Transforming Higher Education, One Institution at a Time

Across colleges and universities nationwide, transformation is no longer optional; it is essential. Institutions are facing enrollment challenges, financial pressures, shifting student demographics, and growing expectations for measurable outcomes. The Gardner Institute, in partnership with the Gates Foundation and the ECMC Foundation, is helping campuses navigate this new reality through the Institutional Transformation Assessment (ITA).

The ITA empowers higher education leaders to assess their institution’s readiness for change, uncover barriers that limit progress, and design strategies that align people, policies, and practices around student success. It is not a quick fix but a framework that helps institutions build lasting capacity for improvement.

Real Progress, Real Impact

The six institutions featured in this publication demonstrate what is possible when transformation becomes part of an institution’s culture. Each approached the ITA from a different starting point—regional public universities, community colleges, and private institutions—but all shared a commitment to sustained, systemic change.

These campuses faced challenges that are common across higher education: limited resources, cultural resistance, and evolving student needs. By combining data with collaboration and strategic intent, they achieved measurable progress.

• Fairmont State University shifted from transactional to transformational student success, engaging faculty and staff in sensemaking that redefined advising and student support.
• LSU Shreveport developed an integrated Student Success Framework, professionalized advising, and achieved an 8.4 percent rise in retention.
• Cal State San Bernardino aligned transformation with strategic planning, launched curricular analytics, and improved degree pathways through proactive student outreach.
• Queensborough Community College strengthened its commitment to data literacy and first-year redesign, closing achievement gaps and improving persistence.
• Columbia College Chicago used the ITA as a stabilizing force during institutional disruption, improving retention and narrowing gaps across key student groups.
• Mary Baldwin University united strategic planning and transformation, embedding student success reforms into the culture through shared vision and accountability.

Each story reflects the perseverance, partnership, and purpose that drive meaningful change. Transformation is not easy, but it is possible when institutions act with collaboration, courage, and commitment.

Why Transformation Matters Now

The higher education landscape is evolving quickly. As public trust declines and demographic shifts challenge enrollment, colleges and universities must demonstrate that higher education remains a powerful engine for opportunity. Transformation, guided by data and shared leadership, allows institutions to adapt to change while staying true to their mission.

The Institutional Transformation Assessment helps campuses move from awareness to action. It provides a common language for change, helps identify systemic barriers, and connects institutions with a growing community of peers who are learning, adapting, and succeeding together.

A Call to Act and Learn Together

Progress in higher education comes when institutions listen, learn, and share what works. By engaging with the Gardner Institute’s case studies, campus leaders and faculty can see transformation in practice and discover strategies that lead to lasting impact.

This publication is more than a report; it is an invitation. Each case study captures lessons learned, strategies tested, and measurable results achieved through collaborative, data-informed transformation.

Explore how transformation can look on your campus.
Learn what works, what is challenging, and what is possible.
Join a community committed to ensuring that all students thrive.

Download the Case Studies
Learn About the ITA Framework