The program is rooted in "equity 360", a multi-dimension approach to embedding principles of equity into every aspect of the program, from entry requirements and instruction to completion, the labor market and post- baccalaureate studies.See 360 Equity Design on page 22 in the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

The BAS program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography accepts 10 transfer credits for prior learning in any general education category. See Accelerated Baccalaureate Pathway on page 39 in the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

Culturally responsive curriculum focuses on assessing anti-bias educational practices to advance cultural responsiveness and social justice. See Anti-Bias Curriculum and Assessment on page 30 in the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

Lone Star College has initiated transfer pathways with other community colleges to enable students to attend Lone Star’s bachelor’s degree programs. The emergence of baccalaureate program offerings in community colleges has heralded a transformative shift in higher education, expanding transfer opportunities for students beyond traditional four-year universities. Students can finish their associate’s degree and transfer to another community college to finish their bachelor’s degree at a greatly reduced cost. The decision to transfer may be because their college may not yet offer bachelor’s degree or that their college doesn’t have the desired baccalaureate program. Articulation between colleges is an innovative initiative that facilitates seamless bachelor’s transfer pathways between colleges and opens doors to collaboration between community colleges themselves. These articulations allow for data sharing and gives each college a list of prospective students who are ready to transfer with no additional recruitment costs incurred. Lone Star’s articulation agreement excludes transfer to any programs that may present direct competition between the two colleges, hence, maintaining collaborative relationships for the best interest of all parties involved. Regardless of the benefits of this type of articulation process, the implementation of these "non-standard" agreements presents unique challenges. One notable hurdle involves navigating the intricate legal landscape inherent in establishing transfer agreements between community colleges offering baccalaureate programs. Negotiating terms that satisfy the academic standards and regulatory requirements of both institutions necessitates meticulous coordination between legal teams. Overcoming these challenges requires the creation of two separate agreements, one designating the first college as the transferring institution and the second as the receiving four-year institution, and vice versa. This articulation process not only increases enrollment into the baccalaureate programs, but it does so with minimal marketing dollars utilized. Typically, the cost per lead for marketing purposes is $200-400 for campaigns involving television/radio spots or billboards, underscoring the significant cost savings associated with this approach. This innovation transfer pathway underscores the considerable value and potential of college-to-college articulations in revolutionizing higher education access and affordability.

This BSN Consortium comprised of three Florida State Colleges - Seminole State College, Valencia College, and Lake Sumter College - secured permission from Florida to develop Registered Nurse (RN)-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs through a BSN-program development partnership. See BSN Consortium Partnership on page 14 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

This Promising Practice is a collaboration between South Texas College with both public and private university partners that provides BAS and BAT students the opportunity to be co-enrolled in bachelors and masters level courses. In this collaboration, students who choose the co-enrollment track take nine credit hours in South Texas College's 4000 level courses which will also count as nine credits in the various universities' master 's program curricula. Coursework in these 4000 level courses is enhanced so that assignments include research and a focus on graduate work. The college has dedicated academic coaches for the co-enrollment track that can assist students with the process. The marketing of the program by highlighting an accelerated path toward a master's degree is a key component of the success of this program. There are positive outcomes for the college and the universities who participate in this innovative program. First, the program provides recruitment opportunities for South Texas College as it has the ability to raise their own future faculty members. The universities who participate in the co-enrollment agreement have a pipeline for the graduate students coming from the college thus increasing the universities' enrollments.

