Mott Community College
There is wide recognition among Mott Community College faculty and staff about the need to close achievement gaps. With Achieving the Dream, the college will:
- Advance developmental student success with mandatory placement using Accuplacer scores; the most significant finding of the ATD Data Report was that students not following their developmental course recommendations based on these scores had a far lower rate of persistence and degree completion
- Expand orientation to include a cultural/behavioral readiness component (orientation to a culture of learning)
- Utilize student data for targeted interventions; implement Datatel Retention Alert, flagging particular students for targeted interventions by counseling and student development
- Evaluate resources and policies for providing preparatory education in conjunction with external initiatives (e.g. high school interventions) to help decrease the need for students requiring developmental education upon entering MCC
The college plans to build on its culture of continuous improvement, and to align its Academic Quality Improvement Program accreditation processes with Achieving the Dream.
Mott Community College was established in 1923 as Flint Junior College. It became Genesee County Community College in 1969. The college was renamed in 1973 to honor Charles Stewart Mott, an automotive industry pioneer and philanthropist who gave generously to the college and Flint community throughout his life. In Fall 2009, the college had 12,150 students; more than 75% received financial aid. Sixty-eight percent of Fall 2009’s incoming ATD cohort students required developmental courses.
The college has a long history of responding innovatively to the needs of underserved populations. In 1957, the University of Michigan-Flint began programs on the Mott Community College campus to provide city residents with greater access to baccalaureate programs. The college now partners with six universities to offer upper division courses. In 1991, the college helped establish Mott Middle College for talented but troubled teens. The college's regional and technology centers offer programs and facilities to bridge the digital divide in low-income neighborhoods. In 2007, MCC became a demonstration site for Breaking Through, a national initiative that helps low-literacy adults stay engaged in their education and employment with integrated support services such as tuition, books, child care, and transportation. The college is still actively involved in this program.
The Achieving the Dream Model
Achieving the Dream community colleges commit to our Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. Based on four principles, the model frames the overall work of helping more students, particularly low- income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree.
Each college approaches the work differently, but Achieving the Dream’s five-step process provides practical guidelines for keeping the focus where it belongs and building momentum over time. Throughout the process, Achieving the Dream coaches offer customized support and help each college’s core team implement data-informed programs and policies that build long-term, institution-wide commitment to student success.
