Arkansas Guided Pathways

PCCUA will build upon current student success efforts by re-examining and, where appropriate, redesigning the college’s programs and services with the following set “Guided Pathways” design principles:

  1. Clear roadmaps to success. Colleges will design clearly structured academic programs with degree maps to create educationally coherent pathways with well-defined learning outcomes aligned with the requirements for success in further education and employment.
  2. Predictable scheduling. Colleges will place students in pre-determined, pre-sequenced, whole-program course schedules (i.e., default schedules) that will better enable them to plan their lives around school and ensure that the courses they need are offered when they need them so they can graduate on time.  
  3. On-ramps to programs of study. Colleges will rethink intake, advising (including career and academic advising) and remediation to help students choose and enter a program of study as soon as possible.
  4. Accelerated, aligned foundation skills development. Colleges will integrate instruction and support for academic foundation skills and “soft skills” into the college-level coursework, rather than try to remediate students entirely upfront. Students who cannot be placed in college-level courses will be helped to move as quickly as possible through remediation, which is also ideally aligned to the student’s initial field of interest.
  5. Progress tracking, feedback and support. Colleges will evolve efforts to monitor student progress, with frequent feedback and integrated supports to help students stay on track.
  6. Collaborative communities of practice. Colleges will create time and support for faculty and staff to meaningfully collaborate to make evidence-based decisions that strengthen instruction and student services.