Rural Postsecondary Education Research Agenda

• In Event: Highlighting the Future of Rural Education: Research Agendas for Rural Pre-K–12 and Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Disparities in postsecondary success between rural students and their urban and suburban peers exist at every point in the pipeline, from enrollment to completion. These disparities contribute to a shortage of skilled workers, which affects the economic health of both families and entire communities. Although approximately 20% of the population lives in rural America, very little research to date has focused explicitly on rural postsecondary education. In 2021, Ascendium Education Group set out to tackle this challenge.
Ascendium partnered with Sova Solutions, who engaged a diverse Working Group of researchers and practitioners charged with developing an action-oriented, rural postsecondary research agenda. The agenda is intended to inform Ascendium’s future investments in rural research, and lead to increased understanding of key issues in the broader field. Research topic ideas were generated based on a review of literature, Working Group members’ expertise, and interviews with Advisory Group of practitioners. Topics were then prioritized, grouped into research themes, and refined over multiple iterations of both asynchronous review and discussion at convening

The Rural Post-Secondary Research Agenda calls for research in each of four priority areas with a focus on rural learner success.
• Rural Institution as a Catalyst for Mobility and Economic Growth: Questions investigating the role of postsecondary institutions in their communities, how rural institutions build social and cultural capital, and how work with local partners may yield benefits and support student success.
• Capacities for Effective Service and Innovations at Rural Institutions: Questions investigating institutional capacities, including how rural institutions recruit and retain talent and expertise, use data, and build institutional capacity to support rural learner success.
• The Rural Student Learning Journey: Questions exploring the unique needs of rural learners and the academic and non-academic practices that foster student persistence, completion, and job placement in rural contexts including (e.g., advising, first year experiences, apprenticeships, etc.).
• The Value of Postsecondary Education for Rural Learners: Questions that explore how rural students make sense of and value postsecondary education, and the ways that postsecondary education delivers equitable value to all learners.

The research agenda focuses squarely on generating knowledge that can help practitioners and policymakers remove systemic barriers faced by learners. Specifically, it aims to lay the groundwork for applied research collaborations that 1) center equity; 2) focus attention on systemic and structural issues affecting student success from enrollment through workforce entry; 3) have true salience for rural communities and learners, especially learners from low-income backgrounds; and; 4) yield actionable insights in 1-3 years—with a focus on improving outcomes including student persistence, timely degree completion, labor market advancement, and upward socioeconomic mobility served as an orienting touchstone of the group’s work.

During this session, panelists will discuss how these four priority areas were developed and will highlight examples of current scholarship and the focus for future research. In addition, Ascendium staff will highlight the organization’s interest in rural postsecondary education and how the research agenda will be used to inform future investments.

Authors

• Devon G. Brenner, Mississippi State University

• Soo-yong Byun, Pennsylvania State University

• Darris Roshawn Means, University of Pittsburgh

• Keith Witham, Ascendium Education Group