MCLA Joins Cohort of 35+ Colleges and Universities in Gardner Institute Program Supported by Gates Foundation

April 14, 2026

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has been selected to join a national cohort of more than 35 colleges and universities participating in Advancing Student Success: Strategic Prioritization for Student Success, an initiative led by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, in partnership with the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and supported by the Gates Foundation.

Participation gives MCLA access to a structured, evidence-based process designed to help campus leaders set priorities, strengthen academic pathways, and improve student learning, persistence, and completion.
"Being selected for this initiative reflects our deep commitment to building stronger, clearer, and more equitable pathways for our students," said MCLA President James F. Birge. "We look forward to the insights this process will bring and to the meaningful improvements it will help us make across the institution, from how we support students in their first year to how we help them cross the finish line."

As part of the initiative, institutions receive customized reports, facilitated sensemaking sessions, a strategic prioritization plan, and an implementation roadmap aligned with the Gardner Institute's Six Transformation Principles.

"My Gardner Institute colleagues and I are honored and excited to partner with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges in this important work," said Andrew (Drew) Koch, chief executive officer of the Gardner Institute. "Our experience — supported by external evaluation of our work — shows that programs, while necessary, are not enough on their own to produce lasting gains in student learning and success. Institutions make the greatest progress when they develop and implement a comprehensive plan for student success. This effort will help MCLA bring together strong existing work into a more coherent whole, informed by the Institutional Transformation Assessment and the collective wisdom and contextual knowledge of its faculty and staff."

The initiative is delivered in partnership with the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, which serves as a key partner in advancing and supporting this work.

"Institutions like Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are demonstrating strong leadership by engaging in work that directly strengthens student learning and completion. It is inspiring to see so many institutions take intentional steps to improve outcomes across higher education, and we are deeply pleased to partner with the Gardner Institute to make this possible for our colleges and universities," said Jeanine Went, Executive Director of COPLAC.

The Gardner Institute leads the design and facilitation of the process for all participating colleges and universities. For more information, visit gardnerinstitute.org.

About MCLA

At MCLA, we're here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 11 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2026. The College's focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2026 U.S. News rankings: No. 6 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 4 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants