Dr. Wendy McNeeley can share the number of tutoring and coaching sessions performed by Howard Payne University’s Bo Rozell Center for Student Success – more than 1,500 since the center opened in 2023 – but, more than that, she can share the students’ success stories.

“I had a student I had worked with for several semesters,” said Dr. McNeeley, assistant vice president for student success. “He struggled in math and was always resistant to attend tutoring. I finally convinced him to attend a session with one of our tutors.”

Dr. McNeeley said the student visited her the week after his session.

“He was so excited that the tutor had explained the concept in a way that made sense for him,” she said. “He continued to work with that tutor one to two times a week, and he pulled his grade up from failing to passing the course. It was exciting to see the ‘lightbulb’ turn on for him with math.”

The Center for Student Success is the hub for academic support programs at HPU, offering a full slate of services including academic coaching, a peer tutoring and writing lab, learning assistance accommodations, academic testing, Veterans Affairs guidance and support, and academic advising, as well as snacks, candy and encouragement on a daily basis.

All HPU students are invited and encouraged to visit the center, housed in HPU’s Walker Memorial Library.

“The CSS is open to any student at HPU,” said Dr. McNeeley. “Students can drop in any time during posted hours for peer tutoring. For learning assistance, academic coaching and academic advising, we encourage students to schedule appointments, but, if our doors are open, students are always welcome to drop by.”

In addition to Dr. McNeeley, the center’s staff includes Delaney Bennett, academic coach, and Celeste Justice, coordinator for student success.

A typical day for the center might include a student from HPU’s School of Education taking a Pearson Vue certification test as he or she prepares to clinical teach, a student walking in for peer tutoring in math, students meeting with academic coaches because they want to perform better in class, and a student stopping by to let Justice know that he or she needs to take a test at the end of the week in the testing facility. In between these encounters, students use the CSS facilities for study-hall hours or simply to have a quiet place to work.

“When we share information about the CSS, we emphasize that academic coaching is designed to support all students, not just those who are struggling in the classroom,” said Bennett. “At the beginning of the fall 2025 semester, I met a student who wanted to start the semester off well rather than waiting until a problem came up. We worked together to make improvements to her existing time management system and ended up meeting monthly for the entire school year. Over time, I had the opportunity to extend our coaching conversations beyond academics and support her holistic development. I’m grateful for the opportunity I was given to help her develop skills that she can use to achieve her long-term goals.”

Bennett said she believes God has called her into the field of education.

“Working at a Christian university, this position allows me to fulfill that calling while also supporting the development of our students that extends far beyond the academic support that we provide,” she said.

Justice agreed, saying HPU’s Christ-centered approach transforms academic advising into a holistic developmental process.

“Just as we are each uniquely valued in Christ, the Center for Student Success offers an individualized approach to meet students at their current point of need,” she said. “Our tools help them grow both as students and in their identity in Christ.”

By recognizing each student as uniquely created with a specific purpose, Justice said, the Center for Student Success helps them align their academic choices with their deeper vocational calling.

“This integration provides students with a secure foundation, helping them navigate college challenges with resilience, clarity and a stronger sense of identity,” she said.

Dr. McNeeley said that being at HPU is a calling on her life as well.

“God continues to hold me here in Brownwood and at HPU,” she said. “I am thankful and grateful for his blessing on my life and for giving me the opportunity to work in the community of HPU. HPU’s core values are reflected in all we do in the CSS and are the way I try to live my life in and outside of work.”

The CSS staff members look at improved grades, higher test scores and better graduation rates to know students are finding success. One of the best metrics, however, is when news of the assistance provided by the Center for Student Success is spread by word of mouth.

“I was encouraged last year when we were able to help additional students because we had first worked with a friend who recommended the center,” said Bennett.

Dr. McNeeley said this is one of the best success indicators they have.

“Any time we have students come because a friend told them it helped,” she said, “that’s a win for us.”