Davidson-Davie Selected to Participate in National Initiative to Help Rural Community College Students Succeed

“Being part of a network of rural colleges allows us to expand opportunities and better serve our students and communities,” says Dr. Susan Burleson, executive vice president of academic and student affairs at the college. “Through initiatives like Rural Pathways, we can address key regional challenges such as workforce shortages, access to higher education and economic development.”

Phase 2 of Rural Pathways builds on the incredible progress colleges made during Phase 1 of the project. Phase 1 included 16 colleges and ran from 2022 through 2024. Phase 2 includes 28 colleges, many of which are continuing the work they started in Phase 1, and will run from 2025 through 2027.

Participating colleges commit to:

• Designing and implementing a better student experience at their colleges
• Ensuring that more students earn credentials and move on to living-wage jobs or transfer to a four-year institution with junior status
• Collaborating with key stakeholders to increase economic opportunity in their region and be partners in the implementation of a cross-sector approach to guided pathways
• Implementing evidence-based reforms that will address inequity and lead to improved educational and workforce outcomes

Rural Pathways provides a deliberate venue for rural college practitioners to collaborate while they work to improve student outcomes. Historically, rural community college leaders have not had many opportunities to problem-solve around the student success and completion issues that are particular to their culture, context, and capacity. They often struggle to apply strategies — even those that work well at urban and suburban institutions — in their rural context.

“Davidson-Davie is already making strides in these areas,” says Jenny Varner, president of Davidson-Davie Community College.  “This partnership will help us build on that progress, ensuring that rural students have clear, supported pathways to meaningful careers.”

Rural Pathways gives rural colleges opportunities to work through challenging issues and collaborate with peer institutions, all in the context of a learning community that provides a broad range of supports.

The role of community partners also sets Rural Pathways apart. Throughout the three-year project, regional partners are an integral part of each college’s team and deeply embedded in pathways implementation. The value of involving external stakeholders in pathways work — and giving them specific roles and responsibilities — is amplified in rural settings, where students’ education, residents’ economic mobility, and the regional economy are so closely intertwined.

“We are excited to have Davidson-Davie participate in Rural Pathways,” says Gretchen Schmidt, senior fellow, National Center for Inquiry & Improvement (NCII). “Rural institutions have not had many opportunities to problem-solve around the student success and completion issues that are particular to their culture, context, and capacity. By joining Rural Pathways, Davidson-Davie is demonstrating its commitment to making lasting changes that will improve student outcomes.”

NCII provides the project leadership for Rural Pathways. A team of  implementation coaches, leadership coaches, and subject matter experts join NCII in working with participating colleges and developing the project’s curriculum. NCII also builds on longstanding partnerships with the Community College Research Center and the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program to support participating colleges.

For more information about Rural Pathways, visit ruralguidedpathways.org.