Collaboration and Support for Student Success

This article discusses issues that impact student success in the United States. Increasing the number of college graduates could bring greater economic equity and help the nation remain competitive. However, the rates of student success in community colleges and universities are considered low with necessary gains requiring a broad base of collaboration. Toward this goal, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices developed Common College Completion Metrics that enable states to monitor achievement and progress at each of their higher education institutions. In addition, the government and private foundations are supporting initiatives designed to increase student retention. Interviews with dropouts have identified their reasons for withdrawal and the conditions that would have allowed them to stay in school. Some other fundamental changes for consideration to improve graduation rates involve adoption of better study habits by students, willingness of faculty to discontinue the general studies requirement, a well-defined support role for families, and public approval of an education entitlement that provides high school graduates free access to further schooling needed for employment.