The Thrive Conference's keynote panel included, from left, IU Vice President for Student Success Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, Indiana Commission for Higher Education Associate Commissioner Allison Kuehr, Complete College America's Alliance Engagement Director Nichole Mann and IU Associate Vice President for Student Navigation and Support Matt Rust. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University

Indiana University marked a new chapter in its university-wide efforts to foster collaboration and innovation in student success by hosting the inaugural Thrive: The IU Student Success Conference in May.

It is a reimagined and expanded version of the former IU EDGE Conference, which had brought together academic advising and career services professionals for a decade. Thrive reflects the broader scope of IU student support and the cross-functional teams addressing them.

More than 400 faculty and staff from Indiana University’s nine campuses gathered May 29 at the Indiana Memorial Union on the Bloomington campus. This year’s conference attendees included professionals from advising, student affairs, success coaching, financial support services, faculty and academic student support services, residence life, career education, and wellness. TimelyCare, a key partner in IU’s mental health and well-being strategy, was the lead sponsor.

IU President Pamela Whitten welcomed participants and spoke about the importance of their roles in student success. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana UniversityIU President Pamela Whitten welcomed participants by recognizing the impact of their work and reinforcing the university’s commitment to student success. Her remarks highlighted the importance of their collective roles, and of the mission-centric work of supporting students’ academic and personal journeys.

“This conference represents more than a meeting of student success professionals across IU,” Vice President for Student Success Julie Payne-Kirchmeier said. “It is a milestone, representing IU’s collective efforts to build cross-functional student success teams aligned in purpose, inspired by possibility, and driven by the belief that every student deserves the chance to pursue and achieve their dreams.”

The opening keynote panel brought together leading voices at the crossroads of education and employment to explore how colleges can better prepare students for a world of work that’s rapidly changing — and how they can help students see the full value of a college degree.

The keynote panel included:

• Allison Kuehr, associate commissioner with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, who discussed findings from the nine-month research endeavor into factors impacting Indiana’s declining higher education enrollment. The report highlights the gap between Hoosiers’ perceptions of higher education and actual data on employment, return on investment and career readiness.
• Nichole Mann, alliance engagement director at Complete College America, who shared insights on the organization’s Pillars of Transformation and how these strategies can be used to support student success through guided pathways, first-year momentum and transparent degree requirements.
• Matt Rust, IU associate vice president for student navigation and support, who discussed how internships, on-campus employment and project-based learning contribute to the development of career competencies that are highly valued by employers.

The day featured 26 concurrent sessions across three learning blocks. Presentations and workshops were offered by participants across IU, demonstrating the depth and breadth of student success innovation across the university. Topics included embedding career competencies into student success work; coaching strategies and functional area roundtable discussions; new uses of student engagement platforms; and assessing the impact of student success work.

“I’m excited by opportunities like the Thrive conference that bring us together across IU to deepen our understanding of how we support students,” said Nicky Belle, associate director of student life and leadership at IU Bloomington. “When we’re equipped with the right tools — and with a better appreciation for each other’s roles — we create stronger, more seamless experiences that help students succeed.”

Another unique element of the conference was an interactive discussion where participants offered feedback on IU’s proposed 2025-26 student success priorities. Attendees shared their thoughts on strategies to improve persistence, enhance access to resources and support students at key transition points.

“Thrive was a great way to come together and connect with colleagues around the state to learn about how different campuses are supporting students and addressing challenges,” said Joan Poulsen, associate dean for academic affairs and student affairs, and associate professor of psychology at IU Columbus. “My staff and I were recharged by the positive focus, and left with practical directions we can implement to serve students better.”

Attendees said they left Bloomington with new insights, a deeper sense of connection and a shared commitment to improving the student experience across Indiana University.

“Thrive was such a great experience, and the sessions were top notch,” said Eric Teske, director of health and wellness promotion at IU Indianapolis. “The conference was very motivating, and I was proud to be part of coming together as one IU community. I am proud to be part of IU, and part of this student success conference.”

Next year’s Thrive conference will be May 28 at the Campus Center at IU Indianapolis.