The Guided Pathways Framework
Guided Pathways is a systemic redesign of the student experience that aims to improve academic program completion rates, upward economic mobility, and equity for all students with clear, structured educational experiences across the entire institution. This redesign brings substantial changes to MVCC's new student intake process as well as academic program structure, and advisement and support services to keep students on the path to their educational goals.
Why Guided Pathways at MVCC?
Students who attend MVCC are more likely to receive Pell grants than any other institution within SUNY; therefore, all of us at the College play a critical role in moving students toward economic upward mobility through meaningful careers and lifelong learning.
Between 2012 and 2016, using initiatives from our work with Achieving the Dream, MVCC graduation rate improved from 23% to 31% (from 8% to 18% for black students and from 14% to 26% for Hispanic students). While this is positive, there is still a great deal of room for continued improvement. Using Guided Pathways, we can improve our internal processes to provide ethical and equitable pathways for our students toward community college completion.
The 4 Pillars of Guided Pathways
The Guided Pathways framework consists of four pillars that outline methods designed to keep students on their chosen academic path by creating clear curricular pathways and individual support services to get them back on track. For more information and to see updates on MVCC's Guided Pathways efforts, click on each pillar below.
Clarify the Path
Create clear curricular
pathways to transfer colleges and careers for every academic program.
Get on the Path
Help students find the best pathway for them by assessing individual needs and goals.
Stay on the Path
Help students stay on their path with supports like ongoing advising and tools to track their progress.
Ensure Learning
Ensure that learning is happening on the student's pathway with intentional outcomes.