Boise State leaders present shared first-year model at national conference

Kelly Myers, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences; Candyce Reynolds, director of University Foundations; and Daniel Sanford, executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, presented at the 45th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience, held Feb. 15-18, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. Their session, "From Silos to Success: A Shared Leadership Approach to the First-Year Experience," highlighted Boise State's cross-campus strategy to support first-year student success.

Representing the First-Year Focus Coordinating Council, the presenters shared Boise State's 80% universal first-year retention goal and the development of the First-Year Focus framework. The session outlined how the university aligned leadership across academic and student support units to move from siloed initiatives toward coordinated, evidence-informed action.

The presentation detailed how high-enrollment gateway courses, shared messaging, and common assessment structures are being used to create consistency in students' first-year experience. Attendees engaged in discussion about building institutional ownership of retention goals and embedding assessment into first-year initiatives from the outset.

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