New position expands efforts to support student success

The Academic Programs and Student Life team at the University of Michigan School of Information has added a new position designed to expand efforts to support student success.

As the assistant director of academic success, Shannon Gass will focus on areas such as probation, academic coaching, critical student case management, tutoring, skills enrichment and connecting students with resources for accommodations.

Gass previously served as director of first year experience at Madonna University, where she also earned a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs. 

She has been with UMSI since spring 2021, starting as an academic advisor for students in the Master of Applied Data Science program.

“I was motivated to take more of a leadership role supporting students across all five of our degree programs,” Gass says. 

In her new role in Academic Programs and Student Life (APSL), she ensures students are connected to fitting academic, professional and well-being resources on campus. 

In her first few months on the job, Gass has helped launch the UMSI Student Care Report, a streamlined form for UMSI community members to report any non-urgent concerns about students. 

She’s also doing research on academic success trends at U-M and around the nation. These efforts will inform benchmark goals for a strategic plan to holistically support students at UMSI.

She says, “It’s been exciting to get to work with students on a daily basis. They’re the ones who give me energy to keep going.”