At Pearl River Community College (PRCC)–Mississippi’s first and oldest two-year academic institution– our top priority is to help students complete a degree or certificate program in order to advance and thrive in the career of their choosing.
We continuously evaluate how we engage with our 5,000+ students, aiming to further improve and simplify how we support degree planning and advise individuals throughout the year. Quite simply, we continuously ask ourselves: What can we do as an institution to boost student success and retention?
Related: How Wayne State nearly doubled its graduation rate
One answer is the Guided Pathways approach. Coordinated by the American Association of Community Colleges, Guided Pathways is a national movement that involves redesigning the college experience to better focus on student success, creating clear maps for academic programs, helping students choose a program pathway and providing the support and resources to keep them on that path through to graduation.
Dr. Martha Lou Smith is vice president for general education and technology services at Pearl River Community College.
- The data retention challenge for online exam platforms - October 28, 2026
- College was the default answer, but the data says it’s time to ask better questions - October 26, 2026
- The most advantaged students attend the best-funded colleges. Does it have to be this way? - October 23, 2026