Why Students Thrive at Stevens: Creating a Student-Centered University Experience

On the banks of the Hudson River, just across from the Manhattan skyline, Stevens Institute of Technology has cultivated an environment where students don’t just attend — they thrive. This top 80-ranked university with elite lifetime ROI has transformed itself into a model of student-centered education, resulting in exceptional outcomes for its graduates.

Under the leadership of President Nariman Farvardin, who has guided the institution for 13 years, Stevens has made student success its primary focus. This commitment has helped Stevens achieve a remarkable 87% six-year graduation rate — far surpassing the national average of 64% for four-year university programs.

The transformation began in 2011, when President Farvardin led Stevens through an ambitious strategic planning process that redefined the university's future. One year later, a new institutional mission emerged: to create and sustain a "student-centric university."

What followed was a comprehensive reimagining of the student experience, including:

• A state-of-the-art Student Wellness Center that unites counseling and health services under one roof

• Enhanced support services including culturally responsive resources and a dedicated disabilities coordinator

• CARE (Campus Awareness, Referral and Early intervention) teams that connect students to appropriate resources

• Student advisory boards within each academic department to ensure student voices are heard

• The stunning University Center Complex, opened in 2023, creating a true campus hub for living, dining, recreation and collaboration

Making this vision a reality required the entire university to rally around student success as the top institutional priority. Academic leaders report that this transformation necessitated breaking down traditional departmental barriers and establishing regular cross-functional collaboration between units like Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management and Financial Aid. This collaborative approach has been critical to maintaining focus on the student-success mission. At the heart of Stevens' approach are the Centers for Student Success, with offices embedded in every school and department across campus. These centers serve as comprehensive support hubs, providing assistance with everything from academic planning and course registration to study-abroad opportunities and facilitating connections with faculty and peers.

True to its ethos, Stevens also leveraged innovative tech solutions to support students. A proprietary early-warning system continuously monitors student data — including grades, attendance and engagement — to identify potential challenges before they become critical, allowing for timely intervention. The university also created and rolled out an AI chatbot to offer students 24/7 virtual support, featuring immediate personal staff follow-up in near real time if needed.

The university's commitment to data-driven support extends to regular student surveys and focus groups, ensuring continuous improvement of services and interventions.

Stevens has also expanded its academic offerings, enhancing programs for high-performing students, establishing an office to leverage nationally competitive scholarships and creating a new system of pre-professional health advisement.

The results speak for themselves. Stevens has been recognized as "one of the healthiest college campuses in the nation" by Active Minds, received the American Council on Education/Fidelity Investment Award for Institutional Transformation and was dubbed "Turnaround University" by Forbes.

Building on this momentum, President Farvardin and his team released a new 10-year Strategic Plan in 2022: Stevens 2032: Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology. This updated vision maintains the student-centered focus while introducing additional resources and programs:

• The comprehensive SUCCESS core curriculum (Stevens Undergraduate Core Curriculum Essential Skills for Success), providing students with essential digital and life skills

• A dedicated Office of Undergraduate Research, connecting students with faculty for collaborative research opportunities

• Continued enhancement of student support systems and resources

University leadership emphasizes that they view their role as a sacred trust with families, who expect Stevens to deliver a valuable and transformative life experience to their children. The university takes this responsibility seriously, focusing on students' intellectual development, emotional maturity and personal growth.

This holistic approach has created a powerful sense of belonging among the student body. Campus leaders note that students consistently express feeling at home at Stevens, and the university remains dedicated to providing the tools, resources and support students need throughout their academic journey.

For Stevens students, their university offers not just world-class academics, but a community dedicated to helping them reach their full potential.