Case Study of Guided Pathways Implementation at the Community Colleges of One Northeastern State’s Higher Education System
Chaudron, Alexis
O'Hara, JEnnifer
:
2023-08
Abstract
The Northeastern State University System (NESUS) has been experiencing decreased rates of enrollment, retention and graduation. In an effort to combat this issue, NESUS Office of Community Colleges (NESUS OCC) decided to implement a nationwide initiative, titled Guided Pathways, which is a program based on the research of the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia University, and the work of the Pathways Collaborative. There was ample literature available on the implementation of Guided Pathways, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books and doctoral dissertations. CCRC utilized Kotter’s 8 Step Change Management Model as the framework for the Guided Pathways implementation process. We intentionally developed generic research questions that would promote the collection of qualitative and quantitative data in alignment with Kotter’s change management model. The research questions are 1) What practices resulted in Guided Pathways implementation at scale? and 2) What practices hindered Guided Pathways implementation at scale? We conducted a mixed-methods study that encompassed quantitative and qualitative data. The qualitative and quantitative analysis revealed that the more a college aligns its efforts with Kotter’s change management model, the college will be more successful implementing at scale. We suggested 8 recommendations that align with Kotter’s change management framework.