In an article titled “Grounding Our Inquiry and Change Work in Equitable Post-Graduation Success,” Founder and President Rob Johnstone describes NCII’s approach to supporting colleges in an exploration of regional labor market data (LMI) to understand how their programs “add up” for graduates. Initially designed as part of the Bank of America Jobs Initiative, NCII is now applying this methodology to help teams start redesign initiatives with this analysis. This process involves helping colleges leverage LMI to assess which programs lead to family sustaining wages and for whom, and establish intentional goals for closing persistent equity gaps in both education and employment outcomes. Read the full article.
Institute #3 for the Rural Guided Pathways Project, held in Birmingham, AL, focused on the role of the institution and community stakeholders. The 16 colleges, along with their community partners and coaches, discussed ways to expand the college-going mindset in their communities. They also explored innovative models for connecting students to programs of study through dual enrollment and other high school partnerships. In addition, colleges received, evaluated, and began discussing their college’s labor market data. Learn more.
NCII will facilitate replication of Ohio’s innovative Leadership Academy for Student Success in Michigan, New York, and Texas. Designed to enhance the leadership capacity of mid-level college practitioners, NCII is carrying out this three-year initiative in partnership with the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Success Center for Ohio’s Community Colleges. Learn more.
The 16 colleges in the Rural Guided Pathways Project, along with their coaches, continued their work at the project’s second Institute, which focused on redesigning the institutional program mix. Using data from their own colleges, participants examined which student populations are being served by which programs at their institutions. They also discussed the equity implications of current programming using disaggregated program enrollment and completion data. Learn more.
NCII kicked off the Rural Guided Pathways Project with the first of the project’s six Institutes. The 16 participating colleges, along with their community partners, gathered in Minneapolis, MN, and focused on using a cross-sector approach for implementing pathways to living-wage jobs and careers. The college teams, along with their coaches and subject matter experts, put their work in the context of the project’s overall goal of increasing economic mobility in each college’s service region. Learn more.
NCII has announced the 2022–24 Cohort of the Rural Guided Pathways Project, a three-year project in which a national cohort of rural community colleges will work with each other — and with community partners in their regions — to implement evidence-based, institution-wide reforms grounded in the guided pathways framework. The participating institutions are:
- Big Sandy Community & Technical College (KY)
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
- Kilgore College (TX)
- Linn-Benton Community College (OR)
- Marion Technical College (OH)
- Missoula College (MT)
- Northeast Community College (NE)
- Patrick & Henry Community College (VA)
- Reedley College (CA)
- San Juan College (NM)
- Southwestern Oregon Community College (OR)
- Temple College (TX)
- University of Arkansas CC – Batesville (AR)
- Washington State Community College (OH)
- West Virginia Northern Community College (WV)
- White Mountain Community College (NH)
