Dive Brief:
- A new survey from University Business shows that an overwhelming number of college leaders have worked to strengthen student success capacity in the last year, and that it will remain among their top institutional priorities in 2017.
- The survey reveals student success among participants' top four priorities for the upcoming year, with specific emphasis on recruiting and retaining low-income students, boosting graduation rates, increasing financial literacy and providing career development services for graduates.
- These areas outpaced controlling institutional costs and philanthropic development among more than 60 presidents and provosts from colleges around the country.
Dive Insight:
Student success is likely to be the primary driver for accreditation and federal review in the coming years, as the Obama Administration has made it clear that low graduation and job placement rates will jeopardize schools' eligibility for financial aid, and make them vulnerable to public disclosures about performance.
For all schools beyond the elite private universe, this means a greater commitment to enrollment management strategy, campus life and academic monitoring for diverse student populations, which will require college presidents to make strong cases for financial support in increasing the workforce, technology and scholarships to support students with high capacity and those on the academic fringes.