Student success thought leadership
Sharing our approach to student success. The Division of Student Success contributes to the national higher education conversation through podcasts, virtual forums, publications, and panel discussions focused on student achievement and innovation. This archive highlights the thought leadership of Dr. Amber Williams, whose work centers on strengths-based development, retention, and the evolving Gen Z student experience. Her leadership informs national dialogue on holistic student success, belonging, and postsecondary transformation.
More about Dr. Amber Williams
Looking for Senior Vice Provost Amber Williams’s full bio, education, and leadership philosophy?
Featured media
Listen to and watch Dr. Williams in conversation with national higher education leaders. Episodes play on this page, and each entry links to the host platform.
Leading with Strengths: Amber Williams on Strengths as a Mindset Shift for Student Development
Gallup, Leading with Strengths ·
Dr. Amber Williams joins Gallup CEO Jon Clifton to discuss how CliftonStrengths is embedded across the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, campus and how strengths-based development shapes student learning, engagement, and leadership practice. The conversation also highlights how strengths-based frameworks inform institutional strategy and student development outcomes.
ASCEND Podcast: New Vol Experience (Engagement)
Tippets Kirby ·
Dr. Williams discusses UT’s New Vol Experience with Dr. Jared Tippets and Dr. Eric Kirby, focusing on first-year student transition, belonging, and structured engagement strategies. The episode explores how sustained onboarding supports retention and student success through intentional design across the academic year.
ASCEND Podcast: Vol Success Teams
Tippets Kirby ·
Dr. Williams joins co-host Dr. Jared Tippets to share how UT implemented Vol Success Teams, a cross-functional support model that transformed advising and engagement for first-year and transfer scholars.
She is also a contributing author to ASCEND to Higher Retention Rates, Vol. 3, published in July 2025 by Tippets Kirby, a collection of practical retention and completion strategies from higher education experts across the country. Her chapter draws on UT’s two signature programs, Vol Success Teams and the First-Year Experience.
Inside Higher Ed: The Key with Chancellor Donde Plowman
Inside Higher Ed, The Key ·
Dr. Williams joins Chancellor Donde Plowman on The Key podcast to discuss UT’s strengths-based approach to student success. The conversation highlights how institutions can align academic and personal development to improve retention and career readiness.
Talkin’ Tennessee with Yvoncca, part 1
Talkin’ Tennessee with Yvoncca ·
Dr. Williams traces her path through higher education, from becoming the youngest admissions director in the nation to leading student success at UT. She reflects on her work in recruitment and access, and on the relationships that have supported a trailblazing career.
Talkin’ Tennessee with Yvoncca, part 2
Talkin’ Tennessee with Yvoncca ·
Dr. Williams describes how UT is redefining student success, including deploying the CliftonStrengths assessment so students can build on their own capabilities and confidence. She also shares her approach to reshaping orientation into a year-long experience that fosters a nurturing, inclusive environment.
Dr. Josie and the Podcast: Little Giants, Big World of Gen Alpha
Josie Ahlquist ·
Dr. Williams joins a panel discussing Gen Alpha and the future of higher education. The conversation explores how emerging generations will shape institutional expectations around learning, flexibility, and student engagement.
ASCEND Podcast: Increasing Retention and Student Success
Tippets Kirby ·
Dr. Williams joins co-hosts Jared Tippets and Eric Kirby to discuss foundational strategies for improving retention and student success, emphasizing cross-campus collaboration and personalized student support systems that help institutions scale impact.
Recorded forums, webcasts, and publications
These sessions and articles are hosted on the publisher’s platform. Some recordings ask you to register before they play.
The Chronicle of Higher Education Virtual Forum: What Today’s Students Can Teach Colleges
The Chronicle of Higher Education · October 2025
Gen Z expects more from a campus experience than previous classes did. Dr. Williams joins other higher education leaders in a panel discussion on how today’s students want to build authentic, meaningful connections with peers and faculty alike, on a campus that supports healthy lifestyles.
Cracking the Retention Code: How Data and AI Are Helping Shape Student Success
Inside Higher Ed webcast · December 2024
This webcast, featuring Dr. Williams, examines why students do not retain, including concerns about cost, well-being, and a lack of awareness of the resources available to them.
It also considers strategies that support retention, from academic support and wraparound services to applications of artificial intelligence that can flag at-risk students in need of intervention.
Inside Higher Ed: A New Recipe for Success
Inside Higher Ed · article
UT has revamped its approach to student success by combining academic, personal, and career support through initiatives like Vol Success Teams and a new advising model. In this article, co-authored by Chancellor Donde Plowman and Dr. Williams, a holistic strategy emphasizes tailored support, mentorship, and career readiness, helping students thrive from enrollment through graduation.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Beating the ‘Sophomore Slump’
The Chronicle of Higher Education · virtual forum
Watch “The Student-Success Journey: Beating the ‘Sophomore Slump,’” featuring Dr. Williams, where panelists discussed the financial concerns, social life, basic needs, and academic advising that all play a part in the sophomore experience.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Supporting Student Success, Tools and Strategies
The Chronicle of Higher Education · virtual forum
Watch “Supporting Student Success: Tools and Strategies,” the first part of a Virtual Forum series featuring Dr. Williams, exploring the strategies and systems colleges use to support student needs, including AI-powered chatbots and data analytics.
NEXT Office Hour: Gen Z and Student Success
NEXT Office Hour · recording
Watch “Gen Z and Student Success” as Dr. Williams and other higher education leaders examine what is going on with students, how to address a transactional mindset about college, and the skills students will need for the future as colleges look to boost enrollment demand.
Invite Dr. Williams to speak at your event
Dr. Amber Williams engages in national keynotes, panels, podcasts, and other opportunities focused on strengths-based development, student retention, and the evolving Gen Z campus experience, shaping contemporary higher education practice and strategy.
Contact for speaking invitations
Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Student Success
Speaking invitations and media inquiries