This report is third in a series of informational briefings developed as part of "The Guardians Initiative: Reclaiming the Public Trust," an effort to educate and engage trustees as advocates on key issues in higher education. The compact between American higher education and the broader society has always been multifaceted. Colleges and universities make a number of promises to society, consistent with each institution's mission, seeking to improve the quality of life through the creation and application of new knowledge and to serve their communities as resources for information, expertise, civic advancement, and cultural and artistic expression. This report addresses a central promise: that the nation's institutions of higher education will teach and provide valuable learning to their students. This paper concentrates on the most central promise of higher education: the provision of high-quality learning experiences that advance students' career and personal goals. It further identifies both current achievements and forward-looking efforts occurring throughout higher education to boost student success, including: (1) the reorganization of academic offerings around high-impact student learning experiences; (2) the provision of educational programs that students want, that our economy needs, and that will contribute to students' economic and personal success; (3) the investment to understand the needs of students and then meet them in a way that smooths transitions from high school to college, and between colleges and universities; and (4) the concerted effort to promote degree completion.