Believing in the Potential of Every Student - A Case Study on LaGuardia Community College

Oct 15, 2026

Believing in the Potential of Every Student: A Case Study on LaGuardia Community College examines how LaGuardia Community College delivers equitable postsecondary value. Using data analyzed by the Institute for Higher Education Policy and qualitative conversations conducted in 2023, the case study highlights LaGuardia’s student-centered mission and its role within the CUNY system. It details population characteristics, Pell Grant participation, and the institutional strategies that support completion, career advancement, and transfer pathways.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

About this case study

Key strategies highlighted by interviews and research

Case study focus: creating student-centered pathways

Supporting completion, career advancement, and transfer

AUTHORS: JANIEL SANTOS, LAUREN MCLEESE, GABRIELLE SMITH FINNIE, AND ELEANOR ECKERSON PETERS MARCH 2024 LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK LOCATION FIGURE 1. LAGUARDIA INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE3 BELIEVING IN THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY STUDENT: A CASE STUDY ON LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE In 2023, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) analyzed data from the Equitable Value Explorer to identify institutions that equitably deliver postsecondary value to their students. LaGuardia Community College, a City University of New York (CUNY) institution, stood out as an exemplar. Situated in Queens, New York City’s most ethnically diverse borough, LaGuardia's mission is“to educate and graduate one of the most diverse student populations in the country to become critical thinkers and socially responsible citizens who help to shape a rapidly evolving society.”1 As part of the nation’s largest urban public university system, LaGuardia plays an important role in opening the doors of opportunity to postsecondary education in its community and helping students and their families attain the better living and better life a college degree affords. A Hispanic-serving institution, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, and community college, LaGuardia enrolls substantial populations of Hispanic (44 percent), Asian (20 percent), and Black (17 percent) students.2 Additionally, 39 percent of students who attend LaGuardia receive federal Pell grants, a federal financial aid program designed to support students from low-income backgrounds. 2.5 YEARS $46,449 ESTIMATED TIME MEDIAN EARNINGS TO CREDENTIAL HSI AND AANAPISI DESIGNATION HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION AND ASIAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER-SERVING INSTITUTION 1 CASE STUDY: LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE LaGuardia has been recognized as an engine of economic mobility, successfully moving students from low-income backgrounds into the middle class and beyond by embracing their varied aspirations.4 Whether students seek to launch a career, upskill for advancement in their chosen field, or seamlessly transfer to a four-year university, LaGuardia tailors its offerings to fit their individual goals. This student-centered approach, coupled with a deep commitment to postsecondary value, has propelled LaGuardia to the forefront of the Equitable Value Movement--a growing movement in higher education to look beyond equitable access and completion towards ensuring students from all backgrounds receive postsecondary value. “We have an obligation to students who entrusted us with their college and career education, to someone who’s giving us their hard-earned cash or their Pell Grant, and their time, energy, and commitment,” said LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams.“The spirit has to be, ‘everything [is] on the table to help you succeed; we’re not done until you get what you came for.’” Since joining the institution in 2020, President Adams and his team have built on former President Gail Mellow’s legacy by ensuring that institutional structures, investments, programs, and policies are designed and implemented in such a way that LaGuardia can help all students achieve their educational and professional goals. This case study delves into the innovative strategies LaGuardia employs to deliver on its promise of value to students. From bridging the gap between nondegree programs and academic tracks to smoothing the transfer process to four-year institutions, institutional leaders proactively remove obstacles for students so they can chart their own unique paths to success. FIGURE 2. SNAPSHOT OF LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE ABOUT THIS CASE STUDY This case study draws on insights gleaned from conversations during the summer and fall of 2023 with administrators, staff, faculty, and students at LaGuardia Community College. Interviewees included President Kenneth Adams as well as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Bil

FAQs

What is the purpose of this case study?

It explores innovative strategies LaGuardia uses to deliver postsecondary value equitably to students, based on 2023 interviews and supporting research materials.

Which student-support focus areas are emphasized?

The study emphasizes bridging nondegree programs to academic tracks, smoothing transfers to four-year institutions, and proactively removing obstacles so students can pursue individualized paths to success.

How does the case study connect institutional work to outcomes?

It links LaGuardia’s mission and institutional structures, investments, programs, and policies to students’ educational and professional goals, including completion, career launching, and advancement.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks