2024 Networked Improvement Community

The NACUBO grant-funded project seeks to transform how colleges and universities fund and operationally sustain student equity and success initiatives. Using proven practices of improvement science, a working group of twenty-six CBOs and their campus colleagues was formed to produce frameworks, tools, and models that can be replicated and used by other institutions. Building upon nationally recognized student success-related initiatives including Guided Pathways and Tackling Transfer initiatives, the NIC considered systemic factors that support or hinder equitable outcomes for students related to strategic financial practices in higher education. Approaches that support financial sustainability of programs initially funded with ‘soft money’ were also be integrated into the analysis and design. Strategic frameworks and tools were ideated, designed, tested, and refined by participating institutions, with support from NACUBO facilitators and subject matter experts. Colleges and universities will have access to NIC-generated frameworks, tools and models via the NACUBO Student Success Hub (www.nacubostudentsuccess.org). The Hub will provide resources to help facilitate prioritization of financial resources to remove barriers and sustain initiatives that improve equitable student outcomes.