#1  Drive Student Completion and Academic Success

Improve College Readiness
Minimize the need for developmental education to accelerate student progression to college level, credit-bearing courses by partnering with local school districts and redesigning placement process.

Reduce Time and Cost of Degree Completion
Scale up proven pathways, such as dual enrollment, PSEO, Early College High School, Adult Transitions and the University Partnership Program, while piloting new approaches to reduce time and cost of degree completion.

Encourage Early Connection to Careers
Assist students with early adoption of, and persistence in, a major area of study that connects to a career.

Embed Real World Experiences
Integrate career exploration, coaching, internships, co-ops, and experiential learning throughout a student’s educational experience.

Strengthen Student Support and Engagement
Engage and connect students efficiently and effectively with essential resources and services that directly foster success.

Launch Personalized Intervention
Leverage technology to create and monitor individualized completion plans for every student.
  

#2   Meet Industry-Identified Talent Needs

Expand University Partnership
Expand University Partnership Programs to prepare students to succeed in the highly competitive job market which increasingly requires advanced educational attainment.

Engage Employers as Teaching and Learning Partners
Engage employers to better anticipate emerging talent needs and develop education and internship programs to grow a ready-made workforce.

Increase Industry-Recognized Training and Credentials
Broaden offerings that lead to recognized industry credentials (i.e., certification, licensure, and degree), ensuring students master skills and knowledge necessary to meet employer expectations.

Prepare Talent for Growth of Advanced Manufacturing
Encourage students to pursue careers in advanced manufacturing through exploration, industry partnerships, internships and relevant short-term training and degree programs.

Expand International Initiatives
Prepare students to succeed in a global economy through international programs and curriculum.

#3   Foster Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation

Stimulate an Entrepreneurial Mindset
Inspire a campus and community culture that encourages discovery, risk-taking and creativity to continuously feed the entrepreneurial pipeline with new ideas and innovators.

Expand Business Coaching and Mentoring
Equip student entrepreneurs, start-ups and small-medium size businesses with access to vital business coaching and mentoring to advance ideas to market.

Address Gaps in Start-up Funding
Assist promising start-ups in navigating gaps in the funding continuum through partnerships, education services and by broadening proven models such as the Innovation Fund.

Support Community-Based Inventors
Provide resources to inventors in negotiating the early phases of the technology commercialization process (i.e., assessing market opportunities, provisional patent filing, and managing intellectual property).

Strengthen Competitiveness of Small and Medium Businesses
Increase outreach, engagement and support of small and medium-sized businesses to improve competitiveness in changing markets.
   

#4   Accelerate Commercialization to Enhance Regional Competitiveness

Enhance Rapid Prototyping Resources
Expand resources available for rapid prototyping, including adoption of 3-D printing methods and technologies to increase capabilities for creating prototypes.

Develop Shared Resources to Bridge Gaps in Commercialization Process
Reduce time, cost and risk of commercializing technologies by creating shared equipment and expertise, filling the missing middle between lab and market (i.e., SMART Commercialization Center for Microsystems)

Pilot Production Innovation Lab
Leverage college equipment and technology to simulate a production environment, helping companies prove and refine the manufacturability of products while providing real-world experience for students.

Connect to Strategic Partners and Initiatives
Collaborate with partners locally, regionally and beyond to identify and pursue economic growth opportunities, enhancing our community’s attractiveness as an ideal place to start and grow a business.

    

#5   Stimulate a Vibrant, Connected Community

Foster Connections through Technology
Leverage enhanced technology infrastructure to build community connectedness among the public and private sector for greater engagement, effectiveness and cost efficiency. 

Foster Connections through Arts and Cultural Experiences
Engage the campus and the community in expanded arts and cultural experiences to stimulate creativity, innovation, knowledge and economic development.

Expand Service Learning
Expand service learning opportunities for students as means to develop leadership and applied skills, while contributing to the improvement of society.

Build Community Collaboration
Convene conversations and collaborations to address critical community challenges and opportunities.

Model Sustainability Leadership
Advance institutional and regional initiatives that leverage LCCC’s expertise and maximize community benefit.

Promote Wellness
Engage the campus and community in activities and programs that encourage healthy living.

#6   Expand College’s Resource Capacity

Secure Local Resources
Secure adequate resources for the College’s future through on-going, local levy support that ensures necessary infrastructure.
Leverage Mission-Based Enterprise Development
Capitalize on the College’s unique intellectual property to create businesses and joint ventures that present potential for earned revenue while advancing the mission and vision of the institution.
Expand Stakeholder Base
Broaden the network of global, national, state and local stakeholders investing in the College’s mission through competitive grants, co-operative agreements, partnerships and sponsored activities.
Engage Philanthropic Community
Leverage the Lorain County Community College Foundation as the College’s independent direct support organization to accelerate the College’s mission through enhanced philanthropic, in-kind and entrepreneurial strategies that increase resource base.
Develop Our People
Enhance strategies for attracting, developing and retaining our people to improve individual, team and institutional effectiveness.