Executive Director Dante Cantú recognized for student success leadership

SUNY New Paltz was recently recognized for exemplary work in the field of student success by EAB,  formerly known as Education Advisory Board, a national consulting firm specializing in education institutions.

As part of the College’s recognition, Dante Cantú, executive director of academic advising & student success, will join EAB’s Student Success Innovation Council through the 2022-2023 academic year.

In selecting New Paltz as an exemplary institution, EAB noted New Paltz’s use of assessment and data analysis to measure impact and guide college-wide student success efforts.

The achievement follows a year of successes in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space for Cantú, who as the leader of the Center for Student Success continues to foster a culture of student success at New Paltz, with a focus on serving students from low-income backgrounds and historically underrepresented students of color. This includes:

Completing the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) Fellowship alongside Tanhena Pacheco Dunn, vice president and Chief Diversity Officer, Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion at New Paltz, and eight other HLI Fellows.

Proposing an interdepartmental review of the College’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), specifically its certification and compliance process. Approximately 40% of New Paltz undergraduates are eligible for TAP.

Lending his expertise over the summer to NASPA’s Advising Success Network by providing a practitioner’s perspective to the refinement of materials designed to help institutions advance their holistic advising efforts while closing outcomes gaps between student cohorts.

About the Center for Student Success

The Center for Student Success promotes student learning, academic engagement, and timely degree completion through the coordination of peer-based academic support programs. The Center fosters student persistence and enhanced individualized student outcomes through timely communication between faculty, staff, and students.