Press Release
Posted February 16, 2022

Achieving the Dream announced that it named Lorain County Community College one of 21 Leader Colleges of Distinction in the country based upon LCCC’s excellence in student success. Achieving the Dream (ATD) is a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing community colleges as hubs of equity and mobility in their communities.

LCCC is part of the ATD Network, made up of 300+ colleges committed to advancing equity and supporting student success at their institutions and throughout their communities. The ATD Leader College of Distinction award recognizes colleges that have pursued and met challenging student success goals over consecutive years that result in greater improvements in student success and equity.

LCCC has been a member of the ATD Network since 2011 and has held Leader College status since 2015. LCCC has been designated a Leader College of Distinction since 2019. In 2020, LCCC was named the Leah Meyer Austin winner, ATD’s top prize reserved for network colleges that show greatest, sustained improvements in student outcomes and student success.

“Lorain County Community College is committed to helping every student achieve their dreams, no matter their circumstances. Through our work with Achieving the Dream, the College continues to make strides in equity in access, experience and completion for all students,” said LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D. “To once again be recognized as a Leader College of Distinction is a great honor as we continue our work to close achievement gaps.”

With a focus on student success, the College has implemented strategic efforts to address equity in all aspects of LCCC’s work. Through a culture of care, LCCC provides holistic student support services combined with customized advising and academic support. Additionally, LCCC’s Equity by Design Team actively seeks to advance equity and inclusion for all students.

The result of these measures is an increase in students’ persistence and an overall increase in completion rates, especially among minority, low-income and under-represented groups. Over the past 10 years, graduation attainment for LCCC’s Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx students has nearly quadrupled.

Additional progress includes an increase in the completion of gateway math and English courses, with the largest increase among low-income students; increased persistence from year to year, with the largest increase among Black/African American students; and increased completion rates among all students, with the largest increase among first-generation college students.

“By utilizing data and listening to our students and community, we are creating pathways that result in students reaching their academic and personal goals,” Ballinger said. “Being named a Leader College of Distinction reaffirms the exceptional work of our LCCC faculty, staff and administrators.”

The 2022 ATD Leader Colleges of Distinction are:

Amarillo College (TX)
Anne Arundel Community College (MD)
Bay College (MI)
College of Southern Nevada (NV)
Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
Davidson-Davie Community College (NC)
Elgin Community College (IL)
Everett Community College (WA)
Grayson College (TX)
Kingsborough Community College (NY)
Lee College (TX)
Lorain County Community College (OH)
North Central State College (OH)
Passaic County Community College (NJ)
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (AR)
Pierce College (WA)
Porterville College (CA)
Roane State Community College (TN)
Sinclair Community College (OH)
Tallahassee Community College (FL)
Texarkana College (TX)

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About Achieving the DREAM
Achieving the Dream (ATD) leads a growing network of more than 300 community colleges committed to helping their students, particularly low-income students and students of color, achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth, and economic opportunity. ATD is making progress in closing equity gaps and accelerating student success through a unique change process that builds each college’s institutional capacities in seven essential areas. ATD, along with nearly 75 experienced coaches and advisors, works closely with Network colleges in 45 states and the District of Columbia to reach more than 4 million community college students. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn
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