Initially created with temporary SUNY grant funding, we began with two part-time retention specialists and a dedicated “Finish in 4” mission to reach a 60% four-year graduation rate by 2018. We established a Finish in 4 fund to help students in financial need to complete their degree requirements, and developed a strategic outreach calendar to guide students in meeting key milestones toward graduation.

Through the efforts of Finish in 4 and passionate campus partners, Stony Brook University exceeded its initial goal and achieved a 62% graduation rate with the Class of 2018. We continued to enhance our collaborations and led new initiatives focused on student success, including pop-up advising events designed to bring advising services directly to students.

Our team expanded to include an academic standing coordinator for the Division of Undergraduate Education, and we established new efforts to continue fostering students’ academic success, degree momentum, and connections to campus resources throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Class of 2021 achieved the highest graduation rate in Stony Brook’s history with 66% of full-time, first-time students reaching their goal of graduating in four years.

We rebranded as Undergraduate Retention Initiatives and Success Engagement (U-RISE), now staffed with five Assistant Directors. Our expanded portfolio includes Reinstatement Advising, Finish Line (formerly Finish in 4), and the Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR) Lab. We continue to keep the student at the center of everything as we take our mission to the next level, increasing our retention and graduation goals and establishing liaisons with advising units across campus.