"While a variety of personal challenges can limit students' timely completion, institutional processes can also have an impact. According to the course scheduling software provider Ad Astra's 2024 Benchmark Report, which included data from 1.3 million students, 26 percent of program requirement courses were not offered during the terms indicated in pathway guidance, leaving students without a clear road map to completion."
"A new resource from Ad Astra and Complete College America identifies ways institutions can reconsider class scheduling to maximize opportunities for student completion. What's the need: Students report a need for additional support in scheduling and charting academic pathways; a 2024 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found that 26 percent of respondents want their college to create or clarify academic program pathways. An additional 28 percent want their institution to introduce online platforms to help them plan out degree progress."
"Nontraditional students, including adult learners, parenting students and working students, are more likely to face scheduling challenges that can also impede their progress. A 2024 survey of online learners (who are primarily older, working and caregiving students) found that 68 percent of respondents considered time to degree completion a top factor in selecting their program and institution. But making the switch to a better system isn't exactly a cakewalk for higher ed institutions, and establishing strong top-down policies can create"
Timely college completion reduces student debt and increases earnings by allowing earlier workforce entry. Only 17 percent of students at public two-year colleges finish in two years and 40 percent at public four-year institutions graduate on time. Institutional processes contribute to delays when program requirement courses are not offered as indicated in pathway guidance; Ad Astra's 2024 Benchmark Report found 26 percent of such courses were omitted across 1.3 million students. Students report needing clearer program pathways and scheduling support, with 26 percent requesting pathway clarity and 28 percent seeking online planning platforms. Nontraditional and online learners prioritize time to degree when choosing programs.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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