For many students, college completion starts even before application. Building a sense of community and onboarding students in a way that fosters campus engagement from the very beginning is one way that campuses can support a larger culture of completion. Dr. Lindsay Faulstick (Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students) and Chris Hitchcock (Executive Director, Office of Admission) at Hanover College share how they work together to share data, encourage engagement, and create community that extends beyond the first year.

How do we move from insight to implementation in student success reforms? In the latest from CCA on the Air, Melinda Mechur Karp, Ph.D., Founder & Principal at Phase Two Advisory, discusses innovative placement practices and developmental education reform. In this episode, we talk about moving beyond traditional placement tests to more holistic approaches and how institutions can use lessons from adult learners to provide flexible, targeted support to all students. Dr. Karp, a researcher and sociologist by training, also dives into the relationship between research and implementation in driving meaningful change for students.

As institutions ramp up recruiting for adult learners, their increased presence on four-year campuses highlights both the strengths of this population and some unique gaps in existing student success strategies. On this episode of CCA On the Air, Pamela K O'Neal, MA, MPH, EdD, associate director of student engagement in the Office of Online and Adult Learning, and Brett Bruner, EdD, assistant vice president of student success and persistence in the Office of the Provost, share Wichita State University's approach with the Office of Online and Adult Learning influences student support campus-wide.

In this episode of CCA On The Air, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Patrice Glenn-Jones to our podcast. Dr. Glenn-Jones discusses "nurtured advising," its history, and how it was developed at Historically Black Institutions. She also shares her insights on how this advising model can impact and transform student success, specifically for historically excluded students.

In this episode of CCA on the Air, CCA communications director Kate Derrick interviews Amy Wolf, senior public affairs officer and storyteller at Vanderbilt University. Today’s conversation touches on the power of storytelling to create economic opportunity and change lives. Wolf discusses her career path from news producing to higher education storytelling, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, personal connection, and finding purpose in one's work. She also shares tips on identifying and capturing compelling student stories, highlighting the value of diverse perspectives.

Establishing a new student success approach takes a village. In this episode of CCA On the Air, Dr. Kathy Almy, CEO and founder of Almy Education, discusses the challenges of scaling student success initiatives with faculty buy-in. She emphasizes the importance of cross-functional teams with diverse perspectives, including faculty, staff, and administration. As a former math faculty member now supporting math success at scale at institutions around the country, Dr. Almy shares tips for facilitating open collaboration, multiple viewpoints, and honest feedback in campus cultures of all types.

It’s been a challenging year for the FAFSA. A much-needed update to the form added complications to the submission process for many students, families, and institutions. In this episode, financial aid experts and leaders share their strategies and tactics for increasing FAFSA completion rates while navigating this year’s challenges of implementing the updated financial aid application.

In this episode, we speak to Dr. Tawnya Lubbes, Associate Professor of Education, ESL Program Advisor, and ESL Program Chair in the College of Education at Eastern Oregon University (EOU) in Legrand, Oregon. The Oregon Teacher Pathways program at EOU is supporting the next generation of culturally responsive teachers by implementing accessible pathways from high school to professional careers. Dr. Lubbes shares how EOU is leveraging partnerships, peer mentoring, and identity-responsive strategies to engage students toward powerful college completion outcomes.

Join us in a conversation with Dr. Angela McLean, Director of American Indian and Minority Achievement and K-12 partnerships in the Montana University System, led by CCA Alliance Engagement Director Janelle Jefferson. Dr. McLean shares her 20+ years of teaching experience and the student success strategies utilized and supported by the Office of the Commissioner in Higher Education in "Big Sky Country."

The National Center for Education Statistics published that 21% of college students report having a disability, often with higher numbers among historically underrepresented groups. CCA Fellow and director of the Disability Access Center at California State University, Sacramento Dr. Mary Lee Vance shares her perspectives on the intersection of ableism and inequity, the impact of universal design on belonging, and how embedded approaches in accessibility can change the college experience for all students.

Join us for Complete College America's "United for Change" Virtual Event on Oct 26-28 as we explore the unique role we each play in reshaping policy, perspective, and practice for the betterment of our nation’s students.

The stories of 20 new grads remind us why we must continue to fight for policies and practices that replace the broken systems of the past and create justice and opportunity for all.

The stories of 20 new grads remind us why we must continue to fight for policies and practices that replace the broken systems of the past and create justice and opportunity for all.

Designs - including posters, presentations and ads - that can be used for a 15 to Finish campaign.

CCA's episodic report celebrates the history of the organization and the work of the Alliance Members that have pushed to make change for students across the country.