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CORVALLIS, Ore. - A panel of speakers will discuss "Creating the Student-Centered University" at Oregon State University on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

The discussion is part of the university's larger role as a member of the University Innovation Alliance, an 11-member organization that works to make a college degree a reality, particularly for first-generation college students or those with limited financial resources.

The event will be from 4-5 p.m. in the Learning Innovation Center, Room 128. It is free and open to the public, and an hour-long reception follows.

Tim Renick, vice president for enrollment management and student success at Georgia State University, will be a featured speaker. Supporting remarks will be made by OSU President Ed Ray; Susana Rivera-Mills, OSU vice provost and dean for undergraduate studies; and Bridget Burns, executive director of the University Innovation Alliance.

The alliance is comprised of public research universities that span the country, and have committed to produce a total of 860,000 graduates by 2025. A primary focus is to redefine how universities operate, collaborate to improve academic outcomes and help all students achieve a quality college degree.

Renick, who was recently featured in the New York Times, will discuss the student success initiatives and innovative problem-solving approach that enabled his university, Georgia State, to substantially improve its graduation rates and eliminate achievement gaps based on students' race, ethnicity or income level.

As a principal investigator for a $9 million U.S. Department of Education grant, Renick is studying the impact of proactive, predictive, analytics-based advisement on 10,000 low-income and first-generation students. OSU is part of this multi-institutional project.

Burns is the founding executive director of the University Innovation Alliance, and previously served as an American Council on Education fellow at Arizona State University; chief of staff and senior policy advisor for the Oregon University System; and national associate with the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.  

Rivera-Mills has helped develop mentoring and leadership programs for faculty and students; community partnerships; student engagement and success strategies; advancing diversity at OSU and in higher education; internationalization; engaged research; and promoting equity and inclusion. As the executive liaison to the University Innovation Alliance, she oversees all of the collaborative initiatives from the alliance at OSU.