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tag: Student success

Upcoming Event
November 12, 2025

Reimagining Support: How Colleges and Policymakers Can Serve Student-Parents, Transfers, and Scholars of Color

Council on Public Policy Higher Education Pre-Conference

“Academic Momentum and Credit Mobility: Examining the Role of CUNY Transfer Explorer” evaluates CUNY’s Transfer Explorer (T-Rex) as a systems-level policy tool to enhance academic momentum and credit mobility. Findings show that CUNY T-Rex use increases the number of courses applied toward degree requirements, suggesting that transparent transfer information can strengthen student pathways, reduce barriers, and advance equity in degree attainment. In a session at the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)’s Council on Public Policy Higher Education…
Upcoming Event
November 12, 2025

Building Strong Systems for Adult Learner Enrollment and Retention

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Conference

This roundtable session at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Conference will explore the unique challenges adult learners face in higher education, including financial barriers, basic needs insecurity, and complex institutional systems. Drawing on research and case studies from Ithaka S+R’s adult learner engagement work in several states and the 2024 National College Fluency Survey, Ithaka S+R’s Liz Looker and Melissa Blankstein will discuss actionable strategies to reduce administrative barriers and improve cross-departmental communication, as well as ways…
Upcoming Event
November 14, 2025

Decoding the Path to a College Degree with Transparent and Actionable Credit Mobility Data

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Conference

Far too often students returning to higher education or moving between higher education institutions encounter significant barriers in transferring course credits and receiving recognition for prior learning. Part of this struggle is the siloed and opaque nature of information about how prior learning will be accepted and applied toward a credential upon transfer to a new institution. This session at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Conference will explore how Washington State University Everett, ITHAKA, and Washington community…
Past Event
August 8, 2025

Improving Transfer Student Pathways

Coalition for College Annual Meeting & Conference

In 2024, several Coalition for College member institutions were selected for an American Talent Initiative grant aimed to fund efforts to support limited-income students. In this session, hear from three Coalition members whose projects focus on improving transfer pathways, specifically: Drexel University, for formalizing a direct admission transfer program with the Community College of Philadelphia; Stony Brook University, for implementing a dual admission program with Suffolk County Community College; and Stevens Institute of Technology for Creating the Stevens Transfer Student…
Blog Post
July 17, 2025

Reflections on the 2025 National NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education

We recently attended and presented at the annual NASPA Conferences on Student Success in Higher Education (SSHE), held on June 27-30, in Denver, Colorado. This sold out conference brought together about 1,500 student affairs professionals, administrators, researchers, and advocates united in supporting students not just academically, but holistically. Using a multi-conference format, SSHE featured three unique tracks geared towards student success: Assessment, Planning, and Data Analytics (ADPA): Addressed critical issues related to outcomes assessment and data’s role in student…
Past Event
June 30, 2025

Tracking the COVID Class

How Cohort-Based Interventions Distinguished the College Journey for First-Generation Limited-Income Students Entering Fall 2020

At the 2025 NASPA Conference on Student Success in Higher Education on June 30 at 10:10am, Ithaka S+R’s Ifeatu Oliobi will join Gail Gibson, Kristen Glasener, and Shakima Clency of the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, as well as Carlota Deseda-Coon of Syracuse University, in a session sharing how cohort-based support distinguished the experience for first-generation limited-income students through the Kessler Scholars Collaborative. Learn more about the session.
Past Event
June 29, 2025

Developing College Fluency

Strategies for Supporting Student Navigation and Success

At the NASPA Conference on Student Success in Higher Education, Melissa Blankstein, Elmira Jangjou, and jean amaral will lead a session on college fluency, sharing insights from Ithaka S+R work. “For me the college is just so big…you get bounced back and forth…you get lost in bureaucracy.” Most of us have heard similar stories from our students as most may not know what programs and assistance are available nor how to access them, impacting their well-being and academic success.
Past Event
August 12, 2025

From Roadblocks to Roadmaps

Implementing Smart Transfer Policies and Practices Across States

On August 12, 2025, at the Higher Education Policy Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ithaka S+R’s Martin Kurzweil will participate in a panel session exploring the critical intersections between state policy and higher education transfer student success, focusing on Kansas, Missouri, and South Carolina. As states strive to enhance degree attainment and workforce readiness, effective transfer policies are essential for improving student outcomes, particularly for historically underrepresented and nontraditional students. This session will highlight innovative state-level policies, cross-sector collaboration, and…
Blog Post
May 13, 2025

From Chaos to Continuity

Bridging Basic Needs and Postsecondary Access for Adult Learners

Higher education is undergoing a profound transformation, with adult learners representing a growing and influential segment of the student population. Balancing employment, family responsibilities, and academic commitments, these students encounter unique challenges that significantly impact their educational trajectories. Among the most pressing barriers to success is basic needs insecurity, which encompasses food and housing instability, childcare access, physical and mental health access, transportation and technology needs, alongside financial insecurity. Despite the existence of numerous, public, state, and institutional resources…
Blog Post
May 6, 2025

