In collaboration with ACUE, Complete College America will equip faculty with evidence-based teaching practices to improve student learning outcomes and advance college completion
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Complete College America (CCA), a national nonprofit on a mission to raise postsecondary attainment in the United States, today announced a new partnership with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) to bring its nationally recognized faculty certification to a select group of faculty across four historically or predominantly Black community colleges. Under this initiative, a cohort of faculty across four institutions will complete a comprehensive course to refine their instructional practice and earn ACUE’s Effective Teaching certification. In addition, all faculty and staff across four institutions will gain access to ACUE Commons, a community of practice offering continued learning and endorsements on timely topics shaping higher education today.
“Effective faculty are one of the most critical levers we have for fulfilling the promise of college completion. They’re the ones building connection, creating momentum, and supporting learners every day in the classroom,” said Yolanda Watson Spiva, CCA president. “Unlike many of the structural or financial barriers to completion, teaching is something institutions can directly invest in, strengthen, and improve at scale. But that requires moving beyond one-off workshops and optional professional development. It means giving faculty the coaching, curriculum, credentials, and community they need to continually strengthen their teaching practice and ensure that more students can achieve their full education and career potential.”
Nationally, only about a third of first-time, full-time community college students graduate within three years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)—with even lower completion rates reported for first-generation, low-income, and historically underserved students. While many factors influence whether a student persists to graduation, research consistently points to the frequency and quality of student-faculty interactions as one of the strongest predictors of whether a student stays enrolled and completes their degree. An independent study published in 2026 by Sam Houston State University found that courses taught by ACUE-certified instructors saw a 3.33 percentage-point reduction in DFW rates (grades of D, F, or withdrawal) compared to non-certified instructors. Certified instructors also received significantly higher student evaluation scores.
The ACUE partnership is an extension of the CCA Accelerator, a multi-year initiative funded by the Gates Foundation to help states, systems, and institutions design and implement structural reforms proven to raise college completion rates. Through the Accelerator project, participating institutions receive dedicated coaching and technical assistance from CCA to identify the specific barriers to completion on their campus and build multi-year plans to address them. CCA also connects institutions to resources and partners—like ACUE—that match their priorities.
Participating institutions in this new initiative include Lawson State Community College (Alabama), Coahoma Community College (Mississippi), Baton Rouge Community College (Louisiana), and Delgado Community College (Louisiana). Faculty will participate in ACUE’s Effective Teaching Practices, a comprehensive course built around what research shows drives student success: engaging classrooms, active learning, inquiry-driven teaching, and courses designed around how students actually learn. Each institution will also receive access to ACUE Commons, a vibrant teaching and learning community designed to keep faculty ahead of the curve on trends and emerging instructional topics. Through ACUE Commons, all faculty and staff at participating colleges will have the opportunity to earn endorsements that recognize their applied expertise in timely areas of specialty including AI for Higher Ed, Workforce Readiness, Civic and Social Engagement, and Holistic Student Support.
Throughout the partnership, CCA and ACUE will track faculty engagement and progress toward certification, and evaluate the impact of effective teaching practices on faculty across participating institutions.
“Teaching quality is not separate from the completion conversation—it is central to it,” said Andrew Hermalyn, ACUE chairman and CEO. “Research shows that how faculty teach can influence whether students succeed in their courses, persist from one term to the next, and ultimately complete a degree. But teaching excellence requires sustained, evidence-based professional learning. This initiative will give institutions a way to make that kind of faculty development part of the everyday work of improving student success.”
The certification cohort is set to launch Sept. 21. For institutions and organizations interested in learning more, visit www.completecollege.org and www.acue.org.
About CCA: Complete College America is a bold national advocate for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps by working with states, systems, institutions, and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success. To learn more about CCA, visit www.completecollege.org.
About ACUE: The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) is dedicated to student success through high-quality instruction. In partnership with higher education institutions, they offer the only nationally recognized Effective Teaching certification, endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE), supported by a vibrant community of practice focused on advancing teaching excellence. ACUE-certified faculty deliver exceptional teaching in every class, resulting in higher student engagement, improved achievement, and stronger retention—outcomes that enhance institutional impact and support long-term student success. Learn more at acue.org.
