Academics

New project from land-grant university association will bring 100 institutions together to work on improving student completion rates and closing achievement gaps.

Retention and graduation rates increase for community colleges that beef up or get creative with their student advising services.

Enrolling and graduating more students isn’t enough -- colleges and universities must prepare them for work, too, writes Peter McPherson.

Regional accreditors weigh in on graduation rates with an analysis of colleges with low rates, but the agencies argue against using a "bright-line" approach.

Effective developmental education should be based on meeting students where they are and building on their strengths, writes Elaine P. Maimon.

We should better inform students about the placement exam and allow them to retest after they've received more instruction, write W. Theory Thompson and Danae McLeod.

Historians urge departments to give their graduate students the confidence, skills and support to succeed in whatever career paths they choose. That means going out of their way to avoid implying that nonfaculty jobs are somehow “less than.”

Kevin Kruger and Catherine Parkay suggest three ways higher education can successfully use behavioral science to increase student completion.