Relational Map coming soon. Learn more about the work we’re doing with AI and view our example prototypes here.
Frontier Set was a national initiative (2015-2021) comprised of colleges, universities, state systems of higher education, and supporting organizations committed to (1) transforming how institutions operate by eliminating race, ethnicity, and income as predictors of student success and (2) working collaboratively with other institutions. Frontier Set was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A key aim of the initiative was to understand how the participating colleges and universities were transforming to improve the student experience and to share those learnings to help advance the field. All the institutions had a track record of being high-performing, high-potential institutions with a history of working collaboratively to create equitable student success for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students, first-generation students, and those from low-income backgrounds).
At the initiation of Frontier Set, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation identified six non-profit organizations (Intermediaries for Scale) to work across diverse partners to serve transforming institutions as connectors, advisors, and strategists:
These organizations were identified for their demonstrated commitment and experience in supporting higher education institutions to reduce college success disparities by race and income; promote continuous learning and improvement through the use of data; and identify, implement, and evaluate significant campus-level changes in policy and practice.
The intermediaries identified 29 colleges and universities and two state systems of higher education institutions to make up the Frontier Set. Institutions were chosen because of their history of making strides in improving outcomes for their students, as well as for their ability to work together. The network provided a structure for participating sites to collaborate and share, supported by a group of organizations that facilitated and studied their ongoing transformation efforts and captured insights and lessons learned. This level of collaboration differentiated the Frontier Set in a historically competitive field.
The participating institutions met to share progress in their continuing equity-focused work and piloted new strategies. The institutions shared insights and reflected on what drives change and what transformation is and how it happens.
From this work, the Frontier Set developed a common definition of institutional transformation: the realignment of an institution’s structures, culture, and business model to create a student experience that results in dramatic and equitable increases in outcomes and educational value. The transformation process would require realignment – the redesign of how the institution operates and enables changes that advance racial and socioeconomic equity in student outcomes. The institutions would transform by integrating evidence-based practices that create inclusive and coherent learning environments and leverage a student-centered mission, catalytic leadership, strategic data use, and strategic finance in a robust continuous improvement process.
Variety of resources to include reports, case studies, insights/topical briefs
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