AASCU 2025 Summer Meeting for Academic and Student Affairs Leaders
Regional public university colleagues learn from each other’s challenges and successes.
Regional public university colleagues learn from each other’s challenges and successes.
An initiative designed to elevate the importance of the course schedule and leverage it to improve student outcomes in higher education.
Contact us to learn more.One of the most essential elements to a student’s academic success is getting the courses they need to complete their degree. Yet, research indicates that at most institutions, the course schedule has become a structural barrier to success.
AASCU received funding from The Ascendium Education Group to improve course scheduling and ensure that access to courses required for degree completion is not a barrier to success, especially for low-income students and students of color.
Created in partnership with Ad Astra, the project included: two convenings, monthly webinars, benchmarking with technical assistance, data coaching, and change management consulting for eleven institutions. These structured engagements supported institutional capacity for data-informed course scheduling and improved scheduling policies and practices.
Through this work, institutions have identified actionable strategies to:
For students starting in Fall 2023, there was an 8% increase in the overall momentum year rate, with rates for Native American, Black/African-American, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiians having an average increase of between 7% and 13%.
The average annual productive credits increased by 1% for students starting in Fall 2023 as opposed to students beginning in Fall 2022.
Had an increase of students taking 15+ credits per semester from 23% in fall 2023 to 45% in fall 2024.
Had 25% improvement in the Overloaded Course Ratio, specifically in first-year (100-level) courses, between fall 2023 and fall 2024.
From fall 2023 to fall 2024, classroom utilization increased by 5%, while Primetime Compression decreased by 11%; in Fall 2024 Off-Grid Waste decreased over two percentage points compared to Fall 2023.
From fall 2023 to fall 2024, overall primetime utilization increased in classrooms while off-grid meeting pattern utilization decreased by 10% and off-grid waste decreased by three percentage points.
The playbook, created as a result of this initiative, is a guide for any institution interested in levering their course schedule as a strategy for improving student success. It introduces project phases designed to drive innovation and momentum, project management strategies, and relevant metrics, to support the teams empowered to do this work.
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AASCU invites submissions to present at the American Democracy Project Summit, happening July 13-14, 2025 in Indianapolis, IN. We seek a diversity of perspectives and experiences, and we especially encourage presentations that include students and feature teams.
Democracy can be frustrating, slow, and contentious. Often, the civic engagement work done on a campus can feel isolated and be un- or under-appreciated. This meeting will change that narrative by showcasing that, through AASCU’s American Democracy Project, there are resources and a community that exists to help build and grow civic engagement within higher education.
Meeting details.Topical Sessions (45-minute sessions): Presentations, which could be led by an individual or a group, designed to share best practices and/or facilitate conversations about the practical application of civic and community engagement projects. If accepted, you may be paired with another concurrent session to share the 45-minute time block.
Ignite Talks (5-minute sessions): Designed for individuals to share compelling, innovative practices on a large stage, ignite talks use 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds and requires speakers to be concise, prepared, and dynamic.
Poster Sessions: Textual and graphical presentations of civic engagement projects or research.
We recognize how interconnected the field of civic engagement is. This topic selection allows us to maintain a diverse portfolio of options.
What are the key features of the thriving democracy we hope to enact and support through our work?
What knowledge, skills, and dispositions contribute to a thriving democracy, and how do we embed this in our work?
How can we build the institutional culture, infrastructure, and relationships needed to support learning that enables a thriving democracy?
Note that you will need to complete this form in one sitting, and we recommend that you prepare your materials in a word document and then copy/paste into the form.
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Join a community that builds and supports civic engagement within higher education.
Explore past initiatives that support a well-rounded education rooted in local and global community.
Opportunities to expand our community and to increase civic awareness and work on campuses.
Explore the history, outcomes, and impact of these ADP programs.
Find tools to support students in the Up to Us Case Competition.
Access resources to promote civil discourse within classrooms and across campus.
Join a cohort of campus leaders committed to operationalizing civic and community engagement.
Learn strategies to evaluate, analyze, and improve voter initiatives.
Learn how the Prison Graduation Initiative transforms the lives of incarcerated students.
Explore how campus gardens boost sustainability and civic responsibility through regenerative agriculture.
Get inspired to enact actionable strategies and collaborative solutions to pressing societal challenges.
An opportunity to highlight and celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange.