MANSFIELD—During the opening session of the National Conference of Achieving the Dream (DREAM 2022), a virtual convening of community college leaders, practitioners, and advocates from across the United States, Achieving the Dream (ATD) awarded North Central State College with a “Special Recognition” for progress toward improving student success and closing equity gaps.
The media release from Achieving the Dream included the following statement: “North Central State College (OH), an ATD Network institution since 2005 and a Leader College of Distinction since 2018, received a Special Recognition Award for substantive improvements in student outcomes, including continued increases in the number of overall credits completed, fall-to-fall persistence, and four-year completion rates. The college is also narrowing equity gaps for student parents, women, and first-generation, part-time, and low-income students.”
President Dorey Diab knows this award required the work of many people, “To be recognized by this body, made up of 300 community colleges and leaders from across the United States, for our efforts to improve the educational experience for our students here in north-central Ohio is a testament to the quality and value that the College provides to our region. It’s the result of countless hours of work by our dedicated faculty and staff to serve the unique needs of each student, and be recognized again as a “Leader College of Distinction” among the 10% of the ATD colleges. It’s a great example of the work we do here that makes a difference for our community.”
The Achieving the Dream effort has been ongoing at NC State since 2005. It has been a key component of strategic planning for the college ever since. Longtime trustee Matt Smith currently serves as Chair of the Board for NC State, “One of the key aspects of Achieving the Dream has always been that our efforts have been tied to data that measured where we were as a college today, and whether or not we’re making progress as an institution. Just over ten years ago, we signed on to the National College Completion Challenge. In 2018, we received notification that NC State was a Leader College of Distinction with ATD, a designation we’ve maintained ever since. This recognition raises the bar even further. It is evidence that our hard work to improve the quality of life is making a difference: that we’re providing relevant learning opportunities for our community. I’m proud of our leadership, our employees, our students, and know that my fellow Trustees share that gratitude. NC State is a special place. This is just one more example.”
In addition to Achieving the Dream, NC State works with a number of groups on a variety of initiatives. Davis Jenkins, Senior Research Scholar with the Community College Research Center at Columbia University works with NC State on exploring guided pathways for students. He was pleased with the Achieving the Dream announcement, “Congratulations to you and your colleagues on the much-deserved recognition from ATD for your work to improve student success and close equity gaps. We are in awe of the changes you have made in practice to enrich students’ experience at the college. Keep up the great work.”
Looking ahead, North Central State College is continuing to build on its steady progress with a focus on increasing student retention and completion. The College offers certificates, associate and bachelor’s degrees, with flexible course scheduling including 8-week terms, a greater use of online and hybrid courses, and increased access to wrap-around support for students.
The college is also focused on increasing the diversity of students on campus and on closing equity gaps for minority students. That work will include expanded outreach and work with local high schools and technical centers with a high percentage of minority students, peer mentoring for those students, and professional development for faculty focused on inclusive teaching practices. Affordability is a key component of this outreach. Currently, fewer than one-third of NC State students take out student loans. Those who do average far lower debt than the state and national average, which now exceeds thirty thousand dollars.
“As an institution, we are committed to servant leadership,” noted President Diab. “We intend to continue to grow our institution and work with our partners to ensure we are both serving and leading for students with quality and value throughout our community.”