Sharing knowledge is at the heart of our mission. Explore Ascendium’s growing library of publications that examine the complex challenges facing postsecondary learners, and how we’re helping our partners address them.
How Did Six Community Colleges Design Support of Part-Time Faculty?
July 2020
The final report by Columbia University's Community College Research Center analyzes the experience of six community colleges' efforts to support adjunct faculty and issues four recommendations to the field.
Rethinking College Course Placement During the Pandemic
June 2020
This MDRC resource is for college administrators as they tackle college course placement during the pandemic. The document outlines advice for how to create simple decision rules using high school GPA and other measures. It also links to additional resources on multiple measures placement.
This overview of one of Ascendium’s funding focus area explores Ascendium’s investment priorities supporting leadership development and student success, and the desired outcomes of that support.
This overview of one of Ascendium’s funding focus area explores Ascendium’s investment priorities for streamlining diverse pathways into and through postsecondary education and learner transitions into the workforce, and the desired outcomes of that support.
This overview of one of Ascendium’s funding focus area explores Ascendium’s investment priorities for expanding networks and sharing data and best practices around high-quality postsecondary education in prison, and the desired outcomes of that support.
Support Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training
May 2020
This overview of one of Ascendium’s funding focus area explores Ascendium’s investment priorities for expanding networks and sharing data around postsecondary education and workforce needs in rural areas, and the desired outcomes of that support.
This overview of Ascendium's education philanthropy details our strategic approach to philanthropy: how, where and what we fund, our four focus areas and our belief in the power of education for upward social mobility.
Using Insights from Behavioral Science to Help College Students Stay Enrolled
May 2020
This Center for Applied Behavioral Science at MDRC paper offers insights for institutions facing a host of concerns about the upcoming fall semester in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper uses context from the Encouraging Additional Summer Enrollment (EASE) project, funded by Ascendium.
Providing Student Support Services in Extraordinary Times: A Caring Campus Approach
May 2020
This well-attended webinar from the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) explores how colleges can engage students and best connect with them in a virtual environment. Ascendium supported this webinar as part of IEBC’s Caring Campus programming.
Caring Campus Guide Two: Supporting the Professional Staff
May 2020
This Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) resource focuses on strategies for keeping staff informed of their college’s policies, practices and other updates. This work is part of two multi-year grants from Ascendium in support of IEBC’s Caring Campus programming.
2019 Education Philanthropy Report: A Sharper Focus
April 2020
2019 was not only our first full year under the Ascendium name, we literally sharpened our focus to four areas: removing structural barriers, postsecondary education in prison, rural education and workforce training, and streamlining transitions.
Students who take summer courses can potentially speed up the time it takes them to graduate. This guide helps college administrators and staff members implement two interventions designed to increase summer enrollment rates.