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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:21.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Call for Applications</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:21.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Rural Guided Pathways Project — Phase Two</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Application Materials and Deadlines<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Apply by December 6, 2024
</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">To apply, email both the completed the application and the signed participation agreement to Sarah Cale at the National Center for Inquiry & Improvement
(NCII), <a href="mailto:sarah@ncii-improve.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:black">sarah@ncii-improve.com</span></a>, no later than Friday, December 6, 2024.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><img border="0" width="258" height="58" style="width:2.6875in;height:.6041in" id="_x0000_i1029" src="cid:image004.png@01DB2E9E.295F1810" alt="Download the Application "><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Informational Webinar: Monday. November 18, 2024, 12 p.m. ET</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Please join us to learn more about Phase 2 of the Rural Guided Pathways Project. The webinar includes time for you to ask questions about applying or
participating. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">NCII Announces Phase Two of the Rural Guided Pathways Project</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Phase 1 of the Rural Guided Pathways Project ran from 2022 to 2024. Through this effort, 16 rural community colleges from 13 states worked with community
partners in their regions to implement evidence-based, institution-wide reforms grounded in the
<a href="https://ncii-improve.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67625413bb2006b7a52de56c4&id=e8124979d4&e=a362ad3d45" target="_blank">
<span style="color:black">guided pathways framework</span></a>. In Phase 2, the project will expand to include up to 32 colleges, and colleges across the country are invited to apply. Visit
<a href="https://ncii-improve.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67625413bb2006b7a52de56c4&id=5849052a56&e=a362ad3d45" target="_blank">
<span style="color:black">https://ruralguidedpathways.org/</span></a> for more information about the project.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Rural Pathways is unlike other guided pathways efforts because of its rural focus and the in-depth participation of community partners. Rural institutions
and communities are not homogenous, and Rural Pathways has served a diverse set of colleges representing different states, contexts, governance structures, institutional sizes, and program mixes. The project addresses these variations in two ways: meeting
colleges where they are on their reform trajectory; and using data and examples from peer colleges to demonstrate how rural colleges — with all of the challenges of rural ecosystems — can move the needle using scaled adoption of cross-sector pathways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">In Phase 2, Rural Pathways will expand to up to 32 colleges, including all but one of the colleges from Phase 1. Over the course of the next three years,
the Phase 1 and Phase 2 colleges will be a single cohort. They will work with each other — and with community partners in their regions — to implement evidence-based, institution-wide reforms grounded in the guided pathways framework. Participating colleges
commit to: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Designing and implementing a better student experience at their colleges.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Ensuring that more students earn credentials and move on to living-wage jobs or transfer to a four-year institution with junior status.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Collaborating with key stakeholders in their regions to increase economic opportunity in the region and be partners in the implementation of a cross-sector approach to guided pathways.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Implementing evidence-based reforms that will address inequity and lead to improved educational and workforce outcomes.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Rural Pathways is unique in two ways:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Rural focus.</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> It is the first time a pathways institute structure is focused specifically on the needs of rural institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Community partners. </span>
</strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">It is the first time community partners are deeply embedded in pathways implementation.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">This three-year project is funded by Ascendium Education Group, The Ford Family Foundation, and the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies as well as a group
of national and regional philanthropies. Applications are due Friday, December 6, 2024. Following a selection process led by NCII and including national partners, up to 17 institutions will be selected for participation. The project begins in spring 2025 and
ends in December 2027. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Why Rural Guided Pathways?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">The Rural Guided Pathways Project provides a deliberate venue for rural college practitioners to collaborate while they work to improve student outcomes.
Historically, rural community college leaders have not had many opportunities to problem-solve around the student success and completion issues that are particular to their culture, context, and capacity. Some rural colleges have participated in national reform
efforts such as the American Association of Community Colleges’ Guided Pathways Projects and Achieving the Dream, but they often struggle to apply strategies — even those that work well at urban and suburban institutions — in their rural context. While rural
leaders at all levels of colleges often create de-facto partnerships with colleagues to work through issues, these interactions tend to be unsupported, uncoordinated, and one-off collaborations; colleges do not have mechanisms to share what they learn more
broadly with their peers at other rural institutions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="https://ncii-improve.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67625413bb2006b7a52de56c4&id=c7b5f909c2&e=a362ad3d45" target="_blank"><span style="color:black">Guided
pathways</span></a>, as an implementation framework, has proven to be the most successful structure to help colleges plan and implement radical changes to the student experience at scale. Rural Pathways approaches guided pathways through the lens of improving
the student experience. Participating institutions will learn how to implement the essential practices in the four pillars of the guided pathways framework using an integrated, cross-functional approach and involving community partners. Colleges will focus
on how students engage with and move through their institutions. Further, colleges will rethink their current structures so they approach this work in an integrated way that breaks down internal silos. Colleges also will focus on improving completion rates,
ensuring equitable post-college outcomes, and ensuring that their programs prepare students for employment and further education in fields that expand their economic opportunity and meet local workforce needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">What Will Professional Development and Support Look Like?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">The Rural Guided Pathways Project curriculum includes six Institutes over three years, site visits, and virtual consultation. Each college also has a
designated coach. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Specifically, participating colleges and their community partners will participate in:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Six 2.5-Day Institutes (see dates below).</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> Each college will send a team of eight people to each Institute. The team will be required to
prepare for each Institute and develop action plans with a broader group of stakeholders following the Institute. Each Institute will include keynotes by national experts and leading institutions from the field; smaller, more interactive breakout sessions;
and team working time with the support of the college’s designated Rural Pathways coach.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Aspen College Excellence Program’s Leadership Teams Training.
