Mission, Vision, and Values
Vision
A nation in which community colleges are highly valued for preserving access and ensuring that their students, especially low-income students and students of color, achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth, and economic opportunity.
Mission
To lead and support a national network of community colleges to achieve sustainable institutional transformation through sharing knowledge, innovative solutions and effective practices and policies leading to improved outcomes for all students.
Values
- Organizational Community: We are committed to the success of each other and the full ATD team. Together,we create an empowering,collaborative,and trusting atmosphere where staff feel connected and respected. We believe meaningful change can be achieved through purposeful partnerships and relationships.
- Integrity: We demonstrate honesty and trustworthiness in all of our actions. We lead by example and consistently hold ourselves accountable to one another.
- Equity: We proactively seek to create an equitable and inclusive environment within ATD. We highly value and appreciate our differences and create an environment grounded in the principles of fairness where all staff can thrive.
- Reflective Practice and Improvement: We believe in evidence informed decisions,and feedback. As such,we know that learning,reflection and adaptation to evolving circumstances are critical to ATD's success. We build organizational capacity, sustainability,and impact through creative and innovative approaches.
Equity
Community colleges are an indispensable asset in our nation’s efforts to ensure and preserve access to higher education and success for all students, particularly students of color, low-income students, and other historically underrepresented student populations[1]. However, student access and success in higher education continues to be impacted by the effects of structural racism and systemic poverty. Achievement gaps among student groups reflect structural inequities that are often the result of historic and systemic social injustices. These inequities typically manifest themselves as the unintended or indirect consequences of unexamined institutional or social policies.
Achieving the Dream believes that access to a high quality education in an inclusive environment is the right of all individuals and imperative for the continued advancement of a strong democracy and workforce. Achieving the Dream also believes higher education institutions have an obligation to work toward equity for their students. Equity is grounded in the principle of fairness. In higher education, equity refers to ensuring that each student receives what they need to be successful through the intentional design of the college experience.
Achieving the Dream expects colleges to dismantle the barriers facing underserved students. Colleges must routinely scrutinize structural barriers to equity and invest in equity-minded policies, practices, and behaviors that lead to success for all students.
[1] Examples of historically underrepresented students include but are not limited to: first-generation, low-income, students of color; adult students; marginalized orientations, gender identities, and intersex students; students with second-language backgrounds; undocumented students; veterans; students with disabilities; students with dependents; foster care youth; and formerly and currently incarcerated students.

