March 3, 2025

Delta College’s leadership team announced the appointment of Karry Kiste-Toner as the new dean of Student Success.

Karry Kiste-Toner has nearly 14 years of experience in higher education, always with a focus on student success and well-being. Prior to joining Delta College as the dean of Retention in 2021, Karry spent 10 years at Mid Michigan College where she began as an academic advisor and worked her way up to her final role as assistant vice president of Student Success.

“I think in terms of growing ripples in the water,” reflects Karry. “What can I do to take what I’ve learned in each position and broaden the impact that it has for students?”

Karry completed her bachelor’s in 2006 and her master’s from Central Michigan University in 2011, all while raising two children under the age of two. Though Karry is incredibly proud of her own academic accomplishments as a first-generation graduate, her degrees and certifications are not the most prominent feature in her office. Karry has a charming collection of pop culture memorabilia displayed along the back wall of her office. “I like to have things like this in my office because I never know what’s going to resonate with a student. I want it to be a place that’s welcoming and friendly.”

A licensed professional counselor since 2017, Karry feels this training is helpful in every aspect of her life. “It makes me a better parent, a better colleague, a better supervisor.”

“Karry brings an equitable mindset, a strategic vision and a deep understanding of the vital role community colleges play in transforming lives,” reports Shelly Raube, vice president of Student Empowerment and Success.

Since Karry has been at Delta, Advising has undergone significant changes aimed at improving student guidance. Counselors are now separate from student success advisors, so they may focus their time and energy on the growing need for student mental health support. The number of student success advisors grew from 12 to 18—reducing the student-to-advisor ratio by about 100. And advisors are now assigned students based on their program of study rather than geographic location. This new model enriches student interaction as advisors become specialists in particular academic programs and build relationships among faculty members within those areas.

“I feel confident in the direction the college is moving. I’m excited to support transformational services at the college,” says Karry. “Thinking about each student as an individual and providing them with what they need to be successful through a holistic approach.”