Attainment & Innovation

How does higher education close the attainment gap and assure value for the communities that we serve? With the growing need for more college-educated adults—and the need and public demand for more affordable routes to college—transitional programs appear to be a key strategy, writes Webster University President Beth Stroble. But no single strategy is likely to address the complexities of the situation.

Place is an influential determinant of college opportunity and success. But geography should not be destiny. States and higher education institutions should adopt policies and practices that recognize place-based disadvantage, according to Roman Ruiz and Laura W. Perna of the University of Pennsylvania.

While the share of parents enrolled in college has been steadily growing—according to the most recent data, the proportion of students with dependent children has increased 30 percent from 2004-12—the share of parenting students who complete college remains low. Melanie Kruvelis of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research looks at steps institutions can take to better understand and support students with families.

Wick Sloane writes that more data is needed on the issue of campus hunger before a comprehensive solution can be advanced—and on that score, an upcoming study from Government Accountability Office is a welcome development. This is the second post in a new series, Beyond the Margins: Meeting the Needs of Underserved Students.

Helping more Americans gain access to and graduate from college has been a large part of ACE’s mission ever since the Council was formed in 1918 to help soldiers returning from World War I gain a college degree. And it continues to play a central role today, as we prepare to celebrate our centennial.

José Bowen, president of Goucher College (MD), says encouraging his college instructors to take risks is crucial to promote a culture of teaching on campus. Dr. Bowen recently spoke with the Association of College and University Educator about how instructors can use student feedback to improve their teaching, a topic he discusses in depth as a subject matter expert for ACUE’s Course in Effective Teaching Practices.