On a special episode of the , President Thomas Bailey recently discussed the challenges that higher education students face in conversation with TC alumnus Elvin R. Freytes (M.A.鈥� 01) and community college president Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, who leads Amarillo College in Texas.
Bailey, an economist specializing in college access through two-year institutions, co-hosted the episode with 鈥淓dUp鈥� founder and producer Freytes鈥攚ho says TC 鈥渢otally changed his life.鈥�
鈥淲hen a student enters the community college space, it鈥檚 an extremely complex institution with many majors and many courses,鈥� said Bailey, referencing his Guided Pathways model, a comprehensive framework used by more than 400 community colleges for student achievement and success in higher education and beyond.
鈥淚 think you [Lowery-Hart] are definitely narrowing down their choices, which is extremely gratifying. These pathways need to begin as early as the high school level and extend into the college space.鈥�
Throughout the episode, Freytes and Bailey focus on the challenges that higher education students face daily, particularly within the walls of Amarillo College. Over the course of the discussion, Dr. Lowery-Hart unpacks these obstacles, including: poverty, refugee support, degree completion, financial security, individualized care, as well as student healthcare and housing, transportation, and much more.
Lowery-Hart explains that Amarillo College is actively seeking solutions to such challenges. 鈥淎s a community college, we are committed to one thing: loving our students to success. This means knowing who they are, advocating for them directly, all while rebuilding ourselves for them,鈥� says Lowery-Hart.
Pictured left to right: TC alumnus Elvin R. Freytes (M.A.鈥� 01) and community college president Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. (Photos courtesy of EdUp)
Amarillo College has accomplished this practice through a theory of change. 鈥淭he theory focuses on three things: removing a life barrier, paired with an accelerated learning environment, and a deep culture of caring . . . If we do these things, we find that the average student will complete their degree with the ability to go directly into the workforce.鈥� Specifically, Amarillo has eliminated classes that add time to degree completion, changed its class format from a full semester to an eight-week model, and started advising students as early as their junior year of high school to help them pick the right 鈥減athway鈥� to their degree.
Lowery-Hart has also pursued solutions that include training all of their employees in responding to poverty; hiring social workers to offer direct assistance to students; requiring tutoring in classes themselves; and fully implementing a co-requirement model so classes are tied together to maximize student success. At the same time, Lowery-Hart has created opportunities for students鈥� needs and perspectives to be incorporated into Amarillo鈥檚 values and school culture.
Evidence supports the efficacy of Amarillo鈥檚 practices, with student completion rates rising from 19 percent to over 60 percent, with the Texas school aiming to boost that figure even higher.
Lowery-Hart鈥檚 approach aligns with Bailey鈥檚 perspective on how community college leaders can more effectively support students鈥� academic and career goals. 鈥淐ommunity colleges are in a tough spot with a huge job to do, especially with so many constraints. I think the lessons that we get from your [Lowery-Hart鈥檚] experience will resonate in classrooms around the country,鈥� says President Bailey on Amarillo College鈥檚 work.
鈥淭he higher education sector faces many challenges,鈥� concludes Bailey. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 looking forward to more conversations like these.鈥�
The 500th episode of the podcast is part of EdUp鈥檚 鈥楶resident Series,鈥� which features over 176 university presidents from around the country. Freytes adds that the podcast has 鈥榗ome a long way,鈥� as he first began the 鈥淓dUp Experience鈥� in early 2020 before the height of the pandemic. 鈥淲e were on our cell phones, having great conversations; it just continued to grow and hasn鈥檛 stopped since,鈥� says Freytes.
Bailey and Freytes collaborated previously on the podcast in October of 2021. 鈥淎s a 精东影业 community, we are so proud of you and hope that we鈥檝e contributed to your success,鈥� Bailey said recently of Freytes鈥� latest milestone.
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Listen to an EdUp Experience interview with President Bailey on 鈥淧athways for Student Success,鈥� and a special conversation with TC alumnus Elvin Freytes (M.A. 鈥�01), co-founder of the EdUp Experience podcast. And stay tuned for future episodes co-hosted by Bailey.]