Our Areas of Expertise
At Wolcott & Associates, we specialize in empowering higher education institutions to enhance student engagement, support, and success. Our expertise spans key areas such as student organizations, first-generation and foster youth programs, graduate student services, housing and residence life, and wellness initiatives. We provide strategic consulting for student government, peer mentoring, retention and persistence efforts, and veteran services—ensuring institutions foster inclusive, supportive, and thriving campus communities. Whether strengthening parent and family programs or optimizing student activities, we help institutions create impactful experiences that drive student achievement.
Academic Program Evaluation
Program evaluations in higher education assess academic initiatives to ensure alignment with institutional goals. They enhance accountability, secure funding, and improve student success while meeting accreditation standards. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like retention, graduation rates, and student satisfaction provide insights. Our experts develop data-driven frameworks to refine programs and drive strategic improvements.
Cultural Centers
More than ever, cultural centers provide much-needed support for college students. From student development to a sense of belonging and critical programming, cultural/identity-based centers are often the difference for students progressing to graduation. We are excited to share our expertise regarding how you can elevate your cultural centers to support students.
Foster Youth Programs
Foster youth programs provide support services to help foster youth navigate, acclimate, and transition to higher education and self-sufficiency. Critical services addressing basic needs, financial aid, housing, career development, and mentorship are critical to help foster youth succeed in college. Our associates have expertise in developing and implementing sustainable programming and best practices for foster youth programs in four-year and community college systems. Let us help!
Housing and Residence Life
Housing and residence life are among the most essential areas on a college campus. It is where students build community and find safe and welcoming spaces where they can live, study, and work. Building a robust residence life program can be challenging considering all of the moving parts such as facilities management, themed housing, living-learning communities, professional and paraprofessional recruitment and supervision, and occupancy demands. Our Associates have designed and led innovative housing programs and can help you reach your goals!
Clubs & Student Orgs
Are you responsible for supporting clubs and organizations but need help? Are you short-staffed or have you had turnover? We can help by recommending systems implementation that will help you manage clubs and organizations and advisor training while advising on time, place, and manner. We also have templates that can assist with drafting club constitutions and ensuring smooth officer transitions.​​
First-Generation Student Services (EOP, TRIO, etc.)
Over 54% of college students are first-generation (NASPA, 2020). They deserve holistic, transformational support. With years of expertise, we design proven first-gen services that drive graduation success and remove administrative barriers for all students.​​​
Graduate Programs
Master’s preparatory programs for higher education and student affairs have multiplied in recent years. But how do you know that your curriculum equips students for field success? And how do you best structure your program so that students receive high-quality educational experiences, alongside practical hands-on experience through practice and internships? Addressing these needs for adult learners includes addressing the financial and organizational structures to assist online and hybrid students. Our consultants have expertise in building and scaling these programs and can help you find the right formula for success.
Parent & Family Programs
Parent and family programs are becoming increasingly important in supporting students. We want to help you design a program that welcomes parents and families, meets enrollment and retention goals, and creates strategies for proactive communication. We can also assist in designing dynamic programs that build strong relationships with families, and identifying ways to leverage these connections to support student development. Discover how our consultants can help elevate your program and ensure its long-term impact.
Peer to Peer Mentoring
Peer-to-peer mentoring is a high-impact practice that supports student success. However, campuses have a variety of choices when building peer mentoring programs. Let us help you develop a model for mentoring that is right for your campus and your budget.
Student Government
Advising student government can be challenging, with the annual turnover in officers, budgeting, elections, and more. Executives and board members need comprehensive training on leadership, Robert's rules, bylaws and policies, and shared governance. Let us help you set up systems to help your students be successful! We also have templates that can assist with drafting policies and by-laws, and ensuring smooth officer transitions.
Student Veteran Services
Research and support for military-affiliated students is readily available for undergraduate students. However, designing, building, and creating a military-affiliated support network for graduate and professional students requires unique skills and expertise to thoughtfully develop wrap-around support services. Our consultants can tailor design for your campus community a framework to support the most decentralized and complex organizational structures focused on belonging, engagement, and wellbeing.
Student Engagement/Activities
Student engagement/activities have been a long-standing function of higher education to support students' co-curricular interests and pursuits. This functional area includes co-curricular programming, leadership programs, and more. Let us help you build your program!
Student Success
(Retention & Persistence)
We are your one-stop shop to help you address your student success needs. Let us share our expertise in retention models, early intervention, and persistence tracking that support students at all levels toward graduation. We can also discuss precollege, bridge, undergraduate research, and special population programs that can provide additional support to students to be academically successful and find a sense of belonging.
Wellness Programs
Wellness programs have been a mainstay in higher education, but rose to prominence during the pandemic. We can help you design (or redesign) a program that supports students in their multiple dimensions of wellness (emotional, social, physical, intellectual, occupational), while streamlining services that support your varied staff teams. We also specialize in co-curricular wellness and peer-to-peer wellness initiatives.