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The Institute for Evidence-Based Change

  • Hinds Community College Embeds Caring Campus into Human Resources, Aligning All Employees on Student Success

    Before a new employee even sets foot on campus, they have already been introduced to the caring culture that defines Hinds Community College in Mississippi. With the help of Caring Campus, Hinds College’s Human Resources department is helping shape a welcoming environment that supports both students and employees from day one. Caring Campus expectations are outlined in every Hinds College job description, addressed during new employee orientations, and included in annual performance evaluations. The college also requires yearly professional development sessions focused on Caring Campus to reinforce its commitment to creating a student-centered culture.

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  • Oakton College Sees Increased Student Persistence Through Caring Campus

    Oakton College in Des Plaines, Ill., has seen a profound and measurable impact from implementing Caring Campus, reflected in increased student persistence rates from semester to semester. Known as “The Persistence Project,” at Oakton, the college exemplifies how a culture of care can transform student experiences and outcomes. The Persistence Project encourages faculty to adopt simple, relationship-building behaviors such as learning students’ names in the first two weeks, scheduling individual check-ins with students, and providing early feedback. In fall 2024, the college analyzed outcomes for students enrolled in courses taught by faculty participating in the project. Results showed that first-time Oakton students who took at least one course with a Persistence Project faculty member persisted from fall to spring at a rate 17.8 percentage points higher than their peers — 77.4 percent compared to 59.6 percent. These fall 2024 results align with a consistent trend of increased student persistence seen since the college first implemented the Persistence Project in 2016.

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  • Irvine Valley College Institutionalizes Caring Campus into School’s Framework

    When Irvine Valley College (IVC) set out to build Inspire 2035, its 10-year strategic plan, campus leaders asked students and employees to share one word they felt best described IVC. The most frequent responses – “caring,” “supportive,” and “inclusive” – captured the heart of a college deeply committed to cultivating a culture of connection and success. As a Caring Campus, IVC strives to create a welcoming environment for both students and employees every day. This commitment to care is now embedded into the college’s framework for the future. One of the six priorities in Inspire 2035 is workplace culture and growth, with an aligned goal to further strengthen a culture of care.

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IEBC Partnership Seeks to Sustain and Institutionalize Caring Campus

The Institute for Evidence-Based Change’s (IEBC) longtime partner, California Community College Classified Senate, is producing a guide outlining strategies for community colleges to sustain and institutionalize Caring Campus beyond its initial implementation, integrating the program's principles and strategies into the college's culture for long-term effectiveness. IEBC created Caring Campus to provide staff and faculty with tools and resources to help students feel more connected to their college, thereby improving student retention, persistence, and success.

L.A. Pierce College Strengthens Campus Culture Through Caring Campus

Los Angeles Pierce College is strengthening its culture of belonging for both students and staff by successfully implementing Caring Campus, a program that teaches principles, tactics, and habits to create a more welcoming, connected environment, thereby improving student retention and success. Data from the Institute for Evidence-Based Change shows that students who feel more connected to their college are more likely to be retained, persist from semester to semester, and complete their academic goals. Caring Campus’ work to increase connectedness aims to help ensure students achieve all that they can from their college experience.

Institute for Evidence-Based Change Partnership Seeks to Sustain and Institutionalize Caring Campus

The Institute for Evidence-Based Change’s (IEBC) longtime partner, California Community Colleges Classified Senate (4CS), is producing a guide outlining strategies for community colleges to sustain and institutionalize the Caring Campus initiative beyond its initial implementation, integrating the program's principles and strategies into the college's culture for long-term effectiveness. IEBC created Caring Campus to provide staff and faculty with tools and resources to help students feel more connected to their college, thereby improving student retention, persistence, and success. 4CS is a nonprofit organization made up of volunteers from across the California Community College system who advocate for shared governance for all classified professionals. IEBC and 4CS have partnered together since 2019, when IEBC President and Founder Dr. Brad Phillips delivered the keynote speech at a 4CS Classified Leadership Conference.

Los Angeles Pierce College Staff and Faculty Establish a Supportive Campus Culture Through the Caring Campus Program

Los Angeles Pierce College is strengthening its culture of belonging for both students and staff by successfully implementing Caring Campus, a program that teaches principles, tactics, and habits to create a more welcoming, connected environment, thereby improving student retention and success. Data from the Institute for Evidence-Based Change shows that students who feel more connected to their college are more likely to be retained, persist from semester to semester, and complete their academic goals. Caring Campus’s work to increase connectedness aims to help ensure students achieve all that they can from their college experience.

Nexus Between Caring Campus and Guided Pathways Creates Impactful Student Experience for Diverse Learners

Colleges and universities are seeing an increasing number of learners from diverse backgrounds on their campuses, making it crucial for the institutions to establish cultures that welcome these students and set them up for success.One recognized and respected way to achieve this is Guided Pathways, a framework of structural and policy changes that help higher education institutions redesign the college experience, giving all students the support they need to feel welcomed and thrive on campus. The Institute for Evidence-Based Change’s (IEBC) Caring Campus builds on Guided Pathways by introducing cultural and behavioral practices, providing a holistic framework aimed to propel higher education toward a future where students seamlessly achieve their academic and career goals.

Caring Campus Comes to Texas A&M University – Kingsville, Building a Culture of Care for Students

The Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) is bringing Caring Campus to Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK), the first university to adopt the program as IEBC expands its reach to establish a culture of care on campuses nationwide. TAMUK joins the more than one hundred community colleges across the country who have implemented Caring Campus at their institutions, thereby improving student connectedness and boosting their determination to succeed. Data shows that if students do not feel connected to the institution they attend, they are far less likely to persist and graduate. With that in mind, IEBC has developed its Caring Campus program to increase students’ sense of belonging and increase student success for all students.