Higher Education Expert Elliot Felix Publishes Findings from Interviews and an Industry Roundtable to Align Student Outcomes with Workforce Needs
RESTON, VA — Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today released a new whitepaper, Understand, Align, and Partner So That Students Succeed and Employers Excel, authored by renowned higher education thought leader and student success expert Elliot Felix. Commissioned by Ellucian, the whitepaper presents a practical roadmap for how colleges and universities can better connect academic programs with labor market outcomes to drive student success and institutional resilience.
Drawing on insights from higher education and workforce leaders and dozens of national studies, the paper identifies six key strategies institutions can use to understand shifting needs, align curricula with employer expectations and create partnerships that integrate real-world experiences into learning.
"Institutions today have an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine how learning connects to life beyond the classroom," said Joe Sallustio, Senior Vice President and Chief of Industry Engagement, Ellucian. "This research underscores the importance of connecting education and employment in ways that deliver both immediate and lifelong value. By aligning programs to workforce demand and giving students clearer, data-driven pathways to careers, institutions can strengthen outcomes, build trust and ensure long-term sustainability."
The whitepaper emphasizes the critical role of technology in bridging education and employment — enabling institutions to analyze skills data, anticipate workforce trends and deliver actionable insights and advice to students and faculty in real time.
Felix's framework provides a six-step roadmap that institutions can follow to help create better connected colleges and universities where student journeys lead to rewarding lives.
- Understand this disruptive moment in higher education
- Identify and quantify student and employer needs
- Align curriculum and competencies to employer needs
- Develop faculty to deliver aligned curricula
- Partner with companies in your community
- Integrate work experience as part of learning
The paper also features examples from institutions nationwide, including Athens State University, George Washington University, James Madison University, Quinnipiac University, San Francisco Bay University, and the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, where innovative partnerships and data-driven insights are closing the gap between classroom learning and career readiness.
Liesl Riddle, Dean of the College of Professional Studies, George Washington University, suggest that institutions "Treat employers as your co-designers, not just your end-users. Use advisory boards, alumni networks, and student voices as real-time feedback loops."
"Find ways to get data that goes past graduation because this isn't the traditional way universities have looked at outcomes," said Catherine Wehlburg, President, Athens State University. "What are alumni doing? What do they wish they had learned?"
Download the full Whitepaper
