Construction of an Educational Support System for the 
Holistic Development of College Students

Keyong Li

doi:10.70711/neet.v4i3.8964

Construction of an Educational Support System for the Holistic Development of College Students

Keyong Li

Abstract

Holistic developmentintegrating academic competence, psychological well-being, career readiness, civic responsibility, and
healthy lifestyleshas become a strategic priority for higher education in the "new era." Yet many universities still operate student services
in silos, limiting the reach and equity of support. This study develops and tests an educational support system model that connects academic
advising, mental health services, career development, and civicmoral education through coordinated governance and data-informed student
pathways. A mixed-methods design was adopted. Quantitatively, 512 undergraduates from three comprehensive universities completed validated measures of perceived institutional support, student engagement, and holistic development outcomes. Hierarchical regression indicated
that integrated support (? =.31, p <.001) and engagement (? =.38, p <.001) were significant predictors of holistic development after controlling for gender, year level, and socioeconomic background. Qualitatively, 24 semi-structured interviews with students and student-affairs
staff explained how "one-stop" referral, mentoring networks, and proactive outreach reduced help-seeking barriers and strengthened students'
sense of belonging. The findings support a staged implementation framework: (1) governance integration, (2) service-process redesign, and (3)
continuous evaluation. Practical implications include building cross-unit success teams, using early-alert data ethically, and prioritizing underserved groups.

Keywords

Holistic development; Student support services; Higher education; Student engagement; Mixed methods; Integrated governance

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/neet.v4i3.8964

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