Published on Nov. 28, 2023
Faculty and staff at MU use MU Connect as a central touchpoint to provide a cohesive communication system as they work to best serve and meet the needs of students. Three individuals and organizations earned the 2023 MU Connect Champions Award, recognizing their exemplary efforts to use MU Connect to collaborate with other student support professionals and make a difference for students.
For Senior Academic Advisor in Biological Sciences, Jordan Parshall, MU Connect has become central feature of her daily interactions with students.
“It’s a touchpoint for the whole campus to know what is going on with students. “We are able to quickly see when there is an issue and reach out to the student to address it.”
A Mizzou alum herself, Parshall knows how large the university can seem to incoming students. Through MU connect, students have the opportunity to meet with peer mentors and advisors who use their experience to help students navigate campus resources.
Curator’s Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences Bethany Stone says MU Connect brings all who are responsible for a student’s academic success into one focused place. And she encourages students to take advantage of the resources that are being provided to them.
“It helps build the community of support for the students. We all rely on the support of others and learning how to access that network is a life skill. With MU Connect you have people who are reaching out and wanting to talk to you and help you. It helps to build their [the student’s] village.”
For faculty, Stone says using MU Connect is an easy addition to your daily routine.
“It really does take everyone using it for it to be the most effective,” says Stone.
MU Connect is not just used for academic support. For Lane Cargile, Coordinator for Student Involvement, and the rest of Mizzou Involvement Ambassadors, MU Connect is a necessity for their communication with students.
Utilizing MU Connect, the Involvement Ambassadors have been able to provide students with opportunities that align with their expectations and goals, not only helping with the program’s outreach, but also connecting students to multiple partners across campus.
“It really makes it a seamless process to connect to different support systems for students in a very intentional manner,” says Cargile.
MU Connect strengthens the relationships students have with resources, faculty and staff on campus by helping them form those key connections. This tool is part of the institutional efforts to support student success, as faculty and staff, like these MU Connect Champions, help students pursue and attain the goals they have set for themselves.