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UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier A. Reyes joined education leaders in Washington, D.C. today to launch the National Student Success Project, which addresses practical concerns from students and families about the value of a college degree.

UMass Amherst is one of 50 colleges and universities involved in the launch of the Student Success Project, which outlines five core commitments for American higher education:

• Deliver a strong value for the investment students make in education;
• Empower students with clear and affordable pathways to a degree or other significant credential;
• Advance academic excellence with innovative programs and strong teaching;
• Ignite career ambitions through real-world experiences and robust guidance; and
• Cultivate a community that supports all students and promotes civil dialogue and respect for others.

Examples of specific programs and initiatives that show how colleges and universities are putting the five core commitments into practice are displayed on the project’s website. UMass Amherst’s commitment includes the university’s Intergroup Dialogue Initiative, which aims to create spaces for dialogues across differences on campus around issues that are critical and relevant to our community; and its ‘hub and spoke’ model for Career Services so that students can access major-specific career content knowledge while employers can have one stop to engage students across disciplines.

As more colleges and universities join, the examples will form a comprehensive and informative catalog of innovative and effective practices that boost student success and lead to positive outcomes.

Five higher education associations are helping launch the project: the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Strada Education Foundation supports the project.

The higher education association presidents—AASCU’s Charles L. Welch, ACE’s Ted Mitchell, AACC’s DeRionne Pollard, APLU’s Waded Cruzado, and AAU’s Barbara Snyder—applauded the initiative in a joint statement.

“Across America, colleges and universities of all kinds are finding unique ways to achieve a common goal: ensuring their students receive an outstanding education and are prepared to succeed throughout their lives,” the five leaders said in the statement. “It’s important for all Americans, including students, parents, policymakers, and the general public, to understand the depth of our commitment to student success and to communicate the lifelong value of gaining a postsecondary education.”

The project was organized starting in early 2026, and its work has been guided by an advisory board of 19 presidents and chancellors representing a broad cross-section of higher education:

Audrey Bilger, president, Reed College; Bonita J. Brown, chancellor, Winston-Salem State University; Eli Capilouto, president, University of Kentucky; Pam Eddinger, president, Bunker Hill Community College; Stephanie J. Fujii, president, Arapahoe Community College; Kevin M. Guskiewicz, president, Michigan State University; Bennie L. Harris, chancellor, University of South Carolina Upstate; Tracy Hartzler, president, Central New Mexico Community College; John L. Hoffman, president, Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College; Garry W. Jenkins, president, Bates College; Pradeep K. Khosla, chancellor, University of California San Diego; Michael I. Kotlikoff, president, Cornell University; Anne M. Kress, president, Northern Virginia Community College; Linda A. Livingstone, president, Baylor University; Philomena V. Mantella, president, Grand Valley State University; Jeanette M. Nuñez, president, Florida International University; Javier A. Reyes, chancellor, University of Massachusetts Amherst; William Serrata, president, El Paso Community College; and David K. Wilson, president, Morgan State University.

For more information, visit www.nationalstudentsuccess.org.