Three Ohio community colleges adopted a version of CUNY’s ASAP—an
accelerated degree program specifically designed to optimize completion—but
tailored to students who are
older,
more likely to be parents, and twice as likely to be employed relative to those who participated in the CUNY iteration.
Cuyahoga Community College, Lorain County Community College, and Cincinnati
State Technical and Community College all saw
strong
outcomes: 35 percent of students offered program services earned an
associate degree within three years, compared with 19 percent of students in
the control group at those colleges.
Lorain County Community College continues to offer the
Students
Accelerating in Learning (SAIL) program. SAIL is
similar to CUNY’s ASAP, with some adjustments made for the region and
population served. For example, instead of MetroCards, the college offers gift
cards for use at local gas stations and grocery stores. SAIL also includes key
financial supports and wrap-around services, such as tutoring, mentoring,
advising, and career counseling.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College's program, CState
Accelerate, was developed from the college’s participation in the Ohio ASAP
project. Similar to Lorain County Community College, Cincinnati State made
modifications to the program to meet the needs of its students. Examples
include students serving as peer mentors (successful students supporting
students entering and progressing through the program) and as outreach ambassadors
(giving successful students a voice to tell others how CState Accelerate has
helped them). Cincinnati State has also added a weekly student enrichment
program that includes community building, leadership, career exploration,
conflict negotiation, wellness, and more.
