Penn State has established a new Office for Student Success, according to a university release.

The office aims to foster collaboration and align initiatives between existing key departments that support students, including financial aid, student affairs, career services, educational equity programs, and advising.

Current vice provost in the office of planning, assessment, and institutional research (OPAIR), Lance Kennedy-Phillips, has been named the interim senior vice provost for student success in the new office.

Kennedy-Phillips will help his current and new departments align so students receive consistent information, coordinated guidance, and access to resources, Penn State said in the release.

Kennedy-Phillips will also work with leaders across academic and administrative units, the commonwealth campuses and the university’s academic colleges.

The university described the office as a “coordinated, data-driven and outcomes-focused student success ecosystem that spans the university’s academic, co-curricular and support environments.”

The goal of collaboration across departments and administration is to strengthen student success.

“By aligning efforts across organizational and geographic boundaries while honoring the unique strengths of Penn State’s campuses and colleges, the senior vice provost for student success will help students access the resources, experiences and opportunities necessary to succeed academically, personally and professionally,” Fotis Sotiropoulos, executive vice president and provost, said.

The senior vice provost will directly report to the provost, and a national search to permanently fill the position is underway. Until then, Kennedy-Phillips will continue to serve as interim senior vice provost.

“My goal is to build the structure that will allow for the development of a more cohesive student success infrastructure, making use of data, analytics and emerging technologies to support proactive decision-making and improve student success outcomes,” Kennedy-Phillips said.

As vice provost in OPAIR — a role he’s held since 2015— Kennedy-Phillips oversaw support for institutional research, learning outcomes assessment, accreditation, and strategic planning.

Kennedy-Phillips has more than 25 years of higher education administration experience, including roles at DePaul, Florida, and Ohio State.