By Shelby Rogers and Corbin Campbell
National debates about improving higher education show one key puzzle piece for student success is often missing: the kind of meaningful, connected teaching that helps all students learn, thrive, and gain real-world skills.
As colleges and universities adapt to AI and student populations shift to include more adults with some college but no degree, first-generation learners, and workers needing to reskill, it’s more important than ever to teach in ways that help all students succeed and build good lives and careers.
Strong faculty help students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to do well. But the consequences of ineffective teaching are dire. Despite investments in advising, retention programs, and early warning systems, 40 percent of college students fail to earn a degree within six years. And more than 43 million Americans left school before earning a credential. Some who do graduate don’t have the skills needed for good jobs.
So, in this time of declining enrollment and budget cuts, how do we elevate the quality of learning for students once they arrive on campus? How do we ensure that faculty have the resources and support they need? How do we help students master meaningful skills for work and life?
A new national center aims to improve teaching
It starts with a partnership and a plan. This spring, as the American Association of Colleges and Universities CLASS meets in Tucson, Lumina Foundation and American University will launch the National Center for Advancing College Teaching for Student Success (ACTSS). The center, located at the university in Washington, D.C., will be directed by Corbin M. Campbell, Ph.D., and supported by Research Professor Isis Artze-Vega. More than 60 national experts contributed to the center’s strategy.
Elevating modern teaching practices is a critical step in reaching Lumina’s Goal 2040, which calls for 75 percent of adults in the U.S. to earn a degree or credential of value by 2040. Today, that number stands at about 44 percent. Reaching that goal means more than expanding affordable access to college. It also means improving students’ knowledge and skills so they can get good jobs and lead fulfilling lives.
The new center will help provide the national infrastructure needed to get that done. Its first project, the Alliance for Better College Teaching, will work with educators to shape the cultures, policies, and incentives that support faculty and recognize teaching excellence. The center will also raise public awareness about the essential role of teaching and the colleges that prioritize it.
Making sure better teaching reaches every student
Over time, these efforts can help drive investments in evidence-based teaching, or teaching methods proven by research, data, and results to spur learning and engagement for all students, including those who are historically underserved in higher education. Building this ecosystem is critical to reducing the widening educational and economic disparities faced by learners based on race, ethnicity, geography, or family income. Those gaps are longstanding and widespread.
Ultimately, investing in faculty and teaching is not just about teaching practices; it’s about accelerating progress toward students’ informed citizenry and economic prosperity. When teaching improves, learning deepens. When learning deepens, more students earn credentials that truly matter.
It’s time to put that missing piece at the center of the puzzle, for the benefit of all Americans eager to learn, earn, and contribute their talents to a better world.
[Shelby Rogers, Ph.D., is the strategy officer for student success at Lumina Foundation, which aims to help all Americans continue to learn and train after high school. Rogers works to improve results for students at four-year colleges. He brings a rich experience in higher education policy, research, and college-wide reform, grounded in a deep commitment to advancing educational equity and student success. Corbin M. Campbell, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Education at American University. She is a leading expert on college teaching with a focus on improving student success for all students. She has authored more than 50 publications about college teaching, student success, academic rigor, college rankings, and faculty development and careers. Stay tuned for updates on the new center for teaching.]