FINAL GLANCE
THREADING THE NEEDLE: How NLU’s Pathways Program Evolved into a New Kind of Undergraduate College Pathways started in 2015 after NLU President Nivine Megahed reviewed national data on college completion rates for low-income and minority students. It showed thousands of students weren’t enrolled in college or completing it. Pathways began as a program to provide opportunity to these students, empowering them to pursue their education affordably and with the resources they need to succeed.
The Pathways Program is The Pathways Program is launched for the 2015-2016 launched for the 2015-2016 school enrolling school year,year, enrolling 85 85 students and inaugurating a students and inaugurating a new approach to undergraduate new approach to undergraduate education focused on expanding education focused on expanding access for qualified students access for qualified students from underserved communities. from underserved communities.
2014 2014
Pathways program quadruples Pathways program quadruples enrollment numbers enrollment numbers for itsfor its second academic second academic year. year.
2016 2016 2015 2015
Harrison Professional The The Harrison Professional Pathways program is conceived Pathways program is conceived in response a University in response to a to University of of Chicago report a mere Chicago report that that a mere 14% 14% of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) freshmen gotoon to receive freshmen go on receive theirtheir bachelor’s degrees. bachelor’s degrees.
22
National Louis University VIEW | SPRING 2022
2016 2016
Based on GPA, Based on GPA, 60% 60% of of first-year Pathways students first-year Pathways students on-track to graduate, werewere on-track to graduate, compared to 20% compared to 20% at theat the beginning the academic beginning of theofacademic showing transformative year,year, showing transformative growth in the meantime. growth in the meantime.
