Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative Advances Student Success Through Professional Development
July 23, 2026
This summer, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) brought together community college leaders, advisors, and student-facing staff for a series of workshops focused on one shared goal: helping more students succeed.
Hosted across partner campuses, the workshop created space for participants to explore the evolving needs of today’s learners, share effective practices, and identify new ways to strengthen support. Sessions were facilitated by:
- Latonia Garrett, Senior Director, College Transition and Strategic Retention Initiatives, Wayne State University
- Daryl Gardner, Vice Provost, Student Success, Support, and Engagement at Wayne State University
- Michelle Hunt Bruner, Education Consultant and Licensed Realtor
Participants examined the barriers and strengths shaping today’s community college students and Michigan’s changing education and workforce landscape. The workshops also included two hands-on breakout sessions focused on pre-first-year transition programming and the Guided Pathways framework, as well as a discussion on supporting Gen Z students and meeting them where they are.
To build on these conversations, each campus highlighted advising and student support improvements already underway:
Monroe County Community College
- Expanded early-alert outreach and implemented a refreshed advisor training model
Washtenaw Community College
- Redesigned its intake process to help students identify an academic pathway earlier
Oakland Community College
- Embedded advisors within academic departments to improve continuity of support
St. Clair County Community College
- Streamlined program maps and enhanced communication around course sequencing
Henry Ford College
- Strengthened its case management advising approach with new momentum tracking tools
Bringing this group of leaders together provided a valuable opportunity to share best practices, strengthen partnerships, and identify new ways to support student success across the Detroit Region. As D3C3 enters its next phase, the collaborative looks forward to building on this momentum and advancing its collective efforts to help more students successfully navigate their educational pathways.