November 2024 Wrap-Up

All In: The 2024 CCA Annual Convening Recap

Last week, more than 800 of us went All In on student success and college completion at All In: The 2024 Complete College America Annual Convening. Our conversations, our ideas, and our strategies will propel the college completion movement. ?

Check out the highlights from All In:?

- Photos from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday

- Watch the livestream recordings from the Stan Jones Stage:?

• Complete College America: 15 Years of Movement Building & Institutional Transformation
• Overcoming the Scarcity Mindset in Higher Ed Through AI
• Philanthropic Future of College Completion
• Latinx Student Success Panel

- Watch the mainstage sessions:

• Degrees of Democracy: Rebuilding Confidence in the Value of a College Degree - Opening remarks from CCA President Yolanda Watson Spiva, followed by a panel of higher education thought-leaders on the role of higher education in democracy.
• Progress in a Time of Disruption: The Urgency of Reimagining Higher Ed - Keynote remarks from Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis.
• Leading from the Center – Indiana as a Leader in Higher Education - A panel featuring campus leaders from Indiana.
• CCA Policy and Advocacy Student Fellows at All In - Three students share their research topics from their CCA Policy and Advocacy Student Fellowships during a mainstage session.
• The Future of College Completion from Movement-Makers - A panel of higher education leaders forecasting what's ahead for the college completion movement.

- Read about the 2024 Stan Jones Legacy Award recipient, Dr. Tristan Denley, deputy commissioner for academic affairs and innovation at the Louisiana Board of Regents. ?

Keep Up the Conversation?

We want to continue the discussions after three energetic days! This year, we'll host a new virtual event, "All In and Onward: The Annual Convening Next Steps Virtual Gathering,"?on Thursday, December 5, at noon ET.

This will be an informal space for both those who attended All In and those who couldn’t join. We'll recap the top takeaways from the Annual Convening and then open up for conversation and networking around these critical issues in higher education. Whether you were there in person or are catching up, this is a great opportunity to continue the discussions and collaborations that started in Indianapolis. We hope to see you there!?

You can join us at the scheduled time here.??

Save the Date for 2025

CCA's 2025 Annual Convening will take place November 18 to 20 (a repeat of this year's dates) in Baltimore! We'll share more information with you in early 2025, but mark your calendars now.

And you can also register for CCA's 2025 Data Days: From Data to Action, July 28-29, 2025, in Denver.

The crisis facing American democracy and the challenges plaguing the U.S. higher education system are two sides of the same coin. Eroding public trust, increasing inequality, and weakening civic engagement are not separate issues; they are deeply interconnected, systemic problems that affect both higher education and a range of national institutions.?

Higher education is a key part of both the problem and the solution. When higher education works well, it leads to better lives across a range of measures.?CCA’s white paper,?Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy, outlines actionable steps that colleges and universities can take to prepare students for active, informed participation in civic life.

Read Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy, including the summary preview of the white paper. ?

CCA is seeking additional institutions to join the CCA Accelerator movement. We are adding campuses to the CCA Accelerator, with a focus on HBCUs and HSIs. Learn more about the CCA Accelerator.

To be a part of the RFP process, campuses must submit this interest form by December 6, 2024.??You can also watch an information session about the Accelerator RFP process.

We’ve updated CCA's visual identity as we celebrate 15 years of the college completion movement and our institutional transformation work.

Our refreshed visual identity reflects our unwavering mission: empowering every leader, every campus, and every system with the innovation needed to make a lasting impact. Designed to inspire confidence and connection, our updated look represents our commitment to scaling change and empowering growth across all sectors of education.?

Check out our visual identity updates here, including the updated CCA logo.

CCA on the Air Listen to the latest episode of?CCA on the Air, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

• Relevance Meets Support With Math Pathways and Corequisites – Featuring Taylor Darwin, Ph.D. , of the Charles A. Dana Center at 美国德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校 – November 26, 2024

Amplification Lab: Pasadena City College’s “Third Space” for Veterans?

In honor of Veterans Day, the CCA Amplification Lab spotlighted Pasadena City College's Veterans Resource Center. The center serves 600 military-connected students each semester through comprehensive support services, community partnerships, and student-led initiatives. By creating a "home away from home" atmosphere and streamlining access to VA benefits and counseling, the center has helped make PCC California's top-ranked two-year college for veterans for 11 consecutive years.

Read the full story in the CCA Amplification Lab.

Are you looking for your next career step to close institutional equity gaps and help students reach graduation??

Search the Student Success job board on DiverseJobs.net

Featured job: Dean of Student Success at Northern Virginia Community College

Are you looking to hire an impatient reformer to help with student success and increase college completion rates? DiverseJobs.net is offering a discount for the Complete College America network to post job listings on their board. Contact [email protected] to get your discount code.

The Complete College America team is always connecting with thought leaders, policymakers, and practitioners across the nation.?Where can you find us over the next month?

• Dhanfu E. Elston, Ph.D. , Nia Haydel , and Nikolas Huot will attend the Lumina Foundation’s HBCU convening in New Orleans, Louisiana, from December 3 to 5.
• Meacie Fairfax and Cassie Walizer will be at the Universities of Wisconsin Advising Summit on December 10 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.??
• Charles Ansell and Brandon Protas, Ed.D. , will be at the Campaign for College Opportunity‘s Vision and Action for Equity: Rooting Justice in Higher Education event in Sacramento, California, on December 11.

