Doña Ana Community College
Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is making progress on its top priority: improving graduation rates. From Fall 2009 to Fall 2010 the graduation rate increased from 6% to 13%.
DACC has increased the number of credentials it awards by improving its internal structures to recognize the work students were already doing. It encouraged first-year, full-time students who met the criteria for the associate of general studies degree to apply for it. It also implemented the New Mexico Common Core Certificate in its General Studies Division.
The college’s multi-faceted Freshman-Year Experience aims to help all students start well and persist. The college also added developmental math initiatives such as summer fast track classes that help students start at higher math levels and progress to college-level math more quickly.
As a result of these various tactics, DACC awarded:
- 923 associate degrees in academic year 2010-2011 compared to 651 degrees in 2007-2008, and 433 in 2004-2005.
- 547 certificates in academic year 2010-2011 compared to 134 certificates in 2007-2008, and 98 certificates in 2004-2005.
The fall enrollment at DACC has more than doubled in the last 10 years. It is now New Mexico’s fourth largest degree-granting institution and a federally-designated Hispanic-serving institution. Created in 1971 as a branch campus of New Mexico State University, the college’s central campus in Las Cruces is contiguous to the state university’s campus.
In Fall 2010, 67% of the college’s 9,923 students were Hispanic, 20% were Caucasian, 3% were African American, and 2% were American Indian. Thirty-nine percent of students received Pell grants.
Fewer entering students have needed developmental education courses since 2007. Nevertheless, in Fall 2011, 76% of entering students took developmental math and 50% took developmental English.
DACC’s Freshman-Year Experience supports the persistence of first-time, full-time students with a Freshman Boot Camp in the summer, Freshman Convocation, a one credit college success course, and an online learning support system.
The college has improved its outreach to underserved populations by having their admissions office personnel recruit students from Adult Basic Education. These students are recruited through transitions workshops for noncredit students whobare scheduled to receive their GEDs.
To improve the soft skills of credit students enrolled in career and technical programs the Technical Studies Division added the Work-Keys Assessment in its Career Readiness Certification Preparation course, which is part of all certificate programs.
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.
Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges
Leader Colleges are demonstrating the power of the Achieving the Dream Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. They show us it is possible to raise persistence and graduation rates, close achievement gaps, and change lives. Leader Colleges embody the ultimate goal of Achieving the Dream, and as such, serve as mentors within our community of learners.
To be eligible for Leader College distinction, colleges must show three or more years of improvement on one or more of these five measures:
- Course completion
- Advancement from developmental to credit-bearing courses
- Completion of college-level math and English courses
- Term-to-term and year-to-year retention
- Completion of certificates or degrees
