May 31, 2022

Fellows:
Heather Davis, Belmont College
Brendan Greaney, Rhodes State College

Project Advisor:
Krista O’Neill, Ohio Association of Community Colleges

Executive Summary:
Dating back to the earliest days of the Community College movement, two-year colleges across the country have had a large focus on access. By providing access to students who may otherwise not be able to access a postsecondary education, we simultaneously provide these students with a chance at bettering their lives, while also taking on a responsibility to assist them with the numerous challenges they may bring with them. More and more, these challenges are not related to a student’s academic abilities, yet the challenges they face in their daily lives that may lead to their inability to be successful in college. Over the last decade, a growing number of Community Colleges have begun offering non-academic support services in order to address these challenges. From food pantries, child care, and emergency financial assistance, Community Colleges are more and more taking on the role of holistic caregivers for their students. However, how can colleges identify these potential challenges before they endanger a student’s success? A tool is needed in order to identify these potential challenges then provide college staff and administrators with the ability to connect students to resources to mitigate these challenges. The purpose of this memo will be to introduce such a tool and the expected challenges in implementing this tool.