Des Plaines, Ill. (Feb. 16, 2023) – Oakton College has been recognized for its Leader College recertification during DREAM 2023, Achieving the Dream’s (ATD) signature event in Chicago on Feb. 16. Achieving the Dream is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as hubs of equity and mobility in their communities. Leader Colleges play an important role in accelerating the adoption of effective practices within the ATD Network and across higher education.
“We are proud to once again be recognized as a Leader College by Achieving the Dream. Since partnering with Achieving the Dream, we have seen increases in completion rates for all Oakton students, and have reduced equity gaps for Latino/a/x students on measures that lead to completion such as completion of college-level math classes. At Oakton, we are committed to partnering with organizations like Achieving the Dream to ensure we provide the best college experience for our diverse community and build just and thriving communities,” said Oakton President Joianne L. Smith, Ph.D.
Oakton is part of the ATD Network, comprised of 300+ colleges committed to advancing equity and supporting student success at their institutions and throughout their communities. The College joined ATD in 2013 and was first designated as a Leader College in 2020.
Leader Colleges are recognized for the quality of their work in whole-college reform, resulting in increased completion rates for all students. In addition, Leader Colleges develop innovative ways to work with other colleges to share knowledge and facilitate an exchange of ideas about evidence-based reform strategies.
Oakton’s Faculty Persistence Project has been a signature initiative in contributing to student success. The initiative provides a framework for strengthening connections between faculty and students in the classroom, increasing student engagement and improving persistence rates. The program was a spotlight session at a past ATD annual DREAM conference, has been featured in a number of national publications and serves as a model for community colleges across the country.
