Dear colleagues,
It’s energizing in this work when we get to trace a straight line from something we supported a decade ago to evidence that continues to affirm—and deepen—what we believed all along: that redesigning the postsecondary experience to center students leads to increased student achievement.
Back in 2015, I had the opportunity to approve a $7 million investment in the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Guided Pathways project. This contribution—alongside the incredible work from a group of partners, college leaders, and other funders—helped strengthen an emerging Guided Pathways movement, producing evidence, policy agendas, institutional supports and more. Our support was the culmination of years of smaller, isolated investments aimed at improving college completion—advising redesign here, developmental ed reform there. Guided Pathways was a bold step forward: a comprehensive, whole-college approach to redesigning the student experience so more students could navigate college with clarity and purpose.
Now, ten years later, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) has released a new book—More Essential Than Ever: Community College Pathways to Educational and Career Success—that captures a decade’s worth of research and reform reaching more than 600 institutions. The title alone says it all: in an era of skepticism about the value of higher ed, community colleges—and the pathways they offer—are more essential than ever.
The book builds on Redesigning America’s Community Colleges and presents five “next frontier” strategies that go beyond implementation toward deeper, more equitable impact. The accompanying resources—like CCRC’s discussion guide and a blog series—make it not just a research summary, but a field-tested playbook.
These insights come at a pivotal time, as we double down on strategies that link college transformation to student outcomes in both our Postsecondary and Pathways portfolios. Guided Pathways continues to be one of the strongest tools we have—not just to change how colleges are structured, but to change how millions of students experience college. That insight is core to our broader Pathways strategy, where we’re focused on helping every student move from high school through college and into a career with purpose, support, and a credential that delivers real value.
And that kind of transformation isn’t limited to the Guided Pathways context. In our Postsecondary work, we’re seeing similar momentum through efforts like the Higher Endeavor Initiative, which supports over 250 colleges and universities to redesign their structures and cultures in ways that better serve today’s students. By providing coaching, tools, and research-informed strategies, these intermediaries are accelerating institutional change—ensuring more students not only complete their degrees, but do so with momentum, meaning, and opportunity on the other side.
Together, our Postsecondary and Pathways work helps create a more connected and navigable journey—from exploration to enrollment to career—while showing what’s possible when systems prioritize student experience and success.
Regards,
Patrick Methvin
Director, Postsecondary Success
Quick takes
Reimagining online learning
In a recent episode of The Key podcast, experts in higher ed innovation dig into the next wave of online learning. From investing in more engaging courseware to scaling digital tools that improve student outcomes, the conversation explores how colleges can reimagine online learning to better serve today’s students, especially those balancing work, family, and school.
Golden returns for California’s community and career colleges
A new analysis from the HEA Group and College Futures Foundation provides the first regional look at ROI for California’s 327 community and career colleges. The analysis finds that the top 25 institutions—23 of them California Community Colleges—help students recoup their educational costs in six months or less. These high-performing schools span seven of the state’s 12 economic regions, often serve students predominantly from low-income families, and charge less than $5,000 a year.
AI in the workplace: Insights from WGU’s future of work panel
Western Governors University recently convened a panel on the Future of Work, hosted by Michael Horn on the Future U podcast, exploring how AI is reshaping both the labor market and higher education. The discussion highlighted the dual responsibility for educators: preparing students for jobs that will require collaboration with AI tools, and ensuring they develop the uniquely human skills—like critical thinking, creativity, and empathy—that technology can’t replicate.