Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) has been implementing the majority of its student success initiatives at a time when the college has seen over a 25% increase in enrollment. The increase in “at-risk/at-promise students,” as called by the college, has undoubtedly had an impact on achievement gap statistics for all cohorts.
The college is aware that demonstrable evidence of systemic improvement takes time and they have begun to launch the majority of its student success initiatives at scale.
Oklahoma City Community College has implemented the following student success strategies:
- College Prep Math (CPM), which represents new changes to developmental math course curriculum and advisement strategies.
- Online Orientation, a mandatory orientation, including a pass-fail test, to introduce students to strategies for succeeding in online courses.
- Training Faculty in strategies for Cooperative Learning (CL).
- Increasing the percentage of students applying for, and receiving, financial aid, and increasing the amount of financial aid disbursed.
- Summer Faculty Advisors being made more readily available to students in various areas of expertise.
- Probation Outreach for students enrolled in developmental reading and/or writing who are also on academic probation.
In the fall semester of 2009 Oklahoma City Community College boasted an enrollment of 14,100 students. Greater than 30% of the college’s student population are students of color and/or represent ethnic and racial minorities.
The college’s minority population(s), developmental students, and first-time-in-college students have all demonstrated lower graduation rates. However, the college is committed to reverse these trends and achievement gaps through innovative and institution-wide programmatic changes.
OCCC places student success at the core of its mission. To help students succeed academically, the college has implemented several new programs and services, including new student orientation and student success classes, increased counseling for developmental students, and greater on-line and web-based instruction.
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.
