Navigate U is the University of Utah’s institution-wide student success framework, designed to bring previously disparate support efforts together under a shared commitment to holistic student development and wellbeing. Rather than allowing advising, academic planning, career services, and wellbeing support to operate in silos, Navigate U integrates departments across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, individual colleges, and the Health Sciences around eight shared pillars: Awareness and Engagement, Student Transitions, Proactive Academic Advising, Academic Planning and Curriculum Systems, Financial Structures, First Experiences and Experiential Learning, Student Pathways and Career Success, and Academic and Wellbeing Support.

A central component of the initiative is the adoption of an enterprise-wide advising platform that gives every student a consistent experience and gives the institution a holistic, real-time view of each student’s journey. That data infrastructure powers targeted intervention efforts and informs decisions on retention, equity gaps, time to graduation, and faculty development. One key lesson from implementation: coordination across the full depth and breadth of a large institution is essential, and success depends on establishing consistent standards while preserving enough flexibility for individual units to adapt the model to their contexts. Through its Activate Projects, Navigate U continues to propel progress on key initiatives that ensure an exceptional educational experience for every undergraduate student at the U.