Gardner Institute

We’re proud to share that at the close of EFYE last week, Global Forum for Student Success member Manuel João Costa was honored with the 2026 EFYE Leader/Champion Award.

Gardner Institute team members and Global Forum colleagues also led a session, “From Framework to Action: Bringing the Global Student Success Principles to Life,” highlighting practical ways institutions can turn high-level principles into meaningful results.

Pieterjan Bonne, Tadas Karosas, Luke Millard, Barry O'Connor, Andrew Koch, Sara Koch, Alicia Morey, Katie Locke, Johannes De Gruyter, Brad Wuetherick, and David Hornsby.

Registration closes for the Data Culture Academy on June 26! How is your institution currently using data? The Data Culture Academy can help you develop processes to build a culture that proactively uses data to increase student success. Register today: https://hubs.ly/Q04kvFT10

Congratulations to Dr. Victoria Fields for successfully defending her dissertation!

We’ve updated Strong Start to Finish’s core principles based on what we’ve learned with states and systems nationwide. The refreshed framework focuses on clear pathways, timely support, and coordinated action so more students get a strong start and stay on track.
Read the full report:

Core Principles | Strong Start to Finish Strong Start to Finish works to amplify a set of evidence-based Core Principles that guide all of our developmental education reform efforts. Strong Start to Finish works to amplify a set of evidence-based Core Principles that guide all of our developmental education reform efforts.

Andrew Koch, Barry O'Connor, Catherine Andersen, and John Gardner presented on “The First-Year Experience as a Model Template for the PostGraduate Experience.” Building on this conversation, the Gardner Institute will co-host the Graduate Student Experience with Georgia Tech. Sign up here to learn about the upcoming conference: https://hubs.la/Q04l3xTN0

Dan Volchok from the Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University recently co-authored an article with John Gardner titled "Using the First-Year Experience Concept as a Model for Creating the Graduate School Experience."

Learn More: https://hubs.la/Q04kYNsV0

Using the First-Year Experience as a Model for Creating the Graduate Student Experience | Northeastern University College of Professional Studies Faculty: Dan Volchok, Graduate School of EducationResearch Focus: EducationPublication Type: Published Research — NASPA 2026 Knowledge Communities Publication, pp. 7–9Published Research: naspa.org/report/2026-knowledge-communities-publication The Challenge Graduate and professional students have...

🌪️ Hired! 🌪️ Congratulations to Alexander Bolton on his internship with the Gardner Institute!

Have you recently been hired for an internship or job? If you would like for BC to highlight you, please complete this google form with the needed information. https://forms.gle/xUzawfHQE8iu1sJeA

Visit the Office for Career Exploration & Development - Brevard College for more information!

Experience transformative learning at the 2026 Symposium, where eight interactive workshop tracks offer in-depth exploration guided by Gardner Institute experts. Each track is designed to equip you with actionable insights that drive student success and support both your institutional and professional goals.

Learn more and preview the track agendas:
https://hubs.la/Q04kJ61T0

The Gardner Institute team at the European First Year Experience conference in Szeged, Hungary.