Navigating Student Success Technology
Curricular Resources for Higher Education Practitioners
About These Resources
Student success technology is no longer the sole responsibility of IT teams. Today, technology and AI shape nearly every role, process, and decision across an institution. Leaders and practitioners from across campus are increasingly asked to guide technology implementations, evaluate vendors, govern AI, and ensure technology investments advance—not hinder—student success and equity.
To help institutions navigate this rapidly evolving landscape, The Ada Center developed a series of open-access learning modules that provide practical guidance for leading student success technology initiatives. Created with generous support from the Gates Foundation, this curriculum draws on years of The Ada Center’s work alongside hundreds of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and other access-focused colleges and universities. We are also grateful for the partnership and contributions of Complete College America (CCA) and the Advising Success Network (ASN).
Throughout the modules, you’ll find practical tools, planning templates, case studies, facilitated activities, research, and implementation resources designed to support real-world institutional work.
Who Should Use These Modules?
This curriculum was designed with and for practitioners at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), but the content is broadly applicable to colleges and universities committed to improving student success and advancing equity.
The modules are valuable for:
Technology implementation and procurement teams leading technology selection, readiness assessment, planning, vendor engagement, and implementation.
IT, data, and institutional research leaders seeking to align technology and data strategies with institutional priorities for student success and equity.
Student affairs, academic affairs, and other non-IT practitioners looking to build confidence in student success technologies, AI, and digital transformation.
Executive and campus leaders interested in understanding technology through the student lens and making informed decisions about the opportunities, risks, and governance of emerging technologies.
Before You Begin
Each module includes a collection of resources, including webinar recordings, starter guides, discussion prompts, planning templates, group activities, and research. While the modules can be explored in any order, each begins with a Starter Packet that provides essential background, key concepts, and a roadmap to the module’s resources. We recommend beginning there before exploring the rest of the content.
Select Learn More beneath any module to view its complete collection of resources.
Module 1: How Can Student Success Technology Advance Institution Goals?
A practical overview of what good student success technology looks like, how the technology marketplace is organized, and key continuing education resources.
Module 2: How Does My College Create a Student Success Technology Plan?
A step-by-step exercise to build a strong student success technology plan that ensures your technology ecosystem aligns with your student success goals.
Module 3: What Do Students Think About Our Technology?
Explore how to leverage student insights effectively, equitably, and efficiently to build a technology ecosystem that is authentically student-informed and student-centered.
Gather practical insights and best practices to help you navigate this complex landscape, put together an effective procurement team and intentional procurement process, and ultimately support your institution’s efforts to find technology solutions that are aligned with your needs and mission.
Module 4: How Should We Approach Buying New Technology?
Module 5: How Can Student Success Technology Advance Institution Goals?
Cover the basics of technology implementation success and provide resources for those hoping to rescue a technology initiative gone adrift.
Explore Other Resources from The Ada Center
Access other resources from The Ada Center, including:
CRM 101: Making Sense of CRMs in Higher Education
The Mishaps Map: Tracing the Root Causes of Common Technology Headaches to Find Optimal Solutions
The Advising Technology Planning and Procurement Playbook
This curriculum was compiled with generous funding from the Gates Foundation and was authored by The Ada Center based on years of insight from The Ada Center’s work with hundreds of MSIs and access-focused institutions. The curriculum would not be possible without the thought partnership and support from Complete College America (CCA).
Our team would also like to thank the Advising Success Network for championing this work, as well as our student artists Ryan De Vera, Isa Saldivar, and Morgan Liu for helping to brighten this resources series.
While all materials are designed such that teams or individuals can feasibly leverage the curriculum independently, The Ada Center and its partners periodically facilitate sessions and/or office hours about this content. If you are interested in being notified about these opportunities, please fill out the form below.