On Jan. 24, the Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) hosted a winter convening at Washtenaw Community College (WCC).
During the event, attendees heard from Dr. Tia McNair, Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for TRHT Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities, on how to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion in D3C3’s systems-change efforts. Partners also spent time collaborating and sharing across institutions to advance shared regional strategies and priorities with a focus on equity.
Read below for a summary of each cluster session.
Student Success
The Student Success Cluster focused on equity through the lens of supporting adult learners and developing Standard of Care statements for the respective colleges.
In the morning, the cluster welcomed Michigan Center’s Jeremy Hendges to discuss adult college success. Hendges shared recent research and data on the adult learner regional landscape and best practices for serving this population. The Office of Sixty by 30’s Dr. Michelle Cyrus also joined to provide updates on Michigan Reconnect’s requirements and moderate a Q&A panel of local adult learner community college students.
In the afternoon, Michigan Community College Association’s Dr. Erica Orians facilitated an interactive session, guiding D3C3’s college partners through crafting individual Standard of Care statements for their academic advising services.
Mobility Sector-based Pathways
The MICHauto team facilitated a working session with the Region’s community colleges. Their conversation was focused on asset mapping for the college’s mobility facilities and how to shift from the planning stage into action. The cluster is currently focused on the student opportunities within the in-demand and growing mobility space.
K-12 Alignment
The K-12 Alignment Cluster spent time differentiating between barriers of policy and practice. In the morning, the Michigan Community College Association gathered feedback from D3C3’s partners to inform future policy brainstorming while the afternoon was spent self-assessing dual enrollment practices using the Tool for Assessing Equitable Practices.