Rural Students – November 18, 2026

Wednesday, November 18, 2026 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET Create an Access & Enrollment Pipeline that Promotes Success and Degree Completion Colleges and universities have become increasingly focused on enrolling and graduating students from rural areas. Yet many institutions still struggle with how to best support rural students from access and enrollment through success and degree attainment. This is especially important given that rural students face some of the lowest college enrollment and attainment rates and often feel marginalized within higher education spaces. Creating more inclusive environments that recognize and respond to the experiences of rural students is critical to helping them succeed. Join us on November 18, 2026 when our expert presenter – Dr. Ty McNamee, an Assistant Professor of Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation at the University of Kentucky and co-founder of the Rural Education and Healthcare Coalition, a Teachers College, Columbia University student, faculty, and staff network focused on rural education and healthcare programming and research – will explore best practices in designing higher education practice and policy considering rural students, including their barriers and strengths. Drawing from a substantive literature review about rural students in higher education, particularly more recent quantitative statistics and qualitative data about rural students, families, schools and communities, he will explore how you can tailor efforts for rural students across identities, demographics, and/or region so that your practice, policy, programs, and initiatives more effectively serve rural students and communities. Topics Covered Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: Expand your impact by including rural students in the conversation, so you can ensure your student success strategies reflect the full diversity of today’s learners, including those from rural communities. Design policies and practices that unlock rural students’ potential by addressing their unique barriers and amplifying their strengths to create more inclusive, effective educational environments. Tailor your programs for real results by adapting practices to better serve rural students across diverse identities and regions, leading to stronger engagement, retention, and outcomes. Understand how your practices and policies may marginalize rural students and how to better design programs and initiatives that empower rural students to thrive. Presenter Ty McNamee is an Assistant Professor of Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation at the University of Kentucky. He completed his doctorate in Higher and Postsecondary Education at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2022 and worked for the past three years as faculty at the University of Mississippi. Click here for full bio.