CC/CARNEGIE MOVE FORWARD ON AMSC STUDENT SUCCESS INITIATIVE

September 2025:

The Carnegie Academy is proud to announce its ongoing partnership with Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC) to support the college’s mission of advancing student success. Through its collaboration with Collegiate Consulting, Principal Fellow Robin Capehart has been working closely with AMSC leadership and the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) to implement transformative recommendations that will shape the future of student experience at the college.

On September 25, 2025, Dr. Capehart will join representatives of the NISS and AMSC to review a series of proposed workshops and detailed implementation plans designed by The Academy. These initiatives are rooted in the NISS Playbook and aim to address two pivotal areas: intentional academic pathways for first-year students and the enhancement of advising systems campus-wide.

Building Intentional Academic Pathways

The first of two intensive workshops will focus on ensuring every first-year student at AMSC is proactively guided into a well-supported, right-fit academic pathway. This comprehensive approach includes:

• Mandatory, coordinated first-year programs such as standardized orientation, meta-major-based Freshman Learning Communities, and a required First-Year Experience (FYEX) course.

• For-credit summer bridge programs targeting academically at-risk students, providing early credit accumulation and critical campus connections.

• Integration of career exploration and peer mentoring from the outset, helping students—particularly those from historically underserved backgrounds—make informed academic and professional choices.

The vision for this work is clear: “AMSC will ensure that every first-year student is proactively guided into a well-supported, right-fit academic pathway through mandatory, coordinated, and equitable first-year programs—empowering students to persist, progress, and complete their degrees on time while closing equity gaps and promoting long-term social and economic mobility for all.”

Transforming Advising Systems for Student-Centered Support

The second workshop will launch AMSC’s journey toward a seamless, equitable, and student-centered advising experience. The plans call for:

• Establishing an Academic Advising Council to oversee advising policies, training, and student support standards.

• Implementing a standard of advising care for both professional and faculty advisors, ensuring every student receives proactive, consistent, and personalized guidance.

• Adopting unified advising technology and early alert systems to identify at-risk students and intervene before challenges become barriers.

• Providing systematic advisor training in both academic and non-academic supports, including the use of predictive analytics and real-time data.

The expanded vision is for AMSC to become a national model: “Every student—regardless of background, academic preparation, or life circumstance—experiences a seamless, coordinated network of professional and faculty advisors who are empowered with the training, tools, and authority to proactively guide, mentor, and advocate for them from enrollment through graduation.”

A Model for Institutional Transformation

Both implementation plans are structured in four phases—Preparation, Design, Pilot/Launch, and Scale/Refine—

ensuring deliberate, sustainable change. This includes forming cross-unit working groups, piloting new initiatives, and using continuous data-driven assessment to maximize student retention, completion, and equity.

Dr. Capehart’s leadership, in partnership with AMSC and NISS, exemplifies The Carnegie Academy’s commitment to evidence-based, scalable solutions that deliver on the promise of social and economic mobility for all students.

Stay tuned for updates on this exciting collaboration as AMSC and The Carnegie Academy work together to create a stronger, more equitable future for students and the broader Atlanta community.