CCA News and Information You Can Use

CCA in the News

Major news outlets nationwide are spotlighting CCA's team and work. See where we've been covered recently.

• Lumina Foundation: Progress in a time of disruption: The urgency of reimagining higher ed. A transcript of Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis ’s remarks from All In: The 2024 CCA Annual Convening.?
• The Hechinger Report: OPINION: We can do better than remedial ed. An op-ed authored by Assistant Vice President for Alliance Engagement Brandon Protas, Ed.D. ?
• Diverse: Issues in Higher Education: Complete College America Offers Playbook on How Higher Education Can Bolster Civic Engagement. Features CCA’s white paper, Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy, and includes quotes from CCA President Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., BCC .
• Inside Higher Ed: How Higher Ed Can ‘Safeguard’ for Democracy. Spotlights Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy and includes quotes from CCA Vice President for Research, Policy, and Advocacy Charles Ansell .??
• University Business: 5 ways to improve civic engagement among your students. Includes mention of CCA’s latest white paper, Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy.??
• eCampus News: Renewing civic and democratic engagement on campus. Features CCA’s white paper, Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy, and includes quotes from CCA President Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva.
• Insight into Diversity: Report Urges Colleges to Address Civic Gaps. Features CCA’s white paper, Complete College, America: Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy, and includes quotes from CCA President Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., BCC .?
• Education Writers Association: Barbara Damron of the University of New Mexico to Chair WICHE Commission Utah State Sen. Ann Millner to Become Vice Chair. Features news on CCA Board Member Barbara Damron, PhD, RN, FAAN .

College Completion News Roundup

Below is a curated list of news stories to keep you updated on what people are talking about in the college completion world.

Value and Cost of Higher Education

• Higher Ed Dive: Education Department officially launches 2025-26 FAFSA
• Inside Higher Ed/The Pell Institute: Despite high-cost toll, Pell Institute study finds students of color believe higher education well worth the investment
• The Washington Post: Students still dealing with drama from last FAFSA, despite positive new data
• The Hill: The cost of college is quietly going down
• The Chronicle of Higher Education: Americans Have Not Turned Against Higher Ed
• The Hechinger Report: Some colleges have an answer for students questioning the value of higher ed: work-based learning
• Higher Ed Dive: States are taking on fewer college costs. Who is picking up the bill?
• Urban Institute: How Do College Graduates’ Earnings Change over Time?

Equity in Postsecondary Education

• Inside Higher Ed: Future-Prepping HBCU Students With Digital Learning
• Diverse: Issues in Higher Education: Report Details How Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act Could Better Serve Students of Color and Low-Income Students
• USDA: USDA Announces New Investments in Tribal Students and Higher Education
• Diverse: Issues in Higher Education: Report: Nation Still Has ‘Miles to Go’ to Increase Black Students’ Educational Opportunities
• Inside Higher Ed: How the End of Affirmative Action Is Affecting Indigenous Students
• Diverse: Issues in Higher Education: Sacramento State Creates Native American College

Policy Approaches

• The Chronicle of Higher Education: A Former Trump Cabinet Official and Pro-Wrestling Magnate Is Tapped as Education Secretary
• Inside Higher Ed: Optimism, Concern Follow Trump’s Decision to Tap Former WWE Exec as Education Secretary
• Inside Higher Ed: Cassidy to Chair Senate HELP Committee, Expected to Prioritize Education
• College Uncovered Podcast: What Comes Next on Campus?
• The Hechinger Report: What might happen if the Education Department were closed?
• Higher Ed Dive: Congress passes bill mandating Oct. 1 FAFSA release date
• Inside Higher Ed: Ballot Measures Yield Some Good News for Higher Ed

Student Success Strategies and Supports

• Inside Higher Ed: Meeting Student Parents’ Basic Needs
• Higher Ed Dive: New Jersey initiative brings back over 8,600 stopped-out students
• Diverse: Issues in Higher Education: Focusing on Mental Health Challenges Facing Community College Students
• Inside Higher Ed: Report: Creating a Road Map to Dual-Enrollment Offerings
• Forbes: How 3 Colleges Worked Past The FAFSA Confusion
• Inside Higher Ed: Research: Understanding the Lives of Working, Full-Time College Students
• EdSource: ‘Academic probation’ sends message to students that college isn’t for them, research says
• Inside Higher Ed: Campus Engagement Tip: Reaching First-Gen Students

Campus Opportunities

Reach out to your CCA strategy director to learn how CCA or other Alliance members could partner with you on grant or other campus opportunities:?

• Project ACCESS: Accelerating Career Connections and Employment Success Strategies from Jobs for the Future. ?Jobs for the Future (JFF), with support from the PwC Foundation, is creating and supporting a cohort of 10 exemplary community and technical colleges in accelerating and scaling innovative programs that effectively connect learners—especially those facing systemic barriers, such as learners who identify as Black or Latine, women of all backgrounds, learners from low-income households, and first-generation postsecondary education students —with paid work-based learning opportunities and quality jobs. Proposals due January 17, 2025.??
• Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Capital Financing Program?from the U.S. Department of Education?
• Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) from the U.S. Department of Education. Application deadline is February 3, 2025.??