Last fall, Pima Community College undertook an ambitious project and an equally ambitious timeline with the goal of increasing student success. We set out to fully implement guided pathways at PCC in just one year. Building in time for registration and updating our website and marketing materials meant we had an implementation period that was actually closer to seven or eight months. Once course and program audits had been completed, we began redesigning and redeveloping courses.
Months later, I’m happy to say our efforts have been successful. We have been able to convert 108 out of a total 114 degrees and certificates into default pathways. Additionally, we have made significant strides with meta majors and milestone courses. Implementation of rolling block schedules will start on two of our campuses this summer and expand to all six campuses by the fall. All 25 of our licensed professional advisors have been trained on integrating informed choice with proactive advising to support students’ use of the Starfish by Hobsons technology platform in identifying academic and career goals and staying on track to graduation. Also, we will have fully implemented 15 to Finish on our campuses by the fall.
We have been able to do all of this because everyone – from the faculty to the advisors to the administration – understood that change was necessary. It was recognizing the need for urgent reform that led Pima and the Maricopa Community College District in Phoenix to organize the Complete College Arizona Consortium last November and become the 44th member of the Complete College America Alliance. The Consortium has since expanded to include Cochise College in Sierra Vista, Arizona and currently serves more than 176,000 students. A number of other universities and colleges across the state are eagerly exploring this opportunity to share the powerful message that Arizona is dedicated to student success through CCA’s Game Changer strategies.
With the momentum that has developed around the Consortium in its first few months of existence, we are very excited to host the first Guided Pathways Institute on Friday, April 20. All Arizona colleges and universities are invited to participate in the event on the Pima campus. The Institute will feature national and regional content experts who will introduce bold reforms proven to support student access and success. I will moderate the event and share why student success matters more today than ever before. Chancellor Lee Lambert will share the “Pima Community College Story,” while Dr. James McCoy, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the College of Southern Nevada, will present “A Momentum Maker’s Story to Regional Success.”
From Complete College America, Sarah Ancel, Senior Vice President for the Alliance, and Blake Johnson, Vice President of Communications, will introduce “Complete College America 101” and lead a panel discussion on building momentum for student achievement. Dr. Ben Williams, Vice President of Programs for the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, will focus on “The Power of Micro-messages in Student Access and Success,” and Jon Kerr, Director of Adult Education with the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges will present “I-BEST and Guided Pathways, Joining for Student Success.” Dr. Sam Dosumu, Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs for the Maricopa Community College District and State Implementation Lead for Complete College Arizona, and Mark Boggie, Dean of Student Success at Cochise College, will speak to the power of a strong network and the dedication of the Arizona Consortium. Finally, Dr. Dolores Durán Cerda, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at Pima Community College, will issue the charge of taking the next steps for the students of Arizona.
Pima Community College will be closed on the day of the Guided Pathways Institute, and all student services staff will be expected to attend the event. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made at our institution in a short amount time, but there is more work to be done on behalf of the students we serve here and across the state.
