Four Proven Mechanisms for Student Success

A recent review found four categories of successful strategies that community colleges have used to support students and improve outcomes. First, colleges can facilitate interactions among students and between students and professors to build networks; second, they can assist students in clarifying their goals and aspirations; third, they can provide students with the tools to navigate the middle-class college environment; and fourth, they can provide additional supports such as on-site daycare and on-campus work opportunities to help students deal with outside commitments.

Source: Melinda Mechur Karp, How Non-Academic Supports Work: Four Mechanisms for Improving Student Outcomes, Community College Research Center, April 2011.