Dusten Crichton Honored Nationally for Advocacy for First-Year Students

Dusten Crichton, director of the Thompson Learning Community (TLC), was honored at the Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience, hosted by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina. He received the Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award, a national honor that recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to supporting students during their transition to college. The award highlights leaders whose work improves access, belonging, and success for first-year students.

Since joining UNO in 2013, Crichton has led the Thompson Learning Community with a clear and consistent focus: ensuring students feel supported, valued, and capable of success from their very first day on campus. Under his leadership, TLC has grown into a nationally recognized model for student success, serving more than 1,200 students across cohorts and producing first-to-second year retention rates exceeding 90 percent.

Crichton’s work with TLC builds on national studies conducted by MIT and the University of Southern California, which have documented significant gains in student persistence, academic outcomes, and psychosocial well-being. These outcomes are closely tied to what researchers describe as an ecology of validation, a holistic and proactive approach to student support that Crichton has helped cultivate at UNO.

Beyond TLC, Crichton has played a fundamental role in shaping UNO’s broader approach to student success. He was pivotal in the development and launch of UNO’s campus-wide First-Year Experience (FYE) initiative, which embeds research-based, equity-centered practices into first-year seminars across the university’s academic colleges. The initiative, supported by a $2.5 million planning grant, is designed to ensure all first-time, first-year students receive consistent, high-impact transitional support regardless of major or background.

Colleagues and national partners consistently point to Crichton’s leadership style as central to his impact. Known for his collaborative approach, he works with all colleges, mentors faculty and staff, and maintains direct, meaningful relationships with students. His advocacy extends beyond individual programs to institutional change, helping UNO build a more student-centered campus culture.

“Dusten’s impact extends far beyond a single program,” said Senior Vice Chancellor Phil He. “Through the TLC and the First-Year Experience initiative, his work reflects the very best of who we are at UNO, shaping a campus-wide approach to student success where students across disciplines and backgrounds feel seen, supported, and empowered to succeed from their very first day on campus.”

The Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award was presented during the Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience, a national gathering of higher education leaders committed to improving the first-year experience for students across the country. Crichton’s recognition reflects not only his personal dedication but also UNO’s sustained commitment to student success and belonging.