More than 70 higher education leaders from 23 U.S. states travel to Washington, D.C. for second annual Complete College America Day on the Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 14, 2024)– Complete College America (CCA), a national membership-based advocacy organization dedicated to improving college completion rates, today announced its second annual “CCA Day on the Hill.” This federal advocacy event brings leaders from state systems of higher education, colleges, and other state and local organizations to Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies that scale evidence-based best practices and help more students complete college.

“College completion is a matter of workforce readiness, economic growth, and international competitiveness. Congress can and must find bipartisan agreement to provide colleges and their students with the support and guidance they need in the context of a fast-changing workforce and modern society—not one still stuck in a 2008 mindset,” said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America. “Despite any philosophical and political differences that may exist, the CCA Alliance is proving that ideologically-diverse leaders from across the country can come together on the critical issue of college completion and ensure that more students have both the resources and the support they need to chart pathways to college completion, prepared to contribute as productive and engaged citizens.”

The visit follows on the heels of the recent national College Completion Day, a day of digital action celebrating college completion and retention. During a day of meetings, leaders from more than 20 states discussed priorities for the pending reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which has not been renewed or changed for nearly 15 years. They also urged passage of the Postsecondary Student Success Act (H.R. 7811/S. 3995), which would provide grants to institutions engaged in evidence-based practices that support student retention, completion, and success. 

The CCA Alliance’s membership includes more than 42 states and nine higher education systems and regional consortia, covering over 1,000 institutions that serve more than 7.6 million students. A 2022 report from Complete College America found that between 2015 and today, almost all states in the Alliance have improved on-time graduation rates for students at both four-year institutions (+6 percentage points) and two-year institutions (+6 percentage points). 

In addition to advocating for reforms to existing federal higher education policies, coalition representatives also raised awareness around the emerging potential of artificial intelligence to boost college access and completion, particularly among students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Complete College America’s Council on Equitable AI, composed of leaders from historically excluded institutions, advocates for additional funding and investments for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other broad-access institutions to scale adoption of emerging AI technologies that can increase student success outcomes.

The CCA staff, state leaders, and student advocates participating in CCA Day on the Hill included:

• Alabama: Mililani Johnson Stewart, student, Lawson State Community College; Chandra Scott, Executive Director, Alabama Possible; and Manisha Mishra, Deputy Director, Alabama Possible
• Arizona: Dr. Elizabeth Reilley, Executive Director, AI Acceleration, Arizona State University
• Colorado: Kaycee Gerhart, Vice President of Government and External Affairs, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Dr. Brandon Protas, Assistant Vice President for Alliance Engagement, Complete College America
• District of Columbia: Taylor Gates, student, Howard University, and Dr. Kratel Ruiz-Washington, Staff Psychologist, Howard University
• Georgia: Darryl Cooper, student, Howard University; Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, President, Complete College America; and Dorothy Styles, Vice President for Operations and Organizational Development, Complete College America
• Illinois: Michelle L. Adams, Dean of Student Services/Student Development, Olive-Harvey College, City Colleges of Chicago; Christian Perry, Director of Policy and Advocacy; Mike Abrahamson, Senior Manager of Research and Policy, Partnership for College Completion; and Dr. Margaret Fink, Director, Disability Cultural Center, University of Illinois Chicago
• Indiana: Dr. Raman Adaikkalavan, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, Indiana University South Bend; Dr. Dhanfu Elston, Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President for Strategy, Complete College America; Brittany Gasama, Administrative Assistant, Complete College America; Dr. Lee Kahan, Special Associate Vice Chancellor for Advising and Retention, Indiana University South Bend; and Nichole Mann, Alliance Engagement Director, Complete College America
• Iowa: Cassie Walizer, Strategy Director, Complete College America
• Kentucky: Kate Derrick, Communications Director, Complete College America
• Maryland: Talya Woodruff, student, Clark Atlanta University, and Ahnieyah Owens, student, Bowie State University
• Massachusetts: Audrey Ellis, Founder, T3 Advisory; Dr. Julie Nash, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Dr. Stacy Agee Szczesiul, Associate Dean, University of Massachusetts Lowell; and Dr. Kijua Sanders-McMurtry, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Mount Holyoke College
• Nevada: Charles Ansell, Vice President for Research, Policy and Advocacy, Complete College America; Dr. James McCoy, Vice President, Academic Affairs, College of Southern Nevada; Dr. Anthony Scinta, Vice Provost of Academic Innovation and Student Success, Nevada State University (NSU); and Cheyenne Kilgore, student (NSU)
• New Hampshire: Chuck Lloyd, Vice Chancellor for the Community College System of New Hampshire 
• New Mexico: Dr. Barbara Damron, Senior Advisor, University of New Mexico
• New York: Nicola Blake, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Stella and Charles Guttman Community College; Tessa Kratz, Senior Managing Director, KIPP Forward; Jenny Perez-Taveras, Director of Strategic Initiatives,  KIPP Forward; and Bernice Sheenan, student, University of Buffalo
• Ohio: Dr. Michael Baston, President, Cuyahoga Community College
• Pennsylvania: Nathan Noel, student, Penn State University
• South Carolina: Nikolas Huot, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Transformation, and Dr. Larry Miller, Vice President of Learning and Workforce Development, Greenville Technical College
• Texas: Dr. Tashia Bradley, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Administration, Wiley University, and Dr. Linda Lorraine Garcia, Executive Director, Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
• Virginia: Dr. Maggie Tolan, Senior Associate Vice President, Virginia Commonwealth University; Joanna Jebasingh, student, Northern Virginia Community College; and Dr. Grace Mukupa, Policy Director, Complete College America

 For more information about CCA and to get involved, please visit CompleteCollege.org or contact Charles Ansell at cansell@completecollege.org.

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About Complete College America: Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions through data-driven policies, student-centered perspectives, and equity-driven practices. Since its founding in 2009, CCA connects a national network of forward-thinking state and higher education leaders and introduces bold initiatives to help states and institutions confront inequities, close institutional performance gaps, and increase college completion rates, especially for marginalized and historically excluded students. For more information, visit www.completecollege.org.

Media Contact: media@completecollege.org