Textbooks are traditional and useful learning resources for college students, but commercial texts books have been widely criticized for their high costs, restricted access, limited flexibility, and uninspiring learning experiences. Open Education Resources (OER) are an alternative to commercial textbooks that have the potential to increase…

Even in this endemic period, the California Community Colleges continues to make progress toward meeting its Vision for Success goals, established nearly five years ago to set a path to increase certificate and degree attainment, improve transfer and close equity gaps. This report details the goals outlined in the system's Vision for Success and…

Student retention is a key outcome measure for post-secondary education, but data show relatively stagnant retention rates over the past decade. Longstanding interventions such as counseling, academic advising, and mentoring provide crucial student services, but little change in retention rates suggest there is still need for additional student…

For many students, transportation presents a barrier to college completion. In 2020-21, the average commuter student could expect to spend nearly one-fifth of their total living expenses on transportation costs. Transportation programs have the potential to offer students some relief--and help them reach college graduation--yet more rigorous…

Aligned with the American Association of Community College's 21st Century Initiative for community college completion, coaching has emerged in higher education as a promising practice for student support. Although hundreds of community colleges have implemented coaching programs, few studies have explored the practice of coaching and its…

The first-year seminar (FYS) has been widely implemented at colleges and universities as a strategy for facilitating student success. However, empirical evidence indicates that the observed effects of FYS on retention and academic performance are mixed. Drawing on data from first-time full-time degree-seeking cohorts from Fall 2010 through Fall…

While federal funding has provided financial benefits to assist the increasing number of veteran students in their academic pursuits, universities have not always been well-equipped to properly support this nontraditional demographic. For this study, the researchers utilized a mixed-methods approach to determine if the enrollment, retention, and…

While federal funding has provided financial benefits to assist the increasing number of veteran students in their academic pursuits, universities have not always been well-equipped to properly support this nontraditional demographic. For this study, the researchers utilized a mixed-methods approach to determine if the enrollment, retention, and…

While federal funding has provided financial benefits to assist the increasing number of veteran students in their academic pursuits, universities have not always been well-equipped to properly support this nontraditional demographic. For this study, the researchers utilized a mixed-methods approach to determine if the enrollment, retention, and…

Colleges and universities employ conditional admission policies to identify students with subpar academic qualifications, who may need additional support to succeed. Using institutional data of more than 2,000 students, the study applies labeling theory to a quasi-experimental design (difference-in-differences testing), measuring the effects of a…

In September 2015, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) was awarded a First in the World (FITW) grant from the United States Department of Education. Interstate Passport® is the only nationwide network of regionally accredited, nonprofit, public and private two- and four-year institutions dedicated to the block transfer…

This benchmark report provides insights into college student persistence, progression, and retention for first-year, second-year, and transfer students at four-year private and public institutions, taken from a survey of college and university officials. This report features 14 key benchmarks in four major categories: (1) annual expenditures on…

Higher education institutions have prioritized supporting undecided students with their major and career decisions for decades. This study used a U.S. public research-focused university's large-scale institutional data set and undecided student's retention and graduation rate predictors to demonstrate how to couple student and institutional data…

This study probed the predictive effects of accelerated college credits over and above the predictive effects of FAFSA EFC index number, sex, and first-generation status on baccalaureate outcomes on first-time college students. A hierarchical multiple regression on 2,817 students who graduated from a private university in central Arkansas was…

There are hundreds of recognized tuition-free college "promise" programs, but few are as generous or flexible as the Kalamazoo Promise (KPromise). Pre-COVID studies on KPromise have demonstrated effects on increased college attendance, credit completion, and persistence. Extending these findings to the COVID-19 pandemic context can help…