PDF version of application and information can be downloaded here
Summary
Initiative Name: Scaling Shortened Academic Terms
Written Application Due Date: September 12, 2025
Application Decisions Announced: September 2025
In-person Kick-off Event: Nov. 10-12
Project Duration: Four years
Funding and Support: Ascendium Education Group
Eligible Applicants: Colleges successfully implementing shortened academic terms with commitment to scale. Selected applicants must commit to active participation throughout the cohort period.
Number of Successful Applicants: Approximately 16 colleges across 4 states or systems
Application Contact: Please direct any questions about this project and application to NetworkSAT@achievingthedream.org.
Overview
The Opportunity
In recent years, community colleges have increasingly turned to innovative strategies to accelerate student success and improve completion rates. Implementing shortened academic terms — such as eight-week semesters or quarters — has emerged as a promising strategy for decreasing time to credential. Despite its potential, the evidence supporting the efficacy of these models remains primarily self-reported, and the practice has yet to be scaled sufficiently to provide a comprehensive understanding of what drives success and for whom.
The potential benefits of shortened academic terms are significant. They offer more flexible and continuous enrollment options, essential for supporting a student body, particularly those who balance work, family commitments, and other responsibilities. Research by Jenkins and Bailey (2017) has shown that such flexibility can significantly improve retention rates, accelerate degree completion, and enhance academic outcomes for students who may struggle with the pace of traditional semester-length courses.
Research and practitioner data from Trident Technical College, Odessa College, and Amarillo College exemplify how shortened academic terms can transform the student experience, helping students balance responsibilities while achieving academic success:
- Trident Technical College saw an increase in student course success rates from 63.2% to 75.3% alongside a significant drop in withdrawal rates after it implemented shorter terms (from ATD’s Preparing for Shortened Academic Terms: A Guide).
- Odessa College saw credit accumulation rise after introducing eight-week courses, leading to more full-time students and shorter times to credential completion. In just two years after implementing shortened academic terms, Odessa experienced a 26% increase in first-time-in-college enrollment, and its graduation rate doubled to 42% (from ATD’s Preparing for Shortened Academic Terms: A Guide).
- Amarillo College saw improved retention rates and greater student engagement. Faculty at Amarillo College reported stronger connections with students, which contributed to a more supportive learning environment and higher student satisfaction.
Brenner’s (2024) study at Waukesha County Technical College found that while course success rates improved from 81.9% to 84.4% following the adoption of an eight-week term, significant upfront adjustments in educational planning and resource allocation are necessary to ensure success.
Achieving the Dream (ATD) is at the forefront of this transformative work because of our leadership in educational reform. Our deep understanding of community college operations and student needs, coupled with more than 20 years of experience in institutional transformation, positions ATD to guide colleges through the processes of effectively adopting and scaling shortened academic terms. This initiative is an opportunity to learn from and scale best practices that align academic term structures with broader student success strategies, ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities.
Initiative Overview
ATD, in collaboration with Ascendium Education Group and Community College Research Center (CCRC), is leading a four-year initiative to scale the implementation of shortened academic terms at community colleges nationwide. This initiative offers approximately 16 colleges across 4 states or systems a chance to lead the way in this transformative effort. Participating states and systems will lead and support their institutions in accelerating innovative course structures that better serve the evolving needs of today’s students.
The initiative is designed to support faculty, advisors, and institutional leaders in identifying and implementing changes to applicable institutional structures to shorten academic terms. Participating colleges will receive hands-on support through webinars, workshops, coaching, and peer engagement activities aimed at fostering a culture of continuous improvement with a strong focus on student success. These resources will equip colleges with the tools and strategies needed to successfully implement and scale shortened academic terms, contributing to more flexible and inclusive educational environments.
By taking part in this initiative, institutions will become leaders in transforming higher education by implementing innovative course structures that better meet the needs of today’s students. Participating colleges will share best practices, showcase their results, and contribute to the development of scalable models that can be adapted by other institutions nationwide. This initiative empowers colleges to create more responsive and inclusive learning environments, ensuring sustainable improvements that leave a lasting impact on student success, institutional practices, and the broader higher education ecosystem.
