The research we cited at the time was clear: students who attend full-time are statistically more likely to persist and complete their degree. And because completion was the institutional North Star, everything aligned around increasing unit load. What if pushing 15 units, without regard to relevant experience, actually limits long-term student success?

This month, I step slightly outside my usual format of leadership commentary and practical strategy. Instead, I offer a research brief that tackles one of the most significant policy conversations in California education today. A proposal currently being discussed suggests aligning high school graduation requirements with the University of California and California State University A–G course sequence. At first glance, this idea appears to support equity and rigor.

A recent example of this approach is my ongoing partnership with West-MEC in Arizona. Rather than a single speaking engagement, our ongoing collaboration reflects a comprehensive support model. Each fall, I open the academic calendar with an institution-wide keynote that challenges educators to redefine the goal of education and recognize the power of language to make education relevant to all.