The network consists of ten community colleges across the country. The initiative is an effort to ensure students of all backgrounds can find success in earning credentials or bachelor degrees.
Lorain County Community College has been selected to participate in Unlocking Opportunity: The Post-Graduation Success and Equity Network, an initiative by the Aspen Institute and the Community College Research Center.
According to a press release on Lorain County Community College’s website, Josh Wyner, who is the founder and executive director of the Aspen College Excellence Program, discussed what the Unlocking Opportunity Network is for, saying, “For many years, community colleges have been focused on improving graduation rates—and progress has been steady and impressive.” The next mission should be to provide higher-quality degrees and credentials, Wyner said, “especially for the large numbers of Black, Hispanic, and low-income students who rely so heavily on community colleges to provide a path to a better life. The colleges selected for this network have shown that they can make scaled and systemic change, and are ready to work together on this critical goal.”
Instead of focusing solely on retention and graduation statistics, the network will encourage a refocus on the quality of what programming is being offered to students in terms of degrees and workplace credentials. A specific focus will be supporting students of color to complete workforce credentials and degrees.
The community colleges selected to participate in the Unlocking Opportunity Network are Alamo Colleges District: San Antonio College in Texas, Laramie County Community College in Wyoming, Lorain County Community College, Monroe Community College in New York, Odessa College in Texas, Sinclair College in Ohio, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Wisconsin, St. Petersburg College in Florida, Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma, and Valencia College in Florida.
Of Lorain County Community College being selected to participate, the school’s president, Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D., said, “Our community turns to Lorain County Community College to prepare for in-demand careers. By working with the Unlocking Opportunity network, LCCC will continue to enhance students’ career outcomes that provide family sustaining wages. More than 90% of LCCC graduates live and work in Northeast Ohio. By working with local employers and creating value-added programs, such as our earn and learn programs and holistic support services, LCCC is helping advance the economic mobility of our students and our community. By joining the Unlocking Opportunity network, our impact in these areas will continue to expand.”
Davis Jenkins of the Community College Research Center commented on the network, saying, “We’re excited to work with these colleges to help them evaluate and strengthen their programs and see which lead to great outcomes: either good jobs right away or via completion of a bachelor’s degree. This requires intensive work, and I cannot imagine a better group of institutions from which we can learn and share lessons with the field on how to deliver excellent and equitable programs.”
The network began its work shortly after being formed in 2023 and will last for five years, through 2028. The beginning stages of participation will be for the colleges to evaluate, plan, and introduce new strategies following help from mentors. The Aspen Institute and the Community College Research Center will be monitoring progress and public information will be released about the progress and the outcomes of the network.
For more information about Lorain County Community College, visit the school’s website.