Degrees When Due Case Study: Shasta College
Published Sep 2021
Located in Redding, California, Shasta College is an inspiring example of why serving students with “some college, but no degree” is critical to supporting the local community. Most residents in the area, which is one of the state’s northernmost counties, live and work in the immediate area and serve the community through local businesses, hospitals, schools, and government agencies. College leadership knew that improving degree attainment was critical for the prosperity of Shasta and the surrounding region.
Three key factors prompted Shasta College to join the first cohort of IHEP’s Degrees When Due (DWD) completion initiative: an institutional awareness of the need to serve the some college, but no degree (SCND) population to improve the local community’s social and economic conditions; strong institutional leadership support for DWD strategies; and momentum from existing completion programs.
This case study about Shasta College, offers insights into how a higher education institution can better support its students and the surrounding community by identifying institutionally driven barriers to completion and supporting the successful return of formerly enrolled students.