Penn State’s public mission and OVPEE priorities. 

KPI / Milestone: OVPEE-Aligned Research & Funding Partnerships 

• Years 1–2: Funding priorities and partnership opportunities aligned with OVPEE applied research areas are identified. 
• Years 3–4: OVPEE and faculty partners are consistently engaged in funded applied research initiatives. 
• Years 4–5: Partnerships contribute to sustained program improvement and scalable institutional impact. 

Measures 

• Number of grant proposals and funded projects involving OVPEE-faculty applied research teams 
• External funding secured for applied research on student success, belonging, or retention 
• Role of OVPEE offices as implementation, evaluation, or practice partners 
• Outcomes or improvements associated with funded OVPEE-aligned initiatives 

Objective 2.3: 

Apply faculty-led, equity-centered research to inform ethical and inclusive AI initiatives that support student success, access, and belonging. 

KPI / Milestone: Equity-Centered AI Research & Practice Integration (AI-Flagged) 

• Years 1–2: Faculty-OVPEE AI research use cases aligned with equity and student success are identified and piloted. 
• Years 3–4: Research findings inform AI governance, policy, and implementation decisions. 
• Years 4–5: Ethical and inclusive AI practices are embedded into institutional strategy and operations. 

Measures 

• Applied AI pilots grounded in faculty equity research 
• OVPEE participation in AI governance informed by research evidence 
• Development and adoption of equity-centered AI principles tied to applied use cases 
• Case studies demonstrating AI-enabled improvements in access or belonging 

Objective 2.4: 

Institutionalize faculty–practitioner applied research partnerships as a core strategy for continuous improvement within OVPEE and across the institution. 

KPI / Milestone: Faculty–Practitioner Applied Research Infrastructure 

• Years 1–2: Structures and processes supporting applied research collaboration are established. 
• Years 3–4: Collaborative research cycles routinely inform OVPEE program design and institutional learning. 
• Years 4–5: Faculty–practitioner collaboration is normalized and sustained as a driver of equity-focused improvement 

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Goal 3

Goal 4