Cleveland State Chosen To Participate In AACC Pathways Project

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Implementing guided academic and career pathways at scale – for all students – is the shared commitment of 30 colleges that will participate in the Pathways Project led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Cleveland State Community College is among the institutions invited, through a highly competitive national selection process, to join in and contribute to the work.

AACC is coordinating a national partnership to build capacity for community colleges to implement a pathways approach to student success and college completion.

Partners include Achieving the Dream, Inc., the Aspen Institute, the Center for Community College Student Engagement, the Community College Research Center, Jobs for the Future, the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement, and Public Agenda. Partners have participated actively in the college selection process and also are substantively involved in designing a model series of six two-day pathways institutes, each focusing on key elements in a fully scaled pathway model for community colleges. The project is funded through a $5.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The selected colleges will be the first to participate in the pathways institute series over the next 2.5 years and will work with expert coaches at those institutes. In addition, the participating colleges themselves will contribute to learning both across the initiative and more broadly, across the community college field.

“As participants of the Pathways Project, we are committing to expand the excellent work we have already begun through TBR Completion Academies to provide guided pathways for students that promote success and completion,” stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC President.

Seymour continued, “With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AACC will provide approximately $50,000 of financial support for teams of Cleveland State employees to participate in a series of six training institutes over the next two years. The Institutes are intended to provide advanced training to enable our college to take comprehensive Pathways reforms to scale across the institution. This is a national movement and Cleveland State will be at the forefront serving as a model for community colleges across the country.”

“These very diverse community colleges can feel proud of the strong foundations they have laid for this transformational work,” said AACC president Walter G. Bumphus. “We are pleased with the rigor and integrity that the Pathways partners have ensured in the selection process, and all of the partners look forward to the intensive work ahead.”

“AACC officials selected Cleveland State because they were impressed with the quality work we have done already to implement Pathways reforms and our commitment to furthering student success,” stated Dr. Seymour.

The Pathways colleges are in urban, suburban, and rural locations in17 states, with fall headcount enrollments ranging from less than 3000 to almost 60,000 students. The selected institutions are:

Alamo Colleges (TX)

Bakersfield College (CA)

Broward College (FL)

Cleveland State Community College (TN)

Columbus State Community College (OH)

Community College of Philadelphia (PA)

Cuyahoga Community College (OH)

El Paso Community College (TX)

Front Range Community College (CO)

Indian River State College (FL)

Irvine Valley College (CA)

Jackson College (MI)