As one of the 30 community college presidents taking part in the American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Pathways Project, El Paso Community College (EPCC) President William Serrata is learning from coaches and national experts at each of six Pathways Institutes run by AACC. He also has a key state-level resource that allows him to…

Since the publication of "Redesigning America's Community Colleges" (Thomas Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars, and Davis Jenkins) in 2015, guided pathways reform has become a national movement in community colleges. As of spring 2018, more than 250 community colleges have committed to undertaking large-scale guided pathways reforms as part of…

This research addresses how part-time and full-time faculty roles have changed over recent years and the role that faculty development programs have played in assisting faculty with adjusting to these changes. This phenomenological study explored self-efficacy formation and intrinsic motivation of instructors taking part in a professional…

This report contains ratings of effective practices used to improve student success, retention, and completion, based on a Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) electronic poll of undergraduate officials at U.S. colleges and universities in June of 2017. The report includes: (1) effectiveness rankings for 28 general strategies and tactics, such as one-on-one…

A growing body of evidence reveals that a central factor in low completion rates for community college students is the "cafeteria" style approach to college, which provides entering students with a dizzying array of choices and little guidance on navigating those choices. A poor decision on which classes to take can cost community…

Passing through remedial and required math classes poses a significant barrier to success for many community college students. This study uses random assignment to investigate the impact of a "light-touch" intervention, where an individual visited math classes a few times during the semester, for a few minutes each time, to inform…

Never before has the link between a college education and postgraduate job prospects been more important. College graduates are employed more often and, on average, earn significantly more than those without college degrees. During recent years, as students have moved into a challenging job market, a college education has remained the most…

Once a high school dropout, Hamilton Cunningham beat the odds in navigating the transition from earning a GED, serving in the U.S. Air Force, and attending community college to enrolling at Howard University in fall 2007 as a sophomore where he is now a Truman Scholar and a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation undergraduate transfer scholarship recipient.…

Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) began as a small trade school in 1965. It has now become the largest institution of higher education in New Mexico in terms of enrollment. While most educational institutions offer student support in the form of academic advisers and counselors, CNM is a trailblazer. Beyond academic advisers, it has a…

For those seeking ways by which they might serve more knowledgeably and effectively as members of their institution's leadership team--particularly when it comes to issues of institutional assessment and effectiveness--the author strongly recommends active participation in any aspect of the accreditation/reaffirmation process, including serving as…

The CollegeKeys Compact[TM] is a national call to action to school districts, colleges and universities, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations to identify, share and expand programs and practices that address the needs and challenges of low-income students and help them get ready for, get into and get through college. The College…

This article, part of a yearlong series, focuses on the fifth recommendation in ACTE's postsecondary reform position statement which is to enhance student advising and academic and life supports. The availability of effective student supports can play a critical role in student enrollment, persistence and completion of postsecondary credentials.…

One of the goals of the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project was to understand how the community college fulfills its multiple missions. This article uses qualitative data collected through a series of focus groups with students, faculty and administrators held at the nine Los Angeles campuses during the Fall…