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In April 2024, NCII convened the first group of 16 colleges in Pittsburgh for a final event. The institute helped college teams celebrate their successes, share approaches they are scaling and maintaining, and plan future steps for guided pathways implementation.

Rob Johnstone led a discussion on ways post-graduation outcomes can drive institutional transformation. The session explored how customized data – including information on regional high-demand occupations and labor market disparities – can inform college decisions on everything from program offerings to career readiness to employer engagement.

In March 2024, NCII convened the 37 participating colleges in Coronado, CA to share and celebrate achievements from the past three years. College teams worked to identify ways to sustain momentum and institutionalize redesign efforts at scale.

An initiative of Excelencia in Education and the Center for Community College Student Engagement, this effort supports a cohort of colleges working toward achieving the Seal of Excelencia through regular convenings and coaching from peer colleges – with an emphasis on intentionally advancing Latino students’ success at scale. NCII’s presentation focused on building opportunities to support Latino students’ short-term financial stability and long-term economic mobility.

Tillamook is the latest institution to join our network of colleges that receive personalized and sustained coaching and consulting to advance institutional redesign goals over multiple years. Learn more about NCII Intensive.

NCII’s October 2023 Rural Guided Pathways institute brought together the 16 participating colleges in Salt Lake City, elevating opportunities for rethinking teaching and learning, both inside and outside the classroom. In collaboration with Phase Two Advisory and the Community College Research Center (CCRC), participants explored strategies for scaling holistic student support, including the role that student services professionals play in teaching and learning and the role that faculty play in advising and student support. Keynotes and concurrent sessions also discussed ways to foster a teaching and learning culture that creates a sense of belonging and engagement for each learner, from entry through completion. Learn more.

NCII’s hosted the fifth California Guided Pathways 2.0 institute in Oakland in September 2023, convening the 37 participating colleges for a deep-dive on ways to foster an institution-wide commitment to scaled guided pathways implementation for improved student outcomes. Cross-functional teams of classified staff, faculty, administrators, and union representation received relevant inspiration and practical applications from peers in the state and across the nation. Topics ranged from ensuring everyone knows the role they play in supporting students’ success, to advancing a culture of caring across the institution, to rethinking business processes to optimize the student experience, to considering the contributions of back of the house support functions (i.e., IT, facilities, HR, research) to successful guided pathways development. Learn more. 

In summer 2023, NCII helped launch Leadership Academy for Student Success cohorts in Michigan, New York, and Texas. Through a partnership with the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, this project replicates an innovative model developed in Ohio to build leadership capacity and help colleges manage succession planning. A collective of 150+ mid-level college faculty and staff will participate as Student Success Fellows across the four states this year.

Through the Rural Guided Pathways Project, NCII recently asked rural college leaders and national experts about what makes institutional redesign different in rural communities. This series of short video clips offers insights on the unique opportunities and challenges rural colleges and their students face, the ways the guided pathways approach can advance their collective success, and the essential role community partners play in this work. Learn more.

NCII and the Community College Research Center (CCRC) cohosted this virtual summer institute focused on reimagining students’ onboarding experiences. Through capsule sessions held across three weeks, colleges learned about CCRC’s Ask, Connect, Inspire, and Plan framework and discussed practical changes their institutions can make to ensure all students enter a program of study aligned to their interests, strengths, and aspirations within the first year. Teams also dove into specific strategies for integrating student financial stability supports throughout the onboarding process to improve access, retention, and informed program choice. Sessions featured practitioners and institutional leaders who shared perspectives, insights, and emerging student impact from their own onboarding redesign efforts. Learn more.