Academic ‘Pathways’ Advanced by $2.5 Million Federal Grant

Nov. 4, 2024

Central Oregon Community College (COCC) has been awarded a five-year, $2.5 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support a number of student success initiatives, including the integration of a “Guided Pathways” learning design to help students best identify and pursue their chosen academic track.

Other supported projects include remodeling a space for a Student Well-Being and Resource Center that consolidates COCC’s food pantry, Clothing Connection, counseling and other critical student services; the formation of a professional development-oriented Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence; and, providing access to a comprehensive higher education database for institutional reporting and research.

The competitive Title III grant, with funds that just began disbursing, is COCC’s second — having received its first in 2016. This “Strengthening Institutions” grant is meant for institutions with a high number of Pell grant-eligible students. It will pay for both a grant administrator position and a Guided Pathways coordinator.

Guided Pathways has been under development at COCC for several years. “Instead of presenting students with the list of all 103 majors we offer, you shrink that into broad interest areas and allow them to gradually explore those areas,” explained Alicia Moore, vice president of student affairs. “It’s about helping students make academic and career connections early in their time with us,” she added, with boosted retention and graduation rates as measurable outcomes.

The pathways, eight in all, will include categories of clustered majors like STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), health sciences and natural resources. Each pathway, Moore noted, has an exploratory element so students aren’t “locked in” and can more easily select their ideal area of study.

Hundreds of colleges across the country — including in Oregon — are currently utilizing this pathway design to improve student completion rates, close equity gaps and increase enrollments in an increasingly competitive environment, according to the Community College Research Center.

“The impact other institutions have had with student success rates, namely those states that have been doing this work a lot longer, is pretty phenomenal,” Moore added. The pathway starts even before new student orientation begins and includes connecting students with peers, mentors and job-shadowing contacts.

“It includes asking, early and often, ‘What are your interests, what are your goals, how can we help you get there?’” said Annemarie Hamlin, vice president of academic affairs. “Trailhead” courses, designed to feature career introductions and other inspiring touchpoints, are a key component. Some Trailhead courses, in pilot form, may be available to students as early as fall term of 2025, with an assessment period to follow. “In the fall of 2026, we expect a full launch,” Hamlin added.

For more information, contact Alicia Moore, vice president of student affairs, at amoore@cocc.edu or 541-383-7244.