New report from Ad Astra and Complete College America offers playbook for how colleges can reorient campus culture and academic schedule to improve course access, success and completion
OVERLAND PARK, KAN. – (August 21, 2025) – Ad Astra, which works with more than 550 colleges and universities to design class schedules that help students finish on time, has released a new report with Complete College America. “Building a Healthy Culture for Academic Scheduling” lays out recommendations for how colleges can use the schedule — often treated as an afterthought — as a tool to give students better access to the courses they need, reduce delays, and improve graduation rates.
“When, where, and how a class is offered might seem like a small detail, but it can determine whether a student makes it to graduation,” said Sarah Collins, president of Ad Astra. “Building a culture that puts the schedule at the center of student success means removing roadblocks before they appear, so students can keep moving forward and finish on time — and colleges can use their resources where they matter most.”
With college enrollment and completion levels stagnating on many campuses across the country, Ad Astra’s 2024 Benchmark Report found that 26% of program requirements are not offered during the terms indicated in pathway guidance, nearly one-quarter of course sections are overloaded, and 45% are underutilized. For working adults, caregivers, and commuting students, these obstacles can be the deciding factor between staying enrolled and stopping out. On the other hand, institutions that improve scheduling balance have seen measurable gains in retention and credit accumulation.
The report draws on national data showing that outdated scheduling practices — from required courses offered at conflicting times to overloaded or underfilled sections — create hidden barriers that delay or derail graduation. Drawing on Complete College America’s expertise in scaling college completion strategies and Ad Astra’s experience working with more than 550 colleges and universities, it outlines actionable steps for using the academic schedule to drive measurable gains in student success.
“Effective scheduling might not always grab headlines — but it’s one of the most powerful, and most overlooked, tools we have to help more students graduate,” said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America. “When we design schedules around students’ lives instead of administrative convenience, we break down barriers, open access to the courses they need, and keep more learners moving toward a credential. Sometimes, the smallest, most intentional shifts can lead to the biggest gains for students.”
The report outlines five practical steps for turning scheduling into a driver of student success, including:
- Assess current practices: Audit current scheduling practices against projected course demand; surface bottlenecks, utilization patterns, and campus needs for faculty, students, and operations.
- Form a strategic scheduling team: Bring together leaders, faculty, advisors, and student support staff to champion change using data on student impact, resource use, and financial implications.
- Implement smart scheduling principles: Align course offerings with structured pathways so students can access the right courses at the right time.
- Build capacity: Strengthen technical skills like data analysis and scheduling software, and adaptive skills like change leadership and collaboration.
- Measure and sustain progress. Track outcomes in student success, efficiency, and equity; celebrate wins; and use tools like Ad Astra’s Course Scheduling Diagnostic Survey.
In recent years, a growing number of institutions, state systems, and researchers have turned to structured schedules and guided pathways as powerful levers for improving student outcomes. Among the most compelling examples from the Complete College America Alliance of States:
- The University System of Georgia’s Momentum Year uses block and default schedules to help first-year students earn 15 credits and follow clear, conflict-free pathways—boosting retention and on-time graduation.
- In Texas, the Talent Strong Texas Pathways initiative has expanded 8-week terms to improve credit momentum, persistence, and credential completion.
- In Tennessee, the Board of Regents’ move to 7-week courses offers working adults greater flexibility, with data showing stronger outcomes than traditional 15-week formats.
Read the full paper here to review the findings, case studies, and recommendations in detail.
###
About Complete College America: Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions. Specifically, CCA drives systemic change that leads to better college completion rates; scalable outcomes; and greater economic and social mobility, especially for historically excluded students. CCA operates at the federal, state, and institutional levels and works with its national network of forward-thinking state and higher education leaders. Since its founding in 2009, CCA and its network have introduced bold initiatives that help states and institutions implement data-driven policies, student-centered perspectives, and success-driven practices.
