Founded on the Practice of Research-Driven Continuous Improvement: How Guttman Community College Embedded Self-Study from the Outset

Abstract

Launching a new institution of higher education requires navigating complex stakeholder relationships while justifying significant public investment. The rarity of successfully launching new postsecondary institutions makes each case a valuable source of insights for higher education leaders seeking to advance institutional innovation. This case study examines how the City University of New York (CUNY) successfully founded Guttman Community College (GCC) in 2012. Using Strategic Academic Research and Development (SARD) as a conceptual framework, we analyze two distinct phases: the founding process (2007–2012) and early operational years. During the founding phase, CUNY’s planning team excavated research-based best practices from leading experts and harnessed local expertise through consultative meetings with community college presidents, administrators, and faculty from across the university. In the operational phase, GCC institutionalized continuous improvement through an advisory board, dedicated Assessment Days, the Academic Assessment & Learning Committee governance structure, and the SAGE (Systematic Approach for Guttman Effectiveness) framework. Despite recent declines following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the college’s initial three-year graduation rate of 49.1% dramatically aaexceeded CUNY’s community college average of 15.9% from the same time period. This case demonstrates how systematic application of SARD principles can guide successful institutional innovation in higher education.