Strategies to Increase Course Completion Rates in Lower-Level, High-Enrollment Classes

With an increase in performance-based funding based on credit hours, retention, and graduation rates, administrators seek strategies to increase course completion rates in low-level, high-enrollment courses. This report examines pedagogical strategies implemented within the classroom to increase course completion rates in gateway courses. It also examines how administrators identify qualities that indicate experience and motivation to improve students’ success when hiring new faculty.

Online and Hybrid Course Prioritization Guide: 10 Strategies for Promoting Enrollment Growth and Student Success

Institutions of all shapes and sizes are investing significant sums to expand their portfolio of online and hybrid courses without specific institutional priorities in mind, often resulting in a mix of arbitrary, sub-scale offerings. This creates an unsustainably expensive disconnect between the institution’s online portfolio (largely steered by unit-level interests and capacity) and its overarching interest in using technology to increase access, improve student success, and grow revenue. This guide is designed to help institutional leaders prioritize scarce resources devoted to online and hybrid course development toward the most promising available opportunities. By targeting specific curricular "gaps," institutions can improve retention, reduce time-to-degree, regain or expand their share of currently enrolled student credit hours, or even attract new students to existing programs.