</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">A new technical assistance component in Phase 2 will focus on creating stronger leadership teams at the rural colleges. In spring 2023, the
<a href="https://ncii-improve.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67625413bb2006b7a52de56c4&id=02be90c714&e=a362ad3d45" target="_blank">
<span style="color:black">Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program</span></a> issued a report —
<a href="https://ncii-improve.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67625413bb2006b7a52de56c4&id=8a886e53be&e=a362ad3d45" target="_blank">
<span style="color:black">Rural Community College Excellence</span></a> — that found that robust and cohesive leadership teams were missing at many rural institutions. This deficiency limits colleges’ ability to effectively tackle challenges and/or take advantage
of emerging opportunities. To help address this shortcoming, NCII will partner with Aspen to deliver leadership team training for all colleges participating in Phase 2 of the project. Aspen will deliver in-person workshops at two Institutes as well as two
virtual workshops per year. <o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Office Hours. </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Each regional team will participate in two virtual office hours per semester; these sessions will include the college’s project
lead and other team members as needed, a member of the NCII team, and the college’s designated Rural Pathways coach.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Virtual Consultancies.</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif"> Each college will be invited to participate in two virtual consultancies per year. These sessions, led by the college’s
Rural Pathways coach and involving multiple colleges, are opportunities to collectively address problems of practice with peers from other institutions.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Topical Webinars. </span>
</strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">NCII and its partners will develop and host three topical webinars per year. Participants can watch in real time and ask questions; NCII also will post the audio recordings and slides online.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Site Visits. </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Each college will have one on-site visit from its Rural Pathways coach each year. During these visits, coaches can provide
professional development to the broader campus community, customize support to specific college needs, and/or generate insight on challenges and potential next steps.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">NCII will provide project leadership for this effort and build on longstanding partnerships with the Community College Research Center and the Aspen Institute
College Excellence Program to support participating colleges. NCII will call on other partners to bring additional content expertise and perspectives as the team develops the curriculum and materials. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">What Are the Selection Process and Criteria?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">With most of the original group of colleges continuing in Phase 2, the selection process will identify up to 17 additional rural community colleges that
are well positioned, internally and externally, to implement guided pathways at scale. Interested colleges will submit their applications and signed participation agreements by Friday, December 6, 2024. NCII will use a two-step process to review applications
and select the participating institutions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4">
<span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">All applications will be read by two reviewers with knowledge of rural community colleges and guided pathways. The reviewers will use a rubric to score the college applications. Details about the selection process
will be shared during the informational webinar on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 12 p.m. ET.
<a href="https://ncii-improve.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67625413bb2006b7a52de56c4&id=a076a7956a&e=a362ad3d45" target="_blank">
<span style="color:black">Register for the webinar.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4">
<span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Based on the application scores, the review team will select 20–25 applicants for individual college interviews. These hour-long interviews will involve a series of questions that will help the review team delve
deeper into the college’s institutional culture and capacity to embark on this work. Up to 17 applicants will then be selected based on the results of the college interviews.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">The review team will assess one overarching criterion: whether colleges have established the conditions that will enable their institutions to implement
— at scale — the reforms that are part of the guided pathways framework. Ideally colleges will have already begun the process of laying the groundwork for and/or implementing guided pathways and adopting its underlying practices. Some colleges may be far along
in the implementation process. Most important, successful colleges will demonstrate that they have the internal culture and the external partnerships needed to advance this work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">What Are the Key Dates?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">November 4, 2024: Applications available<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">November 18, 2024: Informational webinar (12 p.m. ET)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">December 6, 2024: Applications and participation agreements due<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">January 20-24, 2025: Interviews with college finalists<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">February 10, 2025: Selected colleges announced<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">February 24, 2025: Orientation for selected colleges (2 p.m. ET)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">March 18–21, 2025: Institute #1 — New Orleans, LA
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">October 28–31, 2025: Institute #2 — Louisville, KY<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">March 11–13, 2026: Institute #3 — Pittsburgh, PA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">October 27–30, 2026: Institute #4 — Dallas, TX<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">March 16–19, 2027: Institute #5 — Atlanta, GA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">October 26–29, 2027: Institute #6 — West Coast Location TBD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">CONTACT US</span></b><b><span style="font-size:23.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Gretchen Schmidt, Senior Fellow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">National Center for Inquiry & Improvement<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="mailto:gretchen@ncii-improve.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:black">gretchen@ncii-improve.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Chris Baldwin, Senior Fellow
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">National Center for Inquiry & Improvement<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="mailto:chris@ncii-improve.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:black">chris@ncii-improve.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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