PJC named as an Achieving The Dream college

Published or Revised May 08, 2007

Paris Junior College has been named an Achieving the Dream college, becoming a member of a national multi-year initiative to help more community college students succeed. PJC submitted a proposal to become one of the participants as a demonstration site in Achieving the Dream and was one of 24 colleges in eight states recently selected in round four. Dr. Pamela Anglin, president of PJC, said that being selected an Achieving the Dream college will benefit PJC students for many years to come. "This is a great opportunity for the college to be selected to take part in this national initiative," Dr. Anglin said. "As an Achieving the Dream institution, we will gather and interpret data so that our resources can be allocated in ways that we know will benefit our students the most and help our students reach their educational, career and professional goals." Achieving the Dream will provide PJC and other participating colleges with support to implement strategies designed to help more students — particularly students of color and low income students — earn degrees, complete certificates or transfer to other institutions to continue their studies. Achieving the Dream emphasizes the use of data to identify effective practices, improve student success rates and close achievement gaps. "I cannot overstate the importance of helping community college students succeed," said Martha D. Lamkin, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation for Education, which provided the initial funding for Achieving the Dream. "Community colleges enroll almost half of the nation's undergraduates, and the students they serve often have few other options for a higher education," Lamkin said. "With today's jobs requiring more and more postsecondary education, the role of these institutions is more vital than ever." Demonstration colleges, which PJC became when selected to the program, will follow a model of institutional improvement that includes developing a procedure to use current and effective data to drive their decision-making and program evaluations, as well as document student progress and completion rates. In addition to working with Achieving the Dream staff and advisors, PJC will also provide leadership in the program. Dr. Anglin and other institutional leaders will mobilize the program throughout the college campuses and the communities where it serves. Through its partnership with Achieving the Dream, PJC can establish a management system that will provide information for more timely interventions and decision-making for students, as well as for faculty, staff and administration. Dr. Anglin said becoming a member of the Achieving the Dream initiative would enable PJC to respond to student's needs more quickly and efficiently. "Our institution does a tremendous job now, and I believe being a part of Achieving the Dream will offer us more opportunities to elevate our service to students and community to a new level — and to provide that service more effectively," she said.