CCRC will conduct research to provide formative feedback on the implementation and scaling of shortened academic terms and to measure their outcomes. Please click here to learn more about how this evaluation will be completed.
Applicant Commitments
By participating in this project, each institution will receive $25,000 during each year of the grant ($100,000 total).
Participating institutions will:
- Designate a cross-functional and cross-hierarchical leadership team responsible for coordinating institutional participation, including representatives from academic affairs, advising, financial aid, and institutional research.
- Actively engage in all learning events, coaching sessions, and the community of practice.
- Collect and submit data on cohort performance, course success rates, retention, and other metrics to assess progress and outcomes.
- Engage in periodic interviews and/or focus groups with initiative evaluator, CCRC.
- Ensure institutional policies and infrastructure alignment to support shortened academic terms, including course scheduling, financial aid processes, and advising practices.
- Engage faculty and academic support staff in professional learning and other support practices to prepare and deliver existing and new courses in shortened term formats.
- Provide a statement of commitment from the president, chief academic officer, and registrar affirming readiness to participate in and sustain this initiative.
- Share lessons learned with the ATD Network and CCRC.
- Share feedback on the process and resources with ATD throughout the grant period.
Achieving the Dream Commitments
ATD will:
- Provide tailored coaching, workshops, webinars, and other professional development opportunities to equip participating institutions with the tools and strategies needed to implement and sustain shortened academic terms effectively.
- Conduct individual and collective check-ins with institutional leadership teams to ensure alignment with the initiative’s goals, address emerging challenges, and provide timely guidance throughout the implementation process.
- In partnership with CCRC, provide institutions with a standardized data collection template and training sessions to consistently and effectively track cohort-based data, course success rates, retention metrics, and other key indicators. This will enable institutions to evaluate progress and make data-informed decisions.
- Co-convene regular meetings for a Community of Practice, bringing together participating institutions to share best practices, address common challenges, and foster peer-to-peer learning that strengthens collective progress.
- Work closely with each institution to tailor technical assistance, resources, and guidance based on their unique challenges, opportunities, and readiness to scale shortened academic terms.
- Facilitate opportunities for cross-institutional learning and collaboration, allowing colleges to learn from one another’s experiences, share innovative practices, collectively overcome barriers to implementation, and contribute to the development of scalable strategies that can inform the broader higher education landscape.
Timeline
Date | Event |
August 1, 2025 | Institutional Application Opens |
September 12, 2025 | Institutional Application Closes |
September–October 2025 | Institutions Notified |
November 10-12, 2025 | In-Person Kickoff Event |
Applicant Eligibility
Indicators of College Readiness
Eligible colleges will be at various stages of planning and/or implementation of the following:
- Length of time implementing shortened academic terms with supporting evidence
- Strategy for shortened academic terms
- Effective strategies for communicating the rationale for shortened academic terms, including student advising strategies
- Internal infrastructure that supports shortened academic terms
- Knowledge of how the infrastructure is working to support shortened academic terms
Capacity to track the following outcomes:
- Course name
- Number of sections offered
- Sections by length, modality, and schedule
- Enrollment by section
- Course success rates by section (% passing with grade of C or higher)
- Course D/F/W rate by section
- Subsequent term persistence rate by section
- To the extent feasible: disaggregated course outcomes by income, gender, race/ethnicity, etc. (Results may be pooled to mask student identities.)
- Progress in completion of Early Momentum Metrics such as Gateway Course Completion, Credit Completion Ratios, Average Credits Earned
Application Submission Guidelines
Institution applications must be completed by the chancellor’s/president’s office. Applications should provide a comprehensive overview of the institution’s readiness to scale shortened academic terms, demonstrating a clear commitment to student success and institutional transformation.
Additional documents, such as policies, data reports, and examples of current course offerings in shortened terms, may be uploaded as part of the “Institutional Readiness” section. Ensure each document is clearly labeled and specifies which question or section of the application it supports. All materials must be submitted by [insert deadline] for consideration.
