Gabrielle Sykes-Casavant

Arizona Voices: Students and the Land-Grant Promise

There is no single definition of success for the purpose of higher education, success varies because it is individually defined. Landing a six-figure job can be as much a motivator as establishing a meaningful, purpose-driven career. Why does this matter? Purpose drives evaluation. Meaning, if the purpose of higher education is to produce graduates who land a job 6 months after graduation, then the evaluation of that is simple: graduation rates, job placement and starting salary. This is an informative metric, but it is not a complete nor accurate measure of individually defined success. 

At a land-grant institution like the University of Arizona, evaluation of success is as varied as the 15 counties for whom the U of A has a particular commitment to serving.  The purpose of this proposed project is to explore how the U of A’s land-grant mission is experienced – fulfilled or falling short – across all 15 Arizona counties specific to success measures. 

By leveraging AI, the project will create fictionalized experiences grounded in truth and data. Steps include developing composite student characters and creating script dialogue between the composite student and the University/land-grant mission. In these ways, the character development is similar to persona development in user experience design. For the purposes of this project, however, the composite personas are a student voice from each Arizona county.  

Gabrielle hopes this project will ultimately inform expanded measures of success in ways that highlight the U of A’s land-grant mission for the Arizona residents it is meant to serve. Additionally, she anticipates uncovering access and service gaps which, in turn, are then opportunities to inform future strategies. And, as an incoming Doctoral candidate in the Center for the Study of Higher Education – studying part-time and working full-time – this creative project will deepen Gabrielle's insight into the complex system that is higher education so that she will be better positioned to influence change at the U of A.

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