Student Success  What is it?  How can we assess it?  Whose responsibility is it?  What role do you play?

Student Success, Cont’d  Years of research have revealed certain elements and capacities – conditions, policies, practices, and behaviors – that are foundational to student success.  Grounded in a student focused culture, exemplary colleges demonstrate skill and commitment to these elements and capacities:

Student Success, Cont’d  Leadership and Vision  Data and Technology  Equity  Teaching and Learning  Engagement and Communication  Strategy and Planning  Policies and Practices

Student Success, Cont’d  The conditions, policies, practices and behaviors include:  Institutional leaders, including board members and faculty, are continuously engaged in fulfilling the institutional mission, which focuses on the success of students pursuing their educational goals.

Student Success, Cont’d  Grounded by the mission, a sustained focus on student learning and achievement is practiced by all stakeholders.  A culture of evidence and inquiry is pervasive in the institution, including cohort tracking, using disaggregated data and strong support from the institutional research unit.

Student Success, Cont’d  The institution demonstrates broad and continuous faculty, staff, student, and community engagement and collaboration in support of student success.  A sense of urgency drives a shared vision and communication around a focus on student learning and achievement with internal and external stakeholders.

Student Success, Cont’d  An equity agenda is integrated with efforts to improve student learning and achievement.  Planning and budgeting, including reallocation of resources, are aligned with the vision, priorities, and strategies defined for student success at the institution.

Student Success, Cont’d  The institution has an agenda for student success that integrates all significant initiatives, including legislated programs, grants, strategic, planning, and accreditation.  Each student is given a clear roadmap to success, a pathway that leads to further education and/or employment.

Student Success, Cont’d  Redesign dev. ed., incorporating principles from community college research and practice, including acceleration, contextualization, compression, collaborative learning, and integrated student and academic support.  Require enrollment in developmental English and math courses during the first semester.

 Increase students’ understanding of admission requirements, application, and financial aid processes.  Develop dual/concurrent enrollment opportunities for high school students.  End late application and registration before classes begin. Student Success, Cont’d

 Mandate orientation to college and ongoing advising for students, including a course on success in college.  Engage faculty and staff across typical silos to design integrated support for students.  Monitor student progress, providing frequent feedback and support.

Student Success, Cont’d  Construct coherent, structured pathways to certificate and degree completion and transfer.  Simplify choices for students, using defaults that give students a recommended program of study that can be customized.  Develop cohort learning groups around developmental education courses and a course on student success in college.

Student Success, Cont’d  Professional development, inclusive of board members, CEO, leadership throughout the institution, full-time and adjunct faculty, and staff, is aligned with the priorities and strategies of the institutional focus on student success.

Resources  Community College Research Center (CCRC), Teachers College, Columbia University (  Student Success Initiatives, University of Texas at Austin (  Achieving The Dream (

Resources, Cont’d  Center for Community College Student Engagement (  American Association of Community Colleges (  Association of Community College Trustees (