Questions can be directed to:
SSAT Institutional Application
PDF version of application and information can be downloaded here
Summary
Initiative Name: Scaling Shortened Academic Terms
Written Application Due Date: September 12, 2025
Application Decisions Announced: September 2025
In-person Kick-off Event: Nov. 10-12
Project Duration: Four years
Funding and Support: Ascendium Education Group
Eligible Applicants: Colleges successfully implementing shortened academic terms with commitment to scale. Selected applicants must commit to active participation throughout the cohort period.
Number of Successful Applicants: Approximately 16 colleges across 4 states or systems
Application Contact: Please direct any questions about this project and application to NetworkSAT@achievingthedream.org.
Overview
The Opportunity
In recent years, community colleges have increasingly turned to innovative strategies to accelerate student success and improve completion rates. Implementing shortened academic terms — such as eight-week semesters or quarters — has emerged as a promising strategy for decreasing time to credential. Despite its potential, the evidence supporting the efficacy of these models remains primarily self-reported, and the practice has yet to be scaled sufficiently to provide a comprehensive understanding of what drives success and for whom.
The potential benefits of shortened academic terms are significant. They offer more flexible and continuous enrollment options, essential for supporting a student body, particularly those who balance work, family commitments, and other responsibilities. Research by Jenkins and Bailey (2017) has shown that such flexibility can significantly improve retention rates, accelerate degree completion, and enhance academic outcomes for students who may struggle with the pace of traditional semester-length courses.
Research and practitioner data from Trident Technical College, Odessa College, and Amarillo College exemplify how shortened academic terms can transform the student experience, helping students balance responsibilities while achieving academic success:
- Trident Technical College saw an increase in student course success rates from 63.2% to 75.3% alongside a significant drop in withdrawal rates after it implemented shorter terms (from ATD’s Preparing for Shortened Academic Terms: A Guide).
- Odessa College saw credit accumulation rise after introducing eight-week courses, leading to more full-time students and shorter times to credential completion. In just two years after implementing shortened academic terms, Odessa experienced a 26% increase in first-time-in-college enrollment, and its graduation rate doubled to 42% (from ATD’s Preparing for Shortened Academic Terms: A Guide).
- Amarillo College saw improved retention rates and greater student engagement. Faculty at Amarillo College reported stronger connections with students, which contributed to a more supportive learning environment and higher student satisfaction.
Brenner’s (2024) study at Waukesha County Technical College found that while course success rates improved from 81.9% to 84.4% following the adoption of an eight-week term, significant upfront adjustments in educational planning and resource allocation are necessary to ensure success.
Achieving the Dream (ATD) is at the forefront of this transformative work because of our leadership in educational reform. Our deep understanding of community college operations and student needs, coupled with more than 20 years of experience in institutional transformation, positions ATD to guide colleges through the processes of effectively adopting and scaling shortened academic terms. This initiative is an opportunity to learn from and scale best practices that align academic term structures with broader student success strategies, ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities.
Initiative Overview
ATD, in collaboration with Ascendium Education Group and Community College Research Center (CCRC), is leading a four-year initiative to scale the implementation of shortened academic terms at community colleges nationwide. This initiative offers approximately 16 colleges across 4 states or systems a chance to lead the way in this transformative effort. Participating states and systems will lead and support their institutions in accelerating innovative course structures that better serve the evolving needs of today’s students.
The initiative is designed to support faculty, advisors, and institutional leaders in identifying and implementing changes to applicable institutional structures to shorten academic terms. Participating colleges will receive hands-on support through webinars, workshops, coaching, and peer engagement activities aimed at fostering a culture of continuous improvement with a strong focus on student success. These resources will equip colleges with the tools and strategies needed to successfully implement and scale shortened academic terms, contributing to more flexible and inclusive educational environments.
By taking part in this initiative, institutions will become leaders in transforming higher education by implementing innovative course structures that better meet the needs of today’s students. Participating colleges will share best practices, showcase their results, and contribute to the development of scalable models that can be adapted by other institutions nationwide. This initiative empowers colleges to create more responsive and inclusive learning environments, ensuring sustainable improvements that leave a lasting impact on student success, institutional practices, and the broader higher education ecosystem.