Modesto Junior College created a cohort model with two eight-week sessions per semester for the B.S. degree in Respiratory Care. See Cohort Model and Eight-Week Schedule on page 46 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

West LA College began implementation of the dental hygiene BS program with a workshop for college-wide constituents that has evolved into an internal problem-solving team supporting the CCB-degree program. See Community College Baccalaureate Working Group on page 17 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

Competency-based education (CBE) gives students the option to apply their existing experience and prior knowledge to attain degrees at pace that meets their needs. See Competency-Based Education on page 33 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

This Promising Practice was designed in response to ongoing requests from academic and workforce programs in institutions of higher education (colleges and universities) in Texas and throughout the country for guidance in developing quality competency based education (CBE) programs. It consists of four mutually reinforcing steps: Step One: Disseminate general information via our website, publications, and conference activity about the CBE bachelor program development. Information is also distributed to community employers about workforce CBE programs to garner their participation. Step Two: Create collaborative meetings with various college and university departments to describe a CBE degree, needed actions for developing and implementing the degree, and the benefits of this type of degree. Step Three: Provide additional advising and materials as needed, such as South Texas College’s publication, Competency-Based Education Made Easy, which describes the step-by-step process recommended for developing and implementing CBE programs. Step Four: Ongoing follow-up is proffered upon request, which includes but is not limited to, additional virtual meetings, travel to the college/university developing the new CBE program, and specialized individual and group information sessions.

DACUM is a process wherein educational organizations join forces with industry to design a high-demand, workforce-oriented curriculum that emphasizes roles, duties, and tasks performed in occupations. See Developing A Curriculum (DACUM) on page 42 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

The digital first online practice focuses on providing all students with course content (textbooks and courseware) by the first day of class in digital format. See Digital First on page 52 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

Students at Lake Washington Institute of Technology are guaranteed a spot in their respective BAS programs (with the exception of Nursing and Dental Hygiene) if they continue with their progress in their AS degree. Early Action Letters are sent quarterly to students who earned 30 credits (2 quarters), are in a “feeder” program, and have ≥ 2.0 GPA. The process is reviewed and revised every year based on program or procedure changes, and student feedback. Although the Early Action process does not differ from the normal admission criteria in that students must fill out an application and pay the application fee, students are rewarded if they are doing well in their AS programs. Seats in their chosen BAS programs are held for all qualifying students unless it is a limited access program or has specific admission criteria or restrictions.

Industry certifications are embedded in the Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) program utilizing a pathway design with embedded credentials. See Embedded Industry Certifications on page 37 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

The faculty in the applied baccalaureate program is partnering with Mentors in Tech (MinT), an intermediary organization that offers technical (tech) industry-focused programs and services to college students who aspire to enter a tech career. See Engaging Partners to Connect Students on page 59 of the CCBA ebook for the full profile.

This promising practice prioritizes the use of demographic data at the program level to identify and close equity gaps. See Equity Analysis on page 25 in the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

Lake Washington Institute of Technology, like all institutions offering community college baccalaureates, are dedicated to equity and inclusion. To plan and implement successful equitable bachelor degrees, top management support and alignment with the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plan must occur. Administrative endorsement of ongoing equity analysis is also crucial. In order for the Funding, time, staff, and training are all required. Specifically, instructional administrators and staff need to develop program review processes, documents, templates, timelines, and review procedures that provide the DEI data. Enrollment services must verify quality assurance (QA) procedures to ensure data are valid and reliable to analyze any equity gaps. Institutional research must invest in the tools, training, staff, and time to create the Tableau dashboards. Faculty will engage in the equity analysis during program review to be cognizant of any potential gaps and to offer solutions to lessen equity challenges. Also, professional development must be created, implemented, and revised to implement follow-up strategies to close equity gaps. By using this process, Lake Washington Institute of Technology has actively focused on equality and inclusion in its baccalaureate programs.

This best practice has bridged the gap between the classroom learning pace and the dynamic industry pace that transcends the tools we use in class. See Experiential Learning Outside the Classroom on page 48 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

Faculty members are assigned a group of students upon entry into the dental hygiene program who monitor completion of course requirements and retention to graduation. See Faculty Mentors/Advisors and Peer Mentors for Students on page 55 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

A Google Map Tracker shows where graduates of the BAS in Teacher Education (BASTE) are teaching in the community college’s district. See Google Map Tracker on page 62 in the CCBA ebook for the full profile.