College Literacy and Fluency

What We Learned From Our Latest Webinar

For many students, the hardest part of college isn’t the classes—it’s figuring out how college works. From navigating confusing admissions processes to registering for classes and understanding financial aid, higher education can often feel like a maze of unfamiliar terminology and siloed systems. The result? Too many students miss critical deadlines, misunderstand key processes, or struggle to advocate for themselves in an unfamiliar and bureaucratic environment. This challenge disproportionately affects students who are already navigating complex life circumstances: first-generation students,…
Case Study
April 15, 2025

Leveraging Existing Efforts to Enhance College Fluency

Insights from Montgomery County Community College

To further examine and develop effective strategies to foster college fluency, Ithaka S+R and BMCC have collaborated on the College Fluency Capacity Building initiative with support from IMLS. The fourth case study in this series looks at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania and explores how effective MCCC has been at connecting students to resources even in the absence of a dedicated college fluency program, while pointing to the additional impact these efforts could have if they were formalized.
Blog Post
April 14, 2025

Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort Kicks Off

Takeaways from the Community of Practice

Last month, Ithaka S+R and Complete College America officially launched the holistic credit mobility acceleration cohort. Over the coming year, the 11 state higher education and university systems and institutional consortia participating will convene regularly to develop a unified language around credit mobility, identify best practices, policies, and technologies, and collaborate to move the needle on credit mobility.
Issue Brief
April 8, 2025

Advancing Student Success at High-Graduation-Rate Institutions

Insights from the American Talent Initiative Student Success Research Grant Program

The American Talent Initiative’s Student Success Research Grant Program supported research studies aimed at deepening our understanding of the institutional practices and strategies that can improve student success at high-graduation-rate institutions. The findings will offer actionable recommendations for supporting lower-income students, while raising awareness of the challenges that they—and the institutions that serve them—continue to face. These short briefs aim to equip institutional leaders with key research insights, empowering them to implement strategies that foster meaningful, lasting change.
Blog Post
February 28, 2025

Public and Academic Libraries Supporting College Readiness

How are students supposed to know where to start when applying to college? Once they arrive, how do they continue navigating complex institutional systems and advocating for themselves? For many students—especially first-generation students, English language learners, and adult learners—higher education can feel like an overwhelming maze of unfamiliar terminology, decentralized services, and bureaucratic roadblocks. Without clear guidance, students may struggle to access the support they need, impacting their ability to enroll, persist, and succeed in college. Join us for…
Blog Post
February 27, 2025

National Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort

Announcing 11 Members

In collaboration with Complete College America, we’re excited to announce the selection of 11 distinguished higher education organizations for the Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort. This initiative aims to enhance credential completion rates by promoting flexible and equitable credit mobility pathways for postsecondary students across the country. The cohort members’ efforts will build upon the best practices of early leaders in the field, as outlined in Credit Mobility Strategies in Action, a case study research report we published…
Past Event
March 25, 2025

Supporting College Readiness

How Public and Academic Libraries Can Foster College Literacy and Fluency

How are students supposed to know where to start when applying to college? Once they arrive, how do they continue navigating complex institutional systems and advocating for themselves? For many students—especially first-generation students, English language learners, and adult learners—higher education can feel like an overwhelming maze of unfamiliar terminology, decentralized services, and bureaucratic roadblocks. Without clear guidance, students may struggle to access the support they need, impacting their ability to enroll, persist, and succeed in college. Join us for…
Case Study
January 16, 2025

Empowering Students to Navigate College

Insights from the College Fluency Initiatives at Austin Community College

The third case study in this series looks at how Austin Community College in Texas has been developing college fluency programs with both their library and non-library faculty and staff. The college libraries play a critical role in promoting college fluency across 11 campuses. Other non-library initiatives at this college that also contribute to supporting students to navigate college underscore just how much of a college-wide effort it takes to promote greater college fluency.
Blog Post
December 18, 2024

How Dual Enrollment and Articulation Agreements Help Students Earn Degrees Faster in Georgia

This blog post is based on reports prepared for the TIAA Institute by George Spencer, Alex Monday, and Renni Turpin,[1] as well as an article in the journal Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.[2] Dual enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take college-level courses, have rapidly expanded in the United States over the past two decades. These programs are praised for increasing access to higher education, reducing costs, and accelerating degree completion (found in prior…
Blog Post
December 12, 2024

Collaborating Towards Student Success

Insights from a National Survey of Community College Library and Campus Partners

Many college students face challenges that extend beyond the classroom, requiring holistic support that addresses both academic and non-academic needs. “College fluency,” which is the knowledge and a corresponding set of abilities that enable students and staff to effectively locate and use relevant college services, programs, and resources, can help students successfully engage with and self-advocate within the culture and bureaucracy of higher education institutions to achieve their goals. Through our College Fluency Capacity Building research initiative, undertaken with…
Blog Post
November 15, 2024

How the American Talent Initiative Is Using Communities of Practice to Advance Student Success in Higher Education

The American Talent Initiative (ATI) is dedicated to addressing longstanding disparities in bachelor’s degree attainment for low- and moderate-income students by fostering collaboration among research, philanthropy, and educational entities. Since 2016, ATI membership has grown to include over 135 high-graduation-rate institutions, enrolling more than 18,000 additional Pell Grant students since the project began. A key strategy in ATI’s approach has been the adoption of Communities of Practice (CoPs) to assist member colleges and universities in achieving their socioeconomic diversity…