CCRC will conduct research to provide formative feedback on the implementation and scaling of shortened academic terms and to measure their outcomes. Please click here to learn more about how this evaluation will be completed.
Applicant Commitments
By participating in this project, each institution will receive $25,000 during each year of the grant ($100,000 total).
Participating institutions will:
- Designate a cross-functional and cross-hierarchical leadership team responsible for coordinating institutional participation, including representatives from academic affairs, advising, financial aid, and institutional research.
- Actively engage in all learning events, coaching sessions, and the community of practice.
- Collect and submit data on cohort performance, course success rates, retention, and other metrics to assess progress and outcomes.
- Engage in periodic interviews and/or focus groups with initiative evaluator, CCRC.
- Ensure institutional policies and infrastructure alignment to support shortened academic terms, including course scheduling, financial aid processes, and advising practices.
- Engage faculty and academic support staff in professional learning and other support practices to prepare and deliver existing and new courses in shortened term formats.
- Provide a statement of commitment from the president, chief academic officer, and registrar affirming readiness to participate in and sustain this initiative.
- Share lessons learned with the ATD Network and CCRC.
- Share feedback on the process and resources with ATD throughout the grant period.
Achieving the Dream Commitments
ATD will:
- Provide tailored coaching, workshops, webinars, and other professional development opportunities to equip participating institutions with the tools and strategies needed to implement and sustain shortened academic terms effectively.
- Conduct individual and collective check-ins with institutional leadership teams to ensure alignment with the initiative’s goals, address emerging challenges, and provide timely guidance throughout the implementation process.
- In partnership with CCRC, provide institutions with a standardized data collection template and training sessions to consistently and effectively track cohort-based data, course success rates, retention metrics, and other key indicators. This will enable institutions to evaluate progress and make data-informed decisions.
- Co-convene regular meetings for a Community of Practice, bringing together participating institutions to share best practices, address common challenges, and foster peer-to-peer learning that strengthens collective progress.
- Work closely with each institution to tailor technical assistance, resources, and guidance based on their unique challenges, opportunities, and readiness to scale shortened academic terms.
- Facilitate opportunities for cross-institutional learning and collaboration, allowing colleges to learn from one another’s experiences, share innovative practices, collectively overcome barriers to implementation, and contribute to the development of scalable strategies that can inform the broader higher education landscape.
Timeline
Date | Event |
August 1, 2025 | Institutional Application Opens |
September 12, 2025 | Institutional Application Closes |
September–October 2025 | Institutions Notified |
November 10-12, 2025 | In-Person Kickoff Event |
Applicant Eligibility
Indicators of College Readiness
Eligible colleges will be at various stages of planning and/or implementation of the following:
- Length of time implementing shortened academic terms with supporting evidence
- Strategy for shortened academic terms
- Effective strategies for communicating the rationale for shortened academic terms, including student advising strategies
- Internal infrastructure that supports shortened academic terms
- Knowledge of how the infrastructure is working to support shortened academic terms
Capacity to track the following outcomes:
- Course name
- Number of sections offered
- Sections by length, modality, and schedule
- Enrollment by section
- Course success rates by section (% passing with grade of C or higher)
- Course D/F/W rate by section
- Subsequent term persistence rate by section
- To the extent feasible: disaggregated course outcomes by income, gender, race/ethnicity, etc. (Results may be pooled to mask student identities.)
- Progress in completion of Early Momentum Metrics such as Gateway Course Completion, Credit Completion Ratios, Average Credits Earned
Application Submission Guidelines
Institution applications must be completed by the chancellor’s/president’s office. Applications should provide a comprehensive overview of the institution’s readiness to scale shortened academic terms, demonstrating a clear commitment to student success and institutional transformation.
Additional documents, such as policies, data reports, and examples of current course offerings in shortened terms, may be uploaded as part of the “Institutional Readiness” section. Ensure each document is clearly labeled and specifies which question or section of the application it supports. All materials must be submitted by [insert deadline] for consideration.
Questions can be directed to: