Founded in 2012, the Success Center for Ohio Community Colleges (Success Center) is the hub connecting OACC members at the intersection of practice, research, and policy proven to improve student and workforce outcomes.
The Success Center is a statewide convener, ensuring coherence among reforms, facilitating collaboration across institutions, and building meaningful connections that accelerate student completion and career outcomes.
Goals
Funders & Partners
The work of the Success Center is made possible through generous support from several funders and partners. We gratefully acknowledge the following organizations for their support of the Success Center since its founding.
Evolution of the Success Center
2012-2014
Establishing Our Vision and Goals
- Center is established with support from Kresge
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation support to OACC for statewide advocacy and research
- Launch of Completion by Design
- 100% Performance Based Funding legislation enacted
- Campus Completion Plan legislation enacted
2016-2017
Scaling Guided Pathways with SSLI
- Ascendium support begins
- First SSLI hosted
- Start of data coaching and on-campus professional development
- Launch of AACC Pathways
- First Scale of Adoption Assessment
- MDRC partnership on EASE
- ODHE Innovation Grant on strategic scheduling
- Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways legislation
- First Holistic Student Supports Institute
- Introduction of holistic student supports coaching
- ODHE Innovation Grant on Open Educational Resources
2018-2021
Building Partnership and Supports
- Ohio Strong Start to Finish
- Joyce Foundation Grant on Dual Enrollment Pathways
- Launch of Leadership Academy for Student Success
- Introduction of faculty engagement couches and creation of the Ohio Pathways Coaching Program
- Extension of professional development to virtual webinars and workshops
- First Data Summit
- Partnership with ACUE to offer Ohio faculty professional development courses
- Launch of the Network Demonstration Project with JFF
2022-2024
Leading, Innovating, and Elevating Ohio’s Community Colleges
- Refresh with Guided Career Pathways
- Sharing the Ohio Success Center model for replication at a national level
- Leadership Academy is replicated in MI, NY, and TX in partnership with NCII and Aspen
- Leading the Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network
- Documenting and sharing our story and successes
- Leading Workforce Outcomes Dashboard project in partnership with Achieving the Dream and ODHE
2025-2026
Advancing our Shared Mission of Student Success
- Partnering with the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA) on OH-MI Pathways Together grant from Ascendium
- Scaling Coalitions of Practice peer learning and action communities
- Shortened Academic Terms Project with MCCA and Achieving the Dream
- Success Center featured in More Essential Than Ever book
- Another two states (AZ and WA) replicate the Leadership Academy program in partnership with NCII and Aspen
- Piloting Frontiers of Practice in partnership with MCCA
- Student Basic Needs grant with MCCA from ECMC
- Addition of employment metric and Technician-Aligned Associate Degree bonuses to funding formula
Our Strategic Priorities
The following provide a shared direction for our work, ensuring our efforts are aligned, focused, and impactful.
Student Success Leadership Institute
Helping colleges with the implementation of structured guided pathways reforms and facilitating cross-institutional sharing of best practices and data sets to help drive strategic decision making.
Leadership Academy
Spearheading a leadership development cohort program for mid-level faculty, staff, and administrators (below the vice president level) with clear leadership potential and interest in advancing within the college and the field.
Data & Research
Building capacity to analyze and use evidence in support of improved student success.
Guided Career Pathways to Workforce & Transfer
Providing support and clarity to help build colleges capacity to implement evidence based practices that lead to improved student outcomes through transfer and workforce pathways.
Teaching & Learning
Supporting faculty and fostering teaching and learning practices that result in enhanced student success and improved learning outcomes.
Holistic Student Supports
Shifting advising and student services to be student-ready by integrating and enhancing a myriad of support services into a seamless, timely, and personal experience for every student.
Impact
3x as Many Graduates
Since 2014, nearly 213,000 associate degrees and 1-year certificates have been awarded and the three-year graduation rate has nearly tripled from 9% to 25%.
Doubled Guided Pathways Implementation
Guided pathways implementation has doubled since 2018, with 94% of colleges scaling in progress or at scale.
Sources: Three-year Graduation & Success Rates for 2-Year Public Institutions, 2013 and 2019. https://highered.ohio.gov/data-reports/key-topic-areas/dr-graduation-retention/data-reports-graduation-retention and OACC Scale of Adoption Assessment, 2018 and 2022.