Achieving the Dream

East Mississippi Community College has joined the 2021 cohort of Achieving the Dream (ATD), a network of more than  300 colleges in 45 states and the District of Columbia dedicated to improving student success. 
As a network institution, EMCC will work to improve equitable outcomes for students, bolster student retention and completion, and expand holistic supports to meet students’ evolving needs. EMCC is one of five community colleges joining thecohort in fall 2021.

“We are excited about this opportunity to join the Achieving the Dream network,” EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks said. “We are committed to ensuring all of our students are equipped with the tools they need to excel in college and achieve academic success. We are looking forward to working with Achieving the Dream to identify and dismantle educational barriers and to address any institutional inequities that may contribute to individual student achievement gaps.”
The colleges are joining ATD after the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the nation’s health and economic inequalities and the resulting economic fallout disproportionally hit working class families and racially minoritized communities, according to an agency press release. “Colleges that partner with ATD must be both aspirational in how they engage change and be willing to take a hard look at where theyare falling short,” ATD President and CEO Dr. Karen A. Stout said. “For ATD, that begins with centering equity within our institutions, understanding our students and their lived experiences, and tearing down structures and policies that are barriers, especially for racially marginalized students.”
EMCC and the other four institutions will partner with ATD over the next three years to expand the use of best practices for student success and equity, receive guidance in transforming to a student-centered institution and build a culture of data to identify barriers to student success, using qualitative and quantitative evidence to drive changes in policies and practices across the institution, the ADT press release states.

Initiative Co-Leaders: 
Dr. James Rush, Vice President of Instruction
jrush@eastms.edu

Mrs. Susan Baird, Dean of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, Grants, and Sponsored Programs
sbaird@eastms.edu

 

Equity Statement

EMCC commits to fostering an equitable learning environment that goes beyond acknowledging injustice and inequity by promoting self-advocacy for all. Grounded in the principle of fairness, equity is ensuring that each student receives what is needed to flourish and to close opportunity gaps. EMCC aspires to create a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environment, particularly for those who have been impacted by historic disadvantages, marginalization, and exclusion. EMCC realizes that our strength comes from diversity.

Student Success Vision Statement

EMCC commits to fostering an equitable learning environment that equips students with knowledge for personal and career success by promoting self-advocacy to overcome personal barriers.