Community colleges lose a staggering number of students before they even show up in official retention data. For this episode, I interviewed Dr. Rita Karam of RAND Corporation. She and her colleagues at RAND examined this often-overlooked group across 15 colleges in California, Texas, and Kentucky. The findings? More than 60% of students are lost between application and census date, with the majority leaving due to a mix of personal barriers and institutional processes.

This episode unpacks the research and offers practical steps colleges can take to reduce these losses and re-engage students.

Key Findings

• Enrollment leakage is real and large: About 10–15% drop after enrolling but before census. Another ~50% are lost between application and enrollment over 60% combined loss.
• Institutional processes matter: Complex onboarding, unclear handoffs, and overwhelming communication push students out just as much as financial or personal challenges.
• Financial aid is a critical barrier: Students often don’t realize aid requires a declared major or other criteria. Many are dropped when aid decisions aren’t resolved in time.
• Students want relational, not transactional, support: They seek caring, transformative relationships with advisors, not one-off transactions.
• Timing is crucial: Roughly 30% of students enroll within two weeks of term start, overwhelming advisors and limiting the quality of advising.
• Few colleges systematically track these students: Data systems are fragmented, making it hard to identify where and why students disappear.

Key Chapter Makers
00:00: Introduction
02:45: Why Students Leave Before Census
06:20: Institutional vs. Personal Barriers
11:10: The Role of Financial Aid in Early Attrition
15:30: Communication Breakdowns During Onboarding
20:40: Timing Matters: The First Two Weeks
26:15: Tracking Students Who Disappear
31:00: Effective Re-Engagement Strategies
36:20: Rethinking Advising: From Transactional to Transformational
41:50: Practical Steps Colleges Can Take Now
47:00: Closing Thoughts & Key Takeaways

For the full transcript and detailed show notes, including ACTION STEPS, visit the episode page.

Continuous Learning Institute:
A resource hub for higher education professionals to support college student success. Subscribe for updates.

Student Success Podcast Homepage:
Access show notes, resources, & transcripts

Artificial intelligence isn't coming for higher ed. It’s already here. In this episode of the Student Success Podcast, I sat down with Brent Warner, a faculty member at Irvine Valley College, to unpack the practical implications of AI for college faculty and students. This wasn't a “robots will replace us” conversation. It was an honest, grounded look at what educators should consider right now.

Here are five key takeaway and some action steps to consider:

1. Get Curious About How Students Are Already Using AI

Action Step:
Start class conversations about AI use. Ask students how they’ve encountered tools like ChatGPT. Create surveys or quick classroom polls to understand their experiences and motivations. This opens up a nonjudgmental space to build shared awareness and clarify expectations.

2. Carve Out Time to Experiment Without Pressure

Action Step:
Schedule “AI sandbox” time during department meetings or professional development sessions. Use this time to explore tools together, ask questions, and brainstorm how AI might enhance—not replace—teaching. Encourage colleagues to try one small use case, like generating a sample quiz or brainstorming discussion prompts. (Check out the list of resources below that Brent discussed).

3. Redesign Assignments to Promote Higher-Order Thinking

Action Step:
Identify which assignments can be completed entirely by AI (e.g., generic essays) and revise them to emphasize critical thinking, personal reflection, or real-world application. Consider integrating process-focused checkpoints, like annotated drafts or video reflections, that showcase student thinking along the way.

4. Use AI as a Planning Tool, Not a Final Product

Action Step:
Leverage AI to support your own workflow. Try using it to generate draft lesson plans, rubrics, or sample prompts. Review and revise with your own expertise. This not only saves time in the long run, but models responsible use for students.

5. Stay Equity-Focused in AI Integration

Action Step:
Survey your students on their access to technology and include free or low-barrier alternatives when assigning work. Discuss ethical use of AI and share guidance on navigating bias and misinformation. Include clear policies in your syllabus but most importantly, invite dialogue, not fear.

Final Thought:
You don’t need to overhaul your course overnight. But small, intentional shifts can build your confidence, and create a more transparent, equitable environment for students navigating AI.

Key Chapter Makers
00:00: Introduction
03:10: Why Faculty Shouldn’t Panic About AI
07:35: Students Are Already Using AI
13:00: AI in the Classroom
19:00: Rethinking Assignments
25:15: Transparency with Students
37:00: Conversations and the Learning Process
42:20: Be Curious, Be Reflective, Be Human

For the full transcript and detailed show notes, visit the episode page.

Continuous Learning Institute:
A resource hub for higher education professionals to support college student success. Subscribe for updates.

Student Success Podcast Homepage:
Access show notes, resources, & transcripts

Learn practical strategies to teach with purpose, innovation, and heart. Let’s get one thing out of the way: Yes, Kelly Spoon is a math faculty member. But no, this isn’t just a “math thing.” Whether you teach biology, sociology, English, or automotive technology, you’ll benefit from what she brings to the classroom. Kelly Spoon of San Diego Mesa College isn’t just teaching derivatives—she’s reshaping how students experience learning itself. In this episode, we translate her powerful practices into actionable strategies any faculty member can use, with a special focus on designing your classroom and professional development around care, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

The Student Success Podcast episode page includes action steps to achieving 10 key topics she discussed.

1. Reframe "Rigor" to Reflect Learning—Not Compliance
2. Let Students Show Their Brilliance, Not Just Yours
3. Embrace Productive Struggle with Thin Slicing and Whiteboards
4. Redefine Assessment with Standards-Based Grading (SBG)
5. Flip the Classroom Strategically
6. Foster a Culture of Reflective Teaching
7. Redesign PD to Include All Faculty, Even the Resistant Ones
8. Close the Loop on Professional Development
9. Believe in Every Student—and Show Them They Belong
10. Keep Growing, Keep Reflecting

00:00: Intro: Welcome and framing: why Kelly Spoon’s approach benefits all faculty, not just math instructors.
01:05: Meet Kelly Spoon: Background, teaching at Mesa College, and work in faculty development.
02:47: Kindness in the Classroom: Centering students as whole people and honoring their lived experiences and thinking.
04:01: Productive Struggle and Student Brilliance: Using the zone of proximal development and student choice in how they demonstrate learning.
05:55: Building Thinking Classrooms: How Kelly uses whiteboards, random groups, and thin slicing to foster deep engagement.
08:04: Responding to the “No Rigor” Critique: Debunking false dichotomies: lecture vs. active learning, rigor vs. kindness.
11:49: Standards-Based Grading: Grading for understanding, not compliance, and letting students grow over time.
14:44: Flexible Learning and Reassessment: Using the ESIL framework and allowing multiple attempts to show learning.
20:34: Bringing PD to All Faculty: Strategies for engaging resistant faculty through low-stakes, high-interest approaches.
25:55: Creating Non-Evaluative Coaching Spaces: Using feedback tools like “Three Ideas” and aspirations for peer observation.
32:06: Closing the Loop on Professional Development: Building reflection and iteration into PD to increase its long-term impact.
36:30: Addressing Equity Gaps in STEM: Centering student voices and identities in math to foster belonging and growth.
43:53: The Power of a Learning Community: How social media and peer influence helped Kelly take risks and evolve as an educator.
47:23: Teaching as a Profession: Closing thoughts on the depth, difficulty, and rewards of being a truly reflective teacher.

For the full transcript and detailed show notes, visit the episode page.

Continuous Learning Institute:
A resource hub for higher education professionals to support college student success. Subscribe for updates.

Student Success Podcast Homepage:
Access show notes, resources, & transcripts