Complete College America official urges HBCUs to design 'purpose-first' student experiences and prepare for AI-driven workforce shifts
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Summary
Dr. Danfrew Elston told the Board of Regents HBCU Advisory Council that improving on-time graduation and aligning credentials with workforce needs — including integrating AI competencies — are key to protecting HBCUs amid policy scrutiny and enrollment pressures.
Dr. Danfrew Elston, of Complete College America, told the HBCU Advisory Council that the central challenge for many HBCUs is student persistence and that institutions should redesign student experience around ‘‘purpose’’ and clear academic maps.
"Most students who don't return do so because they don't feel like the environment is designed for them to succeed," Elston said, describing Complete College America's "purpose-first" approach and four institutional pillars — purpose, structure, momentum and support — that drive on-time completion.
Elston highlighted five national trends the council should watch: shifts in federal policy affecting operating revenue, credential attainment as a measure of state competitiveness, persistent enrollment pressures, workforce-aligned accountability and rapid changes driven by artificial intelligence.
On AI, Elston said institutions must move beyond ad hoc experimentation. "Most institutions are still just saying, 'go on ChatGPT' and start to try some things; they have not built out a firm structure,'" he said. He recommended system-level pilots that align curriculum, professional development and IT infrastructure to prepare students for changing employer expectations.
Council members asked about translating data to policy and who should lead data collection. Elston said states could act first but noted the college-transparency act would create a national dataset if passed. He offered to provide state examples and research that have informed successful statewide completion efforts.
Elston also urged HBCUs to prepare for philanthropic and corporate partnership opportunities by articulating clear goals and implementation plans: "Philanthropies ask, 'who is ready?'" he said. He recommended starting small, demonstrating measurable outcomes and scaling successful pilots to attract larger investments.
The council requested follow-up materials and examples of state projects and pilots that have produced measurable gains.