Our journey began when we recognized the problem. Change started when we decided to solve it.

We believe progress begins with a clear understanding of the current reality. Since the beginning, CCA has been a truth-teller – sometimes shining a light on little known or overlooked challenges. But we never stop there. We’re committed to understanding our role in solving these challenges and sharing what we learn with the field. At each step, we’ve been joined by committed individuals, institutions and states who’ve rolled up their sleeves to make change real.

 

In 2010:

5

%

of full-time students at 2-year institutions graduated on time

9

%

of full-time students at 4-year institutions graduated on time

“I think I can say with a high degree of certainty the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010, the progress we made and the commitment that’s ongoing, would not have been what it turned out to be without Complete College America.”

John Morgan Former Chancellor, Tennessee Board of Regents

In a 2009 survey of Chief Academic Officers, there is no mention of graduation under “Most Important Aspects of the CAO Job.” Retention and degree completion do not appear in the survey until 2011 (“Top Five Issues/Challenges Confronting My Campus Over the Next Two-Three Years”).

CCA has been a longstanding advocate of remediation reform. In this 2011 CCA video, students talk about the barriers they faced as a result of the broken remedial system.

Remembering Stan Jones

CCA Fellows recalling the organization’s early days reflected on the life and legacy of Founder Stan Jones. Tim Renick, Larry Abele and Scott Evenbeck share their memories about the man who started a completion movement in higher education.

Growing the Alliance

As a founding member of the CCA staff, Cheryl Orr Dixon reflects on the organization's early days and growing an Alliance.

CCA's Early Groundbreaking Reports

Remediation: Higher Education's Bridge to Nowhere

Remediation: Higher Education's Bridge to Nowhere

Report detailing the broken remediation system and solutions.

4

Time is the Enemy

Explores one of the biggest obstacles to reaching graduation.

1

Four-Year Myth

Most college students do not graduate on time. Many more can.

2

Austin Peay State University: A Corequisite Support Leader

The Problem
A New Path
A New Way
Lessons

The Problem

Austin Peay State University is a nationally recognized leader in Corequisite Support, but CCA Fellow Loretta Griffy remembers a time when the university had a decentralized developmental education unit that was a “giant operation,” complete with full-time faculty, staff and in-house student support services.

“Some students had to go through four mathematics courses before doing general education work. You could be in non-credit bearing courses for 18 months if you had to repeat some courses,” said Griffy. “We were having decent passing rates, but we weren’t paying attention to how that unit fit into the fabric of the institution. We weren’t paying attention to the big picture.”

Forging a New Path

Griffy believes it was the costs associated with providing that level of developmental education that led the APSU administration to seek change. The institution decided on a corequisite model for math but initially struggled with how best to implement it. Luckily, a state grant presented the opportunity to completely redesign developmental studies. Griffy says APSU decided to go all in, undertaking a massive reorganization.

“Ultimately, we did a very scary and risky thing. We completely turned off the old system and turned on the new one, because it’s difficult to do two vastly different systems at the same time.”

 

A New Way

APSU’s corequisite math model pairs general education courses with structured learning assistance in the form of a two-hour lab designed by math faculty and led by upper-level or graduate students called structured learning assistants. Those assistants attend class and then go to the lab with students who would benefit from the learning support. An academic support center coordinates the logistics of matching corequisite supports and general education courses.

The impact of the change was undeniable. Completion of the corequisite statistics course swelled from 8 percent to 65 percent. The same model was applied to the university’s developmental writing and reading efforts. Completion rates for students receiving support in those courses increased to more than 70 percent.

“The shift happened when we changed our philosophy on what it meant for students to be successful. It does not happen overnight. It’s truly an entire campus culture change. It involves more than your math and English faculty. It’s your registrars, advisors, financial aid office. Literally everybody.”

Lessons Learned

As a CCA fellow and content expert, Griffy now shares the benefit of her experiences with higher education leaders across the country.

“I never want a campus to think it’s going to be easy. When you get to the end you can look back and say we did the right thing – but in the process it’s going to hurt.”