Colleges and universities are seeing an increasing number of learners from diverse backgrounds on their campuses, making it crucial for them to establish cultures that welcome these students and set them up for success.
One recognized and respected way to achieve this is Guided Pathways, a framework of structural and policy changes that help higher education institutions redesign the college experience, giving all students the support they need to thrive on campus.
The Institute for Evidence-Based Change’s work through Caring Campus builds on Guided Pathways by introducing cultural and behavioral practices, providing a holistic framework aimed to propel higher education toward a future where students seamlessly achieve their academic and career goals.
Dr. Robert Johnstone, a leading national voice for Guided Pathways and founder of the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement, cites Caring Campus as a vital tool to help colleges and universities ensure their students feel valued and cared for on campus. His vision for student success aligns with our work on increasing student connectedness to their college, creating a nexus between our two organizations.
“Caring Campus really goes hand-in-hand with Guided Pathways,” Dr. Johnstone said. “Caring Campus shows colleges they have the power and agency to act in ways that will make students feel valued and validated, which in turn helps students see the value in their education and helps them succeed.”
In Texas, Guided Pathways is known by the name Talent Strong Texas Pathways. Our Caring Campus Coach Dr. Martha Ellis helped design Talent Strong Texas Pathways in her role as senior pathway lead at the Texas Success Center, creating a framework to help improve student outcomes in higher education.
“Caring Campus brings a positivity to campus cultures that makes a huge impact at all institutions – from small, rural colleges, to the largest colleges in Texas,” Dr. Ellis said. “Caring Campus and Talent Strong Texas Pathways are married together beautifully to bring about both the policy, structural, and cultural changes that are necessary to help students thrive.”
Dr. Johnstone and Dr. Ellis both agreed that Caring Campus and Guided Pathways/Talent Strong Texas Pathways are different sides of the same coin, with each program working to increase student persistence, retention, and success.
“Guided Pathways/Talent Strong Texas Pathways and Caring Campus work perfectly in tandem, tackling the concept of student success from two important angles,” IEBC President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Brad Phillips said. “Both strive to improve students’ experiences nationwide, and we are proud to be included in the same discussion as these powerful programs.”
Caring Campus Coach Dr. Martha Ellis facilitates a Caring Campus session. In addition to her work with Caring Campus, Dr. Ellis coaches for and helped to design Talent Strong Texas Pathways.
Dr. Robert Johnstone, a leading national voice for Guided Pathways and founder of the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement, cites Caring Campus as a vital tool to help colleges and universities ensure their students feel valued and cared for on campus.