Boise State is one of 130 public universities and systems joining Powered by Publics: Scaling Student Success, a new collaborative effort that will continue through 2025 with the goal of increasing college access, equity and degree completion.
The United States ranks tenth in postsecondary degree attainment globally, with fewer than half of working-age residents holding a college credential. A recognition of the growing need for more skilled workers has fueled the drive for an effort like Powered by Publics. The initiative launched on Nov. 11. Organizers say it is the largest ever collaborative program of its kind.
Under the direction of Interim President Martin Schimpf, Boise State will work within a “cluster” of institutions that use new and effective practices to advance student success on their campuses. Boise State is part of “cluster 1,” a western coalition that includes the Universities of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, Washington State University, and the University of Alaska and Hawaii Systems.
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities convened the institutions in the clusters and support their work. The association’s Center for Public University Transformation will oversee the effort, regularly sharing lessons learned from the participating institutions to the broader public higher education community. Participating institutions have agreed to share aggregate data showing their progress.
Collectively, participating institutions enroll three million students, including one million students with financial need who receive Federal Pell Grants. The institutions reflect a wide array of institutional characteristics such as enrollment, student demographics, regional workforce needs and selectivity. The diversity of the institutions is intended to help create a playbook of adaptable student success reforms that institutions, including those with limited resources, can adopt and scale to their needs.