How ACE and ASAP Programs Boost Completion Rates

EAB’s Heather Darrow hosts a discussion with noted student success pioneer, Donna Linderman. Currently the Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Success at SUNY, Donna helped launch the ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs) and ACE (Accelerate, Complete, and Engage) programs during her time at CUNY. Both programs have been studied widely—and with CUNY’s active support—replicated successfully at dozens of two- and four-year institutions. Donna suggests that while the individual program elements are hardly innovative, what makes the programs so successful is the fidelity with which program stewards collect, analyze, and act on critical student success data. She also offers advice to other higher education leaders who are interested in establishing an ASAP or ACE program at their institution.