News Articles
Feb 10, 2025
MARSHALL, TEXAS – Wiley University has joined the Complete College Accelerator, a nationwide initiative to improve student success and close gaps in college access and completion. Wiley University is one of over 80 higher education institutions across 11 states to partner with Complete College America, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to raising postsecondary attainment across the country.
Complete College America will collaborate with eleven state agencies, including the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, over the next four years to implement research-based practices designed to dramatically increase college completion on a statewide scale.
Utilizing national grant funding, Wiley University will work with Complete College America to assess institutional performance, build data capacity, and develop and implement strategies to improve student outcomes. As part of the national Complete College Accelerator network, Wiley University will gain access to innovations and best practices from other Accelerator institutions while sharing its own successes with colleges nationwide.
Nationally, about 90% of students from under-resourced families do not graduate within six years—let alone four. According to NASPA’s Center for First-generation Student Success, 56% of first-generation college students have not attained a postsecondary credential after six years. Research from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics shows that 6-year graduation rates for Black and Latinx students stand at 51.5%, lower than the graduation rates for White students.
"While persistence and retention are finally returning to pre-pandemic levels at both two-year and four-year institutions, troubling gaps in access, completion, and career outcomes continue to persist for students from underserved communities," said Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., president of Complete College America. "As institutions and economies continue to shift following the pandemic, taking action now is critical to long-term success. Through the Complete College Accelerator, these eleven states and more than eighty participating institutions will build their capacity to scale, implement, and sustain evidence-based practices that improve college completion rates for all students. We are proud to partner with Wiley University on this effort."
The Complete College Accelerator builds upon CCA’s long track record of developing the capacity of states, higher education systems, and campuses to create and implement data-informed transformative policies and practices. The selection of state partners was the result of a competitive RFP process, launched in February, with participating states chosen from members of the Complete College America Alliance—comprising senior leadership from states, systems, institutional consortia, and partner organizations. These state agencies then selected participating institutions.
In addition to Texas, the initial cohort of Complete College Accelerator states includes:
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
Louisiana Board of Regents
Maine Community College System
Minnesota Private Colleges Council
Missouri Commission of Higher Education and Workforce Development
New Mexico Higher Education Department
Ohio Association of Community Colleges
Ohio Department of Higher Education
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
Vermont State University
Washington Student Achievement Council
University of Wisconsin System
To learn more, visit completecollege.org/intermediaries-for-scale.
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About Wiley University:
Wiley University, formerly known as Wiley College, is a premier liberal arts institution related to the United Methodist Church. The university is dedicated to fostering social good and developing leaders who make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
