Researchers Seek to Redefine Rural-Servicing Colleges

When you think of a rural college, more than likely, you think of a college located in a rural area, and that is what policymakers consider when defining rural-servicing institutions (RSIs) and determining their needs. However, a group of researchers has released a report that they hope will change that.

The group of researchers includes Andrew Koricich, an associate professor at Appalachian State University, Vanessa Sansone, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Alisa Hicklin Fryar, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, Cecilia Orphan, an associate professor at the University of Denver, and Kevin McClure, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The members all met on Twitter. 

In 2021, they developed the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges (ARRC), an advocacy and research organization with a unified goal: to redefine a rural-servicing institution. The group aims to challenge policy makers on Capitol Hill to rethink rural-servicing colleges and how they are defined and funded.

One of the most significant issues in identifying which schools are considered “rural” is the metrics used; until now, rural colleges were only identified as such by their location. One search determined over 500 rural colleges in the United States, while the Association of Community College Trustees references a Department of Education report of only around 260 rural community colleges.

In contrast, the researchers of the ARRC studied what they deem 1087 rural-servicing colleges. “By and large, the only conversation about rural is: ‘OK, we know where an institution is, and that’s how we’re classifying them,'” said ARRC’s Executive Director Andrew Koricich. “What gets lost are institutions that may not be in a place formally classified as rural, but are doing important rural service, and this is because… there’s no agreed-upon definition.” 

For a year, Koricich and his team collected and analyzed data from over 1,000 RSIs to develop the new research, which sought to create an evidence-based definition of “rural-servicing institution” using a five-factor metric that determines schools as “rural-servicing” and not just ‘rural-located.’

The report titled “Introducing Our Nation’s Rural-Serving Postsecondary Institutions” found most RSIs had a high minority enrollment, with one-third of historically black colleges and universities being RSIs. The report also found 18% of the schools had high Hispanic attendance, 93% were tribal colleges and universities, and 94% were high native-enrolling (nontribal) institutions. These numbers emphasize RSIs’ role in providing higher education for marginalized populations. 

The researchers’ metrics and supporting data from Ascendium Education Group determined that, of the postsecondary institutions, 83% in low-employment counties and more than two-thirds in persistent-poverty counties were RSIs. With the research highlighting the disparities, the hope is policymakers can strengthen and leverage these institutions through targeted grants and other programs.

The metrics used to help identify rural-servicing institutions included enrollment size, two-year or four-year institutions, degrees awarded, and the highest degrees offered.

“Not only will policy makers and institutions benefit from ARRC’s RSI metric, but it also increases Ascendium’s own understanding of the rural postsecondary education landscape and the institutions that are supporting rural learners and communities,” said Kirstin Yeadon, program officer at Ascendium.