Chancellor Johnson Announces Seven Community Colleges Added to SUNY’s Guided Pathways to Increase Graduation Rates and Connect Them to In-Demand Jobs
May 13, 2019
As a part of SUNY Achieve approximately 48,000 students from Dutchess, Erie, Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Jefferson, Schenectady County, and Ulster Community Colleges will be supported in their path to transfer to bachelor’s programs and career goals
Albany – As part of SUNY Achieve, the university wide program to help more students graduate from college prepared for competitive careers, State University of New York Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson today announced that seven additional community colleges enrolling more than 48,000 additional students will be participating in SUNY’s Guided Pathways. Now being implemented at a total of 17 SUNY campuses, this program improves student success outcomes by building capacity and implementing supportive pathways, right from the start, to help students persist in college and graduate ready for New York State's growing career opportunities.
"This innovative program at community colleges provides students with an individualized education beginning in their high school years, which focuses on developing the skills needed for the in-demand jobs of their choice," said SUNY Chancellor Johnson. "We will continue to pursue and support these proven programs that put students on track to completing their college degrees on time and prepares them with the skills needed to begin their careers."
Campuses participating in the second Guided Pathways Institutes are: Dutchess Community College, Erie Community College, Finger Lakes Community College, Hudson Valley Community College, Jefferson Community College, Schenectady County Community College, and SUNY Ulster.
SUNY's Guided Pathways is an integrated approach to student success. It focuses on providing structured educational experiences from high school through attainment of credentials at SUNY campuses.
The $1.8 million multi-year project is supported by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the New York State legislature, and private funding. It is closely based on findings of the Community College Research Center, and the work of the national Pathways Project led by the American Association of Community Colleges.
Participating colleges help students identify their path and stay on course using the following:
- Exploratory or "meta-majors" to help students choose a program of study, identify critical courses, and define milestones for each semester;
- Education and employment goals for every pathway;
- A curriculum map with a default semester-by-semester sequence of courses;
- Learning outcomes aligned with the requirements for further education and employment;
- Intentional advising to assist students in selecting a program that is right for them;
- Timely feedback to students when they meet benchmarks or get "off track."
As the lead campus, Monroe Community College has partnered with SUNY system administration to host implementation and professional development institutes for faculty and staff. The first cohort of Guided Pathways campuses began its work in 2018 and were: Corning Community College, Jamestown Community College, Mohawk Valley Community College, Onondaga Community College, SUNY Orange, Rockland Community College, Suffolk Community College, Tompkins Cortland Community College, and Westchester Community College.
SUNY’s Guided Pathways is a part of SUNY Achieve, a program that coordinates SUNY’s systemwide student success initiatives, which Chancellor Johnson highlighted during her 2019 SOTUS address.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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