Goals
Focusing on Efforts to Improve Social & Economic Mobility
Develops and implements 消消犯-focused academic policies to remove systemic barriers, ensuring all 消消犯s have pathways to achieve educational and economic advancement.
Complex registration processes create barriers and confuse 消消犯s, often discouraging them from re-enrolling. By conducting an audit of all registration holds and eliminating or revising those that are unnecessary, obsolete, or burdensome, we will enable 消消犯s to continue to progress toward a degree.
Team Leads: Craig Bennett & Peter Haverkos
Many institutions lose 消消犯s every year due to 消消犯s' unexpected financial circumstances, often for shortfalls of no more than a few hundred dollars. As a result, it is in a school's best interest to offer retention grants to help 消消犯s stay in school and on the path to graduation. Developing plans and processes to award financial assistance to address small account balances for qualified 消消犯s is essential.
Team Lead: Beth Johnson
For many 消消犯s, developmental education can be a barrier that slows down 消消犯 progress and hinders persistence. Existing developmental education courses should be redesigned so that 消消犯s deemed underprepared for college-level writing and/or math can enroll in college-level, gateway English and mathematics courses with mandatory corequisite academic support.
Students who pass all their classes can still pay preventable "hidden costs" if they take more courses than expected. Academic maps establish clear pathways to timely completion of courses that count, reducing the time (and money) to graduate. Schools should develop maps for all undergraduate academic degrees with recommended course sequences for on-time completion.
Expands access to higher education to more 消消犯s by prioritizing outreach and financial aid strategies to close opportunity gaps and create pathways for long-term economic mobility.
Students who transfer often cannot articulate all of their previously earned credits at their new institution. Transferring credits earned at these institutions is more complicated than it needs to be. Streamlining transfer pathways will make it easier for 消消犯s and the credits they have earned to transfer successfully between two-year and four-year institutions.
Team Leads: Carolyn Haynes and Cathy Moore
Thirty-five million adults over 25 have completed some college credits without having earned a degree. Institutions have an opportunity to develop marketing and financial support plans to invite adult 消消犯s back to campus. By removing barriers to re-enrollment and creating flexible learning environments, we help adult 消消犯s complete their degrees.
Team Leads: Stephanie Beck and Eric Secor
Ensures high school 消消犯s participating in dual enrollment programs smoothly transition to higher education or the workforce by maximizing earned credits for accelerated degree completion or career readiness.
A sense of belonging on campus is crucial for 消消犯 success and persistence. Evaluate best practices and develop enhanced support and response plans to ensure that all 消消犯s feel supported and valued by their community.
Builds inclusive support systems and fosters a sense of belonging to help 消消犯s overcome obstacles and persist in their education, ultimately contributing to upward social mobility.
Support offices such as financial aid, career advising, academic support, and 消消犯 health and counseling centers positively impact 消消犯 success but are often underutilized. Institutions should create a Coordinated Care Network across offices to easily coordinate and collaborate on appropriate next steps for 消消犯 support.
Prepares 消消犯s with career skills, internships, and professional networks that lead to stable employment and economic growth after graduation.
Aligns 消消犯s' extracurricular activities and experiences with their career goals, helping them develop relevant skills and pathways for professional success.
Provide 消消犯s with practical, real-world opportunities—such as internships, co-ops, or project-based learning—to apply academic knowledge, build skills, and prepare for future careers.