Guided Pathways Initiative
The Guided Pathways initiative creates clear routes for students from beginning to degree completion or transfer. Students can plan their full- or part-time schedule for their entire program and understand program requirements, with milestones marked along the way for us to monitor progress and intervene. Guided Pathways uses a consistent template with information about careers and transfer. Undecided students can work in meta-majors to explore their options in more directed and planned ways. The goal is to help more students get on track and stay on track to complete a degree and to provide milestones for when we need to step in and re-direct them.
Jackson College is one of 12 in the first cohort working on this initiative. The Michigan Center for Student Success provides professional development, national experts, and guidance. Our Steering Committee is co-chaired by Dr. Ted Miller and Dr. Rebekah Woods. Members include: Dianne Hill, Lisa Dunlap, Helen Grim, John Knevel, Martha Petry, Elias Samuels, Nathan Venske, Todd Butler, Jeremy Frew, Charlotte Finnegan, Ted Miller, and Rebekah Woods. Guided Pathways is a goal set in the Strategic Plan and is one of our current AQIP projects.
Aren’t we doing fine?
Overall, Michigan community colleges have a 52% completion/transfer rate. Our Fall 2011 cohort, as of now, has a 38% completion/transfer rate. Almost half of those who started in 2011 are not in college now. Colleges and universities using guided pathways show increased completion rates.
Started in: / # Students / % Graduated / % Transferred / % Still Enrolled / % MissingFall 2010 / 1292 / 12% / 31% / 22% / 35%
Fall 2011 / 1162 / 11% / 27% / 20% / 42%
Is this us?
Limited upfront career and college planning
Too many choices; requirements and pre-requisites confusing
Paths unclear, poorly aligned with end goals
Developmental diversion with much time spent in foundational studies courses
Students’ progress not monitored
Limited on-going feedback and support
Poor alignment with high schools and other colleges
Would this be better?
Career/college goal-setting from the start
Required plans using program maps
“Exploratory” majors for undecided students
Predictable schedules so students can better plan time for college
Academic support integrated into program gatekeeper courses (not just MATH & ENG)
Progress tracking, feedback and support
Bridges to college programs from feeders
Examples of Guided Pathways
Arizona State University at https://students.asu.edu/programs then click on “Explore Degrees”
Queensborough Community College http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/academics/index.html
General Timeline
January-April 2015: Map programs (broad strokes)
May-August 2015: Begin adding details, design intake and monitoring processes
September-December 2015: Continue adding details
January-April 2016: Finalize default pathways
May-August 2016: Register students
September 2016: Students start on pathways
Professional Development for Developing Guided Pathways (GP)
Facilitator/Moderator Training: February 27at Mott Community College
Guided Pathways Institute: April 23, Grand Rapids Community College
Pathways Workshop: April 24, Grand Rapids Community College
Faculty Conversations: May 13, Kalamazoo Valley (KVCC); May 14, Henry Ford College
GP Institutes, Webinars, and online coursesthroughout 2015 and 2016
National Experts Guiding Us
Davis Jenkins Community College Research Center Teachers College, Columbia University
Rob Johnstone National Center for Inquiry and Improvement
Gretchen Schmidt, Jobs for the Future
What’s involved?
Degree maps created by faculty that define learning outcomes, course sequences, and career/transfer information
Exploratory or ‘meta-majors’ to help students define their goals, find their majors and explore their options
Predictable schedules created by faculty and provided to students to plan out their whole program from the first semester to graduation
Progress tracking, feedback and support with milestones defined by faculty and Institutional Research. Students who miss the milestones are contacted by advisors before they have lost credits and lowered GPAs.
Limit the number of diverse choices and integrate foundational skills into the gateway college-level courses
Partial Checklist for Jackson College
Give students a clear roadmap to end goals with simplified choices as designated by faculty
Set course schedules for the length of the program
Incorporate career and transfer information
Set milestones to monitor student progress, giving feedback and support as needed
Help new students choose and enter the program with specialized orientations
Make Pathways available for new students registering for Fall 2016 (project goal)
Plan to allocate resources to sustain the effort over a significant period of time
Commit to sharing student outcomes with other colleges