NASPA Congratulates Selected Systems for Sustainability at Scale Research Study

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) has selected four state higher education systems to participate in Sustainability at Scale: A System-Level Approach to Understanding Advising Redesign, a national research study examining how large-scale advising and guided pathways reforms can be sustained and institutionalized over time to support student success.

"Higher education systems have invested significant effort in advising and pathways redesign. We have learned from our deep partnerships in the Advising Success Network that implementation is a critical part of redesign work but more work is needed to achieve scale," said Dr. Amelia Parnell, President and CEO at NASPA. "Through Sustainability at Scale, we are working with state systems that have sustained this work over time to understand what makes long-term holistic advising transformation possible. We intend to use those insights to create practitioner-centered case studies and materials to support NASPA and ASN partner organization members and the field at large."

Funded by ECMC Foundation, this study examines how state systems have maintained and adapted holistic advising redesign efforts beyond initial implementation and funding cycles, culminating in actionable insights and resources for the field as higher education institutions strengthen advising reform efforts. The following systems have been selected to participate in the study:

• The Texas A&M University System
• The Universities of Wisconsin
• The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
• The Louisiana Board of Regents

Over the next year, awarded systems and a sub-set of participating institutions will work with NASPA's Advising Success Network to document their long-term advising efforts and results through interviews, convenings, and collaboration. The research will explore how systems have allocated resources, supported the advising workforce, and aligned policies and governance structures to sustain and grow student success initiatives over time.

About NASPA: Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. NASPA's work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.

About ECMC: ECMC Foundation is a nationally focused foundation whose mission is to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation. It is one of several affiliates under the ECMC Group enterprise based in Minneapolis. ECMC Foundation makes investments to remove barriers to postsecondary completion; build the capacity of organizations, institutions and systems; and transform the postsecondary ecosystem using a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to support both nonprofit and for-profit ventures.

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SOURCE NASPA