Dallas College has been named a national leader in student success innovation, earning EAB’s Technology Pioneer Award at the company’s Connected25 conference in Orlando, Florida.
This recognition highlights Dallas College’s bold use of technology and data to remove barriers, support students and drive record success. The award also includes a $1,000 student scholarship donation, which will be distributed to students through Dallas College Foundation.
Dr. Karen Stills, Dallas College senior associate vice chancellor of student success, accepted the award on behalf of the institution.
“At Dallas College, innovation isn’t just a goal — it’s a key ingredient for student success. By harnessing cutting-edge technology, we discover new and creative ways to connect with students and break down barriers that threaten their success,” Dr. Stills said. “This award recognizes our team’s commitment to leveraging technology to build supportive pathways toward success, at scale.”
Ninety-six percent of Dallas College Student Success leaders have completed professional development focused on data concepts and culture, and more than 50 Student Success professionals were selected for an inaugural Artificial Intelligence Innovation Collective designed to enhance AI fluency.
Recent student success outcomes include:
• 78% persistence rate, the highest in the college’s history
• More than 19,000 credentials awarded in the 2024-2025 academic year
• 36% increase in reverse transfer credential awarding
• 45% increase in data-mined credential awarding
• 44% increase in attendance at New Student Orientations from 2024 to 2025
• 55% increase in first-year students completing a career or transfer engagement milestone
• 92% of first-year students have a program of study (10% increase)
• 84% of first-year students have a documented career or transfer goal
• Success coaching team supported more than 200,000 student sessions
These achievements were made possible through the integration of data and AI-driven tools into student support strategies, enabling real-time insights, personalized outreach and timely interventions.
Key technologies include:
• EAB Navigate 360: Summarizes data, monitors student progress and generates reports for targeted communication and support
• EAB Journeys: Creates personalized action plans based on student goals
• EAB Forage: Offers virtual job simulations to support career exploration
• EdSights: Launched “Ellie,” an AI powered virtual assistant who engages with first-year students to capture their needs and feedback
• Waitwell: A virtual waiting room that empowers staff to triage student needs and connect them to appropriate support
“As pressures on higher education mount, EAB’s university partners are embracing AI-driven technology to modernize operations, make better use of data and enhance student support,” said Scott Schirmeier, EAB president of technology. “Our 2025 Student Success Collaborative Award winners demonstrate how AI-enabled tools help staff elevate the student experience, improve graduation rates and launch more students into successful careers.”
