San Jacinto College’s Pathway Initiative organized over 100 degree and certificate programs into eight guided pathways called Academies. The initiative also built academic advising, cohort class models, and a clear map for career and/or transfer for continued education into each Academy. As part of the mapping process for associate degrees, staff and faculty from each Academy documented jobs in the college’s service area, verified demand for certificates and degrees, and recorded wage information—eliminating career and technical programs that did not lead to family-supporting wages. For transfer-oriented programs, faculty and staff created maps leading to the five most common transfer destinations, moving students away from general studies degrees that often have credits that do not transfer.
