Key Strategies
Local Findings: Project Finish Line
Project Finish Line focused upon a direct intervention at four community and technical colleges who employed Completion Coaches: Green River College and the Seattle College District’s three campuses (North Seattle, Seattle Central and South Seattle) from Fall 2015 through Fall 2016. Completion coaches re-engaged students who were encountering barriers to credential completion and connected them with resources to enable them to finish their degrees. Completion Coaches have been successfully used at Walla Walla Community College, winner of the 2013 Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence, for several years. Walla Walla staff provided expert mentorship to the project.
The external evaluation of Project Finish Line generated new knowledge about building a “culture of completion” on college campuses. The reports below provide insights into how to improve student completion through collaboration among diverse campus departments, including Student Services, Institutional Research, Financial Aid, Information Technology and Instruction.
- Walla Walla Community College Report
- Project Finish Line Final Report
- Completion Literature Review
- Project Finish Line Learning Community Report
Persistence and Completion Learning Community
Launched through Project Finish Line, the PSCCN Persistence & Retention Learning Community convenes educators working on college campuses and community-based organizations to study a range of topics instrumental to student success in interactive sessions addressing a range of themes.
Resources
A number of local, state, and national organizations provide helpful resources and data addressing student completion: