President’s Office
(440) 366-4050
mballinger@lorainccc.edu
Jocelyn Wieser
Executive Associate/Board Liaison
jwieser@lorainccc.edu
Christopher (CJ) Fox
Manager of Projects
cfox@lorainccc.edu
A Message From the President
Welcome to Lorain County Community College as we begin a new academic year!
The start of a new semester symbolizes students’ commitment to create a brighter future for themselves and for our community. By enrolling in classes, LCCC students are investing in themselves and turning hope into action. That’s an optimism that we all need right now as our nation continues to navigate through the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite these challenges, LCCC students remain focused on what lies ahead. At LCCC, the driving force behind everything we do is the principle that every student’s dream matters. We have taken great strides to address student success from a data-driven perspective, resulting in LCCC receiving the Leah Meyer Austin Award – Achieving the Dream’s national prize for significant and sustained improvements in student outcomes.
To help each student succeed, we wrap them in a Culture of Care that results in tailored support designed to meet each student where they are. This includes increased access to our Commodore Cupboard food pantry, the Advocacy and Resource Center, and increased access to mental health resources to ensure students have the tools to break through the barriers they encounter.
During the past year and a half, we have also enhanced our educational offerings and our course delivery. We have double-downed on our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning including offering students the choice of four class formats. The options of in-person, online, online live and blended allows students to select the course model that best fits their needs. We have expanded our Fast Track short-term training programs that directly align with industry needs – at zero tuition cost to our students.
We do all this to help our students and community thrive, while focusing on delivering quality education at an affordable price. In fact, LCCC was named the most affordable college in Ohio for associate and bachelor’s degrees. Furthermore, through LCCC’s University Partnership, students can save an average of $74,000 on the cost of a bachelor’s or master’s degree from 14 Ohio partner colleges!
As we begin a new semester, I am proud to lead Lorain County Community College, an institution that seeks to be a beacon of light and hope for all who seek knowledge and believe in the promise of a better future.
Please connect with me @PresBallinger on Twitter and Instagram.

President’s Blog
The best time of the year is here – commencement season! I love seeing our graduates celebrate their moment as they cross the commencement stage and soar to their futures.
I was thrilled to lead the 58th annual Commencement exercises for the Lorain County Community College and University Partnership Class of 2022. This was our first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019, and it was wonderful to see our field house filled with graduates and their supporters.
News and Articles of Interest
LCCC named in top 10% most affordable schools in the nation – Morning Journal
LCCC named among most affordable US schools – Chronicle Telegram
LCCC president speaks to Harvard panel - Chronicle Telegram
How Community Colleges Can Drive Shared Prosperity - Harvard University - The Project on Workforce
LCCC profiled in Harvard research project - Chronicle Telegram
Colleges share lessons from HEERF spending - Community College Daily
Redefining retirement - Community College Daily
LCCC prepares community for future with career-ready graduates | Opinion - Morning Journal
Hands-on training prepares students for the future of manufacturing – Ohio Higher Ed
LCCC student Brandon Woodall named DREAM Scholar – Morning Journal
Preparing its workforce via apprenticeships - Community College Daily
U.S. Secretary of Labor gets glimpse at how Northeast Ohio is meeting need for manufacturing jobs – News 5 Cleveland
U.S. House economic committee hears Lorain’s concerns – Chronicle Telegram
Economic disparities are real, witnesses tell Congress members in Lorain – Morning Journal
LCCC continues to shine with innovation | Editorial - Morning Journal
LCCC’s University Partnership leads to increase in bachelor’s degrees in Lorain County - Opinion - Morning Journal
Short-Term and Stackable in Ohio - The Job: Higher Ed and the Workforce
New Programs: Mechanical Engineering, Smart Manufacturing, HR Analytics, Accounting, Nursing - Inside Higher Ed
Headlines: LCCC enrolling students in new applied bachelor’s degree in smart manufacturing - Community College Daily
Some College, No Degree Students Get Another Chance in Northeast Ohio - Diverse Issues in Higher Education
How Community Colleges Can Drive Shared Prosperity - Harvard University - The Project on Workforce
LCCC profiled in Harvard research project - Chronicle Telegram
Colleges share lessons from HEERF spending - Community College Daily
Preventing stop-outs from becoming stay-outs - Community College Daily
Redefining retirement - Community College Daily
Preparing its workforce via apprenticeships - Community College Daily
Employers Partner with Community Colleges to Fill the Talent Pipeline – SHRM
U.S. Secretary of Labor gets glimpse at how Northeast Ohio is meeting need for manufacturing jobs – News 5 Cleveland
Short-Term and Stackable in Ohio - The Job: Higher Ed and the Workforce
The Future of Community College: Key Policy Lessons from the Pandemic - Podcast - Jobs for the Future
Lorain County Community College Honors Graduating Class with “Doors of Opportunity” – PR Newswire
New Secretary of Education to give commencement address at LCCC - Chronicle Telegram
Earning credit for non-credit courses – Community College Daily
Rocket speed to a new career - Community College Daily
Rethinking Dual Enrollment to Advance Equitable Transfer – Inside Higher Ed
Dual Enrollment as an Engine of Economic Mobility: A Q&A with Lorain County Community College President Marcia Ballinger - Community College Research Center
Community Colleges Can Be Engines of Economic Recovery – New York Times
The Edge: Community Colleges Are in the Spotlight – Again – Chronicle of Higher Education
Four colleges, one message – American Association of Community Colleges
Advantages of Community Colleges During COVID-19 – US News and World Report
Five Commitments Every Community College Must Make to Meet the Moment – JFF Policy Leadership Trust
Four-year college students benefit from taking some community college courses – Community College Daily
Five Reasons Why Community Colleges Are Key to Our COVID-19 Recovery – JFF Policy Leadership Trust
Student Feature Stories


