PREPPING FOR GLOBAL CHANGES
I worked with Jill when I served as Associate Provost for fifteen years, and I am pleased to offer my personal observations. She has always been passionate about improving the higher education experience for everyone: students, faculty and administrators. Her efforts have encouraged faculty to re-think delivery and assessment methods in order to enhance student learning and accountability.

Her use of formative assessment in first-year programming and developmental education and her practice of continuous improvement informed the university’s direction, re-focused resources and personnel to improve and/or create programming which then enhanced retention. I am pleased to know that Jill’s life’s work is now expanding her consulting and training work.
Michael D. Richards, Ph.D.
President
College of Southern Nevada

CREATING INSTITUTIONAL BENEFITS
My introduction to freshman success began while I was a professor of Biology with the University of South Carolina (USC). My student success model was basically sink or swim. Those who should be in college would survive; those who should not be in college would wash out. Slowly, I and my colleagues changed and witnessed the entire USC system benefit from a rather comprehensive set of initiatives aimed at student success.

Moving to Southern Utah University (SUU) in 1999, after 21 years with USC, it was “deja vu all over again”. In Utah I was once again a part of the faculty and administration accustomed to teaching much the way we had been taught, unaware of the huge benefits to students and institutions that come from developing effective teaching and learning strategies that are responsive to the non-uniform breadth and depth of students’ cultural, intellectual, and academic development.

Enter Ms. Jill Wilks. Through the fortuitous arrival of several faculty, staff, and administrators at SUU who listened to and learned from Ms. Wilks’ avant ideas and strategies she was able establish both the campus infrastructure and intellectual talent to improve and sustain student success. For example, toward linking several courses in General Education, Jill had the rare and essential combination of uncommon knowledge and communication skills to recruit and train faculty and staff among all academic disciplines and map out and implement a campus wide student success strategy.
Harold Ornes, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Science and Engineering
Winona State University
Winona, MN 55987

RAISING RETENTION, LOWERING ACADEMIC PROBATION
Jill Wilks is on the cutting edge of understanding the complexities of individual learning. She has developed and implemented programs at Southern Utah University (SUU) that have helped students unlock their talents and abilities in ways they never dreamed before meeting and considering her approach to brain-based learning. The design has transformed the first year experience into a model that yields real results. A flexible design, it easily adapts to meet the needs of institutions regardless of type and mission.

Largely because of Jill’s work as a change agent, the retention of first-year students has risen more than 10% in five years and the numbers of students on first-time academic probation has decreased significantly--most recently, a 28% drop. We have seen a steady improvement since Jill began serving as the Director of our First-Year programs.

Jill teaches students to take ownership of their learning and gives them the tools they need to be their own architects of success.
Patrick Clarke
Dean, University College
Cedar City, UT 84720

DESIGNING FOR ACTIVE, ENGAGED LEARNING
While studying Instructional System Design (ISD) theories, I began teaching health science courses for high school students. Exposing young minds to precise and specialized information as well as fostering the development of problem-solving skills in their role as caregivers was a challenge. Using ISD, I was able to structure learning into a positive experience which helped to facilitate active participation in the classroom. As students gained self-confidence in their abilities they increasingly became more involved in their individual learning. Laying the groundwork using ISD theories has helped students to succeed and accomplish their goals with a renewed sense of determination and independence.

Grace Vlasich
Program Coordinator Health and Technology
Southwest Applied Technology Center
Cedar City, Utah

URGING INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION
No one has been a stronger, more determined advocate for improving educational environments for students and faculty alike than Jill Wilks! She has the admirable characteristic of being able to envision new programming and support systems through formative assessment to meet the various needs of students and institutions. She comfortably breaks from traditional thinking and institutional structure to address changing global needs in education. Jill used brain based pedagogy, learning communities and developmental advisement with students and systems long before the ideas gained national focus and momentum. She is always one step ahead in the field of human transition, motivation and success.

I first became well acquainted with Jill when she advised students and taught a developmental English course for a TRIO program, which selected and served 150 low income, first-generation college students with academic classes and support to achieve a Bachelor’s degree. Looking beyond her assignment as the Language Specialist, Jill saw a need for stronger academic and life skill development among all of our students, not just those selected for TRIO.

With this awareness, Jill tailored a course to improve the psycho-social adjustment as well as academic and learning needs of all first year college students. In a short period of time, Jill’s reputation as a dynamic and life-changing advocate and teacher was campus-wide. University administrators were impressed with the retention and academic progress of the students that she taught.

With Jill's guidance, the SSS program had an exemplary retention rate of 80% of first year students; one that has still never been matched by the university. The SSS student graduation rate of 50% was also above the university’s rate.

Academia is slow to change, yet Jill persevered with her vision of a first-year, wellness, developmental education and paraprofessional programming through numerous political challenges. Campus administrators and a group of faculty finally invited Jill to offer Psychology 1310 (Nature of Success) a general education interdisciplinary course for the entire campus community.

In that year, before other institutional “tune ups” that she suggested were in place, retention shot up 7% with only half the entering class involved. To date, with her full enrollment management design in place, our campus-wide retention is up 22%. In fall of 2008, she focused on lowering probation numbers; first-time probation fell 28% for the first time in SUU history.

One of the most remarkable attributes of Jill is her resiliency and passion for instilling self advocacy and achievement in students. She consistently improves upon her book Your Expanding Intelligence to incorporate new ideas and research. She is a wonderful role model for the life success she teaches others.

Year after year students of all diversities: learning, cultural, gender and age come by to visit and thank Jill for the impact her ideas had on their lives. Most recognize the high levels of professional success they have achieved are due to the mindset of authentic learning from Jill’s book. Her curriculum shows students how to unlock the potential that each one has and to discover new talents and abilities.

Stereotypes and negative thinking are banished around Jill. Students learn to develop critical thinking skills, self advocacy and responsibility for their lives and future success. Second year students reinforce and advance their learning by being mentors in the FYE program under her direction.

In conclusion, Jill Wilks has had an enormous impact on students as well as the culture and institutional climate at Southern Utah University. Jill is able to bridge the communication gap between student support programs and academic departments. She has positively impacted faculty performance in and out of the classroom; many have adopted effective skills and techniques from considering the ideas in her book and trainings.

Jill has been the driving force behind the comprehensive and successful retention programming at SUU. The success from her years of advocacy for students, faculty, staff and administrators can be documented by our improved numbers in retention, graduation and graduate school enrollment.
Lynne J. Brown
Executive Director
Student Support and Multicultural Center
Southern Utah University