Numbers with Heart (NWH) links institutional data with student impacts happening at the individual level. See Numbers with Heart on page 27 in the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

This promising practice showcases a complete educational pathway in biotechnology that offers stackable credentials, including certificates, an associates degree, and a baccalaureate degree. See Pathway Stackable Credentials on page 35 in the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

The use of customized/personalized advising allows students to make a connection to the institution and helps them to discover their complete potential. It also gives students a point of contact for all questions. The customized advising process begins with students assigned a faculty advisor who teaches in the BAS program. The student is contacted by this faculty member at least three times a semester to help with retention and continuous enrollment. This ongoing communication between the faculty member and the student focuses specifically on the individua students’ needs and career goals. These student goals and aspirations are documented in the college’s student information system for the student and faculty advisor to utilize when course planning. With faculty knowing their students so well, they can assist them when students have questions that are not program related. This relationship helps students feel like they have an advocate on campus and a partner in their educational journey. The faculty advisor also serves as a point of contact between students and employers which helps to create job placements for students during the program and upon graduation. Because of the increased engagement with faculty advisors, students state a deeper connection to the program and are more successful.

Each bachelor’s student is assigned a dedicated advisor that connects with their students from the point of application to the college. The specified advisor is the subject matter expert for the student’s program of study and preferred campus location. The Advising and Counseling team utilizes prescriptive and pro-active strategies to positively connect with their assigned students throughout their academic journey. In addition, the advisors utilize technology-mediated advising strategies to “meet the students where they are”, including connecting with their students through telephone, email, virtual, text, and in-person meetings through appointments created in Navigate®. Appointments in Navigate® have been very successful in that there is approximately a 100% fill rate of advising appointments that are created via this software. Utilization of student data and metrics directly correlate to the review and continuation of Academic Advising and Counseling initiatives. For example, student satisfaction surveys and qualitative feedback have provided data that shows that students perceive the dedicated advisor services to be of quality and effective. Metrics tracked include advising appointment statistics such as number of appointment utilized by students, frequency of appointments, no-shows, etc. Additionally, Navigate® analytics track student usage of advising tools, resources, and technology and reveal engagement levels. By utilizing this information, decisions are made as to whether current initiatives should be expanded, revised, or be replaced. Also, the Advising and Counseling team tracks student retention by identifying specific cohorts, such as veterans, athletes, Pell eligible, and minority males. Retention rates for these cohorts have increased for each of these groups through high touch and high contact initiatives that a dedicated advising model provides.

With BAS admissions, Highline College has removed admission criteria such as essays and recommendation letters to remove elements of bias. See Removing Bias in Admissions on page 53 of the CCBA eBook for the full profile.

Eastern Arizona College was able to work through the process of proposing two new bachelor degrees, a BA in Music with an emphasis on Music Education and a BS in Health Sciences, relatively quickly and painlessly by articulating a vision and designing a clear plan before the actual proposal of the new degree. A generic flowchart was developed to plan and document the development and implementation of the degrees. Individuals included in the proposal process included the Chief Academic Officer, the Deans and Faculty from the Music and Health Sciences departments, the college’s Curriculum Committee Chair, the Registrar, the Director of Financial Aid, and the college’s Budget Director. Working together, the process of developing the degree proposals was not only collaborative but effective and timely. Three keys that have been identified as crucial in the process include understanding the importance of a feasibility study, the focus on engaging faculty in every step of the process and finding and using technology to stay organized so that no crucial steps are missed.

When the Biomanufacturing program was launched in late 2017 as one of California’s 15 pilots, MiraCosta College developed a new position called Student Success Specialist (or Specialist) to support students. See Student Success Specialist on page 57 of the CCBA ebook for the full profile.

The Allied Health Center for Excellence (AH COE) provides system coordination, coaching, and mentoring to assist in building seamless educational and work-related systems in Washington, including bachelors of applied science (BAS) degrees conferred by the state’s community and technical colleges. See the Washington State Allied Health Center of Excellence on page 19 in the CCBA eBook for the full profile.