Background

Jefferson Community College in Steubenville, Ohio, serves residents of Jefferson County. The Southeastern Ohio county is on the fringe of the Appalachian Mountains and the buckle of the Rust Belt, the former steel-producing region of the Midwest. In Ohio, the Rust Belt runs between the Ohio River – which forms the eastern boundary of Steubenville and Jefferson County – to Lake Erie 100 miles to the north. Jefferson County lost population and its per capita income dropped with the downsizing of steel mills and related industries.

Most of the JCC’s students are white; fewer than 10 percent are minorities. Seventy-six percent of the college’s students receive financial aid. Sixty-nine percent of JCC’s full-time students have taken at least one remedial course.

Achieving the Dream Goals

JCC has identified student success and student retention as its Achieving the Dream goals. The three priorities identified to achieve these goals are:

Successful completion of gatekeeper courses
Successful completion of developmental math
Retention of first-term students

JCC will use learning communities, a writing lab, a math lab, and a college orientation course as strategies for these priorities. The college also will analyze and improve the current advising system for developmental students.

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